Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
6 results
Intersectando a agricultura urbana, o meio ambiente e a educação:
2026Rogers Hansine, Christine Bonnin, Inês Raimundo, Madal Artur, Cândida Bila · Revista Tamoios · Mozambique
The SYNERGI project, implemented from March 2023 to September 2025, aimed to promote urban community involvement in co-creating Socially Inclusive Edible Urban Green Infrastructure (IVUCs) in Maputo and Xai-Xai, Mozambique. The project successfully established IVUCs in six selected schools, increasing food production and educational opportunities. The project highlights the need for better institutional frameworks to support green infrastructure development.
Governance failureCommunityFood educationBiodiversityPolicyAnalysis of Pressure Drivers within an Urban River Riparian Reserve: A Case of Nairobi River in Kenya
2025Mahacla Odongo, Caleb Mireri, Peter Mwangi · Environmental Technology and Science Journal · Kenya (Nairobi)
The Nairobi River riparian reserve in Kenya has undergone immense land use and land cover changes over the past 20 years due to urban development. A survey of 650 respondents revealed that urban agricultural activities dominated the upper segment at 69%, commercial ventures constituted 79% of the middle segment, and residential usage comprised 89% in the lower segment. These activities caused significant degradation from crop cultivation of river slopes, pollution infiltration, and loss of biodiversity, indicating a severe depletion of the riparian space's functions.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityPolicyLand cover changes and management effectiveness of protected areas in tropical coastal area of sub-Saharan Africa
2024Jeffrey Chiwuikem Chiaka, Gengyuan Liu, Hui Li, Wen Zhang, Mingwan Wu, Zhaoman Huo, F. Gonella · Environmental and Sustainability Indicators · Sub-Saharan Africa
This study evaluated land cover change and its drivers using spatial and statistical analysis in 22 designated protected areas (PAs) across the tropical coastal regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Results indicated that food production is prevalent in these protected areas regardless of their designation, and forest loss occurred in most PAs, suggesting weak conservation. Population density was the most significant driver of land cover change, and only 15 out of 22 protected areas showed an increase in their total ecosystem service value.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityUrban Agriculture and the Sustainability Nexus in South Africa: Past, Current, and Future Trends
2023Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Urban Forum · South Africa
This narrative literature review analyzed 62 peer-reviewed articles on urban agriculture in South Africa from 1993 to 2022. The findings indicate several knowledge gaps, including an under-representation of secondary cities and a general productivist focus in most studies, which limit understanding of urban agriculture for sustainable cities.
Methodological critiqueUrban–rural linkagePolicyBiodiversityDeterminants of sustainability in urban and peri-urban agriculture
2009Andreas Buerkert, Eva Schlecht, Martina Předotová, Rodrigue V.C. Diogo, Katja Kehlenbeck, Jens Gebauer · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · Sub-Saharan Africa
This study analyzed urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) systems in major Sub-Saharan African cities, measuring carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fluxes and conducting biodiversity studies. In Niamey, low-input gardens showed annual gaseous carbon emissions of 20-25 t ha-1, predominantly CO2, and high-input gardens irrigated with wastewater had annual CO2-C emissions of 27 t ha-1, with N2O as a major nitrogen loss contributor. Animal manure stored in the open was subject to large carbon and nitrogen losses, indicating environmental tradeoffs. However, UPA gardens in Niamey maintained a large variety of fruit and vegetable species, with richness increasing with garden and household size and commercialization.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleBiodiversityClimate changePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsRecognizing Ethiopia's urban farmers.
1993Lee M · PubMed · Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, urban agriculture faces significant challenges due to government disapproval of public land use for farming and difficulty in obtaining credit. A 1983 survey in Addis Ababa found that 17% of 1352 households produced their own food on less than 25 sq. meters, with 90% of non-farmers citing lack of land. Despite urban agricultural cooperatives demonstrating 70% higher member income, their lack of government legalization prevents access to loans for productivity improvement.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureFood educationBiodiversityCompostDIYElderlyFood lossHeirloom & landraceOrganic cyclePollinatorsFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiDigital agriculture