Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
455 results(12 / 19)
Trace Element Uptake by Herbaceous Plants from the Soils at a Multiple Trace Element-Contaminated Site
2019Obinna Elijah Nworie, Junhao Qin, Chuxia Lin · Toxics · Global
This study investigated trace element uptake by wild herbaceous plants at a multiple trace element-contaminated site. It found significant variability in bioaccumulation and translocation factors among plant species, identifying some as hyperaccumulators for specific elements. The marked accumulation of trace elements in plant tissues suggests that the site may not be suitable for urban agricultural production.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleA CASE STUDY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL GARDENS IN DAKAHLIA GOVERNORATE
2019A. Hegazy · Scientific Journal of Flowers and Ornamental Plants /Scientific Journal of Flowers and Ornamental Plants · Egypt
This landscaping study, conducted from 2017-2018, investigated eight school gardens in Mansoura City and Talkha District, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The study revealed that most school gardens contained toxic plants like weeds and cacti, and that utilized areas were not correctly used with poor maintenance. Roof gardens and improved irrigation systems were suggested.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityOrganic cycleVermicomposting of different organic materials using the epigeic earthworm Eisenia foetida
2018· International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture · Global
Evaluates the efficiency of the epigeic earthworm Eisenia foetida in vermicomposting different organic substrates, including kitchen waste.
DIYCompostOrganic cycleSmall-scale urban agriculture results in high yields but requires judicious management of inputs to achieve sustainability
2018Robert McDougall, Paul Kristiansen, Romina Rader · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · Australia
This study evaluated small-scale urban agriculture systems in Australia using economic and emergy (embodied energy) analyses. While these systems used land efficiently, they were relatively inefficient in their use of material and labor resources. Benefit-to-cost ratios demonstrated that, on average, the gardens ran at a financial loss, and emergy transformity was one to three orders of magnitude greater than many conventional rural farms. Only 14.66% of all inputs were considered "renewable," resulting in a moderate mean environmental loading ratio (ELR) of 5.82.
Economic viabilityEconomicsClimate changeOrganic cycleSUSTRATO BIOFÍSICO PARA AGRICULTURA PROTEGIDA Y URBANA A PARTIR DE COMPOST Y AGREGADOS PROVENIENTES DE LOS RESIDUOS SÓLIDOS URBANOS
2018Universidad Tecnológica Fidel Velázquez, Alfredo Ricardo Pérez Fernández, Mariana Ruiz Morales, Universidad Iberoamericana, María Odette Lobato Calleros, Universidad Iberoamericana, Eloy Pérez Valera, Biosistemas Sustentables, S. A., Promotora de Inversión de Capital Variable, Perla Rodríguez Salinas, Universidad Tecnológica Fidel Velázquez · Revista Internacional de Contaminación Ambiental · Global
This study developed biophysical substrates for protected and urban agriculture by mixing compost from urban solid waste with polystyrene and tepetate. Experimental tests were conducted on roses and tomatoes under four different treatments in a greenhouse, evaluating substrate nutritional properties and productivity. The results indicate that the proposed biophysical substrates possess physical, chemical, and biological properties making them a viable substitute for urban gardening or protected agriculture.
CompostOrganic cycleDIYHUERTOS URBANOS COMO DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE
2018Doris Laury Beatriz Dzib Moo, Sandra Patricia Dzib Moo, L.E. Gerardo González García · · Venezuela (Falcón)
This proposal introduces urban gardens for Colonia Lindavista in Tabasco, Mexico, aiming to demonstrate the benefits of urban farming. The project, initiated in January 2017 as a pilot, seeks to raise awareness and secure institutional support. It also aims to show how urban gardens can promote daily consumption of organic produce for health benefits and support family economies, thereby increasing the community's resilience.
CommunityClimate changeEconomicsOrganic cycle“WETWALL” — an innovative design concept for the treatment of wastewater at an urban scale
2018Joana Castellar, Carlos Alberto Arias, Pedro N. Carvalho, Martina Rysulová, Joan Canals, Gabriel Pérez, Montserrat Bosch González, Jordi Farreras Morató · Desalination and Water Treatment · Global
The WETWALL design concept proposes a unique ecotechnology for secondary wastewater treatment at an urban scale, integrating constructed wetlands and modular living walls into a modular living wall hybrid flow. This article reviews existing living walls treating wastewater, focusing on nitrate and phosphate removal, and presents the WETWALL concept, including component selection (plants, substrate) and operational strategies. It also discusses potential interactions with the urban environment, aiming to substantiate WETWALL's potential as an innovative urban wastewater treatment.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleDigital agricultureLa lombriz Roja Californiana (Eisenia foetida) una Aliado en la Agricultura Urbana Sustentable
2018Lisbeth Gallardo, Yelitza Contreras, J. Saavedra Jaramillo, Raúl Ernesto Alban · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Venezuela
This paper investigated the population growth index of the Red Californian Earthworm (Eisenia foetida) to produce solid and liquid humus from urban organic waste. Conducted at the Artisanal Bioisumes Laboratory at the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, the study compared compost and egg shells with coffee waste as substrates. The egg shell and coffee waste substrate yielded better earthworm population growth and humus production.
CompostOrganic cycleDIYCommunityUrban Agriculture: A Regenerative Urban Development Practice to Decrease the Ecological Footprints of Cities
2018Rowaida Rashed · Environmental Science & Sustainable Development · Global
This paper explores urban agriculture as a regenerative urban development practice aimed at decreasing the ecological footprints of cities. It defines environmental problems, explains the concept of the ecological footprint, and demonstrates how urban agriculture can be integrated into cities to improve environmental conditions and reduce ecological footprints. Urban agriculture is highlighted as one of the most effective regenerative practices.
Climate changeOrganic cycleBiodiversityThe fate of compost-derived phosphorus in urban gardens
2018Gaston E. Small, Paliza Shrestha, Adam D. Kay · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Global
Dissolved phosphorus (PO4 3-) and nitrogen (NO3- & NH4+) losses in leachate from experimental raised-bed garden plots were measured. Plots receiving cow manure compost showed high PO4 3- concentrations (5-11 mg/L), while municipal organics compost plots had concentrations an order of magnitude lower (0.5-1.2 mg/L), and no-compost plots had 0.3 mg/L. Phosphorus lost through leachate and harvest accounted for only 1-10% of total applied phosphorus, indicating soil build-up was the dominant fate. This study illustrates a potential trade-off in urban agriculture between crop production and efficient phosphorus recycling from urban food waste.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageBiochar Application for Sustainable Soil Quality
2018Subhadip Ghosh, Lai Fern Ow, Mohamed Lokman Mohd Yusof · · Singapore
A short-term experiment in an urban park in northern Singapore investigated biochar's effects on urban horticulture. Biochar, alone or with compost, was mixed with loamy soil, and Dissotisrotundifolia was planted under various treatments. Soil analysis revealed significant improvements in soil nutrient status and organic matter content with organic amendments, especially those containing biochar, though plant physiological characteristics showed no significant differences. The study suggests biochar as a potential soil amendment for perennial ground cover in Singapore's tropical climate.
Organic cycleBiodiversityCommunityEvaluation of effect of human urine fertilizer in the cultivation of corn in Camagüey
2018Dania de la Caridad González Gort, Arelys Valido Tomés, Roberto Vázquez Montes de · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba (Camagüey)
A study on "The New Hope" farm in Camagüey, Cuba, evaluated human urine as a fertilizer for corn cultivation under family farming conditions. Family-collected human urine, stored for six months and applied in dilution, was compared to a mineral fertilizer and an unfertilized control using a randomized block design with 18 sample plants per treatment. Results showed that human urine yielded equivalent results to mineral fertilization, with no significant differences, but both differed from the unfertilized treatment, concluding that urine is an economic alternative for family farming.
Organic cycleDIYEconomicsSoil Properties on Farmers’ Fields Amended with Untreated Solid Urban Wastes in Ouagadougou Peri-urban Area, Burkina Faso
2018P.S. Bouda, Edmond Hien, A. Dioma, Hyacinthe Kambiré, Yacouba Maïga, Der Adolphe Somé, Sylvie Nazaret, A.S. Ouattara · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Burkina Faso
A study in Ouagadougou sub-urban agricultural fields, Burkina Faso, assessed the impact of using untreated Solid Urban Wastes (SUW) as agricultural fertilizers on soil properties and crop production. SUW amendment significantly increased pH, total C, N, P, and available P, and maize height and biomass yield were 124% and 164% higher in amended plots, respectively. However, trace metal elements (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr) concentrations were higher in amended fields, indicating that urban waste carries contaminants posing public health risks.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthPeri-urban agricultureECF FARMSYSTEMS: a Circular Economy Business Model Case
2018Alexis Figeac · Repositorio institucional da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (University of Santiago de Compostela) · Global
ECF is a small-to-medium sized enterprise operating an aquaponic urban farm, demonstrating a co-product recovery business model where circularity is retained within its own operations. The aquaponics system enables resource-efficient food delivery on a B2B basis and achieves significant socio-environmental impact by displacing food miles. However, fish feed sustainability challenges need addressing for greater circularity, and aquaponics faces competitiveness issues due to support for traditional farming and planning hurdles in urban communities.
EconomicsOrganic cycleClimate changePerceived changes in well-being and happiness with gardening in urban organic allotments in Portugal
2018I. Mourão, Matthew Coreia Moreira, Telma C. Almeida, L. M. Brito · International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology · Portugal
This study evaluated the contribution of gardening to happiness and well-being in urban organic allotment gardens at Devesa Park in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal. Sixty-five gardeners completed self-administered questionnaires, revealing that an increased frequency of visits for gardening was positively related to a greater perception of subjective happiness.
HealthCommunityOrganic cycleAssessing agroecosystem sustainability in Cuba: A new agrobiodiversity index
2018Ángel Leyva, A. Lores · Elementa Science of the Anthropocene · Cuba
In Cuba, poorly balanced agrobiodiversity due to sugarcane monocropping has been a main constraint to sustainable agrarian development over the last 50 years. This paper discusses the development of a new Index of Agrobiodiversity (IDA) to assess agroecosystem sustainability, describing its components, development, and efficiency assessment. A practical application measured agroecosystems within Cuba’s urban agriculture movement, suggesting IDA is a valid proposal that requires few resources and generates information through local farmers.
BiodiversityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceA Handbook for Beginning and Veteran Garden Organizers
2018Renee Raiden Boyer, Ben Chapman · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · Global
This handbook outlines recommended agricultural practices for food safety in school and community gardens. Topics include food safety, site selection, pesticides and fertilizers, handwashing, water and irrigation, composting, garden design and animals, sanitation, and tools.
Food educationCommunityCompostOrganic cycleHorizontal flows of nitrogen, potassium, and carbon in urban vegetables gardens of Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
2018Désiré Jean‐Pascal Lompo, Emmanuel Compaoré, Michel Papaoba Sédogo, Martina Melapie, Charles Bielders, Eva Schlecht, Andreas Buerkert · Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems · Burkina Faso (Bobo Dioulasso)
This study investigated nutrient management in six urban vegetable gardens in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, quantifying nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and carbon (C) fluxes and balances. Inputs of N and K significantly exceeded recommended amounts, leading to substantial horizontal annual surpluses of 1013 kg N ha−1, 879 kg K ha−1, and 25 t C ha−1. While total balances for N and K were positive, the total balance for C was negative, indicating an environmental tradeoff due to excessive nutrient input.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleClimate changeUrban–rural linkageAprovechamiento de los residuos sólidos a través del compostaje en la Escuela Tecnológica ITC
2018Fabiola Mejía, Clara Liliana Montero, Lina Marcela Arango, Emily Johanna Bermúdez · Letras ConCiencia TecnoLógica · Colombia (Bogotá)
At the Escuela Tecnológica Instituto Técnico Central (ETITC) in Bogotá, Colombia, a process for utilizing organic waste through composting was implemented. Following an "Urban Agriculture" workshop, organic waste from the ETITC cafeteria was collected and identified. Different mixtures were created to produce compost, which was then used in seedbeds and for transplanting seedlings. This research aimed to demonstrate the potential of using organic waste for compost production.
CompostFood educationOrganic cycleTotal and Bioaccessible Soil Arsenic and Lead Levels and Plant Uptake in Three Urban Community Gardens in Puerto Rico
2018John Misenheimer, Clay Nelson, Evelyn Huertas, Myriam Medina-Vera, Alex Prevatte, Karen D. Bradham · Geosciences · Puerto Rico
Total and bioaccessible arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) levels, and their uptake by 10 commonly grown garden plants, were examined in three urban community gardens in Puerto Rico. Total As ranged from 2 to 55 mg/kg and Pb from 19 to 172 mg/kg in soils. Leaves accumulated higher concentrations of As and Pb than edible flesh, with culantro leaves showing the highest concentrations (3.2 mg/kg dw As, 8.9 mg/kg dw Pb).
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthOrganic cycleThe monitoring of soils on the land areas as information support for the register of soil resources at the local level
2018D.V. Belobrova, Д. А. Шаповалов · Dokuchaev Soil Bulletin · Russia
This study conducted large-scale (1:5000) soil mapping of garden non-commercial partnerships in the Meshchera lowland of Noginsk district, Moscow region. Investigations revealed that initial soils underwent significant transformation since their creation, with soddy podzolic and boggy soils changing into agro-soddy podzolic soils and agrozems due to intensive development and fertilizer use. While these changes reflect increased productivity and quality of allotment soils, the transformed soils are characterized by neutral pH and high/medium mobile phosphorus content, but are poor in exchangeable potassium compared to natural soil profiles.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleCompostCommunityEthics of agricultural landscapes and food production
2018Isis Brook · · Global
This chapter examines the interface between landscape and food in agriculture, which is undergoing massive change from both technological innovation and socio-political critique. It discusses how responses such as agroecology, biodynamics, organics, permaculture, and urban agriculture contribute to the creation of meaningful landscapes that respect cultural diversity and biodiversity. The chapter also looks at traditional ethical approaches and four new developments in ethical thinking—animal ethics, permaculture ethics, ecofeminism, and the theory of responsive cohesion—as ethical articulations of the caring and embodied flourishing that land and animal husbandry at its best represents.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityOrganic cyclePossibilidades de relacoes socioambientalmente mais justas no contexto urbano de uma metropole
2018Luísa Melgaço, Marina R. Ribeiro, Heloísa Soares de Moura Costa · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Global
This essay reflects on the complex reality of urban agriculture, discussing the different paradigms of the Green Revolution and Agroecology within the urbanization process. It aims to evidence the permanent and conflicting dispute between the industrial capitalist model and the non-hegemonic rationality of Agroecology. The essay is intended to advance the construction of bridges between the agroecological field and urbanization processes.
Food sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleCommunityPolicyAgroecología urbana: diseño de granjas urbanas ricas en biodiversidad, productivas y resilientes
2018Miguel A. Altieri, Clara I. Nicholls · Agro Sur · Global
Although urban agriculture (UA) is estimated to provide 15-20% of global food, its significant contribution to city food self-sufficiency is questionable due to low yields in most existing urban farms. Agroecology can enhance UA's productive potential by offering key principles for designing diversified, productive, and resilient urban farms. This paper describes principles and practices for increasing soil quality and enhancing plant health.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityOrganic cycleClimate changeParadigm of Eco-Urban-Agriculture for the Sustainable City: Integrating the Concept for Urban Dhaka
2018Ayasha Siddiqua · Nakhara Journal of Environmental Design and Planning · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
This paper explores the concept of eco-urban-agriculture for sustainable cities, focusing on its integration into urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. It discusses the theoretical background of urban agriculture and practiced models globally, aiming to demonstrate how a city can generate food, improve health, and utilize waste. The study seeks to develop an understanding of this concept within Dhaka's dense urban fabric.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthOrganic cycleClimate change