Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
284 results(9 / 12)
关于舟山市“菜篮子”工程的调查与思考
2016雷靖, 陈斯钰, 刘煜 · 农村经济与科技 · China (Zhoushan)
This study examines Zhoushan City's "Vegetable Basket" project, which established production bases in urban and rural areas to ensure vegetable supply and stabilize prices. Despite significant achievements, the project is noted to have problems such as incomplete vegetable supply varieties, imperfect infrastructure, low industrialization, and a lack of quality assurance. The study suggests addressing these issues by diversifying product supply, strengthening infrastructure, improving industrialization, and enhancing quality and safety supervision.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePeran 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 agricultureEconomicsPolicyUrban Agriculture In Mumbai: Worth Its Weight In Produce?
2016Christiane Joi Allen · Libraries and Cultural Resources (University of Calgary) · India (Mumbai)
This study evaluated the environmental, social, and economic benefits of urban agriculture in Mumbai, India, using Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis. Results indicate that urban agriculture has lower greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and water consumption but higher eutrophication potential compared to commercial large-scale agriculture.
Environmental trade-offsEconomicsClimate changeHealthOrganic cycleSoil Lead Testing at a High Spatial Resolution in an Urban Community Garden: A Case Study in Relic Lead in Terre Haute, Indiana.
2016Jennifer C. Latimer, David Van Halen, James H. Speer, Stephanie Krull, Patricia G. Weaver, Joseph M. Pettit, Heather Foxx · PubMed · United States (Indiana)
This study collected over 1,061 surface soil samples from an approximately 1.25-acre urban community garden in Terre Haute, Indiana, during the summer of 2012, to evaluate the spatial distribution of lead at the plot level. The results highlighted significant variability in lead concentrations within small areas of a former residential property, with some areas showing high lead concentrations (600 ppm). Based on these findings, several areas of concern were identified, and the community garden was reconfigured to reduce potential lead exposure to gardeners and the local community.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityImpacts 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 agricultureHealthPOTENSI PENGEMBANGAN PERTANIAN PERKOTAAN UNTUK MEWUJUDKAN KAWASAN PERKOTAAN BELOPA YANG BERKELANJUTAN
2016Rusida Rusida · Plano Madani : Jurnal Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota · Indonesia (Belopa)
A study in the urban area of Belopa, Indonesia, assessed the potential for urban agriculture, identifying suitable land for various crop types and key commodities. However, the research found that extensive housing development, particularly on the outskirts, and limited land availability mean not all land can be developed for urban agriculture. Urban agriculture supports food security, and public and government perceptions influence future land plans.
Economic viabilityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyNegotiating a Food Future: The Politics and Practice of Alternative Food Networks in China
2016Natalie Hall · · China
This ethnographic research, based on two months of fieldwork in Beijing and Shanghai, investigated alternative food networks in China, including organic farms, farmers' markets, and garden plot rentals. The study argues that these networks exhibit complex and contradictory characteristics, not neatly aligning with either alternative or conventional food systems. The practice of alternativeness is presented as a pragmatic response to food safety uncertainty and declining social trust, rather than an escape from capitalism or a purely transformative agenda.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyUrban Community as a Contested Practice
2016Jae-Youl Lee · 대한지리학회지 · South Korea (Seoul)
This article examines the concept of 'community' in Seoul's community garden program, comparing how ordinary citizens and civil society activists interpret and practice it. Empirical findings suggest a contestation over community, with ordinary citizens prioritizing place-based experiences and activists viewing community gardens as a governmental technology. A gap between ordinary practical achievements and civic activism poses a potential danger to urban community policy.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justicePeri-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 agricultureEconomicsHealthPolicyHeavy 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 agriculture目前我国都市农业空间格局上的“逆现代化”现象刍议
2015宋志军, 刘黎明 · Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni · China
Chinese urban agriculture has developed against a backdrop of multifunctionality, urbanization, industrialization, and non-agriculturalization. Since the reform and opening-up, the development of non-agricultural functions has complemented and advanced the broad modernization of urban agriculture, while simultaneously inhibiting, delaying, and destroying narrow modernization. This has led to a "reverse modernization" phenomenon in the spatial pattern of urban agriculture, characterized by changes spatially "opposite" to narrow agricultural modernization. China's current urban agriculture exhibits an overall spatial state of "reverse modernization" with various agricultural forms interspersed.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyPollution assessment of organochlorine pesticides in urban agricultural soils of Jilin City, China
2015Jingjing Zhang, Jingshuang Liu, Rui Yu, Qiang Liu, Yang Wang · Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal · China (Jilin City)
This study analyzed 50 surface soil samples from urban vegetable fields in Jilin City, China, for thirteen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Based on soil quality standards, DDTs and chlordanes were categorized as light pollution, while HCHs showed no pollution for most samples. The study concluded that despite the presence of various OCPs residues, the soils are still safe and suitable for agricultural production.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPolicyClimate changeThe Bottleneck and Countermeasure of Dalian Urban Modern Agriculture Development
2015Qing Guo · · China (Dalian)
This paper, based on the China urban agriculture development report 2013 and a SWOT analysis, studied the development of urban modern agriculture in Dalian. The study found that the agricultural industrial structure, shopping basket program, agricultural management system, land circulation, and agricultural information technology have restricted the development of Dalian's urban modern agriculture.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsDigital agricultureSpontaneous Urban Agricultural Lands as Potential Green Open Space
2015Kyung-chan Min, Jee-young Kim, yong-hoon Son · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · South Korea
A study in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea, investigated 45 spontaneous agricultural lands, primarily around Mt. Gwanak, which often present risks like disaster, pollution, and landscape degradation. Using GIS, satellite images, field surveys, and interviews, the study classified these lands into six types. Three types were well-managed, while three types were in poor condition, indicating governance challenges. The research discusses the causes of these conditions and explores the potential for these lands to become community open spaces.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeA Study on Improving the Utilization of Biotope Area Ratio System Considering the Plant Growth Conditions
2015Gunwon Lee, Yunnam Jeong, Seongkyun Ji, Seiyong Kim · Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society · South Korea
This study aimed to improve Biotope Area Ratio (BAR) systems to address the increasing demand for urban agriculture, particularly in residential complexes where architectural and urban planning responses are lacking. It found that existing BAR systems are limited for crop cultivation because they only consider vegetation. The research proposes expanding BAR systems to include plant growth capacity factors, such as daylight, planting interval, area, and soil depth, to better accommodate urban agriculture demands.
Governance failurePolicyDIYCommunityKomunitas Urban Farming Dan Kedaulatan Pangan: Studi Kasus Di Jakarta, Bandung Dan Bogor
2015Zulfadhli Nasution · · Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor)
This study investigated the relationship between urban farming communities and food sovereignty in Jakarta, Bandung, and Bogor, Indonesia. The findings suggest that the discourse of food sovereignty has not been exposed to urban farming communities. This is attributed to urban farming having different historical roots and social and political characteristics compared to the food sovereignty movement.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyProjections of Future Summer Weather in Seoul and Their Impacts on Urban Agriculture
2015Jin Hee Kim, Jin I. Yun · Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology · South Korea (Seoul)
This study evaluated daily temperatures for June-September from 2041-2070 in Seoul, projected by the RCP8.5 climate scenario, to understand climate departure implications for urban agriculture. Analysis of climate extremes and their effects on hot pepper growth revealed that while mean temperatures might depart after 2040, extreme events like heat waves and tropical nights already exceed past variability. Applying scenario data to hot pepper cultivation showed that planting and harvest dates are expected to deviate, and the maximum cultivation duration has already deviated from past variability.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeUrban–rural linkageCultivating Sustainable Cities: A Comparative Study of Urban Agriculture in Mumbai, India and New York City, USA
2015Kristina Satterlee · Digital Commons @ Connecticut College (Connecticut College) · India (Mumbai); United States (New York City)
This comparative study of urban agriculture in Mumbai, India, and New York City, USA, utilized in-depth interviews with urban farmers and secondary research. The research revealed that farms and gardens in lower-income areas in both cities had access to significantly fewer resources than their counterparts in wealthier areas. Additionally, both movements struggled to form networks across socioeconomic divides.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justice快速城镇化地区“多规合一”的实践与思考——以武汉市黄陂区武湖街为例
2015徐晶, 吴聪 · 中国土地 · China (Wuhan)
This paper analyzes the practice and problems of "multi-plan integration" in Wuhu Street, Huangpi District, Wuhan City, a rapidly urbanizing area dominated by modern urban agriculture. Wuhu Street faces issues such as the disorderly sprawl of construction land and low land use efficiency. The study proposes targeted policy recommendations based on these findings.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeEconomicsIndonesian Urban Farming Communities and Food Sovereignty
2015Zulfadhli Nasution · · Indonesia (Jakarta)
A case study in Jakarta, Bandung, and Bogor, Indonesia, examined the engagement between urban farming communities and food sovereignty. Findings indicate that the food sovereignty discourse has not significantly exposed urban farming communities due to differing historical backgrounds and social/political views between urban farming and rural peasantry-based movements. The study suggests prerequisites for strengthening food sovereignty among urban food advocates, including building consumer consciousness and urban-rural solidarity.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyWastewater usage in urban and peri-urban agricultural production systems: scenarios from India
2014Prem José Vazhacharickal, Sumita Gupta Gangopadhyay · Kobra (Universitätsbibliothek Kassel) · India
This paper examines urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in India, focusing on wastewater irrigation and its associated human health risks. The study identifies potential health hazards for farmers, laborers, and consumers, including microbial pathogens and helminth (intestinal parasites). While UPA is presented as an option to address urban food demand, the paper emphasizes that "good practice UPA" requires integrated approaches and suitable risk reduction mechanisms to improve safety.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthEconomics加快都市农业发展 促进园区农民增收——乌当区樱桃现代高效农业示范园区建设存在问题及对策
2014Chen Ao Nan · 农民致富之友 · China (Wudang District)
A field survey conducted on agricultural parks in Wudang District, Guizhou Province, China, studied the development status, progress, and existing problems of the Wudang District Cherry Modern High-Efficiency Agricultural Demonstration Park. The findings indicated that while the park's construction progressed rapidly and orderly with some innovations in its operating mechanism, it also faced many problems and difficulties.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityAssessment of the Microbiological Quality of Vegetable from Urban Community Gardens in Korea
2014Jin‐Won Kim, In‐Wook Choi, Won-Seok Na, Enkhjargar Baljii, Yong-Man Yu, Young Nam Youn, Young‐Ha Lee · Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety · South Korea (Seoul)
From September to October 2012, 530 samples of nine vegetable types were collected from 11 urban community gardens in Seoul to assess their microbiological quality. Mean total aerobic bacteria and coliforms were detected at 6.3 log CFU/g and 4.3 log CFU/g, respectively, with coliforms found in 67% of samples and E. coli in 2.3%. While foodborne pathogens were not detected, the presence of coliforms and E. coli indicates room for improvement in microbiological safety.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthCurrent State of Development and Strategy Selection of Urban Agriculture in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region
2014Jiang Lu · Nongye jingji yu guanli · China (Beijing)
This study analyzed the current state of urban agriculture development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, focusing on aspects like leading industry and farmers' income. It found that while the urban agriculture layout was basically formed, significant problems exist. These include resource and environmental crises, a lack of integrated regional planning, imperfect municipal systems, and challenges in upgrading the agricultural industry.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeAssessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Agricultural Soils of Jilin City, China
2014Qiang Liu, Jingshuang Liu, Qicun Wang, Yang Wang · Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal · China (Jilin City)
This study investigated heavy metal pollution levels by collecting 50 soil samples from urban vegetable fields in Jilin City, China. Mean contents of Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Cd were higher than their corresponding natural background values. However, the distribution of comprehensive pollution index values indicated that concentrations of these heavy metals in most agricultural fields did not exceed baseline values affecting agricultural production safety and human health according to China's soil environmental quality standard, concluding insignificant contamination by these metals in Jilin City.
Contamination & food safetyHealth