Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
45 results(1 / 2)
Perceived sustainability impacts of converting to community‐supported agriculture
2026Lukas Egli, Jana V. Schmidt, Hanna‐Sofie Haf, Mirco Zech · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global
This exploratory quantitative survey assessed farmers' perceived sustainability impacts of converting to Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA). While most perceived impacts were positive, adverse impacts were anticipated regarding climate and water, such as increased water usage from vegetable production. Farmers in CSAs with medium to high member participation perceived significantly higher biodiversity impacts and more positive sustainability impacts for members.
Environmental trade-offsCSA & TeikeiClimate changeBiodiversityEconomicsRural–Urban Differences in Odonata Diversity and Population Dynamics across Agricultural Landscapes of the Eastern Gangetic Plains
2026Sneha Kumari Bharati, A. Pattanayak, Sidh Nath Prasad Yadav ‘Deen’ · Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology · Global
This study compared odonate diversity and population dynamics in rural (Manpur) and urban (Gaya city) agricultural landscapes of the Eastern Gangetic Plains from March 2022 to February 2024. The rural landscape supported 24 odonate species, while the urban landscape supported 17, showing only moderate similarity (SSI = 0.571) between the two assemblages. This indicates a lower diversity of odonates in urban agricultural areas compared to rural ones.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageFloristic 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 changeEvaluation and Changes in the Comprehensive Ecological Effects of Agriculture in Urbanizing Areas: A Case Study of the Xi'an Metropolitan Zone, China
2025Zhongxue Zhou, Fangze Zhao, Bingjie Song · Ecological Indicators · China
This study proposed the concept of agricultural comprehensive ecological effects (ACEE), developed an evaluation framework, and applied it to the Xi'an metropolitan zone, China. A key finding was the observed decrease in the comprehensive ecological effects of agriculture when transitioning from grain planting to urban agriculture due to unsuitable agricultural practices in urbanizing areas. This decline occurs because modern agricultural practices in urbanizing areas are ecologically detrimental compared with natural ecosystems.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeBiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePolicyConclusion: 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 changeTemporal and Spatial Analysis of the Environmental State of the Valencia Plain Aquifer Area Using the Weighted Environmental Index (WEI)
2025Javier Rodrigo-Ilarri, Claudia P. Romero-Hernández, Sergio Salazar-Galán, María-Elena Rodrigo-Clavero · Sustainability · Spain (Valencia)
This article analyzes the impact of urban sprawl on the Valencia Plain aquifer system from 1990 to 2018 using the Weighted Environmental Index (WEI). Results show urban surfaces expanded by 70% and rainfed agricultural areas declined by over 59%, leading to a 9.2% reduction in environmental value (WEI decreased from 44.80 to 40.68). These changes threaten ecosystem sustainability and reduce the capacity to deliver ecosystem services.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyBiodiversityClimate changeTrading urban green spaces for brown space development in African cities: evidence from the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana
2025Alex Barimah Owusu, Collins Adjei Mensah, Clement Kwang, Gerald Albert Baeribameng Yiran, Ronald Reagan Gyimah, Dominic Edem Hotor, Princella Ofori Darko · International Planning Studies · Ghana
This paper analyzed the replacement of green spaces with brown spaces in Accra, Ghana, from 1991 to 2021 using Landsat satellite images. Brown areas increased from 24.5% in 1991 to 81% in 2021, while green areas decreased from 75.5% to 19% during the same period. The study found a significant reduction in green spaces due to urbanization.
Environmental trade-offsPolicyUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityAnalysis 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-offsBiodiversityPolicySpatial opportunities at the rural-urban fringe: balancing urban growth, food production and ecology
2025Marcus Robinson, Jacky Bowring, Shannon Davis, Sarah Edwards · Landscape Research · Global
This narrative review explored how urban expansion at the rural-urban fringe drives the loss of productive agricultural land, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. The review examined how these competing interests can be negotiated spatially, emphasizing the role of multifunctional green infrastructure to integrate both food production and ecological function across the urban-rural continuum.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityClimate changePolicyThe food-water-climate nexus of green infrastructure: Examining ecosystem services trade-offs of peri-urban agriculture
2024Ricard Segura, Johannes Langemeyer, Alba Badía, Sergi Ventura, Jaime Vila-Traver, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)
A study in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain, investigated the impacts of peri-urban agricultural expansion on the food-water-climate nexus using urban metabolism and atmospheric-biosphere models across four land-use scenarios. While expansion increased food production and irrigation water requirements, replacing natural non-forested and forest areas for peri-urban agriculture was predicted to reduce net ecosystem productivity by up to 18.5% and total carbon stocks by 3.3%. Irrigated peri-urban agriculture potentially reduced near-surface temperatures by 0.7°C, though reductions in the densest urban areas were minimal.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceUso de biopesticida como alternativa segura para control de plagas en huertos urbanos y plantas domésticas
2024Diana Elinos, M. Carolina Cruz, Andrea Loyo del Castillo, Mar Zamora, Grecia Karime Yebra Peralta, José Gabriel Reyes Fernández · Memorias del Concurso Lasallista de Investigación Desarrollo e innovación · Global
This study analyzed the impact of inorganic pesticides, highlighting their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic effects and negative impact on biodiversity, water, and soil contamination. It proposed a methodology for creating an organic pesticide and presented results on its efficacy in pest control. The study concluded that inorganic pesticides pose significant risks, while organic pesticides offer a safe and effective alternative, and emphasized the need to prioritize organic solutions in agriculture.
Environmental trade-offsDIYOrganic cycleHealthBiodiversityExploring Floristic Diversity, Propagation Patterns, and Plant Functions in Domestic Gardens across Urban Planning Gradient in Lubumbashi, DR Congo
2024Yannick Useni Sikuzani, Bernard Kisangani Kalonda, Médard Mpanda Mukenza, Jonas Yona Mleci, Alex Mpibwe Kalenga, François Malaisse, Jan Bogaert · Ecologies · DR Congo (Lubumbashi)
This study analyzed the spatial structure, plant diversity, propagation strategies, and ecological functions of domestic gardens across three distinct neighborhoods—planned, unplanned, and residential—in Lubumbashi, DR Congo. The study identified 232 taxa across 68 families, with exotic species predominating in all neighborhoods (80%), especially in unplanned areas (82.25%). This dominance of exotic species highlights a potential for ecological imbalances and emphasizes the strong human influence on domestic gardens in Lubumbashi.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityCommunityUrban–rural linkageSustainable utilization of cultivated land resources based on "element coupling-function synergy" analytical framework: A case study of Guangdong, China
2024Hao Yang, Runyan Zou, Yueming Hu, Lu Wang, Yingkai Xie, Zhengxi Tan, Zhiqiang Zhu, A‐Xing Zhu, Jianzhou Gong, Xiaoyun Mao · Land Use Policy · China
This study introduced an "element coupling-function synergy" analytical framework and constructed a causal Bayesian belief network to identify trade-offs and synergies among multiple functions of cultivated land resources in Guangdong, China. The findings revealed trade-offs between food cleanliness and food production/social security. Synergistic relationships were found among food production, social security, and ecological regulation, as well as among ecological regulation, habitat maintenance, and landscape culture. The study divided the area into eight functional zones and formulated multi-objective management plans.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityPolicyImprovement of the urban microclimate with aromatic and medicinal plants
2024Administrative Region of Central, Thessaloniki, Greece, K.I. Maknea, Nikolaos Thymakis, Julia Nerantzia Tzortzi, A. Asănică · Romanian journal of Horticulture · Greece
Experimental research at eight sites in Thessaloniki, Greece, evaluated the impact of aromatic and medicinal plants on the urban microclimate. Sites with these plants showed a 10-15% temperature reduction compared to non-planted areas, and potted plants on simulated balconies led to a 5-10% temperature reduction. However, areas with dense vegetation and water features exhibited increased humidity and limited air circulation, creating adverse thermal comfort conditions.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityClimate changeDIYDancing with foxes: More‐than‐human design in ‘the chicken city’
2024Catherine Oliver · Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers · United Kingdom (London)
This paper examines urban chicken-keeping in London, where urban spaces are transformed to accommodate chickens. It argues that the human-imposed design of urban barnyards is often impractical for chickens, leading to lawns being torn up, plants demolished, and vegetable patches consumed. Additionally, chickens are vulnerable to local foxes, highlighting that chickens' behaviors and territoriality often overflow their assigned space, challenging human design intentions.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageAssessing whether peri-urban agricultural land or plantation forest is a better green infrastructure for ground arthropods at local and landscape scales
2023Pengyao Li, Feinan Lyu, Yuan Zhou, Zhenrong Yu · Ecological Indicators · China (Beijing)
A study in Beijing, China, surveyed ground spiders and carabids in 12 plantation forests and nearby arable lands to assess the impact of afforestation on biodiversity. Intensive afforestation on arable lands did not increase local ground arthropod diversity. Ground arthropod abundance and species richness in plantation forests were significantly lower than in arable lands when surrounding arable land cover was relatively high, and overall landscape-scale diversity was not improved.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureBiodiversityPolicyLandscape Change Analysis: Ecosystem Services in the Peri-urban Agriculture of Bangkok
2022Fa Likitswat, Alisa Sahavacharin · Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies (JARS) · Thailand (Bangkok)
This research analyzed landscape transformations, specifically agricultural landscape structures and functions, in eight selected sites in the urban fringe of Bangkok from 1952 to 2018. The study found that the significant loss of agricultural landscape in Bangkok's peri-urban areas resulted in the loss of seasonal water retention areas, productive landscapes, and urban wildlife habitats. It concludes there is a research gap regarding the lack of policies and practices to promote ecosystem services linked to preserving peri-urban agriculture in Bangkok.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeBiodiversityPolicyLow resource availability drives feeding niche partitioning between wild bees and honeybees in a European city
2022Joan Casanelles‐Abella, Simone Fontana, Bertrand Fournier, David Frey, Marco Moretti · Ecological Applications · Switzerland (Zurich)
This study in 23 urban gardens in Zurich, Switzerland, examined feeding niche partitioning between wild bees and honeybees. Researchers found that feeding niche partitioning increased with wild bee species richness and in sites with lower landscape-scale resource availability, which also had lower honeybee abundances. However, beekeeping intensity at local and landscape scales did not directly influence community feeding niche partitioning or wild bee species richness, suggesting direct competition for resources was not a main driver for the wild bee community.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityBalancing urban agriculture with sustaining ecosystem services
2022Monika Egerer, Brenda B. Lin · CABI Reviews · Global
This review evaluated ecosystem services (ES) within urban agriculture (UA) systems and the trade-offs between these services. Urban agriculture provides many benefits and environmental services such as food provision, social cohesion, and climate regulation. However, it was shown that management decisions can create trade-offs between ecosystem services, where an increase in one service may potentially reduce the system's ability to provide another service at a desired level.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityClimate changeCommunityOrganic cycleA Study to Improve The Sustainability of Ecological and Character Education in an Elementary School Garden
2021Mun Gi Hong, Bo Eun Nam · Journal of Character Education and Research · South Korea
This study analyzed the suitability of G National University's campus as an educational site for ecological and character education for elementary students. The campus had a green space ratio of approximately 40% and 120 woody plant species. However, vulnerabilities in plant diversity were identified, including a bias towards certain species like oak and azalea, and multiple species concentrated in small numbers. A critical finding was the overlapping flowering and fruiting seasons for most species, which could negatively impact the ecology of wild animals like insects and birds that rely on these resources.
Environmental trade-offsFood educationBiodiversityUsing constructed soils for green infrastructure – challenges and limitations
2020Maha Deeb, Peter M. Groffman, Manuel Blouin, Sara Perl Egendorf, Alan Vergnes, Viacheslav Vasenev, Donna L. Cao, Daniel C. I. Walsh, Tatiana Morin, Geoffroy Séré · SOIL · Global
This review examines the use of Constructed Technosols (CTs), mixtures of organic and mineral waste, for green infrastructure (GI) in urban spaces. While CTs have high potential to provide multiple soil functions and contribute to urban greening, urban soils are often physically, chemically, or biologically unsuitable for GI features. The analysis suggests that the composition and structure of CTs should be adapted to available wastes and by-products, as well as future land use and environmental conditions, highlighting the need for careful design to overcome existing limitations.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleClimate changeBiodiversityDIYFirst records of the introduced African carder bee, Pseudoanthidium (Immanthidium) repetitum (Hymenoptera : Megachilidae), in Western Australia
2020Kit Prendergast · Pacific Conservation Biology · Australia
The African carder bee, Pseudoanthidium (Immanthidium) repetitum, first recorded in Queensland in 2000, has now been found in Western Australia, marking a significant distribution expansion. Three confirmed and one unconfirmed localities were identified in the Mandurah region, with abundant female specimens observed in one garden. The presence of this introduced species necessitates vigilance due to known negative impacts on native fauna and flora.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityImpacto del marabú (dichrostachys cinerea (l.) wigth et arm sobre la calidad de los suelos
2020Noiry Pérez Pompa, Santa Laura Leyva Rodríguez · Sinergia Académica · Cuba
A diagnosis of farms infested by Dichrostachys cinerea (marabú) in urban and suburban agriculture was conducted at Los Téllez farm in Becerra, Las Tunas municipality, Cuba. Soil quality indicators for reddish-brown Fersialitic soils over granitoids were evaluated across four land-use systems: two infested by D. cinerea and two agricultural systems cultivated for 10 years after marabú deforestation. Results showed that D. cinerea systems exhibited the highest soil quality index, based on organic matter, bulk density, and earthworm biomass. Conversely, cultivated systems achieved the lowest accumulation of organic carbon, oligochaete density and biomass, and total porosity.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleBiodiversityCollaborative research to support urban agriculture in the face of change: The case of the Sumida watercress farm on O‘ahu
2020Jennifer Engels, Sheree J. Watson, Henrietta Dulai, Kimberly Burnett, Christopher A. Wada, ‘Ano‘ilani Aga, Nathan DeMaagd, J. J. McHugh, Barbara Sumida, Leah L. Bremer · PLoS ONE · United States (O‘ahu)
A researcher-farmer collaboration on O‘ahu's Sumida watercress farm conducted a 25-year trend analysis and a year of intensive spring water sampling. Negative correlations were found between historical crop yields and increases in the Oceanic Niño Index, temperature thresholds, and pest outbreaks. Despite urbanization, on-farm water quality was very high, and microbial analyses suggested the farm provides nutrient retention services to downstream systems. The study demonstrates that challenges facing urban agricultural systems shift over time.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityClimate changeBiodiversityOrganic cycleTowards sustainable performance of urban horticulture: ten challenging fields of action for modern integrated pest management in cities
2020F. Feldmann, Ute Vogler · Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection · Global
Ten key challenges for plant protection in cities were identified, each belonging to a specific field of action of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in urban horticulture, according to Directive 2009/128/EC. These challenges include appropriate plant selection, microbiome engineering, nutrient recycling, smart digital solutions, diversification of vegetation, avoidance of pesticide side effects on beneficials, biorational efficacy assessment, effective pest diagnosis, efficient outbreak control, and holistic approaches.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityClimate changeCommunityDigital agriculture