Research & reports

Paola Andrea Sánchez Castañeda · City & Society · Colombia (Bogotá)

Focusing on the Indigenous Muysca community of Suba in Bogotá, Colombia, this ethnographic study, framed within Participatory Action Research methodology, examines the unique and enduring forms of colonialism that Indigenous communities experience in urban environments. Having had their traditional territories abruptly urbanized, the Muysca experience urban coloniality through mechanisms such as displacement, environmental degradation and epistemicide, while engaging in embodied practices of contestation including language revitalization, urban gardening, and occupation of sacred sites that have become urbanized. The study explores dwelling as an embodied, place-rooted everyday experience to show how the Muysca produce alternative socioecological lifeworlds within the city, and argues that these embodied practices unsettle the logic of urban coloniality of nature that continues to drive Indigenous dispossession.

Zandra Anciano Quirante, Eric Randy R. Politud · International Journal of Multidisciplinary Applied Business and Education Research · Philippines

A mixed-methods study assessed the viability of a low-cost hydroponic system using locally sourced Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) as an organic input for lettuce production aimed at food security in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines, examining acceptability, growth performance and economic feasibility. Estrosa and Olmetie lettuce varieties showed the best growth performance; nitrate was undetectable in Estrosa and Green Wave, while Olmetie and Invicta absorbed more nitrate with FPJ use, though all levels stayed within international safety limits and cadmium was not detected, while limited technical knowledge, material access and capital were identified as barriers to adoption.

Ioana Florea · · Global

This chapter finds that while collective urban gardening projects represent forms of resistance against market-based food systems, the precarization of urban natures, and real-estate dominance, their everyday practices often fail to deliver on these ideals and intentions, generating incomplete, contradictory, or temporary results. It proposes a heuristic frame linking space, time, and class to review prior urban-gardening research from a political-ecology perspective, tracing how space's materiality, time embedded in plant growth, and class differences conditioning gardeners' access to space and time produce these contradictions.

Luciana Daniela Portella Carreño, Carla-Maria Strejanțu, Florica Morariu, Dumitru Popescu, Eugen Cătălin Zoican · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

This study compared the growth performance of basil (Ocimum basilicum) grown in a hydroponic system versus a conventional soil-based environment over a six-week period under controlled conditions in a small plastic greenhouse. Measuring plant height, leaf number, and total water consumption, it found that hydroponically grown basil showed faster growth, required significantly less water, and had healthier leaf structures with fewer visible defects than the soil-grown basil.

Aldona Glińska‐Neweś, Paweł Brzustewicz, Iwona Escher, Yusheng Fu, Anupam Singh · Food Quality and Preference · Global

Two studies comparing consumers and non-consumers of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) examined whether participation strengthens environmental, social and health consciousness and sustainable behavior. CSA consumers showed higher environmental and social consciousness than non-consumers, with social consciousness increasing over the course of participation, and reported more sustainable consumer behavior extending beyond food to other spheres of consumption.

Alejandra Acevedo-De-los-Ríos, Favio R. Chumpitaz-Requena, Daniel R. Rondinel-Oviedo, Úrsula Cárdenas‐Mamani, Johan Manuel Redondo · Environmental Science & Policy · Global

This study used a System Dynamics model to simulate five 10-year policy scenarios for an informal settlement in a developing country, addressing settlement consolidation and women's access to formal employment: business-as-usual, time-quality, women's formal employment, circularity (including organic waste management with urban gardens and urban agriculture), and a comprehensive scenario combining all interventions. Individual solutions alone did not fully capture potential synergies, whereas the comprehensive scenario reduced by 47.5% the time needed to improve women's formal employability, a result linked to the settlement consolidation process.

Riann Lognon, Chetna Khandelwal, Megha Sanyal, Santanu Dutta, Pallavi Banerjee, Pratim Sengupta · Frontiers in Climate · Global

Drawing on a three-year community gardening project co-created with newcomer (refugee) youth of color in North America, this qualitative study analyzed the youths' participatory, embodied and discursive work over the first two years of creating and caring for the community garden, examining how they re-establish relationships with land, air, water and more-than-human life in their newly adopted home. The analysis found the youths' participation centered an anti-racist praxis within the garden, and the study offers an expanded account of how race and climate are implicated together in migration.

Edwin Javier Ortega Zúñiga · Ediciones Comunicación Científica eBooks · Colombia

A study of Palmira, Colombia — a city with a long tradition as the country's agricultural capital — finds that it nonetheless faces significant food insecurity. Prior research reviewed in the study attributes this to an aging rural population and young people's declining interest in farming (which has shrunk the available labor force and limited adoption of new technology), gender inequality that restricts women's access to agricultural resources and decisions, climate change impacts such as droughts and floods on production, and accelerated urbanization that has reduced cropland and fragmented the agricultural landscape. As a potential response, the study describes a pilot project at four sites in the city that installed small-space vegetable production systems, which it reports functioned as a viable source of fresh food in dense urban settings. The authors call for a multidisciplinary approach combining social, economic and environmental factors to address food insecurity in Palmira.

Sunamis Fabelo Concepción, Elizabeth Peña Turruellas, Maruchi Alonso Esquivel · Latin American and Caribbean Studies · Global

A discussion piece examines opportunities for cooperation on food security and sovereignty between Cuba and the Republic of Korea following the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It highlights the importance of a legal framework recognizing healthy, adequate nutrition as a fundamental right, and identifies urban agriculture — an area of success for both nations — as a key strategy for pursuing sovereign, local, and sustainable food systems. The piece frames this as an opening for scientific diplomacy grounded in mutual respect and long-term partnership, presenting no empirical data or measured outcomes.

Lafia N' Gobi GM, Moussa S, Falalou H, Degla P · Scientific Reports · ニジェール・ニアメ市（サヘル）

A study of how 150 urban pearl millet farmers aged at least 40 in Commune V of Niamey — an area the authors note is often overlooked in agricultural studies, since most work focuses on broader farming systems — perceive climate change and what they do about it. Respondents were reached by snowball sampling; data came from structured interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews with the Agricultural Extension Unit, alongside an analysis of 30 years of rainfall data (1991-2020). Farmers showed a high level of climate awareness over the past 30 years and had adopted both local and extension-based adaptation measures, and significant disruptions in rainfall were confirmed in the record. The adaptation strategies used were soil fertility regeneration techniques, crop diversification, crop defence, improved seeds, organic fertilizers, adjusted planting calendars, water conservation techniques, and prayers or rituals. Descriptive statistics, statistical tests and multinomial logistic regression were used to identify the determinants of adoption.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · Global

According to FAO, disasters have recently affected 4.03 billion people, up 124% compared to the previous two decades, with direct economic losses reaching nearly USD 3 trillion, an increase of 182% since 1980–1999. Climate-related disasters accounted for 91% of direct economic losses globally and affected 3.6 billion people. Between 2008 and 2018, agriculture absorbed 26% of the overall impact of medium- to large-scale disasters in least developed and low- and middle-income countries. Some 2.5 billion people worldwide depend on agriculture for their livelihoods; FAO promotes disaster risk reduction through coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the SDGs.

Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore · Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore · Singapore

On 26 September 2025, Minister Grace Fu replied to a parliamentary question on progress toward the "30 by 30" goal, stating that less than 10% of Singapore's food consumption is currently produced domestically. She called the goal "aspirational," set before COVID-19 under more favourable conditions, while noting locally produced hen eggs exceed 30% and beansprouts exceed 50% of local consumption, and that the alternative protein industry faces high energy costs and insufficient consumer acceptance.

Luis Andrade · Quito Informa (Municipio del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito) · Ecuador

On 29 April 2025, Quito's Metropolitan Council approved the 'Healthy Food Neighborhoods' ordinance, allowing community gardens on idle municipal land and requiring new housing developments to include garden space. The city currently has about 2,000 urban gardens and aims to double that number by 2030. ConQuito, the municipal economic development agency, will provide seeds and training, and produce will be sold through organized bioferias to avoid affecting existing markets.

Equipo Actualidad Jurídica · Actualidad Jurídica (DOE) · Chile

A bill reported in Chile would have the state promote, foster, and oversee public policy on food security, environmental education, and urban agriculture. It defines urban gardens as cultivation plots of up to 500 square meters within urban territory, intended for growing vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers for self-consumption. Garden operators would be required to ensure safety and social integration, are allowed to hire workers with priority given to vulnerable groups and older adults, and may temporarily use abandoned lots that pose public-safety risks, though overnight stays or residing on the sites would be prohibited.

Municipalidad de Guayaquil · Alcaldía de Guayaquil · Ecuador

An official Guayaquil municipal article on its 'School-Community Gardens Program,' which has set up 57 gardens (50 in schools, 7 community/family gardens) providing free seeds and fertilizer. The program has benefited 67,020 people to date, with participating families reporting household savings of up to USD 80 per month.

Xiaofan Tian, Ruifang Zhang, Zifan Wang, Xinna Kang, Zhixin Yang · Agriculture · Global

This systematic review analyzed Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) literature from 1999 to 2023 to identify research themes and trends, corroborating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. The review found a geographical expansion of CSA research from North America to Asia and Africa, and a societal shift from basic sustenance to a deeper understanding of nutrition and diet. Recent research emphasizes "environment" and "health and education," aligning with higher-level needs in Maslow's theory.

Clara Pantoja Bohórquez, Karen Johanna Martínez Grisales, Jessica Paola Rincón Vivas, Linda Vanessa Boada Arias · Convergencia Revista de Ciencias Sociales · Colombia (Bogotá)

This qualitative multiple case study in Bogotá, Colombia, explores the role of women in seven community urban farming initiatives and their collective resistance practices. It found that women pursue food sovereignty, transform relationships with nature, and re-signify public space. Women play a significant role in community self-management, with high recognition of their knowledge and practices, and their networks of affection and intergenerational exchange strengthen female autonomy and leadership.

José Luis Chaves, Alexandre Boleira Lopo, G. M. OLIVEIRA, J. F. ARAÚJO, Luciano Sérgio Ventin Bomfim, J. A. CASTRO · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Global

This systematic review investigated the viability of animal production in urban and peri-urban agriculture as a tool for food security, using the PRISMA methodology. The review found that while this practice offers benefits like domestic food security and income generation, it also presents negative aspects such as odors, noise, and the transmission of zoonoses. Public policies are needed to regulate the activity and minimize health risks.

Wegayehu Fitawek · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global

This paper discusses the causal relationship between food security and education, noting that food insecurity in early childhood leads to malnutrition and poor cognitive development. Education contributes to food security through school gardens, feeding, and nutrition education. The impact of food insecurity on education is measured by school enrollment, attendance, academic performance, and child health and development.

M. Malek Lou, S M Mirdamadi, Shahab Alddin Alddin Shokri, S. J. F. Hosseini · Brazilian Journal of Biology · Iran

A survey study was conducted in Ghazel Dareh village, Markazi province, Iran, to design a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model for increasing food security. Questionnaires were administered to 110 active farmers, with 84 responses collected. The results indicated that economic, socio-institutional, policy-making, educational, and infrastructural factors significantly influenced CSA development. Infrastructural factors had the largest effect (impact factor 0.88), while socio-institutional factors had the smallest (impact factor 0.54). All impact factors were positive, suggesting that improving these factors could enhance CSA development in the study area.

Kinanti Indah Safitri, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Budhi Gunawan · Jurnal Sosial Humaniora · Global

This study in Indonesia investigated the commercialization of urban agriculture from a political ecology perspective, using mixed methods including a questionnaire and interviews. It found that the commercialization index for urban farmer households was 94.71%, indicating most harvests are market-oriented. While commercialization contributes to food safety and environmental stability through regulatory instruments, farmers are increasingly entangled in partnerships with agricultural companies, leading to a loss of authority over production methods, input types, and selling prices.

Muslikhun Muslikhun, Rismawati Br Sitepu, Amjad Hameed · JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES SOCIAL SCIENCES AND BUSINESS (JHSSB) · Global

This qualitative study aimed to emphasize the rise of urban farming as a new cultural phenomenon and shed light on its increasing popularity and impact on individuals and communities. Urban farming has emerged as a solution in numerous cities worldwide due to the decline in traditional agricultural land. The study's findings demonstrate that promoting urban farming, including hydroponic systems, can address unemployment and boost economic productivity.

Alexandre Chausson, Alison Smith, Ryne Zen-Zhi Reger, Brian O’Callaghan, Yadira Mori-Clement, Florencia Zapata, Nathalie Seddon · PLOS Climate · Global

This systematic review analyzed 66 reviews on the economic impact of nature-based solutions (NbS). Most reviews showed positive outcomes for income and employment, but those with critical appraisal of underlying studies reported more mixed outcomes. These results were influenced by factors such as the balance between short-term and long-term gains, market conditions, regional effects, reliance on subsidies, and discrepancies between expected and actual economic benefits. NbS delivered equal or better economic outcomes compared to alternatives and provided broader benefits like food security and flood protection, but improved monitoring of economic, social, and ecological outcomes and the development of comprehensive accounting systems are needed.

Matthijs T. Wessels, Gert Jan Veldwisch, B.J.M. van Vliet, Alphonce Kyessi, Shaaban M. Mgana · Water International · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

This study examined the policy dynamics of irrigated urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, using stakeholder interviews and a literature review. It found that while irrigated urban agriculture is positively received for its productivity, it faces challenges from discourses prioritizing health and modernity. Authorities pursue modern farming models, but most urban farmers operate with informal and insecure access to land and water, highlighting a tension between planning ideals and urban reality.

Munifah Siti Amira Yusuf, Norsida Man, Nur Bahiah Mohamed Haris, Ismi Arif Ismail, Siaw Shin Yee, Tengku Halimatun Sa’adiah T. Abu Bakar · Sarhad Journal of Agriculture · Malaysia

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Malaysia's Urban Agriculture Program, implemented by the Department of Agriculture since 2010. Primary data from 230 participants were analyzed using PLS-SEM, revealing a positive association between all CIPP factors (Context, Input, Process, Product) and program effectiveness.