Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
14 results
Urban expansion and food security implications: A three-decade analysis of land use change in Kinondoni district, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1993-2023)
2026Adili Y. Zella · African Journal of Social Issues · Tanzania
This study analyzed land use and land cover (LULC) changes in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between 1993 and 2023 using multi-temporal Landsat satellite imagery. The analysis revealed that built-up areas expanded by 1,433%, from 124.20 ha in 1993 to 1,905.14 ha in 2023. Concurrently, cultivated land decreased by 96.6%, from 172.90 ha to 5.88 ha, representing a loss of 167.02 ha. The near-complete elimination of cultivated land in Kinondoni District indicates a critical threat to local food production capacity and urban food security.
Environmental trade-offsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageClimate changePolicyFloristic Diversity and Characterization of Peri-Urban Agriculture in Some Drains of the City of Douala (Cameroon)
2025Olivier Parfait Bissemb, Rosette Christelle Ndjib, Patrice Brice Mvogo Ottou, Jacques Bruno Ngotta Biyon, Zenabou Ndiang, Georges Maxime Lamy Lamy, Eric Ngansop Tchatchouang, Ivant Stevy Nganmo, Jean Lagarde Betti, Richard Jules Priso · Journal of Environmental Protection · Cameroon (Douala)
This study assessed floristic diversity and agricultural practices around five stormwater drains in Douala, Cameroon, identifying 67 species from 24 families. Floristic diversity, measured by the Shannon-Weaver index (H'= 0.99) and low evenness (E = 0.23), indicated an unbalanced plant community dominated by a few cultivated and ruderal species. The analysis also revealed significant homogenization between drains, suggesting common agricultural practices and environmental pressures in these polluted environments.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePotential for urban agriculture: Expert insights on sustainable development goals and future challenges
2025Margarethe Karpe, Jeremías Lachman, Lili Wang, L.F.M. Marcelis, E. Heuvelink · Sustainable Production and Consumption · Global
A Delphi survey with 108 experts explored urban agriculture's potential contributions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under a scenario of 30% urban food self-sufficiency. Experts identified SDG 7.2 (renewable energies) as a key challenge due to high energy use, and agreed that none of the evaluated SDG targets for urban agriculture will be met by 2030. They also noted a lack of regulations and public policies for innovative agricultural systems.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyConclusion: Cultivating Middle Ground
2025· The MIT Press eBooks · Global
This book examines community farms in Latin America, Australia, and China, highlighting tensions between local identities and global transformation. It finds that while industrial expansion in export agribusiness generates macroeconomic benefits, it incurs micro-level costs such as the replacement of peri-urban farms by plantations, loss of biodiversity, and groundwater contamination from pesticides and fertilizers. The study suggests that food system intermediaries are crucial in connecting rural migrants with urban farms and resources.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate changeKentsel Gıda Planlaması için Çıkarımlar: Gıda'nın Kent-Bölgesi'ni Tanımlamak (Inferences for Urban Food Planning: Defining City-Region of Food)
2023Ayşegül YARIŞ, Emel Karakaya Ayalp · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
The current agri-food system is undergoing an unsustainable transition, with Urban Food Planning emerging as a holistic approach for sustainable transition. This paper explains and translates the "City-Region Food System (CRFS) Toolkit," developed in partnership with FAO, RUAF, and participating cities. It examines the toolkit's roadmap and approach for building more sustainable and resilient urban food systems through two case studies in West Africa. The research concluded that the CRFS Toolkit defines limited tools for building sustainable urban food systems and excludes the relationship with spatial disciplines.
Environmental trade-offsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageSunlight, Soil & Shit (De)Cycle - Exhibtion
2022Ionat; id_orcid 0000-0001-9080-2282 Zurr, Oron; id_orcid 0000-0002-2893-5364 Catts · UWA Profiles and Research Repository (University of Western Australia) · Australia
The "Sunlight, Soil & Shit (De)Cycle" project, presented by SymbioticA in February 2022, is a performative experiment exploring agricultural technology (AgTech) and its aim to remove natural elements like sunlight, soil, and organic waste from food production. This project considers whether the precursor to sustainable food systems will be the creation of a metabolic rift, where the means of production grow ever distant from nature. It highlights a critical environmental tradeoff by questioning the separation of humans from nature in technological farming.
Environmental trade-offsDigital agricultureCommunityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceAdapting peri-urban agriculture to climate change in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: A qualitative assessment
2021Thulani Dube, Saziso Sibanda, Phibion Chiwara · Cogent Social Sciences · Zimbabwe (Bulawayo)
This study investigated farmers' perceived effects of climate change on peri-urban agriculture in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and their adaptation methods. Using a sample of thirty peri-urban plots, findings revealed that farmers perceived significant climatic changes negatively impacting their farming activities, including reduced precipitation, increased atmospheric temperature, and diminishing borehole yields. Adaptation methods included repeated planting, watering plants at night, renting animal space in other farms with more water sources, and purchasing supplementary feed for livestock.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCultivating the city for ecosocialism
2021Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro, George M. Martin · · Global
This chapter examines urban cultivation across diverse global contexts, finding that global South cities often experience declining food production due to displacement by financiers and landowners. It notes that urban cultivation is frequently associated with unacknowledged pollution problems, and its overall ecological impacts are not necessarily positive. Furthermore, urban food production, with the exception of Cuba, does little to reduce social inequality and can sometimes exacerbate it.
Environmental trade-offsFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyClimate changeSoil Constraints to Urban Agriculture in Valley Beds of Yaoundé (Cameroon)
2019Ibrahima Saidou · Journal of Environmental Science and Allied Research · Cameroon (Yaoundé)
A 2014 study in Yaoundé, Cameroon, surveyed 40 farmers and analyzed soil in two valley bed suburbs, Nkolodom and Nkolbisson, to identify soil constraints on urban agriculture. While nitrogen and phosphorus levels were adequate, soil salinity at Nkolodom was brackish to moderate (810 mS/m), potentially constraining crop growth. Soil fertility was also found to decrease with distance from farmers' houses.
Environmental trade-offsEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCropping Practices and Their Drivers in Various Cropping Systems in Peri-urban Areas of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
2019Delphine Bernadette Ouédraogo, Delwendé Innocent Kiba, Zacharia Gnankambary, Sheick K. Sangaré, Diakouba Sirima, Hassan Bismarck Nacro, Michel Papaoba Sédogo · Journal of Agricultural Science · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
This study investigated cropping practices and their drivers in 133 peri-urban farms near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Soil sample analysis revealed that monoculture led to low soil organic carbon, while polyculture led to low soil available potassium. The socio-economic conditions of the farms explained up to 60% of the variability in cropping practices.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable Development for People or Profit?
2015Eric Weaver · Suburban Sustainability · Global
This review details the relationship between key planetary systems and the many adverse impacts of industrial agriculture, drawing from top-tier journals. Research indicates that industrial agriculture is a major force pushing environmental limits, with multinational corporations continuing to influence national environmental regulations. Current literature debates whether political systems can institute sustainable solutions, suggesting that grassroots efforts may be the most viable solution to displace the industrial agriculture model.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsRevealing 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 & justiceUrban Agriculture Production Mode 3: Intensive Production of Vegetables
2013Danfeng Huang · Journal of Changjiang Vegetables · Global
This paper discussed the importance of intensive vegetable production in urban agriculture, highlighting its role in guaranteeing the supply, quality, and safety of fresh vegetables. It summarized key aspects of intensive production, including industrialized seedling production, facility production, efficient cultivation, postharvest processing, and commercial management, but also presented environmental problems and restricting factors in the development of intensive vegetable production.
Environmental trade-offsEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket
2004Brian Halweil · · Global
This book points out that the long-distance food system consumes staggering amounts of fuel, generates greenhouse gases, and compromises food security. Since 1961, the tonnage of food shipped between nations has grown fourfold, with food in the United States typically traveling 1,500 to 2,500 miles from farm to plate. While this system often runs roughshod over local cuisines, varieties, and agriculture, a local-foods movement is beginning to emerge globally.
Environmental trade-offsFood miles & supply chainFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkage