Research & reports

Wojciech Sroka, Piotr Sulewski, Jarosław Mikołajczyk, Karol Król · Agriculture · Poland

This study, based on a survey of economically successful peri-urban farms in Poland, identified success factors and major barriers to their development. The research shows a considerable convergence in business solutions in recent years, particularly in customer relationships and channels. According to respondents, the success of peri-urban farms is primarily determined by three groups of factors: motivation, diligence, and creativity; high quality of products and services; and cultivating deep bonds with customers. While farm managers indicated relatively few internal problems, urban pressure was considered the most significant external barrier to development.

Ana H. Ladio, Melisa Longo, Soledad Molares · Ethnobotany Research and Applications · Argentina (San Carlos de Bariloche)

This qualitative study analyzed the resilience processes of agroecological farmers at the Free Fair of Family Farmers from Nahuel Huapi in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. The fair's main resilience principles include high agrobiodiversity, learning and connectivity, cooperation, and adaptive systemic thinking. However, the economic and cultural viability of this fair is uncertain due to the drastic socio-environmental changes experienced in the region.

Chomchid Phromsin, Orasa Suksawang · Sustainability · Thailand (Phayao)

This research surveyed 80 farm households in Huay Lan Subdistrict Municipality, Thailand, between December 2018 and January 2019, to examine socio-economic and environmental conditions and the potential of urban agriculture for food security. The study found uncertainties in future food security due to labor shortages, low productivity, low income, and chemical use. Spatial clustering identified weaknesses and development opportunities, suggesting a farmer coalition could enhance food security through collective efforts.

Wenhao Zhu · Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology · United States (Chicago)

This paper focuses on the characteristics of vertical farms, using The Plant vertical farm in Chicago as an example to describe its design and performance, and analyze its advantages and design principles. The success of The Plant is attributed to saving raw materials and waste disposal costs through waste utilization, staggered electricity consumption, and insulated structures to maximize energy cost savings. However, while small-scale pilot projects of vertical farms have achieved some success, many constraints remain for scaling them up due to high construction and operation costs and high technical levels.

Aubrey Lynn Garcia, M.A.C. Griffith, George Paul Buss, Xiusheng Yang, John L. Griffis, Sarah E. Bauer, Ankit Singh · Agricultural Sciences · Global

This review investigates Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) as a potential solution for food security, discussing its rationale, growth factors, and technologies. While indoor farming systems like vertical farming enhance urban access to food, the cost of CEA remains high, though it is decreasing due to technological advances.

Benjamin Felix Richardson · · New Zealand (Auckland)

Auckland's urban sprawl threatens to significantly raise the price of fresh fruits and vegetables across the country, worsening chronic food security issues. Food production has become detached from the food security and food sovereignty of Aotearoa's people. The severity of this issue is driving calls for reform, and a conflict exists between humanity's agricultural subsistence and the destabilizing demands of financial extraction, where crucial productive hubs can be lost permanently.

Jade Morkel, Noxolo Dumani, Nick Malherbe, Shahnaaz Suffla · Community Development · South Africa

This case study, conducted in a low-income South African community, explored how a community gardener engages with the social solidarity economy (SSE) using thematic analysis of triangulated data from an interview, participant observation, and a participatory film. The study analyzed how the community garden fostered solidarity and established alternative micro-economic practices. It also considered challenges facing community gardens when connecting with the SSE.

Xiaoying Yan, Mei Yin, Renren Li · Atlantis Highlights in Computer Sciences/Atlantis highlights in computer sciences · China

High customer turnover is a significant challenge in China's Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) industry. This study utilized RFM models (Recency, Frequency, and Monetary) and algorithms to regularly rank and classify the consumption ability of CSA customers. This was achieved by analyzing their recent purchase time, number of times of consumption, and consumption data.

Ziyi Liu, Nicola Dempsey, Eckart Lange · ˜The œurban book series · China (Pearl River Delta)

This chapter investigates Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in the Pearl River Delta, China, aiming to understand its role in the local food system and in reducing food safety concerns. It notes a limited understanding of barriers to promoting and developing CSA, and little published evidence on public attitudes or their influence on CSA demand and development in the region. The study identifies current socio-economic and environmental catalysts and barriers for CSA farming.

Abdulai Adams, Samuel Sekyi, Irrshad Kaseeram · Cogent Food & Agriculture · Ghana (Accra)

This study analyzed the efficiency performance and willingness to pay (WTP) for treated wastewater among 214 urban vegetable producers in the greater Accra metropolis of Ghana. Using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and logistic regression models, results showed that the current production system is technically inefficient, with 33% more output possible from existing resources. The mean amount farmers were willing to pay for treated wastewater delivered to their farms was GH¢66.7 per month.

Tuyet Truong, Khoirunnisa Khuzaimah, H.T.M. Pham, Ho Ngoc Son, Tuan Van Bui, Long Ha · SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF TAN TRAO UNIVERSITY · Vietnam (Son La Province)

A study surveyed 39 local farmers in Buot village, Son La province, Vietnam, to examine their perception of agrobiodiversity and factors influencing the adoption of syntrophic farming in home gardens. The survey found that most farmers understood the importance of agrobiodiversity and were willing to adopt syntrophic farming. However, challenges in capital, market access, and a lack of irrigation systems were identified as barriers hindering their adoption of syntrophic farming.

Catharina Any Sulistyowati, Suraya Afiff, Muhammad Baiquni, Mia Siscawati · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global

A literature study conducted from October 2021 to June 2022 identified challenges in the development of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Farmers face expenses for sustainable practices and labor shortages, while CSA members encounter issues with time commitment, cost, and adapting food consumption habits. Organizational challenges include member recruitment and retention, competition, and CSA sustainability.

Diana Hertati · MIMBAR Jurnal Sosial dan Pembangunan · Indonesia

This study investigated the development of urban farming as a strategy to support food security in Indonesia using descriptive and qualitative methods. While the community understands urban farming (P2L), inhibiting factors include perpetrators' lack of technical understanding, insufficient capital, and extreme weather. Local government strongly supports food security policies through urban farming.

Charles Achcar Chelala, Cláudia Maria do Socôrro Cruz Fernandes Chelala · DELOS Desarrollo Local Sostenible · Brazil

This article analyzes the urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Macapá, Amapá, Brazil, focusing on existing commercialization channels to identify the relationship between urban food production and city supply. The study aimed to pinpoint difficulties, limitations, and expansion capacity of UPA. It concludes that despite a diversity of accessible channels for UPA, short commercialization channels like direct sales and open-air markets remain the primary outlets for production, indicating challenges in expanding commercialization beyond these traditional methods.

Ane Novianty, Muhamad Nurdin Yusuf, Muhamad Arif Rizki Mauladi · MAHATANI Jurnal Agribisnis (Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics Journal) · Indonesia (Tasikmalaya)

This qualitative study explored the economic and environmental aspects of urban farming activities among 12 farmers in Kelompok Tani Taruna Tani Muara Hurip, Tasikmalaya City, Indonesia. The findings indicate that urban farming activities have not significantly contributed to the income of farmers or landowners, based on the investment ratio. However, environmentally, most farmers practice eco-friendly farming using organic fertilizers.

P. Post, H. Hengsdijk · · Global

This study inventoried and characterized food production systems in Rincon, Bonaire, combining literature review and online key-informant interviews with biophysical analysis and calculations of land and water requirements for several production scales, and applying a SWOT analysis to multiple production systems. It found that increasing year-round fruit and vegetable production in Rincon, and Bonaire more broadly, is challenging and may not be feasible without support, given limited and irregular water availability, an unsupportive business environment, and harsh conditions from pests, diseases, and weather; without sufficient support to expand water availability, local agricultural knowledge, and a suitable business environment, neither capital-intensive nor small-scale crop production is likely to improve the availability of healthy food or employment opportunities.

Grace Ning Yuan, Gian Powell B. Marquez, Haoran Deng, Anastasiia Iu, Melisa Fabella, Reginald B. Salonga, Fitrio Ashardiono, Joyce A. Cartagena · Heliyon · Global

This review examined urban agriculture (UA) across technology, socio-economy, and policy, noting that supporting UA expansion in cities is challenging due to its poor economic profitability. The study highlighted UA's value beyond profitability, including social, health and well-being, disaster risk reduction, and environmental benefits. It also presented advancements in UA technologies and plant biotechnology as potential solutions for increasing the future profitability of commercial UA.

Catherine Campbell, Jorge Ruiz‐Menjivar, Alia DeLong · HortTechnology · United States (Florida)

This research characterized commercial urban agriculture (CUA) operations in Florida, United States, and explored urban farmers' perceptions of needs, barriers, and opportunities for CUA development. A cluster analysis identified three distinct groups of urban farmers with differing perceptions of barriers, opportunities, and informational needs. The study notes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture does not report data on CUA operations, limiting knowledge about their status, including barriers to business operations and profitability.

Bernd Bonfert · Sustainability · Wales

This paper investigated local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) networks in Wales and Germany using semi-structured interviews and observations. It found that local collaboration enables CSAs to integrate supply chains, engage communities, and participate in food councils. However, the study also revealed competitive tensions between neighboring CSAs, which presents a previously unknown challenge to CSA's potential scalability.

Yiming Shao, Zhugen Wang, Zhiwei Zhou, Haojing Chen, Yuanlong Cui, Zhenghuan Zhou · Sustainability · Global

Vertical farming faces challenges such as high energy consumption, costs, and a lack of social acceptance. This study investigated public acceptance of micro-vertical farming using a deconstructed theory of planned behavior model. Results showed that the overall mean of public behavioral intentions to use vertical farming was 3.9, which is above neutral (3.00) but less than positive (4.00).

Claudia Vaderna, Robert Home, Paola Migliorini, D. Roep · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · Switzerland

This study explored the main challenges faced by eight Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives in Switzerland and the pathways used to address them. It was shown that while organizers often have enthusiastic ideas, generating sufficient income for a fair producer salary is difficult, posing a challenge to long-term existence. The members' perspective (254 responses) indicated a divergence between organizers' expectations and members' more pragmatic approach.

Yichen Jiang, Axel Timpe, Frank Lohrberg · Journal of Urban History · China (Xuanhua)

A case study of traditional urban grape gardens in Xuanhua, China, examined existing issues and external factors impacting the area. The study found that while traditional farming techniques and the urban fabric of courtyards with grape funnels have been preserved, the area still lacks social concerns, and some households need to optimize their business models.

Gemechu Abdissa, Abebe Ayalew, Anna Dunay, Csaba Bálint Illés · Economies · Ethiopia

This study investigated the determinants of sustainable growth for SMEs, including those in urban agriculture, in Ethiopia using primary data from 194 employees. Findings indicate that political instability, corruption, and COVID-19 are significantly harming the growth and long-term sustainability of Ethiopian SMEs.

Mohd Zulkifli Muhammad, Mohd Zulkifli Muhammad, Reza Putra, Abdul Rahman, Ridho Hafis, Faizar Rianda · JURNAL HURRIAH Jurnal Evaluasi Pendidikan dan Penelitian · Indonesia

The A Bee Honey group in Gampong Alue Awe, Muara Dua subdistrict, implemented a pilot program for Trigona honey bee cultivation from August to November 2022. Despite its potential as an income source, honey supply does not consistently meet demand, and a lack of understanding regarding cultivation and economics reduces consumer interest. The community also does not fully comprehend the advantages and potential of trigona bee cultivation. Training was provided to educate the community on its potential as an alternative income source, resulting in five family heads joining the program.

Catherine Campbell, Alia DeLong, John Diaz · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (Florida)

This qualitative needs assessment, based on semi-structured interviews with 29 commercial urban agriculture (CUA) producers in Florida, characterized CUA operations. The study identified that CUA operations face common small farm barriers, alongside additional challenges from local government regulations and tensions with non-traditional agricultural land use. Despite these difficulties, CUA operators perceive their urban location as a key benefit and see opportunities for future business and market expansion.