Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
289 results(8 / 12)
A systemic methodology to characterize peri-urban agriculture for a better integration of agricultural stakes in urban planning
2017Esther Sanz Sanz, Claude Napoléone, Bernard Hubert, Aruna Popuri · · Global
Existing urban planning documents inadequately consider the specificities of peri-urban agriculture as an economic activity requiring arrangements not always adapted to an urban vision of agricultural spaces. This paper proposes a systemic methodology to characterize peri-urban agricultural spatial units, aiming to provide an inventory of peri-urban agricultural areas tailored to urban planning practitioners' constraints. The approach seeks to focus public action on areas where it is most likely to be efficient within a territorial project.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsPeri-Urban Food Production and Its Relation to Urban Resilience
2016Eva Olsson, Eva Kerselaers, Lone Søderkvist Kristensen, Jørgen Primdahl, Elke Rogge, Anders Wästfelt · Sustainability · Europe
A study focusing on peri-urban land in Gothenburg (Sweden), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Gent (Belgium) analyzed the relationship between peri-urban food production and urban resilience. It found that arable farming has declined in all three areas since 2000 due to urban expansion and recreational land use changes. While policies for farmland preservation exist, strategies for local food production are not expressed in current planning documents, and competing land uses and high dependence on global food systems reduce peri-urban food production and improvements in urban food security.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculture in Southern Africa: miracle or mirage?
2016Cristina D’Alessandro, Kobena T. Hanson, George Kararach · African Geographical Review · Southern Africa
This paper critically examined existing literature on peri-urban agriculture in Southern Africa, arguing it is a viable livelihood response to feeding urban residents. Despite its potential, the literature indicates that peri-urban agriculture does not play a major role in Southern Africa. The study concluded that a lack of political will and weak or absent policy frameworks, stemming from capacity deficits, hinder its promotion.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsImplementing the Urban Farming Master Plan in Horsley Park, Western Sydney: From Planning to Reality
2016Yolanda Gil, David Kirkland, Rocco Sergi · Water science and technology library · Australia (Sydney)
This chapter outlines the process of developing and implementing a master plan for urban farming in Horsley Park, Western Sydney. The case study highlighted that the implementation of the master plan has a number of challenges, including legislative and regulatory processes, and environmental and social matters. This suggests difficulties in transitioning from planning to the reality of farming in the Sydney region.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureSoil properties and subsoil constraints of urban and peri-urban agriculture within Mahikeng city in the North West Province (South Africa)
2016S. A. Materechera · Journal of Soils and Sediments · South Africa (Mahikeng)
Properties of subsoil in soils used for urban and peri-urban agriculture in Mahikeng city, South Africa, were investigated. Measurements of physical, chemical, and biological properties in four soil profiles (topsoil 0-20cm, subsoil 20-40cm) revealed high bulk density (mean 2.06 Mg m−3) and high penetrometer resistance (1.89 MPa) in the subsoil, indicating potential impedance to root growth. Low hydraulic conductivities at saturation and low plant-available boron levels were also found, leading to the conclusion that subsoil constraints to root growth are widespread in these soils.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleHeavy Metal Status in Urban and Peri-Urban Wetland Soils under Vegetable Cultivation in the Bamenda Municipality Cameroon
2016Godswill Azinwie Asongwe, Bernard Palmer Kfuban Yerima · Greener Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition · Cameroon (Bamenda)
This study analyzed heavy metal levels (chromium, manganese, lead, cadmium) in 21 urban and peri-urban agricultural wetland soil samples in Bamenda municipality, Cameroon. Average concentrations were 35.73 mg/kg for chromium, 0.08 mg/kg for manganese, 30.64 mg/kg for lead, and 0.45 mg/kg for cadmium. These concentrations were generally lower than the maximum WHO permissible levels.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleL’agriculture métropolitaine à Santiago du chili : une agriculture urbaine qui prend la clé des champs
2016Cécile Faliès · Problèmes d Amérique latine · Chile (Santiago)
This article provides an overview of agriculture around Santiago, Chile, based on fieldwork conducted since 2005. Despite the presence of agriculture linked to Santiago and Valparaiso, and the emergence of some forms like organic farming, it is difficult to classify this as urban agriculture due to the peripheral location and limited number of plots. The study indicates that urban agriculture, as commonly defined, has a limited presence in the Santiago metropolitan area.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyPeran Pertanian Pinggiran Perkotaan dalam Penyediaan Kesempatan Kerja dan Pendapatan Keluarga
2016A. Husni Malian, Masdjidin Siregar · Forum penelitian Agro Ekonomi · Indonesia
This paper discusses the dwindling role of peri-urban agriculture in Indonesia due to urban development policies favoring manufacturing and service sectors. The economic crisis and policy changes had different effects on farmers of leafy vegetables, orchids, and ornamental plants. Increased fertilizer prices and wage rates, coupled with decreased demand for orchids and ornamental plants in 1999, reduced farmers' income. Conversely, increased demand for leafy vegetables led to more intensive land use, neglecting health and environmental concerns.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyEstudio de la agricultura urbana y periurbana de varzea grande (MT) bajo la perspectiva del análisis de clusters
2016Diogo José Amorim de Almeida, Dilamar Dallemole, Arturo Alejandro Zavala Zavala · Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais · Brazil (Varzea Grande)
This study analyzed the urban and peri-urban horticultural production structure in Varzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil, using an exploratory empirical and bibliographic approach followed by Cluster Analysis of primary data from local producers. Despite contributing to food production and maintaining disease-vector-free land, the research found that this activity is in decline. Its low profitability and challenging commercialization process make it unattractive or merely a supplementary income, as small productive forces struggle to sustain themselves against the current market structure and unfavorable social policies.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureHealthEconomicsImpacts of Wastewater Reuse on Peri-Urban Agriculture: Case Study in Udaipur City, India
2016Kamal Kishore Yadav, Pradeep Kumar Singh, R. C. Purohit · Water science and technology library · India (Udaipur)
A study in the peri-urban area of Udaipur City, India, investigated heavy metal contamination in soil, vegetable crops, and groundwater due to wastewater reuse. While groundwater-irrigated vegetables showed heavy metal levels within WHO limits, wastewater-irrigated spinach, tomato, and radish at site 3 (Kanpur – Madri Villave) exceeded maximum permissible limits for Fe, Zn, and Cd. Urban wastewater-irrigated spinach was found to accumulate Fe, Zn, and Cd significantly above permissible limits at all three selected locations, making it unsafe for human consumption.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthEvaluating peri-urban market gardening and shallow well quality for irrigation: a case study from Lagos, Nigeria
2016Isaiah Sewanu Akoteyon, Adeyemi Davidson Aromolaran · International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development · Nigeria (Lagos)
This study evaluated peri-urban market gardening and shallow well water quality for irrigation in Lagos, Nigeria. It found that the mean values of bicarbonate, calcium, and pH in shallow wells exceeded detection levels in 66.7%, 60%, and 53.3% of samples, respectively. Salinity and sodium hazard patterns showed that approximately 66.7% of shallow wells had low salinity, 26.7% medium, and 6.7% high.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthFood sovereignty & justiceUrban farming as a possible source of trace metals in human diets
2016Joshua Oluwole Olowoyo, Gladness Nteboheng Lion · South African Journal of Science · South Africa
This review reports on the concentrations of trace metals in crops, including leafy vegetables, harvested from various urban areas. It highlights the presence of trace metals in leafy vegetables and discusses various pathways of uptake, possible health risks associated with urban farming, and morphological and physiological impacts of trace metals in leafy vegetables.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageProyectos de agricultura urbana del Jardín Botánico de Bogotá "José Celestino Mutis" analizados desde la perspectiva de la educación ambiental (2004 - 2016)
2016Katherine Alexandra Herrera Hernández, Yohanna Marcela Pinzón, Ruth Zamira Herrera Rincón · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This project aimed to contribute to the study of Urban Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) in Bogotá by describing projects led by the José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden from 2004 to 2016, analyzed from an environmental education perspective. Using a qualitative methodology, the study investigated fundamental elements in education-management development, such as participation, the construction of the concept of environment, and the strengths and weaknesses in achieving these projects within the framework of successive city governments during that period.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityPolicyPeri-urban agriculturePlanning tools for strategic management of peri-urban food production
2016LE Wynne, Dana Cordell, Joanne Chong, Becky L. Jacobs · UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) · Australia (Sydney)
This report, using Sydney as a case study, examines land-use planning on the urban fringe for peri-urban food production. It finds that for many cities, including Sydney, a large proportion of peri-urban food production has already been lost due to conversion to residential and infrastructure uses. The report reviews various planning responses to address threats to peri-urban agriculture.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsClimate changeParadoxical territorial management: the case of peri-urban agricultural areas
2016Solange Hernandez · International Review of Administrative Sciences · France
This case study in the urban community of Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile, France, over 25 years, aimed to understand paradoxical territorial management practices in peri-urban agriculture. Based on quantitative analyses of qualitative data, the study demonstrated the relevance of these management practices in action, but identified paradoxes as a recurring source of tension and deadlock in territorial public administration. The research proposes managerial tools applicable in the framework of public action in peri-urban agriculture.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsHeavy Metal Toxicity in Wastewater Irrigated Peri-Urban Agricultural Areas of Lahore, Pakistan; a Case Study
2016Mujtaba Baqar, Nadia Jamil, Naveed Ahsan, Kiran Khanum, Abdul Qadir, Mariyam Zameer, Anam Khalid · Transylvanian Review · Pakistan (Lahore)
This case study investigated the impacts of heavy metals from wastewater irrigation on soil, groundwater, and leafy vegetables (Indian mustard, spinach, fodder) in the Charrar Drain catchment, Lahore, Pakistan. Samples were collected from seven sites. Drain water showed Cd, Cr, and Pb concentrations exceeding limits at most sites, and groundwater Cd concentrations also exceeded limits, though Cr and Pb were within permissible ranges. Soil samples contained Cd, Cr, and Pb, and leafy vegetables irrigated with wastewater showed varying heavy metal concentrations, indicating a heavy metal bioaccumulation issue that may exceed threshold limits.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cyclePeri-Urban Agriculture in Jakarta
2016Masdjidin Siregar · Jurnal Agro Ekonomi · Indonesia (Jakarta)
This paper describes intensive peri-urban leafy vegetable agriculture in Jakarta, which utilizes idle land and provides employment and income for rural migrants. However, the prospect of this agriculture is unclear because it uses non-agricultural land that will eventually be developed. The study concludes that government assistance in credit, extension, and research is needed, and alternative lands for cultivators must be found.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsHealthPolicyEnvisioning Opportunities for Agriculture in Peri-Urban Areas
2016Elke Rogge, Eva Kerselaers, Charlotte Prové · · Europe
This study explores opportunities and challenges for peri-urban agriculture, examining envisioning processes in Ghent and Kortrijk, Belgium, initiated by local authorities. Results indicate that pressure on farmland is a key issue in both contexts. Multifunctionality is complex in practice and governance, and successful envisioning processes require clear objectives, defined study areas, policy support, strong leadership, and reliable data.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsHeavy Metal Contamination of Soil, Irrigation Water and Vegetables in Peri‐Urban Agricultural Areas and Markets of Delhi
2015Arti Bhatia, Shivdhar Singh, Amit Kumar · Water Environment Research · India (Delhi)
A study in Delhi, India, investigated heavy metal contamination (cadmium, lead, zinc, copper) in irrigation water, soil, and vegetables from four peri-urban and one wholesale site. Most samples from peri-urban areas exceeded safe limits for lead and cadmium. Vegetables from the wholesale market showed only higher lead concentrations. Among peri-urban vegetables, only okra exceeded the safe limit for cadmium, while several wholesale vegetables (potato, coriander, chilies, pea, carrot) exceeded the limit for lead regarding health risk.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureAction research and reducing the vulnerability of peri‐urban agriculture: a case study from the Montreal Region
2015Christopher Bryant, Ghalia Chahine · Geographical Research · Canada (Montreal)
This 2015 case study from the Montreal Region, Canada, analyzed an action research project initiated in 2008 to reduce the vulnerability of peri-urban agriculture. Despite initiatives since the mid-1960s, significant pressures continue to increase the vulnerability of peri-urban farming, with farmland often removed from agricultural reserves. The project in Senneville involved farmers, non-farm actors, and municipal presentations over three years, aiming to integrate conservation and leisure activities.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageL'agriculture urbaine : de l'échelle territoriale à l'insertion architecturale
2015Amandine Joly · · France
This study characterized and strategically analyzed urban agriculture for the IETI external planning and environment consulting firm in Île-de-France, France. The analysis aimed to help IETI position itself commercially in urban agriculture, identifying both the benefits and the obstacles the firm might encounter. The study also briefly discussed the various scales of urban agriculture's integration into the territory and its advantages for the consulting firm.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyPeri-urban agricultureAssessment of planning strategies and integration of urban and peri-urban agriculture into urban planning
2015Sarah Oloo Masawa, George G. Wagah, Reuben Oyoo Mosi · International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences · Kenya
This 2011 study in Bondo Sub County, Kenya, assessed the integration of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPUagr) into urban planning, using a descriptive survey design with 368 households and 248 traders. A major challenge identified was the lack of supportive local policy and legal frameworks for UPUagr, and problems with its integration into broader urban development plans. The study found that UPUagr complemented rural agriculture and increased food system efficiency.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceTotal factor productivity of urban agriculture on the urban periphery of Cape Town
2015Martin Dyer, Richard M. Mills, Beatrice Conradie, Jenifer Piesse · Open University of Cape Town (University of Cape Town) · South Africa (Cape Town)
This paper investigates the efficiency relationships between inputs and outputs of urban micro-farms in two Cape Town townships, Nyanga and Khayelitsha. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) applied to 33 producers supplying a social enterprise box scheme revealed an average overall efficiency of 72.4%. Overall efficiency was negatively correlated with land holdings and the use of compost and seedlings, indicating efficiency losses with greater input quantities. Furthermore, it was not shown that mulching or operator experience increases profitability.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityPeri-urban agriculturePeri-urbanization and New Built-up Property Formation Process in the Peri-urban Areas of Ethiopia
2015Achamyeleh Gashu Adam · · Ethiopia
A study assessed the process of built-up property formation in Ethiopia's peri-urban areas. Through analysis of survey results and a review of relevant literature, the study elucidated the processes of peri-urbanization and new property development. It demonstrated that both formal (legal) and informal methods are equally important in converting peri-urban agricultural lands into urban built-up non-agricultural properties. This process creates intense competition for land between agriculture and non-agriculture, leading to the emergence of new property rights and the dissolution of existing traditional rights.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageUrban Market Gardening and Rodent-Borne Pathogenic Leptospira in Arid Zones: A Case Study in Niamey, Niger
2015Gauthier Dobigny, Madougou Garba, Caroline Tatard, Anne Loiseau, Maxime Galan, Ibrahima Kadaouré, Jean‐Pierre Rossi, Mathieu Picardeau, Eric Bertherat · PLoS neglected tropical diseases · Niger
An extensive survey of urban rodents in Niamey, Niger, investigated the presence and distribution of rodent-borne pathogenic Leptospira species. Leptospires were not detected in the core city, but L. kirschneri was found in Arvicanthis niloticus and Cricetomys gambianus, rodent species restricted to irrigated cultures within the city. This study indicates the importance of market gardening in the maintenance and circulation of leptospirosis within Sahelian cities.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agriculture