Research & reports

Amalliah, Flora Meliana Sihaan · Jurnal Sekretari Universitas Pamulang · Indonesia

In Indonesia, this study analyzed the role of communication management in the Cempaka Women Farmers' Group as a strategy to improve food security and family economy through urban farming programs. A descriptive qualitative research method was used, conducting field research through direct observation, interviews, and documentation. The findings indicated a need for mentoring, which can be achieved through business management training to maximize the economic value of harvests and processed products, utilizing web-based applications for recording members, harvests, and sales, and digital marketing communication to promote the group and build brand awareness for their products.

Ninsheka Leonard, Edward Ssemakula, Tiyo Christopher, Kalibwani Rebecca, Mulongo Marius · International Journal of Life Science and Agriculture Research · Uganda

A study in Kampala and Mbarara Cities, Uganda, investigated the influence of urban agriculture drivers on the socio-economic status of urban farmers, using a sample of 384 respondents. This cross-sectional research employed a multistage cluster sampling technique and multiple data collection methods. A strong association was found between urban agriculture drivers and the socio-economic status of farmers, with five items significantly influencing household socio-economic status: access to capital, access to agriculture extension services, access to financial grants, access to markets, and value addition.

Helene Gallis, Kimberly Weger, Adam Curtis · ˜The œGeojournal library · Norway (Oslo)

This memoir presents the experiences of urban agriculture pioneer Helene Gallis and Nabolagshager in Oslo, Norway. It argues for a systematic application of placemaking principles in urban agriculture to enhance social well-being, enabling diverse community members to participate in co-creating urban agriculture in public spaces. The projects highlight the transformative impact of using placemaking principles for more accessible, inclusive, and democratic cultivated public spaces.

Damai Vianti, Artita Devi Maharani, Eska Stefani · Jurnal Ilmiah Agritas · Indonesia

This quantitative study analyzed the impact of KWT Mentari members' participation in urban agricultural businesses and local food management on family welfare in Kalurahan Maguwoharjo, Sleman Regency, with 35 respondents. The research found high participation levels among KWT Mentari members, with 85% in planning, 85% in implementation, 83% in results utilization, and 86% in evaluation. Family welfare levels were also high, with many respondents classified as Prosperous Family II (10), Prosperous Family III (14), and Prosperous Family III+ (8). Statistical tests indicated that participation significantly affected family welfare, accounting for 51.0% of the variation, with the remaining 49.0% influenced by other factors.

Karla L. Hanson, Claire Concepcion, Leah C. Volpe · Nutrients · United States

This scoping review explored factors associated with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) participation among low-income households in the United States. Analyzing 18 articles, findings suggested that women may be more likely than men to enroll in CSA. A lack of familiarity with CSA may hinder enrollment, whereas more education and self-efficacy for food preparation may facilitate participation.

Shweta Vaishnav, Poonam Saini, Aarti Grover · International Journal of Latest Research in Engineering and Management (IJLREM) · India (Delhi)

A qualitative survey analyzing the July 2023 Delhi flood and its impact on women revealed that changing climatic patterns over the last 20 years pose survival threats to the most vulnerable group, women and cattle, in urban agricultural societies. The study also indicated that various infrastructure projects have altered the terrain in the Yamuna River floodplains, leading to changes in the river's course and annual floods.

Leonard Ninsheka, Edward Ssemakula, Christopher Ewaechabo Tiyo, Rebecca Kalibwani, Ronald Kityo, Wilson Mugizi, Willbroad Byamukama · East African Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology · Sub-Saharan Africa

This review paper examines existing literature on the effects of urban agriculture on the socio-economic status of urban farmers in Sub-Saharan African cities, specifically focusing on Zambia, South Africa, and Nigeria. The review found scanty information regarding how urban agriculture affects farmers' socio-economic status, how farmers derive social and economic status from it, and the types and motivations of farmers. It concludes that understanding crucial factors for food security, income, and related benefits in urban agriculture is essential for policy and technology development.

Gundula Proksch, George Lee · · United States

Based on data from the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project, this study used GIS mapping to investigate urban agriculture typologies and their distribution in the Chicago metropolitan area. It showed that small-scale non-profit gardens are integrated closely with communities, while commercial controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations utilize existing infrastructure and buildings in commercial and industrial corridors. Both types of urban agriculture serve different needs, providing various benefits to the urban population, from social services to fresh food production and economic development.

Ainun Mardiana, Nurdiana Nurdiana, Tuti Supatminingsih, Inanna Inanna, Muhammad Hasan · Journal of Agrosociology and Sustainability · Indonesia (Makassar)

This qualitative study investigated the potential of hydroponic urban farming for empowering housewives and increasing family economic income within the Women Farmers Group (KWT) of Anggrek, Bara-Baraya District, Makassar City, Indonesia. Based on in-depth interviews with three housewives and one government official, the findings indicate that hydroponic urban farming has a significant positive impact on the independence and economic income of families. The study concludes that this practice significantly enhances women's economic self-reliance.

Inger‐Lise Saglie · ˜The œGeojournal library · Norway

This study investigated the motivations for urban agriculture policies in Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, Norway, identifying five categories of motivations. These include urban "green" development, food production and alternative food systems, provision of social meeting places and community building, municipal welfare services (work training, integration, health promotion, knowledge sharing), and active citizenship and co-creation of city development. While motivations were similar across cities, their emphasis varied.

Marcos Xavier · Boletim Campineiro de Geografia · Brazil (São Paulo)

This article aims to present peripheral urban agriculture in the outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil, as an element of the lower circuit of the urban economy. These agricultural activities, carried out by the city's poor, exhibit forms of organization and methods of practice specific to the urban context and participate in the dispute over the appropriation and use of urban space.

Alif Khair An Nassaj, Muhammad Luqman Hakim, Hanna Zharifa Marmu’asyifa, Liya Tsanyyatul Khishol, Andre Alfiansyah, Muhammad Afiq · Solusi Bersama · Indonesia

In Karangmulyo Village, Indonesia, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in the quality and productivity of community gardens and parks. A village nursery revitalization program aimed to overcome these negative impacts, restore land function, and boost the morale of women farmer communities through infrastructure improvements, adaptive crop planting, sustainable agricultural techniques, and community involvement. However, this abstract does not report on the specific effects of this program, such as the improvement of overall community welfare or the ensured sustainability of the village environment.

Sayaka Ushimaru, Rintaro Iwata, Eka Rastiyanto Amrullah, Arini Wahyu Utami, Akira Ishida · Agriculture · Asia

This study used Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data to identify which households raise livestock in urban and peri-urban areas of eight developing Asian countries. Results show that at least 10% of households keep livestock, with over 30% in four countries practicing urban and peri-urban livestock farming (UPLF). Poultry is the most common livestock, and poorer families are more likely to raise livestock, suggesting UPLF can improve food and nutritional security for low-income households.

Nasreen Khan, Anusuyah Subbarao, Shereen Khan, Aysa Siddika · Journal of Human Earth and Future · Malaysia

This research investigated whether the adoption of smart urban farming (SUF) enhances the social and economic well-being (SEW) of senior citizens, involving 130 elderly participants from Klang Valley, Malaysia. Survey data was analyzed using SPSS. The study revealed that while Social Entrepreneurship alone may not be enough to encourage elderly adoption of SUF, combining it with social innovation significantly increases adoption. It also indicated that SUF adoption enhances the elderly's SEW.

Sean Olivia Nicholas, Niki Harré · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Singapore

A review of existing literature and a case study of three urban farms in Singapore were conducted to examine their community contributions. Content analysis of 27 interviews with employees and volunteers revealed that these farms empower participants, generate social capital, provide jobs, involve marginalized groups, and promote pro-environmental behaviors. However, the farms were limited by poor job prospects and lower-than-expected yield.

Joanne E. Porter, Megan Simic, Elizabeth Miller, Daria Soldatenko, Luis Hualda · · Australia

This project, commissioned by the Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre (CERC), explored how nature improved the recovery of remote and rural communities affected by bushfires in East Gippsland, Australia. Data were collected from June to September 2023 through a nature-based community recovery project survey and community interviews. Phase 1 evaluated grant-funded projects, while Phase 2 investigated how broader communities interacted with nature for healing after the 2019-2020 bushfires.

Lynch Jun H. Dondriano, Cathy Jane A. Susuban, Michelle C. Estreller, Saddamiya A. Mingkat · International journal of research and scientific innovation · Philippines

This action research study introduces the Sustainable Parental Resources of Organic Urban Teaching (SPROUT) innovation, aimed at upgrading the livelihood sustainability of parents participating in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the Philippines. SPROUT supports parents in growing organic produce for personal consumption and potential income generation through sustainable agriculture practices and urban gardening techniques. This approach has the potential to enhance families' nutritional status, promote environmental stewardship, and encourage a shift towards healthier, sustainable lifestyles.

Fefi Nurdiana Widjayanti, Insan Wijaya, Firlana Rosa, Farah Zahra, Fajar Pamadi · Kontribusi Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia

This study aimed to empower PKK (Family Welfare Movement) in Indonesia by providing urban farming knowledge and techniques, utilizing yards, narrow lands, and plastic waste to increase family income. Extension, training, and mentoring on static and non-static hydroponic cultivation techniques were conducted, and hydroponic systems such as verticulture using polybags, DFT (Deep Film Technique), floating raft, and verticulture were developed. These activities contributed to improving skills and knowledge in cultivating hydroponic vegetables using plastic waste and increasing income.

Beata Sirowy · ˜The œGeojournal library · Global

This chapter discusses and operationalizes the concept of eudaimonic well-being in cities, based on Aristotle's view of human flourishing and Martha Nussbaum's capability approach, within the context of public space. It proposes using Nussbaum's ten human capabilities and the consideration of virtues to evaluate how urban agriculture projects can sustain well-being dimensions through spatial/functional and social affordances. The research argues for a clearer distinction between eudaimonic and hedonic well-being in urban studies.

Efadul Huq · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

This article argues that in the global South, ecological infrastructure often displaces marginalized urban dwellers by erasing existing informal agricultural practices, or "green informalities." Based on research with urban farmers facing eviction in Dhaka, Bangladesh, it highlights that these green informalities are crucial for understanding grassroots practices and collective power-building. The study advocates for recognizing the political and affective dimensions of informal urban agriculture as a socially just ecological infrastructure that prioritizes justice and dweller agency.

Ive Mariana Guissoni Arantes, Cícero José Da Silva, Natália Gislene Silva Salvador, Anselmo Afonso Golynski, Ênio Eduardo Basílio, Danilo Silva de Oliveira, Valentine Virginia Matheus, Eduardo Cardoso da Silva Assunção · Caderno Pedagógico · Brazil (Morrinhos-Goiás)

The Horta Comunitária extension project in Morrinhos-Goiás, Brazil, produces vegetables to ensure food security for socially vulnerable families. Managed by teachers, staff, and students from Intituto Federal Goiano Campus – Morrinhos, the project has achieved significant results in training and providing healthy food.

Jing Zhao, Faziawati Abdul Aziz, Norsidah Ujang · International Journal of Business and Technology Management · China (Wuxi)

This study investigated the correlation between residents' needs and the provision of neighborhood outdoor spaces in Wuxi, China, through the lens of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, using survey data from 372 residents. Findings revealed that residents seek clean and verdant spaces at the physiological level, well-lit and secure spaces for safety, environments like community gardens that encourage interaction for love and belonging, aesthetically appealing spaces that bolster local identity for esteem, and areas providing avenues for personal development, such as neighborhood vegetable gardens, for self-actualization.

Huq, Efadul · Smith ScholarWorks (Smith College) · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

Research in Dhaka, Bangladesh, indicates that ecological infrastructure often erases existing informal agricultural practices, leading to the displacement of marginalized urban dwellers. Based on engaged research with a collective of urban farmers facing eviction, this paper argues that green informalities are crucial for understanding grassroots practices and can be appreciated as socially just ecological infrastructure.

Puji Lestari Tarigan, Edi Purnomo Sasongko, Haidar Fari Aditya, Wanti Mindari, Ramadhani Mahendra Kusuma, Fitri Wijayanti · Journal of Community Service · Indonesia (Sidoarjo)

This community service activity in RW IX, Griya Bhayangkara, Sidoarjo, East Java, introduced the cultivation of green grass jelly using urban farming methods like polybags and pots to PKK groups. The aim was to highlight the plant's benefits for digestion, blood sugar, and cancer prevention, and its potential for household-scale processing. The activity, which included lectures and practical sessions, resulted in the distribution of grass jelly plants for care and harvesting, with the PKK group finding them interesting and beneficial for various food preparations.

Minah Baek, Eunseo Jeong, Eunjeong Kang · Academy of Urban Health · South Korea

This systematic review analyzed 19 domestic studies on the health effects of care farming in South Korea, noting an increase in research since 2020 across diverse fields. Horticultural therapy was the most common intervention, with insect, forest, and urban gardening showing positive effects on stress, depression, and cognitive and emotional functions. Recommendations included increased attention from healthcare researchers, standardization of practices, and policy support.