Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
660 results(10 / 27)
Action Research in a Tokyo Suburb
2022Mariia Ermilova, Mitsunari Terada, Isami Kinoshita · · Japan (Tokyo)
From March 2016 to 2021, a five-year action research project was conducted in Matsudo, a Tokyo suburb, Japan, by two PhD students from Chiba University in collaboration with a local neighborhood association. Through cultivating culturally significant plants like herbs, vegetables, and flowers, and utilizing them for crafts and cosmetics, local women, the elderly, and children developed new skills, gained financial support, and social confidence. These activities expanded from edible landscape cultivation in planters to the creation of eight gardens, providing alternative forms of community participation.
CommunityElderlyFood educationPeri-urban agricultureSocioeconomic analysis of peri-urban family production in the city of Dom Pedrito-RS: a preliminary study of organic lettuce production
2022Osmar Manoel Nunes, Shirley Grazieli da Silva Nascimento, Mariana Rockenbach de Ávila, Luciellen de Lourdes Silveira Vieira, Criziane Flores Pamplona · · Brazil
This preliminary study conducted a socioeconomic analysis of peri-urban family production of organic lettuce in Dom Pedrito-RS, Brazil, using case study techniques focusing on two family farmers. Through in-depth interviews and farm visits, it was found that production relied solely on family labor with minimal chemical inputs, characterizing a transition to organic production. Despite strong competition from large distribution networks, producing and marketing organic lettuce was concluded to be profitable, constituting an alternative income source and job creation in family farming, and assisting in transforming unoccupied spaces into productive ones.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsOrganic cycleCommunityGrafting observation of tomatoes on potatoes for urban and peri-urban agriculture in North Wollo Sirinka
2022Tadesse Wudu, Adimasie Kassaw · International Journal of Horticulture and Food Science · Ethiopia
An observational study in Sirinka, Ethiopia, in October 2018, investigated grafting 30-day-old tomato seedlings onto 20-day-old potato seedlings to create "pomato" plants for urban agriculture. Successful graft unions were observed after two weeks, with plants producing both tomatoes (average 18 fruits, 954g per plant) and potato tubers (4-5 tubers, 219.27g per plant). The experiment confirmed the success of the graft, suggesting its potential for home gardeners.
DIYPeri-urban agricultureNature-Based One Health Approaches to Urban Agriculture Can Deliver Food and Nutrition Security
2022Bassey Ebenso, Akaninyene Otu, Alessandro Giusti, Philipe Cousin, Victor O. Adetimirin, Hary Razafindralambo, Emmanuel Effa, Vasileios Gkisakis, Ousmane Thiaré, Vincent Levavasseur, Sonagnon Kouhoundé, Kifouli Adéoti, Abdur Rahim, Majid Mounir · Frontiers in Nutrition · Global
This paper argues that adopting a One Health approach to urban agriculture is crucial for significantly increasing food yields and improving quality of life in cities, given global population growth and urbanization trends. It proposes six nature-based and climate-smart approaches, including reducing synthetic inputs and increasing biodiversity, to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems. These approaches require cross-sectoral stakeholder engagement to ensure sustainable, nutritious, and accessible diets.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthBiodiversityClimate changePeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureGouvernance Du Foncier Agricole Dans L’arrondissement De Zinvie : Enjeux Et Perspectives
2022Enagnon Arsène Euloge YAOVI, Martial WOROU, Bola A. MALOMON, Sylvain A. VISSOH · International Journal of Progressive Sciences and Technologies · Africa
This research in the Arrondissement of Zinvié, Africa, investigated agricultural land governance through surveys of 109 people and field observations. Findings indicate rapid urbanization is causing anarchic land occupation and uncontrolled consumption of agricultural space, with renting being the dominant land access mode (50%). From 2010 to 2020, cultivable land decreased by 517.69 hectares due to urbanization, highlighting significant governance challenges.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agriculturecooperativismo como elemento de fortalecimento da agricultura urbana e periurbana
2022Rafael Lima Oliveira, Gabrielly Dos Santos Lima Oliveira, José Raimundo Oliveira Lima · P2P E INOVAÇÃO · Brazil
This study investigated the role of cooperativism as an element for strengthening urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUP) in Brazil. Findings revealed that the absence of public policies and credit availability are limiting factors for AUP. Increased production and product outflow are also difficulties faced by these farmers, which could potentially be resolved through cooperation.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculturePotensi pengembangan pertanian perkotaan dalam mewujudkan pembangunan perkotaan yang berkelanjutan (Studi Kasus KWT Anggrek Kecamatan Bara-Barayya Kota Makassar)
2022Nurhanis Abdullah, Muhammad Hasan, Muhammad Rakib · Prosiding Seminar Nasional Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Pangkajene Kepulauan · Indonesia (Makassar)
This qualitative explanatory study explored the potential of urban agriculture to contribute to sustainable urban development, using KWT Anggrek in Bara-Barayya District, Makassar City, Indonesia, as a case study. Makassar City is suitable for developing wetland, semi-wetland, horticultural, monthly, and seasonal crops by utilizing limited urban land. The findings indicate that urban agriculture is an important component that needs to be well-implemented to achieve sustainable and environmentally conscious urban development.
Climate changePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsMarket gardening and the Economy of Urban and Peri-urban Households in the city of Dakar: Case of the Municipalities of Hann-Bel-Air, Parcelles Assainies, Ouakam and Grand-Yoff
2022Ibrahima Thiaw, Cheikh Faye, Honoré Dacosta, Diène Dione · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Senegal (Dakar)
A study involving 120 market gardening actors in four market gardening production areas of the Dakar region (Ouakam, Parcelles Assainies, Grand-Yoff, and Hann-Bel-Air) revealed that market gardening, mainly carried out by women, is a commercial activity whose monetary income significantly exceeds the minimum wage in Senegal. While this activity helps women cover urban living expenses, market gardeners face problems such as COVID-19, lack of water, land pressure, pest proliferation, and lack of training on cultivation techniques.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureWelfareHousehold Dietary Patterns and Food Security Challenges in Peri-Urban South Africa: A Reflection of High Unemployment in the Wake of Rising Food Prices
2022Gamuchirai Chakona · · South Africa
A study surveyed 314 randomly selected households in four peri-urban settlements in South Africa to assess dietary diversity and food security. Findings revealed generally low dietary diversity and high levels of food insecurity across all sites, with male-headed households experiencing worse conditions than female-headed households. Food insecurity was linked to high poverty, unemployment, and low education levels.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsClosing Water Cycles in the Built Environment through Nature-Based Solutions: The Contribution of Vertical Greening Systems and Green Roofs
2021David Pearlmutter, Bernhard Pucher, Cristina Sousa Coutinho Calheiros, Karin A. Hoffmann, Andreas Aicher, Pedro Pinho, Alessandro Stracqualursi, Alisa Koroļova, Alma Pobrić, Ana Galvão, Ayça Tokuç, Bilge Baş, Dimitra Theochari, Dragan Milošević, Emanuela Giancola, Gaetano Bertino, Joana Castellar, Julia Flaszynska, Makbulenur Onur, Mari Carmen Garcia Mateo, Maria Beatrice Andreucci, Maria Milousi, Mariana Fonseca, Sara Di Lonardo, Veronika Gežík, Ulrike Pitha, Thomas Nehls · Water · Global
This paper proposes a new paradigm for closing urban water cycles using nature-based solutions, specifically green roofs and vertical greening systems (VGS). Simulations of VGS evapotranspiration performance in six cities (Copenhagen, Berlin, Lisbon, Rome, Istanbul, Tel Aviv) showed that VGS could recycle 44% (Lisbon) to 100% (Berlin, Istanbul) of rainwater roof runoff, with greywater bridging dry month shortages. Additionally, 27–53% of building greywater could be managed on greened surfaces.
Organic cycleClimate changePeri-urban agricultureInstitutional challenges and stakeholder perception towards planned water reuse in peri-urban agriculture of the Bengal delta
2021Kamonashish Haldar, Katarzyna Kujawa-Roeleveld, Marco Schoenmakers, Dilip Kumar Datta, H.H.M. Rijnaarts, Jeroen Vos · Journal of Environmental Management · Bangladesh (Khulna)
This study assessed stakeholder awareness, perception, and willingness towards urban water reuse in Khulna City, Bangladesh, using a questionnaire with 385 urban respondents, 32 farmer interviews, one farmer focus group, and ten key informant interviews. It found an overall positive attitude among major stakeholder groups toward planned water reuse for peri-urban agriculture, with 53% of citizens willing to pay for wastewater treatment and 66% of farmers willing to pay for better-quality irrigation water. However, the public sector requires adjustments in rules and regulations, addressing issues like lack of transparency, coordination, and resources, to implement planned water reuse.
Peri-urban agricultureHealthPolicyAdapting 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 & justiceAssessing 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 changeContinuity under change: Towards a spatiotemporal understanding of market-oriented urban and peri-urban agriculture – Insights from Kenya
2021Alexander Follmann, Maximilian Willkomm, Gilbert M. Nduru, George Owuor, Peter Dannenberg · Applied Geography · Kenya
This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of market-oriented urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) and farmers' responses to changing socio-spatial circumstances in Nyeri and Nakuru, Kenya. Findings indicate that the continued existence of market-oriented agriculture in these cities is linked to dynamic processes of commercialization, specialization, and intensification. The research concludes that market-oriented farmers are not inevitably displaced but can actively adapt to pressures and opportunities arising from rapid urban growth.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsUrban–rural linkageCARACTERIZACIÓN DE LOS SISTEMAS DE PRODUCCIÓN AGRÍCOLA PERIURBANOS EN LA PARROQUIA FEBRES CORDERO Y SU CONTRIBUCIÓN PARA LA SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA
2021Julissa Basurto-Bajaña, Victoria Rendón-Ledesma, Oscar Caicedo-Camposano, Georgina Jácome-Lara · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Ecuador
This study aimed to characterize peri-urban agricultural production systems in the Febres Cordero parish. It notes that food insecurity is not uniform across Ecuador, with rural Sierra regions showing higher concentrations of households lacking access to basic food baskets and a higher prevalence of chronic malnutrition. A multicriteria analysis was used to group surveyed families, illustrating their situation in the study area.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban agrarian alliance building in peri-urban Rome
2021Luca Colombo, Stefano Grando, Giacomo Lepri · · Italy (Rome)
A desk-based analysis on urban agriculture in peri-urban Rome scrutinized policy documents, mass media articles, online news, and internal organizational documents pertinent to land access and urban agriculture. This study was conducted against the backdrop of competition over farmland use, control, and function in Europe, and how land value trends in Italy are conditioned by the land's potential.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsO DESENVOLVIMENTO SÓCIO-ESPACIAL DA AGRICULTURA URBANA E PERIURBANA (AUP) NA CIDADE DE FORTALEZA, CEARÁ
2021Gabriela de Azevedo Marques, Iara Rafaela Gomes · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Brazil
This empirical study analyzed the socio-spatial development of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (AUP) in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, examining both spontaneous agricultural activities and municipal institutional actions. While AUP holds significant relevance in the city, particularly in peripheral areas, governmental initiatives were found to be sporadic and discontinuous, lacking a broader institutional agenda. The study concluded that despite recent municipal efforts, legal and institutional support for AUP remains weak, leading to the rapid disappearance of productive spaces and indicating that institutional actions have not effectively fostered the socio-spatial development of spontaneous initiatives.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageProducción y diversificación sostenible del cultivo de ñame (Dioscorea spp.) en condiciones de sequía agrícola en el municipio de Jiguaní
2021Diana Maria Reyes Avalo, Misterbino Borgès Garcìa · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba (Jiguaní)
This study in Jiguaní municipality, Granma province, Cuba, aimed to enhance the sustainable production and diversification of yam cultivation under agricultural drought conditions using biotechnological seeds. The accelerated yam seed production technology, combining biotechnological and conventional methods, was implemented in urban, suburban, and family agriculture. This led to the successful implementation of certified yam seed technology, increasing plant numbers from 2000 to 6000 in 2018 for a total area of 0.6 ha, and contributing to local development.
Peri-urban agricultureClimate changeDIYHow to guarantee food supply during pandemics? Rethinking local food systems from peri-urban strategic agents’ behaviour: The case study of the Barcelona Metropolitan Region
2021Sònia Callau-Berenguer, Anna Roca-Torrent, Josep Montasell-Dorda, Sandra Ricart · Investigaciones Geográficas · Spain (Barcelona)
This study analyzed the food system behavior in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region, Spain, during the initial stage of the Covid-19 pandemic (March-May 2020). Semi-structured interviews with 11 peri-urban entities and institutions revealed shortcomings in the operation and logistics of the metropolitan food system. Findings also indicated complicity between local producers and urban consumers, the role of peri-urban agricultural areas in food supply, and a need for cooperation among food system agents.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyANALISIS 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 agricultureEvaluation of ecosystem services from peri-urban organic farms: a case study of Beijing
2021黄甘霖 HUA Yeyu 华野毓 · Acta Ecologica Sinica · China (Beijing)
Ecosystem services from peri-urban organic farms in Beijing, China, were evaluated as of 2019. It was found that there were 271 organic farms in the suburbs of Beijing, covering a planting area of 10,900 hectares, accounting for 5.1% of the arable land in Beijing. Provision services were valued at 1.612 billion Yuan, regulation services (soil carbon sequestration) at 21.4 million Yuan, and cultural services (picking, farmers' markets, education activities) at 118.9 million Yuan. Organic farms also reduced energy use and emissions compared to conventional farms of the same area.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleBiodiversityClimate changeEconomicsFood educationCommunityDevelopment potentials and sustainability challenges of peri-urban farming in the metropolis of Rabat (Morocco)
2021Fatiha Hakimi · Journal of Analytical Science & Technology · Morocco (Rabat)
This study assessed the practices, roles, and challenges of peri-urban farming in the metropolis of Rabat, Morocco, surveying 50 respondents. Peri-urban agriculture is a multifunctional activity contributing to job creation, income generation, food supply, and environmental beautification. However, it faces several constraints, including precarious and costly labor, absence of regulating laws, lack of training and technical supervision for peri-urban farmers, and water resource shortages.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsClimate changePolicyPeri-urban agriculture and alternative food networks in Athens: Solidarity dynamics, spatial planning challenges and institutional reforms
2021Sofia Nikolaidou · Cahiers de la Méditerranée · Greece (Athens)
This article analyzed the role of peri-urban agriculture and alternative food networks (AFN) in the Athens metropolitan area, Greece, using a mixed method approach including qualitative, quantitative research, and spatial data collection. Bottom-up claims for food security positively impacted sustainable food systems and public policies, while informal retail channels and self-production schemes strengthened agricultural resilience. However, poor land management and zoning control are major constraints to sustainable agricultural production and farmers' resilience in the Athens metropolitan area.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyWater quality indicators of the Nima Creek, and potential for sustainable urban agriculture in Ghana
2021Shwan Mohammed, P. K. Nyade, Mohamad Abdulhamid, I. O. A. Hodgson · Water Science · Ghana (Accra)
This study assessed urban water quality parameters of the Nima Creek in Southeastern Accra, Ghana, sampling water from six locations. The results showed high enrichment of nutrients (ammonia, nitrate, phosphate) and elevated levels of BOD, COD, and grease at sites receiving solid and liquid wastes. Physicochemical parameters like conductivity, TSS, and TDS also exhibited elevated values, indicating significant contamination that poses challenges for sustainable urban agriculture.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureEstimación de producción hortícola afectada por granizo (Córdoba, Enero 2021)
2021Claudia Marani, A. Lighezzolo, C. Bisio, Beatriz Giobellina, Diego Pons · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Argentina
This report, part of the SAT-CV-CBA Project, aims to inform provincial authorities and the community about the estimation of horticultural areas affected by extreme weather events in Córdoba, Argentina, at the end of January 2021. It estimates the number of farms, crop losses based on vulnerability, and storm intensity. The information is expected to be useful for supporting affected producers.
Limited or null effectClimate changePeri-urban agricultureCommunity