Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
7626 results(115 / 306)
Nurul Azizah, Dewi Ratih, U′ud Uda Marlina, Moch. Raihan Ramadhan · Jurnal Bisnis Indonesia · Indonesia (Surabaya)
In Wonorejo, Tegalsari district, Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest metropolitan city, where land conversion to housing and public buildings has made greening difficult, residents used vertikultur (vertical, tiered plant cultivation with repurposed plastic bottles mounted on house walls) as a greening approach for limited land. The program's success was indicated by residents' enthusiasm and by aesthetic, health, and economic benefits reported from the practice.
CommunityDIYPeri-urban agricultureSuzanne Spence, Grace Gardner, Dorota Zarnowiecki, Katie Adolphus, Clare Lawton, Louise Dye, Emma Patterson, Charlotte Evans · · Global
This chapter reviews school-based food policies in England and elsewhere aimed at improving children's diets and reducing childhood obesity, noting that reintroduced school meal standards across the UK have improved the quality of school-provided meals, whereas fewer policies exist for packed lunches, which consequently remain of lower quality than school meals. It also discusses the wider school food environment, including school gardens and programs to increase children's fruit and vegetable consumption, as opportunities to improve children's diets.
Food educationHealthCommunityEzgi Duman, Beyza Şat · Journal of Design Studio · Turkey
A case study examining urban agriculture potential in Ataköy, Bakırköy, Istanbul, against the backdrop of Istanbul receiving 42.5% of Turkey's internal migration in 2019 according to TUIK (Turkish Statistical Institute). Using literature review together with feasibility and field studies based on the R-URBAN strategy, the study examines idle industrial areas and vacant lots in Ataköy for urban agriculture potential, and develops a scenario and implementation model for the area.
CommunityPolicyIsabel Müller, Karina Pallagst, Patricia Hammer · Ra Ximhai · Germany
A case study of Kölner Neuland e.V., an urban gardening project that revitalized part of a 44,000 m² former industrial brownfield in Cologne's Bayenthal district, Germany, framed as a "Green Innovation Area." Based on a literature review and an expert interview, the study examines the project's history, financial aspects, marketing measures, and goals, then assesses its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It reports the project is evaluated "quite positively" overall, while also noting that some aspects show a need for action, and it formulates recommendations in the areas of financing, public perception and management/control for future development of the project and similar brownfield-revitalization efforts.
PolicyCommunitySandra Boatemaa Kushitor, Shawn Alimohammadi, Paul Currie · PLOS Sustainability and Transformation · South Africa
An ethnographic study using in-depth interviews and participant observation, conducted April to November 2020 with thematic analysis, examined the role of the informal food sector in food flows in Cape Town, South Africa, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The informal food sector has historically been subject to exclusionary urban policies, and lockdown regulations caused food flows through the sector to cease, resulting in job loss and increased food insecurity. The sector subsequently reshaped food flows through urban agriculture, food aid programmes and community change, though it can also hinder urban modernisation. The study concludes regulatory frameworks need to be more inclusive of the sector.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsHadaro Hando Filmon, Alemu Legesse Mitke · African Journal of Agricultural Research · Africa
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a household survey, interviews and case analysis of beneficiary women, using 10 indicators of women's empowerment in agriculture, assessed the effect of a program-based sustainable urban agriculture intervention. 80% of beneficiary women were empowered (to a score of 0.93), while the remaining 20% were not; disaggregating the "empowered" group by intersectional differences revealed further unintended negative impacts. While urban agriculture contributed to women's empowerment, the study found that a lack of tailored support and a uniform program approach excluded segments of women beneficiaries, and it calls for a rights-based approach and feminist gender analysis to address these intersectional barriers.
Equity & displacementCommunityGianni Talamini, Qi Zhang, Paola Viganò · Environment and Urbanization · China
Focusing on Nanshan District in Shenzhen, a vast, rapidly urbanizing region of China, this study used a mixed-method approach combining spatial analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews to analyze the social and spatial characteristics of urban agriculture and its regulation in a Chinese global city. The results show diverse types of urban agriculture coexisting and interacting, forming a socio-biologically rich heterogeneity of precarious practices that are overlooked by local authorities yet contribute to stewardship, social development, community engagement, and the preservation of agricultural heritage. The article presents policy insights and advocates for government involvement in recognizing the social significance of urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyWoro Harkandi Kencana, Meisyanti Meisyanti, Yunita Sari · Warta LPM · Indonesia (Jakarta)
A community service (PKM) program targeted the women farmers group KWT D'Shafa in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, Indonesia, which faced problems including a small membership, underused urban farming land, limited business management knowledge, manual record-keeping of members, harvests and sales, and limited marketing communication skills. Activities included outreach on the benefits of urban farming, installing hydroponic systems, business management training and assistance, moving member, harvest, and sales records to a web-based system using Google Sites, and digital marketing training covering Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. The program report states that these activities contributed to improved welfare for KWT D'Shafa member households.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsEmanuele Sommariva, Nicola Canessa, Giorgia Tucci · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Europe
An article links the role of ecosystem services to growing research and development funding attention to green infrastructure and urban greening strategies, positioning ecosystem services as a new parameter for assessing urban green infrastructure and re-naturalization processes that counteract climate-change effects such as flooding and heat islands while promoting conservation, resilience, and biodiversity of natural habitats. It identifies urban agriculture and community gardens as playing an important role in securing socio-ecological benefits at the local level and promoting access to healthy, "Zero Km" food sources. Drawing on the European project Creative Food Cycles, the article outlines ideas for circularity and recycling of waste across the food chain.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeRafael Bláquez Madrid, Ricardo Martín de Almagro, José Mora Jordano, Ángel Lora González, Encarnación Taguas Ruiz · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Spain (Barcelona)
This entry records a paper on territorial stewardship strategies through urban gardens, presenting descriptive indicators meant to extrapolate the experience of IMGEMA (Córdoba's municipal environmental management body) in Córdoba, Spain, published in Cuadernos de Ordenación del Territorio, No. 5, 2022, by authors Rafael Bláquez Madrid, Ricardo Martín de Almagro, José Mora Jordano, Ángel Lora González, and Encarnación Taguas Ruiz. Only this bibliographic information is available; the record contains no description of methods or findings.
CommunityPolicyHarada K., Hino K., Iida A., Yamazaki T., Usui H., Asami Y., Yokohari M. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), 18(2):542 · Japan
A cross-sectional study comparing 783 urban-farming participants with 1,254 non-participants in Tokyo. Participants in both allotment and experience-farm programs reported significantly better self-rated and mental health, highlighting the health value of regular social interaction in urban farming.
WelfareHealthCommunityCheng C., Aviso K.B., Tan R.R., Aviso K. · Sustainability (MDPI), 13(16):9042 · Asia
A study developing a system-dynamics model of a rooftop farm in Taipei City to analyze the socio-environmental benefits of rooftop agriculture (improved food access, community ties, energy savings, reduced flood risk). It frames rooftop farming as a practical solution for strengthening water-energy-food nexus synergies in greener cities.
Organic cycleCommunityPolicyBiodiversityShimpo N. · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems (Wiley), 6:e20015 · Japan
A case study of a suburban-Tokyo community garden that collects neighborhood kitchen waste and returns it to the soil as compost, forming a local food cycle. It documents how the bottom-up founder sustained the garden, provided work opportunities for people with disabilities and food-education for children, and built links with welfare facilities, kindergartens, and schools.
CommunityCompostOrganic cycleWelfareFood educationBegum M.S., Bala S.K., Islam A.K.M.S., Roy D. · Sustainability (MDPI), 13(16):9053 · Asia
Compares an experimental agricultural rooftop with bare roofs, measuring microclimate parameters including air, surface, and indoor temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide. It shows that rooftop agriculture can mitigate urban microclimate change and supply fresh vegetables while delivering environmental and socioeconomic benefits to city dwellers.
BiodiversityCommunityOrganic cycleEconomicsLandry M., van den Berg A., Hoelscher D., Davis J. · Nutrients, 13(9):3081 (MDPI) · United States
A randomized controlled trial across 16 mostly Hispanic, low-income elementary schools in Texas evaluating the TX Sprouts intervention, which embedded gardening, cooking and nutrition lessons. Children in intervention schools significantly increased vegetable intake, showing that garden-centered food education can improve children's dietary quality.
Food educationHealthCommunity· 都市計画論文集（公益社団法人 日本都市計画学会）56巻2号 · Japan
A peer-reviewed paper analyzing how community-development organizations support off-market distribution (direct and contract sales) of urban agriculture, using cases in Kashiwa and Kokubunji. It provides scholarly context for public-private farmers-market and local-food efforts such as Kobe's EAT LOCAL KOBE.
PolicyCommunityEconomics都市農業をめぐる情勢について
2021農林水産省 農村振興局農村計画課都市農業室 · 農林水産省（都市農地活用支援センター セミナー資料） · Japan
A Ministry of Agriculture briefing on the current state and policy trends of urban agriculture. It summarises trends in urban farmland area, productive/specified-productive green space, measures under the Urban Agriculture Promotion Act, and initiatives toward diverse functions such as citizen farms, experience farms and agriculture-welfare collaboration — a baseline reference for municipalities designing urban-agriculture policy.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityFood educationYoshida S., Yagi H. · Sustainability 13(8):4316 · Japan
Drawing on a survey of 74 farms in Tokyo, the study revealed conditions for farm resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship between short-term resilience and long-term farm development. More than half of the farms increased sales, and short-term resilience contributed to farmers' intentions for long-term development and farmland preservation.
EconomicsPolicyCommunityArtmann M., Sartison K. · Making Green Cities: Concepts, Challenges and Practice (Springer, Cities and Nature series), 173-194 · Global
A case study analyzing the 'Edible City' of Andernach, Germany, as a multifunctional productive green space where citizens can harvest freely in public areas. Drawing on interviews with key initiators, it shows that the project generates multifunctional social, ecological and economic benefits addressing urban challenges such as food security, biodiversity and social cohesion, and examines its potential for upscaling local food supply.
CommunityFood educationWelfareEconomicsBiodiversitySinesio F., Cammareri M., Cottet V., Fontanet L., Jost M., Moneta E., Palombieri S., Peparaio M., Romero del Castillo R., Saggia Civitelli E., Spigno P., Vitiello A., Navez B., Casals J., Causse M., Granell A., Grandillo S. · Foods 10(11):2521 · Europe
Assessed traditional and modern tomato varieties in France, Spain, and Italy at physicochemical, trained-panel, and consumer levels. Multi-level approach revealed how sensory traits drive perceived quality across regionally familiar cultivars.
Heirloom & landraceCommunityHealthVolatile and Sensory Characterization of La Mancha Trujillo Melons over Three Consecutive Harvests
2021Ferrer Valverde M.A., Sánchez-Palomo E., Osorio Alises M., Chaya Romero C., González-Viñas M.A. · Foods 10(8):1683 · Spain
Characterized the traditional Trujillo melon from La Mancha, Spain, over three harvests, identifying 55 volatile compounds. Sensory profile featured jam, cucumber, sweet, and honey aromas, documenting quality of a regional heirloom melon.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityCommunityShao H., Hill R., Xue D., Yang J. · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 17: Article 56 · China
Documents how Wa ethnic homegardens in Yunnan harbor traditional vegetable germplasm diversity through local culture, traditional knowledge, and seed conservation and sharing systems that maintain in situ agrobiodiversity.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityCommunityWetherill M.S., Bourque E.E., Taniguchi T., Love C.V., Sisk M., Jernigan V.B.B. · Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 53(11):991-995 · Global
Describes the development of a tribally-led garden curriculum for Indigenous preschoolers in the Osage Nation, integrating the traditional Three Sisters planting to teach Native foodways and improve children's vegetable intake and food security.
Heirloom & landraceFood educationCommunityHealthGuzzon F., Arandia Rios L.W., Caviedes Cepeda G.M., Céspedes Polo M., Chavez Cabrera A., Muriel Figueroa J., Medina Hoyos A.E., Jara Calvo T.W., Molnar T.L., Narro León L.A. · Agronomy 11(1):172 · Latin America
Reviews the fundamental role of Latin American maize landraces for food security, livelihoods and culture, the threat of genetic erosion, and the current state of their conservation and use.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityHealthCommunity中川 睦司, 高橋 秀和, 上田 健治, 渡辺 明夫, 赤木 宏守, 櫻井 健二 · 園芸学研究（Hort. Res. (Japan)）, 20(4): 379-385 · Japan
Using SSR markers on four Akita native eggplant varieties and 46 domestic landraces, phylogenetic and population structure analyses inferred the genetic relationships and likely introduction routes of traditional Akita eggplant cultivars.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityCommunity