Research & reports

Cécile Faliès · Problèmes d Amérique latine · Chile (Santiago)

This article provides an overview of agriculture around Santiago, Chile, based on fieldwork conducted since 2005. Despite the presence of agriculture linked to Santiago and Valparaiso, and the emergence of some forms like organic farming, it is difficult to classify this as urban agriculture due to the peripheral location and limited number of plots. The study indicates that urban agriculture, as commonly defined, has a limited presence in the Santiago metropolitan area.

Diogo José Amorim de Almeida, Dilamar Dallemole, Arturo Alejandro Zavala Zavala · Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais · Brazil (Varzea Grande)

This study analyzed the urban and peri-urban horticultural production structure in Varzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil, using an exploratory empirical and bibliographic approach followed by Cluster Analysis of primary data from local producers. Despite contributing to food production and maintaining disease-vector-free land, the research found that this activity is in decline. Its low profitability and challenging commercialization process make it unattractive or merely a supplementary income, as small productive forces struggle to sustain themselves against the current market structure and unfavorable social policies.

Yves Cabannes, Isabel María Raposo · City · Europe

This paper conducted a comparative analysis of peri-urban agriculture in Lisbon and London to assess its contribution to migrant social inclusion and urban biodiversity. The study found that social inclusion patterns are city-specific; for example, Cape Verdean urban farming communities in Lisbon strengthen community bonds but do not necessarily lead to better integration into wider Portuguese society. Migrant urban farmers contribute to broadening biodiversity, primarily in Lisbon and to a lesser extent in London.

Anushiya Shrestha, Rajesh Sada · · Nepal (Kathmandu)

Climate change and its impacts on peri-urban agriculture were investigated in four peri-urban villages in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal. Temperature showed an increasing trend, while rainfall was erratic with no distinct pattern. These changes primarily had negative impacts on agriculture, leading to increased crop pests and diseases and a decline in crop production.

Simon Mariwah, Jan-Olof Drangert · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Ghana

A study in a peri-urban agricultural community in Ghana explored attitudes towards sanitized human excreta as fertilizer, collecting data from 154 households. It found a general negative attitude towards fresh excreta and its handling. While residents accepted excreta could be used as fertilizer, they were unwilling to use it on their own crops or consume such fertilized crops.

Luc Hippolyte Dossa, Andreas Buerkert, Eva Schlecht · Human Ecology · Sub-Saharan Africa

A study surveyed 700 randomly selected households across Kano (Nigeria), Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso), and Sikasso (Mali) to explore the relationship between household socioeconomic status (SES) and participation in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). The results showed no significant differences in UPA participation rates across socioeconomic groups. Instead, UPA participation was significantly and positively related to household size.

Senthot Sudirman, Irham Irham, Slamet Hartono, Azwar Maas · · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)

This study analyzed agricultural land use changes in peri-urban Yogyakarta from 1996-2007, covering 922.17 ha in Sleman, 1,888.60 ha in Bantul, and 1,082.79 ha across 47 villages. Factors like agricultural production exchange value, irrigated land, built area percentage, population density, education, and land price significantly influenced land change rates, which negatively correlated with distance from the city. However, agricultural land percentage to village area, land tax, and dummy variables for Bantul and Kulon Progo did not significantly influence these rates, and the changes negatively impacted regional food loss, availability, and farming sustainability prospects.

Alex Thornton, Etienne Nel · Africanus Journal of Development Studies · South Africa (Peddie)

This study investigated the significance of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a livelihoods strategy in Peddie, Eastern Cape province, South Africa, based on a PhD study. The findings indicate that UPA is not as significant or widely practiced as often assumed, despite its potential to address food insecurity and generate income. Its development has been slowed by various structural historical and socioeconomic barriers, limiting its current impact.

Y. Arocha, B. Piñol, B. Picornell, R. Almeida, P. Jones, E. Boa · Plant Pathology · Cuba

A 2005 survey in the 'Alamar' organoponic in Havana province, Cuba, observed typical phytoplasma-symptoms of little leaf and witches' broom in all basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants. DNA analysis of leaf samples from 27 symptomatic plants confirmed an association with a 16SrI group phytoplasma (Aster Yellows; 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris'). This report from Cuba is the first record of this new disease, for which the name basil little leaf is proposed.

Maurizio Tiepolo · PORTO Publications Open Repository TOrino (Politecnico di Torino) · Niger

This paper investigates whether urbanization in Niamey, Niger, generates or aggravates urban food insecurity by examining agro-pastoral production, food demand, and buying power. It found that Niamey's high rate of urban growth has increased food insecurity for its inhabitants. This insecurity is attributed to low productivity of peri-urban agriculture, insufficient food influxes, rising prices, extreme poverty, and a nutrient-poor diet, with current measures failing to address root causes like land tenure uncertainty.