Research & reports

Karuniawan Puji Wicaksono, Setyono Yudo Tyasmoro, Akbar Saitama, Paramyta Nila Permatasari · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Indonesia

A study in Kedungkandang District, Malang City, Indonesia (May-September 2022) assessed agrotourism potential across four sub-districts using direct-observation survey and SWOT analysis, in an area with average temperatures of 22.7-25.1°C and humidity of 79-86%. Identified strengths included government-owned land available for agrotourism use, existing paddy-based agrotourism integrated with sheep farming and fisheries, a nearby Masked Village aerial-photography tourist site, multiple potential locations for agrotourism-based edutourism, and community enthusiasm. The study concludes that agrotourism development in Tlogowaru sub-district should be organized around two functions: lodging and trade, and agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery education.

Aji Saputra, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Gemilang Lara Utama · Local Environment · Indonesia

A commentary on the current state of urban agriculture implementation in large Indonesian cities, the initiatives underway and the mechanisms for pursuing stated goals. It identifies land scarcity, inadequate urban agricultural infrastructure, financial constraints, and regulatory and administrative problems as the major obstacles to implementation. It also states that urban agriculture improves quality of urban life by providing fresh, healthy food and fostering community engagement, and cites Singapore, New York and Ghana as examples showing the importance of policy support, innovation and community involvement.

Priya Singh, Ramakrishna Bora, Asha Devi · International Journal of Bioscience and Biochemistry · India

This study evaluated the effectiveness of integrated nutrient management (INM) in enhancing brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) growth, yield, and soil fertility in urban agricultural settings in Jorhat, India. Given declining soil fertility and over-reliance on chemical fertilizers, INM — combining chemical fertilizers, organic manures, and biofertilizers — was tested as a sustainable alternative using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments (control, chemical fertilizers, organic manures, INM), each replicated three times. Growth parameters (plant height, Leaf Area Index, number of branches) were measured, and fruit yield and quality were recorded at harvest; soil fertility indicators (pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) were analyzed at the start and end of the study. INM significantly enhanced growth, producing the highest plant height (112 cm), LAI (3.7), and number of branches (6.5). INM-treated plants produced 33% higher fruit yield (25.4 tons/ha) than the chemical fertilizer treatment and 66% higher than the control. Soil fertility improved in INM plots, with increases in soil pH (6.8), organic carbon (1.8%), and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels.

Nurul Hidayati, Pienyani Rosawanti, Djoko Eko Hadi Susilo, Fahruddin Arfianto, Hariyadi Hariyadi · Daun Jurnal Ilmiah Pertanian dan Kehutanan · Indonesia

This experimental and descriptive study examines the implementation of urban farming techniques — vertical gardening, hydroponics, potted plants (tabulapot), and cultivation in sacks and planters — in urban areas of Indonesia, focusing on household food security. Sweet potato was chosen for its ease of growth and environmental adaptability, with both tubers and leaves usable as vegetables. Regression correlation analysis found sweet potato productivity of 1.4 kg per 40 kg sack with 10 cuttings per sack, a strong positive correlation of 96.77% between tuber count and total weight per sack (y = 71.069x - 878.93), and a strong positive correlation of 83.05% between tuber count and individual tuber weight (y = 1.6985x - 9.87), indicating that more tubers did not reduce individual tuber weight. A household growing 10 sacks was calculated to have a potential yield of 14,000 grams (14 kg).

Mochamad Yusuf · Al-Masharif Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi dan Keislaman · Indonesia

Focused on agriculture — one of the strongest sectors supporting Indonesia's economy — this descriptive paper (2024) examines the readiness of Central Java Province, the country's third-largest producer of agricultural output, to build a green economy while adopting a nature-conservation blueprint. Using secondary data collected and analyzed into author-formulated recommendations, the paper finds Central Java is pursuing green-economy and circular-economy practice through the agriculture sector via organic crop cultivation, urban farming, farmers markets, and environmentally friendly agricultural-product education, and concludes that maximizing this implementation requires supporting government regulation/legislation together with societal practice.

Mutia Devi Hidayati, Arief Rahmatulloh, Luchis Rubianto, Pritantina Yuni Lestari · Jurnal Abadimas Adi Buana · Indonesia

In the Mulyorejo sub-district of Sukun district, Malang, Indonesia (area 2.75 km²), residents actively use vacant land and underused resources under an urban farming concept, including cultivating butterfly pea flowers, though product diversification of the flowers into higher-value goods had not been thoroughly developed. This community service project delivered skills training in making batik using butterfly pea flowers as a natural dye — a technique noted for producing soft colors, commanding a high market value, and being environmentally friendly, aligned with the "clean water and sanitation" Sustainable Development Goal — and introduced ways of combining different natural dyes for color variation. Held on October 7, 2023 with 8 participants, the post-training questionnaire yielded a mean of 3.88 and a mode of 4.0 across questions, indicating participants understood, felt the benefits of, and were satisfied with the training; participants also received an electric canting (batik drawing tool) for independent production.

Catharina Any Sulistyowati, Suraya Afiff, Muhammad Baiquni, Mia Siscawati · Analisis Kebijakan Pertanian · Indonesia

This literature study, drawing on Scopus-indexed social science journal articles on community-supported agriculture (CSA) published between 1994 and 2022, examined CSA's potential to address problems facing small farmers in Indonesia, including low income, low productivity, crop failure, price fluctuation, infertile land and debt bondage. It identifies financing the transition from chemical to sustainable agriculture, access to land, farmers' quality of life and farmers' capacity as key elements on the production side, and consumer motivation and awareness, member contributions, member inclusiveness and member sustainability as key elements on the consumer-support side, concluding that supporting institutional development and policy is also essential.

Setyardi Pratika Mulya, Delik Hudalah · Regional Sustainability · Indonesia

This study assessed sustainability based on agricultural intensity in peri-urban villages of Karawang Regency, Indonesia, using a village agriculture index (VAI), a village sustainability index (VSI) adapted from a local sustainability index via factor analysis, and a logical matrix analysis for level of agricultural sustainability (LoAS). Peri-urban villages with high agricultural intensity tended to show lower social welfare and economic development and higher disaster risk; high agricultural intensity did not necessarily ensure prosperity, and economic disparity existed among villages, leading the study to conclude that encouraging diversity in agricultural intensity is more important than promoting agricultural intensity itself.

Natasha Putri Adetya, Maulin Masyito Putri · Sustainability and Social Impact · Indonesia

Addressing the high temperatures characteristic of urban planting conditions in Gresik Regency, Indonesia, this paper proposes optimizing post-harvest sales and storage systems for urban farming products through three measures: planting and harvest scheduling by crop type and duration, cold storage to slow quality degradation and extend shelf life, and a sales and distribution application. It identifies as a problem that most current sales of urban farming products depend on direct sales to the surrounding community and are considered ineffective, and proposes that these three measures would let farmers reach customers beyond Gresik.

Raditya Ahmad Rifandi, Rizal Ichsan Syah Putra, Nunung Eni Elawati, Dwi Nur Yuliyani, Dafa Anwarul Fahmi · Cakrawala Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Global · Indonesia

A community outreach project implemented a "smart aeroponic" system — using sensor technology and automatic control — at several urban locations in Indonesia and trained local communities in its operation and maintenance. Evaluation found the system increased energy efficiency by up to 70% compared with Deep Flow Technique (DFT) hydroponics, saving 29.02 kWh for mustard greens cultivation and 41.00 kWh for lettuce cultivation.

B. Hari Saptaning Tyas, Condrodewi Puspitasari, Fadjarini Sulistyowati, Widati Widati · JMM - Jurnal Masyarakat Merdeka · Indonesia

A community outreach activity in RT 13 and RT 14 of Kampung Surokarsan, along the Code River in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, facilitated the launch of an urban-farming-based culinary tourism village. Building on a pre-masterplan drafted in 2023 activities, the project socialized the plan, facilitated village deliberation to formulate an action plan, and conducted capacity-building training for residents. Participants included a tourism awareness group, village officials, RT 13/14 leaders, local farmer groups, and resident representatives; questionnaire responses indicated participants found the training beneficial and expressed intent to develop the culinary village concept together with nearby water tourism, and a WhatsApp group was formed for ongoing communication.

Choi S.-W., Shin Y. J. · Sustainability (MDPI) · Korea

Uses input–output analysis to compare the production- and value-added-inducement ripple effects of Korean smart farms against conventional agriculture, demonstrating the economic impact of fourth-industrial-revolution, business-oriented smart farming on the national economy.

Wang L., Liu C., Lu N., Takagaki M. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 7:973341 · China

Case study investigating China's plant factory and vertical farm industry, analyzing corporate deployment and challenges, and proposing policy and technical countermeasures to advance commercialization.

Purnomo D., Sitepu G.L., Nugraha Y.R., Rosiyan M.B.P. · Sustainability · Indonesia (Bandung)

Using a social metabolism framework derived from individual variables, this paper analyses urban farming activities in Bandung's Buruan SAE programme and finds that implementation paradoxically stifled agricultural development, with most groups unable to sustain activities beyond two years. The study reveals how top-down policy formulation undermines the emergence of independent urban farmers.

· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · China (Beijing)

Examines the state and challenges of urban vegetable production in Beijing, China.

· Foods · China (Pearl River Delta)

Quantifies the foodshed and food self-sufficiency of the Pearl River Delta megacity region using land footprints, finding regional and urban self-sufficiency is not achievable.

· Agriculture · China (Pearl River Delta)

A study classifying urban agricultural functional regions at the county level in the Pearl River Delta, China, and analyzing their carbon effects from 2002 to 2020.

Pham · Asia Pacific Viewpoint · Vietnam (Hôi An)

Case study of peri-urban agriculture in Hôi An, Vietnam, analyzing how agrotourism development and rapid urbanisation jointly pressure farming.

Yingjie Ge, Lily Kiminam, Shinichi Furuzawa · Studies in Regional Science · China (Shanghai)

Rapid urbanization in China has weakened urban communities, making community restructuring an important issue. In Shanghai, urban agriculture initiatives like community gardens and rooftop farms are increasing, emphasizing social functions such as resident exchanges. While these new types of urban agriculture are promoted by social entrepreneurs, few studies have focused on the relationships between the creative class and communities in urban agriculture.

Zhiwei Zheng, Rung-Jiun Chou · Land · Taiwan (Taoyuan City)

This study investigated strategies for promoting edible landscapes in urban communities, focusing on the San-He community in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Using in-depth interviews and non-participant observation, the research found that edible landscapes offer social, economic, and cultural benefits but face challenges in marketing, government policies, and growing techniques. Place branding strategies were identified as effective in addressing these challenges.

Darmawan Setia Budi, Hapsari Kenconojati, Mohammad Faizal Ulkhaq, Muhammad Yusuf Taufiqur Rohman, Shovia Finny Anggraeni, Farahnovita Yuliyanti, Ahmad Alie Fikri, Shierly Zaissiliya Clarissa Lifani, Hikam Zainul Qolbi · ABDIMAS Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Asia

In Muncul fish farm, Banyuwangi, Indonesia, a community partnership program was introduced to enhance catfish production using a bucket farming system. This program significantly improved catfish productivity and profitability through the application of humic acid, and participants gained knowledge and skills in intensive bucket fish farming, increasing their productivity and income.

Kadek Dwi Pradnyani Novianti, Ni Kadek Sukerti · WIDYABHAKTI Jurnal Ilmiah Populer · Indonesia (Denpasar)

This community service activity focused on the Empelan Terbin Farmer Group in Denpasar City, which practices urban agriculture but faces challenges in distributing and selling its produce. The group's agricultural products were often only shared locally or discarded due to excess harvest, indicating a lack of effective sales channels. To address this, the activity provided training and assistance in digital marketing via Facebook to help the group introduce its products to a wider audience and generate profit for sustainable land management.

Donghyun Kim, Hyunnam Sim · Sustainability · Republic of Korea

To ensure the sustainability of urban farming in apartment complexes in the Republic of Korea, this study explored the possibility of targeting apartments as urban farming sites. It derived and analyzed the importance of urban farming initiation indicators, finding that "public funding" and "technical and management support" are the most important factors. Based on these findings, policy directions are proposed to facilitate urban farming in apartment complexes.

Ugeng Wijanarko, Baba Barus, Fredinan Yulianda · Jurnal Tataloka · Indonesia (Bogor)

The Minapolitan region of Bogor Regency, Indonesia (Ciseeng, Parung, Gunung Sindur, and Kemang districts), contributes to national fish production and the local economy but faces land use pressure from Jakarta's development and increasing demand for residential areas. This study analyzed efficient fish farming land use in line with the 2016-2036 Bogor Regency Spatial Plan (RTRW). The optimal land use scenario for 2028 involves moderate implementation of RTRW regulations, prioritizing residential use in urban areas while still permitting fish farming land, which allows fish farmers adjustment time for technology transfer if they continue aquaculture activities in residential areas.

Abdillah Abdillah, Ida Widianingsih, Rd Ahmad Buchari, Heru Nurasa · Cogent Food & Agriculture · Indonesia

A systematic literature review on urban farming in Indonesia identified its trend in achieving urban resilience as a response to urban food security issues and an economic boost during the COVID-19 crisis. While urban farming is suggested to promote urban resilience in Indonesia, it has several weaknesses in the urban resilience design due to problems with production, food security, and land scarcity in urban areas.