Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
42 results(1 / 2)
CULTIVO PROTEGIDO E HIDROPONIA NA AGRICULTURA BRASILEIRA: ambientes controlados, automação e produção sustentável em pequenas áreas
2026Carlos Luiz Vieira · · Brazil
This study analyzes protected cultivation and hydroponics in Brazil as technologies enabling full control of environmental variables and eliminating dependence on climate seasonality. These technologies demonstrate 80-95% reductions in water consumption, 300-500% increases in productivity compared to open fields, and complete elimination of agrochemical residues. However, the study also points out implementation challenges for these technologies, concluding they are fundamental for food security in contexts of accelerated urbanization, water scarcity, and global climate change.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureIntegrating vertical and urban farming into sustainable food systems: a comprehensive review
2026Thulisekari Prasanna, Guda Bhargavi, Murugesan Mohana Keerthi · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This comprehensive review synthesizes literature on vertical and urban agriculture within sustainable food systems, identifying production models and technical advancements. Empirical evidence indicates these systems can improve water/land-use efficiency, yield stability, and reduce post-harvest losses. However, significant challenges persist, including high capital and energy prices, inadequate crop diversification, technical complexities, and regulatory constraints, impacting their economic viability.
Economic viabilityUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyDigital agricultureIrrigation Water Management and Variability Drive Yield Outcomes in Peri-Urban Vegetable Systems: A Socio-Technical and Biophysical Analysis in Burkina Faso
2026Kpade O. L. Hounkpatin, Amadou Keïta, Jérôme Tondoh, Djéneba Djamila Traoré, Nouroudine Morou Hamadou, Aymar Y. Bossa, Yacouba Yira, Jean Hounkpè, Traoré Hortense Kagambèga, Olayemi Ursula Gaba, Djigbo Félicien Badou, Sarah Konaré · Water · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
This study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, investigated factors leading to the abandonment of sprinkler irrigation systems and the impact of irrigation water variability on vegetable yields at two market gardening sites. Over 80% of 50 surveyed farmers stopped using sprinkler systems within two years due to equipment failures and lack of support. Variability in manual water application was linked to crop productivity variability, with uneven application identified as a major constraint at one site.
Economic viabilityEconomicsClimate changePeri-urban agricultureOn the Way to the City
2025Ayari G. Pasquier Merino, Simone Buratti · · Mexico (Mexico City)
This study analyzed the conditions and challenges in the logistics of transporting merchandise from production areas to commercialization spaces, using a case study of Mexico City’s peri-urban agricultural producers. Qualitative research, conducted from 2019 to 2022, involved 60 interviews with production and distribution project managers, a discussion workshop on transportation issues, and visits to production and distribution spaces. Results indicate that infrastructure and logistics for goods transportation are a key issue for the successful integration of small, peri-urban producers into urban markets. It was suggested that transport and logistics must be addressed for these producers to become viable economic actors.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageSolución de agricultura vertical inteligente y sostenible basada en IoT para los desafíos agrícolas en Pakistán
2025Sadiq Ur Rehman, Muhammad Adeel Mannan, Muhammad Ahsan Shaikh, Muhammad Uzair · Memoria Investigaciones en Ingeniería · Pakistan
In Pakistan, an IoT-based solar-powered smart vertical farming system was proposed to address agricultural challenges like water scarcity. A six-week trial cultivating cherry tomatoes showed the system achieved a 60-65% yield increase, 40% energy saving, and 28.57% water consumption reduction compared to traditional methods. However, limitations included the small trial size and lack of long-term environmental impact data, and scalability challenges such as cost, maintenance, and local restrictions need to be addressed for wider adoption.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureClimate changeEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureIntegrasi Perencanaan Pertanian dan Pengembangan Pariwisata
2025Erwin Wisnubroto, Maurus Barrawiadi · JURNAL PERTANIAN · Indonesia (Batu)
This study in Batu City, Indonesia, evaluated the sustainability of agricultural production in three sub-districts—Batu, Junrejo, and Bumiaji—using the PROMETHEE method. Data were collected through FGDs, interviews with key stakeholders, and secondary statistical sources, analyzing five sustainability indicators including horticultural vegetables, biopharmaceutical crops, ornamental plants, fruit crops, and small farmer labor availability. The results showed that Bumiaji sub-district had the highest net flow value for sustainability, while Batu sub-district showed declining performance.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsClimate changePolicyUrban Agriculture in Mogadishu: Opportunities and Constraints
2025Yasin Mohamed Ibrahim · Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology · Somalia (Mogadishu)
A study in Mogadishu, Somalia, used snowball sampling to assess constraints and opportunities for urban horticulture. It found that temperature, wind, pests, diseases, and limited irrigation water significantly restrict production, particularly for open-field farmers who face high irrigation demands, pest infestations, and low-quality yields unattractive to buyers. While greenhouses offer some protection, plastic greenhouses specifically suffer from inadequate gutter height and poor ventilation, requiring farmers to use primitive methods to combat extreme temperatures.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrbanization-Triggered Industrial Development in Kenya’s Peri-Urban Areas and Its Implications on Food Security: The Case of Kiambu County
2025James S. Kaba, Joseph Mutungi, Gladys Rotich · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science · Kenya
This study examined the implications of urbanization-triggered industrial development on food security in Kiambu County, Kenya, neighboring Nairobi. Through mixed qualitative and survey-based data collection and analysis from 400 respondents including farmers, agricultural workers, urban planners, and government officials, the study found an 85% increase in farmland conversion to industries over the last 20 years. This industrialization contributed to a decline in food production, as reported by 65% of respondents who left farming for industrial jobs. Land-use transformations have resulted in fewer farms involved in agriculture and the replacement of old food systems.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFactors influencing the economic sustainability and viability of soil-based urban and peri-urban agricultural enterprises in OECD countries: a scoping review
2025S. Pickles, Anita Stefoska‐Needham, Karen Charlton · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global
This scoping review was undertaken to identify factors affecting the economic sustainability and associated viability of soil-based commercial farms located in urban and peri-urban settings within OECD member countries. Following the PRISMA ScR methodology, 170 eligible articles were identified from four scientific databases. This review found that many soil-based urban farms in OECD countries struggle to achieve economic sustainability or organizational viability.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureLe péri-urbain en Afrique : une agriculture en marge ?
2025Paule Moustier, Jacques Pagès · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Africa
This study examined peri-urban agriculture in Africa, identifying it as a significant income and food source for the urban poor, but subject to constraints, primarily land pressure. Analysis of the vegetable supply chain in Brazzaville showed rural and peri-urban areas are complementary, with different types of vegetables originating from each. Land constraints, transport, access to inputs, and technical assistance are crucial factors determining production location. Historical analysis invalidates hypotheses of linear decline or development through intensification for peri-urban agriculture.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePRODUÇÃO DE HORTALIÇAS ORGÂNICAS: PROTAGONISMO FEMININO E SUSTENTABILIDADE NA VILA GALVÃO, CASA NOVA - BA
2025Suzana Márcia Souza dos Santos, Clecia Simone Gonçalves Rosa Pacheco · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil
This study analyzed the experience of the Vila Galvão Women Workers' Benevolent Association in Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil, which produces organic vegetables in urban and peri-urban contexts. The study aimed to characterize the productive, commercial, and sociocultural aspects related to organic vegetable production and commercialization, identifying main marketing channels and understanding difficulties faced by producers. It concluded that organic production, combined with collective organization and the strengthening of the solidarity economy, represents a viable alternative for a more just, sustainable, and female-led rural development model.
Economic viabilityCommunityPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyLand Market and the “Sendoff” of Peri-Urban Agriculture in Tanzania: An Evolutionary Analysis of Practices and Actors
2024Kelvin Haule, Bupe Kabigi · Ghana Journal of Geography · Tanzania
This study analyzed land markets and their influence on peri-urban agriculture and livelihood strategies in Tanzania. It found that widespread monetary land markets, including formal, informal, speculative, entrepreneurial, and land grabbing forms, are transforming peri-urban agriculture into non-farm activities. These informal changes are causing a “sendoff” of peri-urban agriculture, and if unmanaged, land markets are suggested to become a blight for indigenous people selling land.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyBioregional food systems and the structures of long-term territorialization processes
2024Alberto Matarán-Ruiz, David Fanfani, Josefa Sánchez Contreras, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · · Central America; Europe
This chapter examines bioregional food systems and territorialization processes in peri-urban agricultural areas, using three case studies from Central America and Europe. It notes that the historical co-evolutionary relationship between cities and surrounding farmlands weakened in modernity due to the global capitalist market, which reduced food to a commodity. The study highlights current problems while exploring how inherited relationships are being revived to adapt urban bioregions to climate emergency and resource scarcity.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceMapping and characterizing the urban and periurban agriculture in Porto Alegre, Brazil
2023Geisa Zanini Rorato, Eugenia Aumond Kuhn, Bruno Luan Soares Paula de Mello, Rodrigo Vitória Alves, Giulia Togni Geremia · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Porto Alegre)
This study mapped and characterized 82 urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) initiatives in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It found that educational and health-related initiatives with social and ecological objectives predominated. A significant finding was that only half of these initiatives were active at the time of the survey, with the rest being inactive or closed, indicating structural fragilities, especially in peripheral and less dense areas impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Economic viabilityFood educationHealthCommunityPeri-urban agricultureFarming under Urban Pressure: Business Models and Success Factors of Peri-Urban Farms
2023Wojciech 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.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty and peri-urban horticulture
2023Benjamin 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.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsUrban–rural linkageDesafios da expansão da comercialização da agricultura urbana e periurbana do município de Macapá - Amapá
2023Charles 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.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyAssessing Agri-Food Start-Ups Sustainability in Peri-Urban Agriculture Context
2021Ambrogio Zanzi, Valentina Vaglia, Roberto Spigarolo, Stefano Bocchi · Land · Italy (Milan)
This study assessed the sustainability of eight agri-food start-ups in a peri-urban area of Milan, Italy, using the FAO's Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture systems (SAFA) framework. The application of SAFA indicators revealed positive aspects but also some limitations typical of unstructured enterprises.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityClimate changeANALISIS AKSESIBILITAS PETANI PERKOTAAN TERHADAP AGROINPUT DAN IMPLIKASINYA TERHADAP PENGEMBANGAN URBAN FARMING
2021Harniati Harniati, Reni Suryanti · Jurnal Penyuluhan Pertanian · Indonesia
This study investigated urban farmers' accessibility to agroinputs in intra-urban (Situ Gede, Margajaya) and peri-urban (Pasir Buncir, Pasir Eurih of Tamansari) areas in Indonesia. The findings revealed that land, labor, feed concentrate, fertilizer, and seeds are difficult for farmers to access. Specifically, peri-urban paddy land ownership is less than 0.2 Ha, intra-urban farmers are landless, outside labor is limited and expensive, and feed concentrate for sheep is rarely available and unaffordable. These limited accessibilities present problems and challenges for urban agribusiness development.
Economic viabilityPolicyEconomicsCommunityPeri-urban agriculturePotential for Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Agricultural Practices in Nairobi County
2021Mary Njoki Mwaura, Sabina Mukoya-Wangia, Japheth Ododa Origa, O.L.E. Mbatia, Evans Chimoita · Journal of Agricultural Extension · Kenya
A study of 149 respondents in Nairobi County examined urban and peri-urban agricultural practices, finding composting and open field farming popular but not the most profitable. More profitable practices like cattle rearing and mushroom farming were unpopular due to expensive inputs and specialized skills. The study indicates that popular practices are less profitable, highlighting a need for transformation towards controlled environment agriculture with policy support.
Economic viabilityCompostOrganic cycleEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureSAVINGS MOBILIZATION ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION AMONG PERI-URBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN KWALI AND BWARI AREA COUNCILS F.C.T ABUJA, NIGERIA
2021Juliana Ojochide Olori, Ogechi Cordelia Nwahia, F. Siewe · Agricultural Social Economic Journal · Nigeria (Abuja)
A study analyzed savings mobilization for poverty alleviation among 185 peri-urban farming households in Kwali and Bwari Area Councils, Abuja, Nigeria, using cross-sectional primary data. The analysis revealed a poverty incidence of 49%, a poverty depth of 28%, and a poverty severity of 56% among the households. Findings indicated that primary occupation and education reduced the likelihood of not being poor but increased the likelihood of being very poor.
Economic viabilityWelfareEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureChanging Agriculture and Climate Variability in Peri-Urban Gurugram, India
2021Pratik Mishra, Sumit Vij · · India (Gurugram)
Ethnographic research in Budhera, a peri-urban village bordering Gurugram city in Haryana, India, investigated the juxtaposition of urbanization processes and climate variability impacts on peri-urban agriculture. Results showed that dimensions of agrarian livelihoods, such as cropping choices, irrigation cycles, sharecropping arrangements, declining common property resources, and land use changes to non-agricultural uses, were influenced by urbanization processes. It was concluded that changes in land and water use reshape agricultural practices and can cascade upon climate variability impacts, making agriculture more precarious for peri-urban farmers.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeEconomicsUrban–rural linkageSoil Properties and Fertility Management within Ruiru Peri-Urban Area in Kiambu County, Kenya
2020F. Waswa, M. Mwamburi, I. I. C. Wakindiki, Roseline Chemutai · Journal of applied science and environmental management · Kenya
This study focused on soil physicochemical properties and fertility management in Ruiru Sub County, a peri-urban area in Kiambu County, Kenya. Soil samples from ten small contact farms (~0.1 ha) were analyzed, revealing that most farmers were tenants growing leafy vegetables, maintaining soil fertility with organic manures, and performing tillage by hand. These practices signal limitations imposed by small farm size and lack of land ownership, with soil fertility primarily limited by the interaction of soil pH, K, and Ca.
Economic viabilityOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsLIMITANTES TÉCNICO-PRODUCTIVAS Y SOCIOECONÓMICAS PARA LA ADOPCIÓN DE LA AGRICULTURA URBANA. EL CASO DE LA RED DE AGRICULTURA URBANA Y PERIURBANA DE XALAPA, VERACRUZ
2019Guadalupe Del Ángel-Lozano, Martha Elena Nava-Tablada · Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems · Mexico (Xalapa)
This study analyzed technical-productive and socioeconomic limitations to urban agriculture adoption among members of the Network of Urban and Periurban Agriculture (RAUP) in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Researchers applied 25 questionnaires to active members and 10 to non-practicing participants. Both groups of RAUP participants identified socioeconomic factors, such as lack of space and limited free time due to urban lifestyles, as the main constraints, while technical-productive limitations were not considered relevant.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureAGRICULTURA URBANA E PERIURBANA: POTENCIALIDADES E LIMITAÇÕES PARA O DESENVOLVIMENTO DO MUNICÍPIO DE BENEVIDES (PA)
2019Glenda Maria Braga Abud, Maria Lúcia Bahia Lopes, Rosália do Socorro da Silva Corrêa, Ruth Helena Cristo Almeida · Revista em Agronegócio e Meio Ambiente · Brazil (Benevides)
A descriptive survey was conducted with 25 producers in Benevides municipality, Pará State, Brazil, to analyze the contribution of flower and ornamental plant production to local development. The activity was found to be essentially subsistence-based, with low articulation among producers and technological and productive limitations. These aspects resulted in a restricted capacity to contribute to development in the studied municipality.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsUrban–rural linkage