Research & reports

Ye. V. Klimov, B. O. Assilov · Problems of AgriMarket · Global

This study identifies and analyzes common sales channels for organic products and the potential for alternative marketing strategies among small-scale organic fruit and vegetable producers in the Almaty region, Kazakhstan, who have transitioned to organic horticulture, drawing on international and Kazakhstani experience. Methods included desk research, industry information from open sources, and a survey of business entities. In Kazakhstan, where organic production has existed for about 20 years and has been dominated by large export-oriented grain producers using indirect trade channels, an emerging domestic eco-products market means small-producer entry requires effective marketing programs and expanded direct-delivery channels. Distribution options examined include an order-based "organic box" scheme, Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA), a centralized U-pick sales platform, organic farmers' markets and sales fairs, shops attached to organic farms, organic restaurants, public procurement, agritourism, and e-commerce. The study concludes that the choice of sales points is an important management decision affecting the economic efficiency of an agricultural enterprise, and that small-scale producers should develop multiple distribution channels that connect them directly with consumers.

Diego Alejandro Salinas Velandia, Felipe A. Perdomo, Stephanie Numa-Vergel, Edwin Villagrán, Pilar Donado-Godoy, Julio Ricardo Galindo Pacheco · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global

This study used bibliometric and text-mining analysis of the literature to assess how horticulture is transitioning to the circular economy. It found that circular horticulture is a recent, growing research field whose approach has been fragmented rather than systemic or integrative. Bioeconomy, urban agriculture, recycled nutrients, biochar, fertigation, and desalination emerged as research hotspots, with vegetables and fruits the most-studied crops; resource circulation has focused mainly on biowaste recovery for biofertilizers and substrate substitutes, and on water reuse for hydroponic systems. The One Health approach was found to be scarcely explored and weakly articulated, with the absence of assessment methodologies covering ecosystem, animal, and human health noted as a notable limitation, and science-policy interfaces linking One Health and food systems identified as needing improvement.

· Applied Sciences · Global

Proposes a prototype room for low-income users enabling self-construction and upcycling of widely available waste materials, including a green roof of waste materials, with mechanical tests on filled PET bottles and PET-bottle/concrete blocks.

Kulkarni I., Zang J., Leandro W., Parikh P., Adler I., Da Fonseca-Zang W., Campos L. · Water · Low- and middle-income countries (review)

A review of closed-loop biodigesters on small-scale farms in low- and middle-income countries, converting organic waste into energy and nutrient-rich digestate fertilizer integrated with food production.

David 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.

Tolessa Deksissa, Harris B. Trobman, Kamran Zendehdel, Hossain Azam · Sustainability · Global

This study reviews literature on integrating urban agriculture (UA) and stormwater green infrastructures (GIs) within a circular economy framework. It explores how cities can combine these developments to overcome barriers and enhance ecosystem services. The findings indicate that integrating UA with GIs can improve urban food production while simultaneously protecting urban water quality.

Alba Canet-Martí, Rocío Pineda‐Martos, Ranka Junge, Katrin Bohn, Teresa A. Paço, Cecília Delgado, Gitana Alenčikienė, Siv Lene Gangenes Skar, Gösta F. M. Baganz · Water · Global

This paper examines nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban agriculture (UA) in circular cities, focusing on input/output streams. It identifies that the understanding of I/O streams for different NBS is insufficient to fully leverage their potential for strengthening circularity in UA. The study pinpoints gaps that hinder UA's development as an opportunity within the Circular City framework, emphasizing the need for a broader understanding of food-related urban streams.

Fatima Haque, Rafael M. Santos, Yi Wai Chiang · Environmental Science & Technology · Global

This viewpoint article proposes incorporating enhanced rock weathering (ERW) into urban farming as an additional climate stabilization measure. Urban farming utilizes extensive urban surface areas for food production and atmospheric CO2 sequestration through air-to-soil contact. Combining this with ERW offers a further opportunity for this negative emissions technology to gain greater utilization.

Yang Deng · Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters · Global

While rainwater harvesting (RWH) is considered a sustainable irrigation method for urban agriculture, contaminants in rainwater pose challenges to RWH practices due to potential threats to crop, soil, and human health. Based on literature data, principal pollutants such as particles, toxic metals like cadmium, copper, and zinc, synthetic organic chemicals like agrochemicals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and waterborne pathogens were identified as likely exceeding irrigation quality criteria. This study identifies challenges, knowledge gaps, and research needs for RWH irrigation, offering a basis for technical strategies.

Isaac Asirifi, Korbinian Kaetzl, Steffen Werner, Courage Kosi Setsoafia Saba, Felix K. Abagale, Philip Amoah, Bernd Marschner · Journal of Environmental Quality · Ghana

A field experiment in northern Ghana assessed health risks from pathogen and heavy metal contamination in urban agriculture, evaluating rice husk biochar, N-P-K fertilizer, and their combinations with untreated wastewater or tap water irrigation. While heavy metals in irrigation water and soil were below FAO/WHO standards, wastewater irrigation caused significant E. coli, fecal coliform, and helminth egg contamination on red amaranth vegetables and in soil. Biochar application did not affect bacterial contamination.

T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss · Public · Global

T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss has dedicated her life to Indigenous plant remediation and restoration projects supporting wetland ecosystems, food forests, and their wild inhabitants. This work aims to restore what was taken from the natural world over the past 150 years, ensuring the survival of future ancestors. Interdisciplinary documentation, including true plant names in Indigenous languages, ensures future generations remain connected to the natural world.

Laura Vanesa Martínez Gordillo · South Florida Journal of Development · Colombia (Bogotá)

This document reflects on a social and ecological project in Barrio La Concordia, Bogotá, Colombia, which uses vertical urban agriculture and graffiti on facades. The project, "Germinating Networks," encourages residents to adopt sustainable practices and reconnect with nature using reusable materials for hanging pots. It aims to foster cooperative relationships and cultural changes around organic food, influencing neighborhood identity.

Fernanda Rodrigues Vieira, Daniel Caixeta Andrade, Francis Lee Ribeiro · Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciências Ambientais · Global

This systematic review analyzed 45 publications from Web of Science up to September 2020 to examine the benefits of bee pollination through the Ecosystem Services Approach. The review found a significant increase in publications over the last two decades, with 84.44% associating pollination with rural agricultural productivity, 8.88% with wild plant reproduction, and 6.66% with urban agriculture. Only 7 of the 45 studies conducted economic valuation of pollination.

Leena Erälinna, Barbara Szymoniuk · Sustainability · Finland

This article presents an experimental project in Turku, Finland, aimed at implementing a circular food system in sustainable urban farming. The project had two objectives: reducing food waste in Turku University Campus restaurants and supporting local nutrient recycling by composting food waste for urban farming. The resulting concept, based on two experimental studies, is globally replicable for managing local circular food systems.

Luciano Majolo, Deibson Teixeira da Costa, Camila Firmino de Azevêdo · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Global

This study analyzed the application of fresh coffee grounds as a substrate for arugula seed germination, using concentrations of 0% to 25%. All evaluated characteristics, including emergence percentage, seedling length, and mass, showed a decreasing variation with increasing coffee grounds. Fresh coffee grounds applied directly as fertilizer proved inefficient for arugula in the tested quantities.

Paul Drenning, Shaswati Chowdhury, Yevheniya Volchko, Lars Rosén, Yvonne Andersson‐Sköld, Jenny Norrman · The Science of The Total Environment · Sweden

This paper proposed a framework for risk management and communication of Gentle Remediation Options (GRO) to support phytomanagement strategies at contaminated sites. An extensive literature review mapped risk mitigation mechanisms, and the Swedish national soil guideline value model derived human health exposure pathways and ecological risks. Results indicated that most expected risk mitigation mechanisms are supported by literature, but knowledge gaps still exist. The framework was demonstrated to support the identification of GRO options for a case study site under two envisioned land uses: biofuel park and allotment garden.

David Satterthwaite · · Global

This chapter discusses innovations such as improvements in energy efficiency in housing, the trend of recognizing waste streams as resource streams, and innovations in urban agriculture and urban forestry that reduce cities' ecological footprints. A factor constraining government action on resource conservation and waste reduction is concern over employment costs. In most cities in the Global South, the potential for new employment in resource conservation is rather less due to lower resource use and higher levels of recycling, reclamation, and reuse.

Ana Manríquez-Altamirano, Jorge Sierra-Pérez, Pere Muñoz, Xavier Gabarrell · Journal of Cleaner Production · Global

This study proposed an eco-design methodology to upcycle tomato stems, identified as the most promising agro-urban solid waste from rooftop greenhouse tomato crops, for local "do-it-yourself" use. Researchers characterized tomato stems physically, chemically, and mechanically, then conducted a creative session with specialists to identify applications. Resulting concepts included "Fences and trellises," "Packaging," and "Boards, panels and blocks," providing data on stem characterization for broader biomass utilization.

Kousaku Ohta, Masatoshi Funabashi · Measurement Sensors · Global

This study achieved high biodiversity (over 200 plant species) on an urban rooftop garden using the Synecoculture method and analyzed soil microbial diversity, activity, and chemical properties over two years. Soil microbes gradually increased in diversity and activity after installation, showing a positive correlation with cation exchange capacity. After two years of continuous practice, human subjective evaluations were qualitatively consistent with objective data, suggesting that trained human subjectivity could be incorporated as part of assessment proxies in future ecosystem management research.

Jemima Japakumar, Rosazlin Abdullah, Noor Sharina Mohd Rosli · AGRIVITA Journal of Agricultural Science · Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)

A field study in an urban community garden in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, investigated the effects of biochar and compost on Amaranthus sp. growth and soil properties. Using a randomized complete block design with five treatments, the combination of biochar and compost significantly increased plant height, leaf count, leaf width, chlorophyll content, fresh and dry weight, soil organic matter, and soil organic carbon content compared to other treatments. This combination showed the best effects in enhancing both soil properties and plant growth.

Corinna Schröder, Franziska Häfner, Oliver Christopher Larsen, Ariane Krause · Agronomy · Global

This pot trial with lettuce plants assessed the fertilizer value of composts derived from urban organic waste. Seven treatments, including food waste vermicompost and thermophilic compost from green waste and human feces, were investigated. Lettuce yield and total uptake of P, K, Ca, and Mg were highest with coir-based vermicompost, while fecal compost resulted in high shoot P and K but lower Ca and Mg uptake. All composts required additional nitrogen for lettuce growth, indicating a need for further research on macronutrient availability and alternative N sources.

Ahmed Khadra · IGI Global eBooks · Global

This chapter examines the health effects of climate change, specifically focusing on the global issue of fecal peril caused by intestinal parasites. It suggests that water shortages, driven by climate change, increase pressure on water resources, leading to greater use of urban wastewater for irrigation in urban agriculture. Unsafe management and inappropriate wastewater use are likely to exacerbate the transmission of infectious diseases, including those caused by intestinal protozoa and helminths.

Samuel Ken‐En Gan, Ser-Xian Phua, Joshua Yi Yeo, Zealyn Shi‐Lin Heng, Zhenxiang Xing · Methods and Protocols · Global

This study investigated using mealworms and superworms to consume polystyrene (PS) and their frass as plant fertilizer. Researchers found that small amounts of sucrose and bran increased PS consumption by the worms. Superworm frass, in particular, supported better growth and rooting of dragon fruit cacti over a fortnight compared to mealworm frass and control media. These findings suggest worms could offer a zero-waste solution for plastic degradation and urban farming.

Francis Mwanza, Erick Komba, Dominic Kambarage · International Journal of Microbiology · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

This study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, investigated the occurrence, antimicrobial resistance, and genetic relatedness of E. coli isolates from 156 samples of manure, vegetables, and fish. Of these, 36 samples (23.1%) were positive for E. coli, yielding 48 isolates. A significant finding was that 25 (52.1%) of these isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent, and 12 (48.0%) showed multidrug resistance, indicating a potential microbial health risk to humans through contamination.

Jennifer Jevons · · New Zealand (Wellington)

The work of Kaicycle, an urban farming initiative located on Wellington City Council land in New Zealand, was spotlighted. This initiative aims to help the community by improving awareness of soil health, advocating for food waste minimization, growing produce, and practicing regenerative composting. Kaicycle recycles food scraps from the community, composts using anaerobic microbes, and produces vegetable boxes for sale.