Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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390 results(12 / 16)
ROBOTIC MINI-GREENHOUSES AND INSTALLATIONS FOR GROWING AGRICULTURAL CROPS AT HOME
2021L.A. Zhuravleva, A. Aldiab · SCIENTIFIC LIFE · Global
This article discusses innovative directions in urban farming and presents the development of an installation for growing agricultural crops at home with an automatic control system based on the Arduino platform. The control system measures illumination, temperature, air humidity, soil moisture, and water level using sensors, automatically maintaining optimal microclimate parameters. The conducted studies demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of this experimental installation.
DIYDigital agricultureUrban–rural linkageFood First: COVID-19 Outbreak and Cities Lockdown a Booster for a Wider Vision on Urban Agriculture
2020Giuseppe Pulighe, Flavio Lupia · Sustainability · Global
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of large cities to global risks and the importance of food availability. Border closures and movement restrictions increased food losses and export costs, particularly for perishable goods. This paper suggests fostering urban agriculture in developed countries with practices like vertical farming, hydroponics, and rooftop greenhouses to mitigate uncertainties from global systemic risks.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyDigital agricultureFood Security
2020Meredith T. Niles, Molly E. Brown · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter defines the expanding concept of food security, which now includes social and cultural issues beyond simply providing enough food, and introduces its four pillars: availability, access, utilization, and stability. It also explores urban agriculture and the use of satellite information and Internet-connected devices for farm management.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageDigital agricultureEconomicsAquaponics Textbook for Higher Education
2020Ranka Junge, Nadine Antenen, Morris Villarroel, Tjaša Griessler Bulc, Andrej Ovca, Sarah Milliken · Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften digital collection (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) · Global
The Aquaponics Textbook for Higher Education accompanies the Aqu@teach Aquaponics Curriculum, intended for tertiary level teachers introducing basic aquaponics to students. The curriculum comprises 150 hours of student workload (5 ECTS) and is divided into 15 modules, covering topics such as aquaponic technology, aquaculture, hydroponics, and urban agriculture.
Food educationDigital agricultureEvaluations of internet of things-based personal smart farming system for residential apartments
2020Fatin Natasya Shuhaimi, Nursuriati Jamil, Raseeda Hamzah · Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics · Global
This study proposed and evaluated two Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart farming system designs for personal use in residential apartments, focusing on humidity and temperature monitoring. After comparing sensor readings (DHT 11 and DHT 22) over three days against actual environmental values, and assessing implementation costs and power consumption, the findings regarding accuracy and costs were inconclusive.
Limited or null effectDIYDigital agricultureHealthRespon Tanaman Pakcoy (Brassica Rapa L.) terhadap Pupuk Pelengkap Cair pada Sistem Vertikultur
2020Dedi Sudarmaji, Ruswadi Muchtar, Ayu Vandira Candra Kusumah · Jurnal Ilmiah Respati · Indonesia
This study investigated the response of pakcoy plants to liquid supplementary fertilizer in a vertical culture system. Using a Randomized Block Design with six treatments and three replications, researchers observed variables such as leaf count, leaf width, plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight. The results showed that treatment P4, with a liquid supplementary fertilizer concentration of 2.5cc/liter of water, yielded the best plant height, leaf width, leaf count, fresh weight, and dry weight for pakcoy plants.
DIYDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agricultural Development For Food Security at the Time of Covid-19 Pandemies in Indonesia
2020Nana Sutrisna · · Indonesia
This paper discusses urban agricultural development as a strategy for food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. It suggests that innovative urban agriculture, including vertical gardens, hydroponics, and vertiminaponics, can support food availability, access, and utilization across various scales. Small to medium-scale urban agriculture can supply local markets, while larger scales can meet national or global needs, reducing reliance on long food value chains.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeDigital agricultureEconomicsشناسایی و دستهبندی کاربردهای تحلیل داده فناوری اینترنت اشیاء در توسعۀ کشاورزی هوشمند با استفاده از روش فراترکیب
2020ایوب محمدیان, جلیل حیدری دهوئی, علیرضا قربانی · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This research identified applications of IoT in smart agriculture by examining 168 selected academic documents (from 480, 2010-2017) using a meta-synthesis approach. Documents were categorized into eight agricultural areas, including urban agriculture, and clustered into six analytics domains such as monitoring and control. The study determined the effect coefficient of elements using the Shannon entropy method, addressing technical uses of IoT in each sector.
Digital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsVertical Farming: An Assessment of Singapore City
2020Jacob Wood, Caroline Wong, Swathi Paturi · eTropic electronic journal of studies in the tropics · Singapore
This research examines urban farming, specifically vertical farming methods, in Singapore. Despite substantial public and private investment in R&D for high-tech, high-yielding vertical farms, Singapore faces a highly constrained urban environment where land scarcity is exacerbated by a complex regulatory land use framework.
Governance failureDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsTerritorial intelligence: planning, management and systems to support strategic decisions.
2020J. R. da Costa, J. R. de Alencar, Patrizia Costa, V. S. Hammes, D. de C. Victoria, K. R. E. de Jesus, Henrique Nery Cipriani, C. C. de A. Buschinelli, F. F. Calegario, Géraldo Stachetti Rodrigues, L. A. Magalhães, C. R. Marmo, A. C. Lira-Guedes, Manuel Correia Guedes, L. A. Forato · · Global
This paper enumerates a wide range of concepts and systems related to strategic territorial intelligence, participatory community-level planning, farm management planning, territorial management, and urban and peri-urban farming. It includes agricultural and hydrological models, mapping of agricultural areas, spatial data integration, environmental management plans, integrated waste management, and pest control recommendations for urban gardens. Strategic management decision support systems, such as technological innovation impact evaluation systems, agrometeorological monitoring systems, and georeferenced data collection software, are also presented.
PolicyDigital agricultureCommunityHigh-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam: An Actor Network Analysis
2020Mosen Farhangi, Margherita Turvani, Arnold van der Valk, G.J. Carsjens · Sustainability · Netherlands (Amsterdam)
An ethnographic study in Amsterdam, Netherlands, analyzed barriers to the integration of high-tech urban agriculture (HTUA) into urban planning processes. The research revealed a lacking connection between planning actors and HTUA technology developers.
Governance failurePolicyDigital agricultureProposal of a Digital Mobile Platform for the Urban Farming Revolution
2020Fernando Almeida, Nuno Miranda, Bruno Vieira · International Journal of Environmental Sustainability and Green Technologies · Global
This study proposed the development of a mobile device application to facilitate the management and monitoring of urban farming production. The application can be used by less experienced farmers by providing information on optimal seasonal products based on soil characteristics and climate. The developed application demonstrated potential to increase crop visibility, enhance efficiency across the value chain, provide real-time business and financial data access, allow user profile customization, improve marketing process efficiency, and reduce transport costs.
Digital agricultureDIYEconomicsDecisions Support System Urban Farming Di Lahan Sempit Kota Pangkalpinang Dengan Hidroponik Menggunakan Metode Analytical Hierarchy Process
2020Hilyah Magdalena, Hadi Santoso · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia (Pangkalpinang)
A Decision Support System (DSS) for urban farming using hydroponics was developed in Pangkalpinang City, Indonesia, utilizing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. This research considered factors such as limited urban land, suitable vegetable choices, soil conditions, fertilizers used, pest disturbances, and community interest in hydroponic vegetables. Combined assessment results from expert respondents indicated that the superiority of hydroponics was the highest supporting criterion at 19.9%, and white mustard was the most preferred vegetable at 36.4%.
Digital agricultureEconomicsDIYAn inter- and transdisciplinary, multiscale and mixed methods pathway to study Smart Agriculture in Italy
2020Rosalia Filippini, Sylvie Lardon, Stefano Corsi · · Italy
This chapter designs an inter- and transdisciplinary, multiscale, and mixed-method framework for analyzing Smart Agriculture (SA) in urban-rural relationships across Italian case studies. It proposes SA as an experimental field for cooperation among decision-makers, civil society, and academia to improve urban-rural links in metropolitan regions. The promotion of peri-urban agriculture and rural-urban links is central to this approach.
Digital agricultureUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agriculturePolicyAgricultural development and its new trends in Japan.
2020Keshav Chandra · Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research · Japan
In Japanese agriculture, women's participation is progressively increasing, and there is a close relationship between attracting youth to agriculture and achieving food self-sufficiency. Urban agriculture is developing as a new trend in Japan. New trends such as organic farms, robotics agro, urban agriculture, and increasing women's participation are emerging, which can accelerate the pace of agricultural development in Japan.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureCommunityTowards sustainable performance of urban horticulture: ten challenging fields of action for modern integrated pest management in cities
2020F. Feldmann, Ute Vogler · Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection · Global
Ten key challenges for plant protection in cities were identified, each belonging to a specific field of action of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in urban horticulture, according to Directive 2009/128/EC. These challenges include appropriate plant selection, microbiome engineering, nutrient recycling, smart digital solutions, diversification of vegetation, avoidance of pesticide side effects on beneficials, biorational efficacy assessment, effective pest diagnosis, efficient outbreak control, and holistic approaches.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityClimate changeCommunityDigital agricultureSocio- Economic Characteristics of Urban Extension Workers Influencing Empowerment of Farmers in Nairobi County, Kenya
2020Mary Njoki Mwaura, Sabina Wangia, Japheth Ododa Origa, Lee Ernest Mbatia Oliver · Journal of Agricultural Extension · Kenya (Nairobi)
This study investigated the influence of urban extension workers' socio-economic characteristics on farmer empowerment in Nairobi County, Kenya, using data from 64 extension workers. While extension workers' characteristics positively influenced the choice of extension methods, explaining 37.2% of farmer empowerment, a significant finding was that 49.9% of extension workers were unaware of adult learning principles (ALPs). The study recommends training extension workers in ALPs and ICT techniques to improve extension methods.
Governance failureCommunityDigital agricultureEconomicsControlled Environment Food Production for Urban Agriculture
2019Celina Gómez, Christopher J. Currey, Ryan W. Dickson, Hye‐Ji Kim, Ricardo Hernández, Nadia Sabeh, Rosa E. Raudales, Robin G. Brumfield, Angela Shaw, Adam K. Wilke, Roberto G. López, Stephanie E. Burnett · HortScience · Global
This review discusses the application of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) techniques to urban agriculture (UA), driven by increased market demand for local produce. While CEA offers opportunities for year-round production and resource-use efficiency, significant challenges remain due to the high costs of production in urban settings. The review emphasizes that for urban growers to benefit, studies evaluating CEA for commercial food production must consider economic viability.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceClimate change“Urban Farming Is Going High Tech”
2019Michael Carolan · Journal of the American Planning Association · United States
This 2019 study, based on 82 interviews in Denver, New York, and San Francisco, investigated how traditional and digital urban agriculture converge and diverge regarding land use and gentrification. It found that both digital and traditional urban farming systems are linked to gentrification and inequitable land use patterns. Digital urban farming systems also operate in a regulatory gray area, with their "digital" aspects used to gain more zoning permission than traditional urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityPELATIHAN HIDROPONIK DI YAYASAN ASOFA AKSELERASI SODAQOH FIQRUL AKBAR, KAB. BEKASI
2019Annisa Nur Ichniarsyah, Heny Agustin, Maulidian Maulidian · Jurdimas (Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat) Royal · Indonesia (Bekasi)
The Asofa Foundation conducted hydroponic training for the community in Bekasi, Indonesia, covering seeding, transplanting, and mixing hydroponic fertilizers. Participants learned to cultivate plants using hydroponics, but seedlings died after transplanting due to poor local water conditions. The study suggests further training in fruit hydroponics or other cultivation methods suitable for the environmental conditions.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityEconomicsDigital agriculture도시농업에 대한 참여 동기와 태도, 장애요인으로 분석한 일자리 창출: 대구 청년농부를 중심으로
2019오익근, 서정아, 장승옥 · 한국지역개발학회지 · South Korea
A focus group interview with young urban farmers in Daegu, South Korea, explored job creation through urban farming. Participants perceived farming as physically demanding and unrewarding, despite seeing urban farming as a promising industry for job creation. They also noted a lack of national support policies and difficulties in participation. A contradiction was identified between the young farmers' desire to adopt labor-saving new technologies and the goal of creating jobs through traditional farming.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyDigital agricultureCommunityPengembangan Model Usaha Tanaman Hidroponik Melalui Pemanfaatan Teknologi Tepat Guna Berbasis Media Informasi Pada Komunitas Umkm Pertanian Perkotaan
2019Chabib Musthofa, Muhammad Andik Izzuddin · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia
This study developed a hydroponic plant business model using information-based appropriate technology for urban agricultural UMKM communities in SERPIS KRPL, Wonocolo, Surabaya, Indonesia. Employing the ADDIE method, the research quantitatively measured the effectiveness, efficiency, and attractiveness of the developed products. Validation tests showed high scores: content expert validation at 81.29%, media and design expert validation at 96.43%, and individual trials at 81.67%. The developed website and social media successfully met the communication needs of the UMKM KRPL SERPIS community and diverse online users for their business processes.
Digital agricultureEconomicsCommunityHow Will We Eat and Produce in the Cities of the Future? From Edible Insects to Vertical Farming—A Study on the Perception and Acceptability of New Approaches
2019Kathrin Specht, Felix Zoll, Henrike Schümann, Julia Bela, Julia Kachel, Marcel Robischon · Sustainability · Global
Nineteen qualitative expert interviews were conducted to identify perceptions of sustainability, social acceptability, and ethical aspects of new urban food production approaches. While major perceived benefits included educational effects and efficient resource use, significant conflicts involved negative side-effects, legal constraints, and high investment costs. Acceptance barriers were largely tied to the "unknown," encompassing a lack of understanding of new approaches, uncertainty about benefits, health risk concerns, unfamiliarity with products, and ethical doubts about animal welfare. The study concluded that adapting the unsuitable regulatory framework, which discourages investors, is a crucial first step to foster dissemination of urban food production approaches.
Governance failureDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicyFood educationAny Sign of Virtual School Garden Exchanges? Education for Sustainable Development in School Gardens since 1992: A Systematic Literature Review
2019Johanna Lochner, Marco Rieckmann, Marcel Robischon · Journal of Education for Sustainable Development · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 158 peer-reviewed articles on school gardening, with a focus on Virtual School Garden Exchanges (VSGEs) and their connection to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The study examined the global perspective of ESD, the use of digital media, and international exchanges in school gardens. Only 14 articles directly incorporated these three perspectives, leading to the identification of possible directions for future research on VSGE.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureMicroclimates of Urban Reproduction: The Limits of Automating Environmental Control
2019Andy Lockhart, Simon Marvin · Antipode · United Kingdom (Sheffield)
This article explored the phenomenon of automated environmental control, using three sites in Sheffield, UK: a botanical glasshouse, a luxury hotel, and a university plant growth research lab. The study identified technical and ecological tensions and limits of indoor environmental control at each site, which restrict the scope of automation. It also showed that maintaining desired conditions required considerable hidden labor and energy.
Limited or null effectDigital agricultureClimate change