Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
289 results(9 / 12)
Beyond ‘local’ food: how supermarkets and consumer choice affect the economic viability of small‐scale family farms in Sydney, Australia
2015Sarah James · Area · Australia (Sydney)
This paper argues that small-scale family farmers on Sydney's urban fringe are directly connected to and reliant on the mainstream food system for their economic viability. It highlights that a localized focus on threats and solutions risks neglecting the impact of supermarket power and consumer choice on these producers. The study emphasizes the need to examine the continuing connection between the mainstream system and 'local', small-scale producers to achieve food system change.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePesticide Misuse in Rural-Urban Agriculture: A Case Study of Vegetable Production in Tano South of Ghana
2015Emmanuel Yennumi Wandaat, Joseph Xorse Kugbe · Asian Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences · Ghana
A study on vegetable production in Ghana's Tano South District surveyed 132 urban farmers and 5 stakeholders. Farmers relied solely on chemical pesticides for pest control and lacked in-depth knowledge of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Inappropriate handling and non-use of protective clothing led farmers to report health issues like dizziness, skin irritation, and nausea, while indiscriminate spraying resulted in pesticide residues posing serious health risks to consumers and the environment.
Contamination & food safetyHealthFood educationPeri-urban agricultureRevealing the Impacts of Climate Change on Peri-Urban Agriculture and Vegetation Cover in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania
2015Leonia John Raphael · Tanzania Journal for Population studies and Development · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
A 2015 study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, found that extreme climatic changes, including rainfall and temperature, have adversely affected peri-urban agricultural productivity and vegetation cover. Excessive rains lead to the destruction of urban gardens, vegetation, property, and loss of livelihoods for urban dwellers, 87% of whom are rural migrants. This highlights significant risks for urban communities dependent on land resources in rapidly growing cities.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceVegas and Deltas in the Vicinity of Medium-Sized Cities in Andalucia, Spain: Landscapes under Pressure but Scarcely Considered in Planning
2015Rocío Pérez-Campaña · European Planning Studies · Spain
This research analyzed land-use transformations of peri-urban agricultural deltas and vegas in Andalucía, Spain, focusing on medium-sized cities between 1956 and 2007. It also assessed their consideration in regional spatial planning. The findings indicate that these landscapes are changing land use and sometimes disappearing, receiving meagre attention and vague consideration in spatial planning.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageFarmers perception on excreta reuse for peri-urban agriculture in southern Ghana
2014Nimoh Fred, Ohene-Yankyera Kwasi, Poku Kofi, Konradsen Flemming, Claude-François Robert · Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics · Ghana
A study in Ghana's Shai-Osudoku district investigated farmers' attitudes toward excreta reuse for peri-urban agriculture, surveying 400 randomly selected respondents. A majority of respondents disagreed that excreta are waste and were willing to use them as fertilizer. However, a majority also agreed that excreta can pose health risks, and perceptions on reuse differed among households.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleHealthOrganophosphate Pesticide Residues in Okra and Brinjal Grown in Peri-Urban Environment of Big Cities of Punjab
2014Muhammad Zaman, Faqir Muhammad Anjum, Ali Asghar, Muhammad Sajid · · Pakistan
This study estimated organophosphate pesticide exposure from okra and brinjal consumption in urban populations of Punjab, Pakistan. 90 samples each of okra and brinjal were collected from peri-urban areas of Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala and analyzed for chlorpyrifos, profenophos, and triazophos residues. Findings showed that 85 (47.22%) of the 180 samples were contaminated, and 15 (8.33%) samples had residue values higher than Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs).
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureWastewater 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 agricultureHealthEconomicsIrrigated vegetable farming in urban Ghana: a farming system between challenges and resilience
2014Pay Drechsel, Andrew Adam‐Bradford, Liqa Raschid-Sally, Drechsel, Pay, Adam-Bradford, A., Raschid-Sally, Liqa · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Ghana
This chapter introduces urbanization in West Africa, particularly Ghana, the general role of urban agriculture, and the common use of polluted irrigation water. It focuses on irrigated smallholder vegetable production, reflecting on the key challenges, dynamics, and resilience of this farming system.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureEffects of climate change on a peri-urban farming community in Lagos, Nigeria
2014Taibat Lawanson, Olabode Orelaja, Michael Simire · African Journal of Science Technology Innovation and Development · Nigeria (Lagos)
This case study investigated the effects of climate change on agricultural activities in the Igbe Farming Community, Lagos, Nigeria, by surveying 161 farmers. The study found that most migrant farmers leased plots annually or biennially and made marginal profits of $200 to $350 per farming cycle. Erratic weather patterns and aggressive urban growth were major challenges, leading 48% of respondents to engage in informal enterprises.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeEconomicsCommunityRisques de fièvres typhoïdes et paratyphoïdes liés à l’utilisation des eaux usées en agriculture urbaine et périurbaine : cas du maraîchage dans la ville de Parakou (Bénin)
2014Joseph Agossou, Léonard Afouda, Julien Didier Adédémy, Alphonse Noudamadjo, Catherine N’da Tido, Emanliikpon Sylvain Ahohoui, Pierre G. Tovihoudji, Farouk Mazou, Benjami Fayomi, Simon Akpona, Sikiratou Adéothy-Koumakpaï, B Ayivi · Environnement Risques & Sante · Benin (Parakou)
This study analyzed the bacteriological and parasitic load in wastewater and market garden products from five major production sites in Parakou, Benin, where farmers use wastewater for irrigation. High concentrations of fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Shigella spp., Entamoeba coli, Giardia intestinalis cysts, and helminth eggs were found in irrigation water, vegetables, and farmers' stools. The use of wastewater resulted in high contamination of vegetables, particularly cabbage, large lettuce, and carrot leaves, by fecal coliforms, Salmonella enterica, and Escherichia coli.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agriculturePolicies and practices of urban and peri-urban agriculture: a great deal of participation but a little public action/ Politiche e pratiche dell’agricoltura urbana e periurbana: molta partecipazione e poca azione pubblica
2014Giuseppe Cinà · PORTO Publications Open Repository TOrino (Politecnico di Torino) · Italy
This paper examines Italian planning, highlighting an unresolved discrepancy between urban and agricultural policies due to a long-standing separation of urban and rural worlds. It outlines how this historical gap results in two inconsistent and low-effective policies. The paper discusses agricultural parks as an attempt to overcome this planning backwardness by integrating spatial planning and agricultural activity, documenting three Italian examples.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageCommunityHeavy Metals and Physicochemical Properties of Soils in Kano Urban Agricultural Lands
2014UM Dawaki, A. U. Dikko, SS Noma, U. Aliyu · Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences · Nigeria
A study investigated the total, exchangeable, and soluble concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd) in urban agricultural soils along three rivers (Challawa, Jakara, and Watari) in Kano, Nigeria. Cadmium concentrations at Jakara and Challawa exceeded maximum allowable concentrations in soils. Heavy metal concentrations were found to be significantly higher in areas irrigated with industrial and domestic sewage (Challawa and Jakara) compared to the control site (Watari).
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureAgriculture in the Urban Fringe: Analysis of Calabar and its Environs, Cross River State, Nigeria
2014Ekaete Francis Asuquo · · Nigeria (Calabar)
The impact of urban expansion on agricultural land in Calabar and its environs, Nigeria, was investigated. A survey of 150 questionnaires and comparative assessment revealed a decrease in agricultural land in the fringes as urban expansion persists and increases. Before 2013, more farmers owned larger plots, but much of this agricultural land has been converted to housing estates, roads, leisure resorts, and schools, indicating that urban expansion has negatively impacted agricultural land, reducing food productivity and leading to farmer unemployment.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsHeavy metal content of selected African leafy vegetables planted in urban and peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya
2014A. N. Mutune, M. A. Makobe, Mary Abukutsa‐Onyango · African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology · Kenya (Nairobi)
This study analyzed heavy metal content in 10 common African leafy vegetables and their rhizosphere soils from 25 sites along Nairobi Rivers, Kenya. While soil metal concentrations were generally within WHO/FAO permissible levels, except for some cadmium instances, all metals except copper in vegetables exceeded recommended limits at a few sites. This indicates potential heavy metal absorption from industrial and domestic effluent.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureUrban Agriculture and Food Security in the Middle Eastern Context
2014Salwa Tohmé Tawk, Mounir Abi Said, S.K. Hamadeh · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This study in the Middle East and North Africa region investigated the relationship between urban agriculture and food security in two peri-urban locations: Bebnine, Lebanon, and Wadi el Seer, Jordan. High food insecurity was prevalent in both locations, demonstrating that producers were more food insecure than non-producers. Food security was found to be strongly associated with poverty and the number of household members.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsAssessing supply-demand balance of nitrogen toward local-scale organic material circulation: a case studyof suburban residential district in Metro Manila
2014Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armand PALIJON, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Philippines (Metro Manila)
The nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in suburban residential districts of Quezon City, Metro Manila, was assessed. Analysis revealed that almost half of the subdivisions faced nitrogen oversupply, while several were in short supply. Current centralized composting facilities may not adequately support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. It was proposed that existing barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture require greater flexibility and attention to coordination systems across subdivision boundaries.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cyclePolicyPeri-urban agricultureメトロマニラ郊外部を対象とした有機性廃棄物の地域内循環実現可能性
2014Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armando M. Palijon, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Philippines
This study assessed the nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in subdivisions and barangays in Quezon City, Metro Manila, using GIS. It found that nearly half of the subdivisions experienced nitrogen oversupply, while others faced shortages. Although cooperation among subdivisions within a barangay could improve nitrogen balance, the current centralized composting facilities were deemed insufficient to support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. The study concluded that current barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture need greater flexibility and attention to inter-subdivision coordination across barangay boundaries.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cyclePolicyPeri-urban agricultureDriving forces of land use
2014Matilda Thelin · · Sweden
This qualitative study in peri-urban Uppsala, Sweden, identifies driving forces influencing land use decisions by commercial farmers and institutional landowners. It notes that approximately 700 hectares of land in Sweden are diverted from food production annually, with Uppsala Municipality showing the greatest change in 2013. The expropriation of agricultural land for urban development leads to farmers losing land resources and increased competition for remaining land, resulting in high land prices.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agriculture, social inclusion of migrant population and Right to the City
2013Yves Cabannes, Isabel María Raposo · City · Europe
This paper conducted a comparative analysis of peri-urban agriculture in Lisbon and London to assess its contribution to migrant social inclusion and urban biodiversity. The study found that social inclusion patterns are city-specific; for example, Cape Verdean urban farming communities in Lisbon strengthen community bonds but do not necessarily lead to better integration into wider Portuguese society. Migrant urban farmers contribute to broadening biodiversity, primarily in Lisbon and to a lesser extent in London.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureCommunityBiodiversityWelfareDynamics of peri-urban agricultural development and farmers' adaptive behaviour in the emerging megacity of Hyderabad, India
2013Zakir Hussain, Markus Hanisch · Journal of Environmental Planning and Management · India
This paper describes the adaptation of agricultural management practices in the urban periphery of Hyderabad, India, due to structural changes. Based on 120 farmer interviews, the study found that increasing costs for agricultural inputs like labor and land motivated farmers to intensify water, machine, and chemical use, which created problematic environmental impacts. Farmers also adapted by resorting to part-time farming and organizing efforts to share family labor.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsProtecting Sydney's Peri‐Urban Agriculture: Moving beyond a Housing/Farming Dichotomy
2013Sarah James · Geographical Research · Australia (Sydney)
This paper examined the failure of Sydney's 'green zones' farmland protection policies, which were abandoned due to protests. The failure was attributed to a lack of consultation with Sydney's diverse small-scale farmers, rather than a rejection of farmland protection itself. Farmer interviews suggested that a bottom-up policy-making approach would have been more successful in maintaining farming in peri-urban areas.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityGIS Analysis of Peri-Urban Agricultural Land Encroachment in (FCT), Nigeria
2013N E Etim, J J Dukiya · International Journal of Advanced Remote Sensing and GIS · Nigeria (Abuja)
A study in the Kuje area council of Abuja, Nigeria, used questionnaires and multi-temporal satellite images from 1975–2010 to assess urban encroachment on agricultural lands. It found that urban encroachment into agricultural lands is occurring at an alarming rate of 15.7 km² annually, resulting in a total loss of 509 km² of agricultural land to urbanization over 35 years.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsRegulatory and Other Barriers to Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture:A Case Study of Urban Planners and Urban Farmers from the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area
2013Sheila Castillo, Curtis R. Winkle, Stephen Krauss, Amalia Turkewitz, Cristina L.M. Silva, Edie Heinemann · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Chicago)
This study identifies seven perceived barriers to urban and peri-urban agriculture in the greater Chicago metropolitan area through interviews with urban planners and farmers. All seven barriers involve unclear or agriculture-unfriendly regulations. Results suggest that urban and peri-urban farmers are commonly forced to operate within a legal limbo or petition for exceptions to current regulations.
Governance failurePolicyPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageHeavy Metal Tolerance of Fungus Isolated from Soil Contaminated with Sewage and Industrial Wastewater
2013Shazia Iram, Ayesha Zaman, Zaiba Iqbal, Rabia Shabbir · Polish Journal of Environmental Studies · Global
This study screened soil samples from peri-urban agricultural areas to investigate heavy metal contamination and identify heavy metal-tolerant fungi. Results showed that the majority of isolated fungi were resistant to lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr). Among the strains, Aspergillus niger was the most tolerant to Pb with an MIC of 600 mg/l, and Aspergillus flavus was the most tolerant to Cr with an MIC of 400 mg/l.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthFunctional Change and the Peri‐Urban Region: Food Systems and Agricultural Vulnerability
2013Andrew Butt · Economic Papers A journal of applied economics and policy · Australia
This article reviews changes in farm output and structure in peri-urban regions around Australia's cities. It concludes that farming in these regions is changing differently from other agricultural regions, with productivity centered on a few high-value activities. The majority of peri-urban farming, while potentially providing landscape services, is unable to adjust to changing productivity regimes, creating vulnerabilities for these farming systems.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkage