Research & reports

Jocelyn M. Leitzinger, Robert David · · United States (Detroit)

A case study of Detroit's urban agriculture market indicates that "business-as-usual" development strategies, which prioritize large-scale investment projects, often fail to achieve their economic development potential. These strategies are noted to potentially exacerbate social or environmental issues, particularly within "moral markets" led by Black activists. The paper explores the mechanisms of such failures and offers recommendations for policymakers and entrepreneurs.

Thulisekari 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.

Unang, Tedi Hartoyo · Indonesian Journal of Advanced Research · Indonesia (Bekasi City)

This study used a descriptive quantitative approach to examine how agricultural extension contributes to institutional development in KWT Sahabat Sampah, a women-led urban farming group in Bekasi City, Indonesia. Data were collected from all 35 members via structured questionnaires, field observation, and interviews with the extension agent. Results indicated that extension support was consistently rated high across six dimensions, especially facilitation, and institutional development indicators were strong, but economic sustainability remained constrained. A significant association (ρ = 0.678, p < 0.01) was found between extension intensity and institutional development.

Jonas Sohn, Juliane Dziumla, Atiqah Fairuz Salleh, George Xydis · Sustainability Nexus Forum · Global

This study evaluated vertical farming (VF) through the resource nexus (RN) lens, emphasizing the interdependencies among energy, water, land, and materials. While VF offers advantages such as space efficiency, water conservation, and climate resilience, it was found to entail high energy demands, material dependencies, and economic feasibility challenges. An overview of these synergies and constraints helps identify mitigation strategies like circular water systems and hybrid renewable energy solutions.

Yang Hua, Yong Xu, Kan ZHOU, Jie FAN · 资源科学 · China

This study analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of supply and demand for seven major agricultural products in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji) region from 2015 to 2022. It found that the region faces a dual risk of agricultural product supply-demand imbalance and spatial mismatch, with an overall surplus but local shortages. Specifically, Beijing and Tianjin generally lack self-sufficiency in agricultural products. The research proposes an integrated layout plan for high-quality agricultural bases to address these imbalances and ensure regional food security.

Plinth · Plinth · United Kingdom

Published 5 April 2026 and updated 14 June 2026. Full cost recovery means funders covering not only a project's direct costs but its proportional share of overheads — rent, finance, IT, HR and chief-executive time. The article works through an example where two of ten staff (20 per cent of capacity) deliver a project, so £28,000 of £140,000 in annual overheads is added to £85,000 of direct costs for a £113,000 budget, and notes that overhead rates of 15–25 per cent are common sector guidance. It argues that accepting grants below true cost is a structural funding problem rather than a budgeting error, with consequences including staff burnout and governance risk, and notes that charity staff earn roughly 7 per cent less per hour than equivalent roles elsewhere in the economy.

Noxolo B.M., Kanosvamhira T.P. · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · 南アフリカ・ケープタウン（低所得地区）

Surveys and interviews assess whether hydroponics, of interest because dense settlements leave little space, is actually viable in Cape Town's low-income urban areas — deliberately supplementing a literature skewed towards Global North cities. Farmers perceive benefits in improved yields, water conservation and efficient land use, all valuable in a water-scarce, space-constrained city, but high setup costs and limited government support remain significant obstacles. Drawing on urban political ecology, the paper argues these financial and institutional barriers are rooted in historically produced inequality and ongoing capitalist dynamics of urban development. It concludes that while hydroponics has potential as a sustainable alternative, its high costs hinder broader applicability, and it is not yet a viable large-scale route to food security where resources are unequally distributed; supporting actors must first address financial feasibility and local expertise.

Darrow S., Kathi S., Liebe R., Cline L.L., Moss J.Q. · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · 米国オクラホマ州（農村・都市・近郊）

Oklahoma's specialty crop sector is in decline — vegetable operations fell from 799 in 2007 to 482 in 2022 — yet regional fruit and vegetable producers remain the primary supply foundation for farmers' markets, food hubs and direct retail serving urban and peri-urban communities, so producer viability is itself an urban food access and public health concern as food deserts expand. Five semi-structured focus groups with 29 experienced producers from rural, urban and peri-urban Oklahoma were analysed by open coding thematic analysis in NVivo, with saturation confirmed iteratively and rigour established through member-checking, peer review of codes and field note triangulation. The 180 initial codes were organised into 10 parent codes and three themes: the countercultural philosophy of production, the lack of accessible resources, and industry barriers preventing development — compounding disadvantages at cultural, institutional and structural levels. The authors call for a statewide local food system plan, a growers' association and dedicated local-food-system extension roles.

Florien Misago, Isaac Nzayisenga, Henri Jacques Ngirinshuti, Leon De Pere Irakoze, Richard Mind’je · East African Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology · Rwanda (Kigali)

This study evaluated the potential of rooftop and wall-based urban agriculture to enhance food security in Gasabo District, Kigali, Rwanda. It used GIS and remote sensing to map suitable spaces and assessed 400 household heads using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Findings showed that 41.5% of households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, and approximately 32% of rooftops and walls were structurally appropriate for urban agriculture. While 57.8% of households expressed willingness to adopt rooftop or wall gardening, 67.4% cited structural and financial constraints.

Gokulakrishnan G, Navaneetha Krishnan T, Tamilselvan D, S Sanjeevkumar, Devaganesh A, Janani N, K. Arunadevi, Balaji Kannan · Madras Agricultural Journal · Global

This review explores vertical farming, a method that uses stacked layers in controlled environments for year-round crop production with reduced resource use. It assesses the environmental and economic advantages of vertical farming, while critically examining its limitations, including high energy demands and limited crop diversity. The study highlights that despite its potential, vertical farming faces challenges regarding economic viability due to high energy consumption.

Jairo Guzman-Molina, Gustavo Carrazana-Rosales, Daniel Karthe, W. C. Tabares Rodríguez, Serena Caucci · Environmental and Sustainability Indicators · Colombia (Bogotá)

To assess the sustainability of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (UPA) in Bogotá, Colombia, a Composite Indicator (CI) integrating 43 variables from an in-depth survey of over 3,500 households was developed. The study revealed that UPA significantly contributes to Bogotá's environmental resilience, particularly in soil conservation and integrated water management. However, while UPA promises food security, its unstructured value chain limits its impact on economic sustainability.

Ramírez Pérez, Norma Verónica, Padilla Medina, José Alfredo, Cárdenas Manríquez, Marcela, Araujo Rodríguez, Jessica Alejandra, Barranco Gutiérrez, Alejandro Israel, Prado Olivarez, Juan · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Mexico

This article analyzes the technical feasibility, energy efficiency, political, and economic viability of urban agriculture (UA) in Mexico, considering its advantages, disadvantages, and conditions favoring soilless cultivation. The study, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis using the PRISMA protocol, aims to provide scientific evidence on UA's technical, economic, and energy feasibility. It highlights that UA faces technical, political, and economic challenges that limit its development and expansion.

Banobe, Maryanto · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Indonesia (Kupang)

This study analyzed the economic position and dynamics of the agricultural sector in Kupang City compared to East Nusa Tenggara Province, using data from 2014–2019. Results showed that Kupang City's economic structure is dominated by tertiary sectors, and the agricultural sector has an LQ of 0.07 and a DLQ of 0.85, indicating it is a non-base and non-prospective sector. This confirms a structural economic transformation from the primary sector towards service-oriented sectors.

Stefan Galley, Rita Saleh, Patrick Bottazzi · Journal of Rural Studies · Switzerland

This qualitative study compares three Swiss communal agricultural prosumption (CAP) types: allotment gardens (AGs), community gardens (CGs), and community supported agriculture (CSA), using Grounded Theory. It found that community-centred CAPs (CSAs, CGs) generate political agency but face financial barriers limiting participation. Individual-centred CAPs (AGs) offer autonomy but have high knowledge requirements and lack political leverage, posing crucial challenges for long-term viability. The study concludes that targeted policy and institutional strategies are needed to ensure the continuity of all CAP types.

M.M. Rasmuna, VGR Chandran, J.S. Keshminder · Malaysian journal of consumer and family economics/Malaysian Journal of Consumer and Family Economics · Malaysia

This study explored challenges in maximizing the capacity of urban farms for economic viability and sustainability in Malaysia. Through in-depth interviews with urban farmers in several case studies, five key challenges were identified: financial, human capital, environmental, institutional, and psychosocial. These challenges impede the economic viability and sustainability of community urban farming.

Universitas Perjuangan, Ristina Siti Sundari, Lies Sulistyowati, Universitas Padjadjaran, Trisna Insan Noor, Universitas Padjadjaran, Iwan Setiawan, Universitas Padjadjaran, Farhan Ahmad, Universitas Padjadjaran, RAFIF NAUFAL ASSADEL TARIGAN, Universitas Siliwangi · Journal of Sustainability Science and Management · Indonesia (Tasikmalaya)

This study, conducted from February to December 2021, investigated women's implementation of urban agriculture in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, involving 250 participants from 136 urban farming collectives. Despite 100% institutional support, urban farming faced significant challenges in market access, resource allocation, and regulatory frameworks. The findings highlighted the importance of urban farming for empowering women, reducing poverty, and promoting environmental sustainability.

Erwin 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.

Supriya Chandrakant Gaikwad · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · India (Sikkim)

This paper synthesizes six studies to examine Sikkim's organic farming model, evaluating farmer perceptions, productivity, policy gaps, and urban innovations like rooftop farming. While organic farming in Sikkim boosted yields, lowered input expenses, and improved environmental conditions, marketing and scalability remain significant obstacles, and short-term transition costs and limited market infrastructure are economic constraints. Rooftop agriculture in Gangtok was identified as a valuable addition for urban food security.

Rahoyo Rahoyo, Teti Susilowati, Sri Purwantini · Economics Development Analysis Journal · Indonesia (Semarang)

This research explored the economic viability of community gardens in Semarang City, Indonesia, using a qualitative approach with 24 participants. Findings indicate that most community gardens operate at a financial loss, showing weak economic viability. However, these gardens continue to function sustainably, driven not by profit but by government programs, social cohesion, and environmental concern.

Suzana 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.

Getachew Demissie Desta, Zeleke Gonfa Wordofa · International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development · Ethiopia

A study of the rate and direction of spatial expansion of Robe Town, Ethiopia, into surrounding rural kebeles, and its effect on the tenure security of peri-urban landholders. It combined socioeconomic data from 202 sampled household heads with spatial data from Landsat images taken in 1987, 2002, and 2020. The town grew annually by 18.6% (1984–1994), 11.3% (1994–2007), and 9.3% (2007–2020), with its total area rising from 5.1 km² in 1984 to 80.2 km², a 40.9% overall increase. Over the 33-year period, built-up area expanded fastest southward, reaching 9.91 km from the town's mean center, and grew from 4.38 km² in 1987 to 27.9 km² in 2020; about 10.2 km² of farmland was converted to built-up land between 1987 and 2020. In peri-urban areas of Robe town, 48.9% of landowners lost around half of their farmland, leaving peri-urban landowners feeling insecure about their tenure due to fear of eviction and expropriation at minimal compensation.

Getinet, Abate · National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia · Ethiopia

A mixed-methods, cross-sectional descriptive study of urban agriculture in Gulele sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, examining perceptions, opportunities, and challenges. It combined a survey of employees and farmers, in-depth interviews with farmers, key informants, and experts, and a focus group discussion with civil service employees. The study identified scarcity of urban farmland, scarcity of water for irrigating vegetables, and constraints on various agricultural inputs as core problems, alongside market accessibility issues for selling produce and limited transportation availability, even as vegetable consumption and demand among urban dwellers were rising and government policy treated urban agriculture as a current priority. It also found a negative social attitude among urban dwellers toward urban agriculture, who regard it as old-fashioned work and view urban farmers as backward and uneducated. The study concludes that the Addis Ababa City Administration's urban agriculture development sector needs to work with research institutions to address pest and insect problems and to improve vegetable yield per unit of land.

Augustin Tshilumba Ilunga, Michel Mbumba Bandi, Albert Tshinyama Ntumba, Damien-Joseph Muteba Kalala · Revue Africaine d’Environnement et d’Agriculture · Democratic Republic of Congo

A study of urban agriculture in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo—a sector described as vital for food security and employment amid rapid urbanization, food insecurity, and unemployment, where farms face significant challenges including land pressure, restricted access to credit, and lack of institutional support. The study aimed to (i) examine the motivations of agri-entrepreneurs, (ii) assess their impact on farm viability, and (iii) identify the economic and non-economic factors influencing business sustainability, using a qualitative and quantitative survey combining 20 semi-structured interviews across three peripheral zones (via snowball sampling) with documentary analysis. Three categories of entrepreneurs were identified: civil servants farming as a supplementary activity, private-sector employees investing in farming, and traders farming to secure their survival. Non-pecuniary motivations such as social engagement and passion strengthened resilience, but land insecurity, a financing deficit, and lack of training were identified as the major obstacles farms face; observed adaptive strategies included diversification and informal partnerships. The study concludes by calling for integrated strategies to secure land tenure, facilitate access to credit, and professionalize the sector while integrating peri-urban agriculture into urban planning processes.

Stephen Leitheiser, Rubén Vezzoni · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global

This paper presents a conceptualization of radical food democracy (RFD), linking diverse economies with diverse citizenship. Diverse economies scholarship, while valuable for theorizing alternative food networks (AFNs), has been criticized for essentializing the autonomy of alternative economic practices, risking the confusion of emancipatory social change with market-embedded products and the displacement of negative impacts. The paper argues that realizing RFD requires both experimenting with new economic practices that create food economies alternative to capital accumulation and cultivating new political subjects capable of universalizing these struggles.

Hayley Birss · Social Epistemology · Canada

This study examines Infarm's vertical farming practice, a venture capital-backed solution for climate change mitigation, by mapping its actor-network. The analysis reveals that Infarm's vertical farming and its climate change mitigation logics are shaped by venture capital and its biopolitical epistemology of valuation. This framework conceptualizes life, biology, and climate in terms of political economy, indicating that economic viability is a primary driver.