Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
3465 results(129 / 139)
Mental Health and Social Space: Towards Inclusionary Geographies?
2008Hester Parr · · Global
This work explores the relationship between mental health and social space, examining various contexts. Chapters cover geographies of difference in mental health, community and citizenship, rural communities, and the therapeutic potential of urban gardening for citizenship and social inclusion. It also discusses artistic spaces and virtual communities in relation to mental health.
HealthCommunitySocial-ecological memory for management of ecosystem services
2008Stephan Barthel, Carl Folke, Johan Colding · · Sweden (Stockholm)
This thesis investigated how social-ecological features influence ecosystem service (ES) generation through case studies in Stockholm, Sweden. Findings indicated that urban ES flows are products of co-evolutionary processes, requiring governance to consider historical rights and diverse actor groups. Informally managed allotment gardens showed higher pollinator abundance compared to other urban green spaces, and social-ecological memory among gardeners was found to retain and transmit practices linked to ES generation. The study concluded that sustaining urban ES depends on management practices by people and local communities of ecosystem practice.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityOrganic cycleCase study IV: Intensive rooftop gardens
2008Nyuk Hien Wong, Yu Chen · · Singapore
In Singapore, there was a need to demonstrate the thermal benefits of rooftop gardens with tangible data as a potential measure to mitigate the urban heat island effect. This study conducted local measurements and calculations to demonstrate the thermal benefits of rooftop gardens in the tropics.
Climate changeThe world food crisis: a push for urban farming
2008Pay Drechsel · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Global
This paper discusses the global food crisis, which has caused skyrocketing food prices and riots in some countries. Underlying the food crisis is the deeper issue of the looming water crisis.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeUrban and peri-urban agriculture as a livelihood strategy of internally displaced persons in Khartoum
2008Friedhelm Streiffeler, Elsamawal Khalil Makki, Ali Ayoub · Econstor (Econstor) · Sudan (Khartoum)
This research in Greater Khartoum, Sudan, investigated urban and peri-urban agriculture as a livelihood strategy for internally displaced persons. While urban agriculture significantly reduces absolute poverty, its implementation faces many problems due to natural, economic, and social differences in the new environment, resulting in a low degree of agricultural development. Migrants with smaller fields and lower agricultural development showed a greater desire to return to their homeland, and social integration also influenced the decision to stay or return.
Economic viabilityWelfareCommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsSeasonality, Household Food Security, and Nutritional Status in Dinajpur, Bangladesh
2008Chris Hillbruner, Rebecca Egan · Food and Nutrition Bulletin · Bangladesh (Dinajpur)
A study in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, from 2002 to 2003, investigated the impact of seasonality on food security and nutritional status in approximately 600 low-income urban households. Data collected through surveys and child measurements revealed significantly higher rates of food insecurity, wasting, and inadequate growth during the monsoon season compared to the dry season. While dietary diversity and lost work due to weather were identified as pathways affecting food security, child illness was not found to be a significant mechanism contributing to seasonal nutritional declines.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsRECUPERACIÓN DE ESPACIOS URBANOS Y PERIURBANOS MEDIANTE LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE PARQUES-HUERTAS EN LA CIUDAD DE BAHIA BLANCA
2008María Amalia Lorda, Jezabel Franza, María Belén Kraser, Daniel Paoloni, Silvina Raitzin, Gabriel Oscar Reiter · Revista de Lengua y Literatura (National University of Comahue) · Argentina (Bahia Blanca)
This communication provides the foundations for implementing "Park-Gardens" in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, to recover urban and peri-urban spaces. Park-Gardens are described as multifunctional public spaces, participatively managed by the state and civil society using ecological cultivation techniques. They contribute to local development, strategic planning, improved sanitary conditions, strengthened biodiversity, and sustainable resource management, while enabling agrochemical-free food production.
CommunityEconomicsOrganic cyclePolicyPerceptions of farmers on health risks and risk reduction measures in wastewater‐irrigated urban vegetable farming in Ghana
2008Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, Flemming Konradsen · Journal of Risk Research · Ghana
A study in Ghana used participatory research methods to summarize farmers' perceptions of health risks and risk reduction measures in urban vegetable farming irrigated with untreated wastewater. Farmers were aware of health risks from wastewater, perceiving occupational skin infections as the greatest risk, while consumer health risks were rated very low. Many international risk reduction measures were deemed unsuitable by farmers, who preferred simple, low-cost alternatives.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityInteraction Mechanism Between Sustainable Development of Urban Agriculture and Increase of Peasants' Income
2008Wei Xu · Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment · Global
This study examines the interaction between the sustainable development of urban agriculture and the increase in peasants' income, treating them as a combined system. It identifies a synergistic relationship between increased peasant income and urban agriculture development, but also a competitive relationship between maximizing short-term income and ecological sustainable development. The research suggests that a sustainable urban agricultural resource allocation mechanism can foster coordination and positive interaction, with urban circular agriculture economy being a basic strategy for this coordination.
Economic viabilityEconomicsOrganic cyclePolicyUrban–rural linkageDoes Urban Agriculture Enhance Dietary Diversity? Empirical Evidence from a Sample of Developing Countries
2008Alberto Zezza, Luca Tasciotti, Zezza, Alberto, Tasciotti, Luca · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global
This paper investigates the importance of urban agriculture (UA) for poor and food-insecure households in urban areas, using survey data from 15 developing or transition countries. It aims to fill research gaps by analyzing, from a comparative perspective, UA's potential role in addressing urban food insecurity problems. The paper defines UA as crop and livestock production within city boundaries.
HealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceThe Application of ANP in Evaluation Index System of Urban Agriculture
2008Rui Chen · Chinese Agricultural Mechanization · Global
Urban agriculture is based on a combination of manufacture, life, and ecology, emphasizing urban and rural development in step, and the co-prosperity of economy, ecology, and society. This study adopted the analytic network process (ANP) to construct an evaluation index system of urban agriculture, based on domestic and international research. Theoretical foundations of ANP were discussed, and dependence and feedback among indexes were analyzed. The result of the ANP model for the index system was obtained with SD software.
EconomicsOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkagePolicyFaecal bacterial indicators removal in various wastewater treatment plants located in Almendares River watershed (Cuba)
2008Tamara García–Armisen, Josué Prats, Yociel Marrero, Pierre Servais · Water Science & Technology · Cuba (Havana)
The Almendares River in Havana, Cuba, receives wastewater from over 200,000 inhabitants, resulting in very poor microbiological water quality downstream due to high faecal bacterial indicators (FBIs). This water is used for urban agriculture and recreation, despite not meeting microbiological standards. This study compared FBI removal in three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): a conventional facility, a constructed wetland (CW), and a solar aquatic system (SAS). Natural systems (CW and SAS) showed approximately two log units higher FBI removal efficiency than the conventional plant. The large conventional WWTP was found to have a negative impact on the river's microbiological quality.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityClimate changeAssessment of heavy metal contamination and macro-nutrient content of compose for environmental pollution control in Ghana.
2008J.N. Hogard, Julius N. Fobil, Godfred K. Ofosu-Budu, D. Carboo, Nii‐Ayi Ankrah, Alexander K. Nyarko · · Ghana
This study in Ghana investigated the macro-nutrient content and heavy metal concentrations in solid waste composts to assess their potential for soil fertility amelioration and health implications in urban and peri-urban agriculture. Overall NPK concentration was low, with agricultural waste composts showing higher total N, K, and organic carbon than municipal solid waste (MSW) composts. Heavy metal concentrations for Ni, Zn, Cu, and Cd were generally low and within Australian standards. However, lead (Pb) concentration in mixed MSW composts was significantly high during the dry season, exceeding the Australian limit of 150 mg/kg Pb for unrestricted use. Seasons and composting processes were found to be important determinants of toxic metal concentrations in final compost products.
Contamination & food safetyCompostHealthOrganic cycleAprovechamiento de residuos sólidos en un sistema hidro-orgánico de agricultura urbana
2008Consuelo Montes Rojas, Víctor Felipe Terán Gómez, Diego Fernando Ortiz Tovar · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Colombia
This research aimed to design a hydro-organic vegetable production system for small areas in Popayán, Colombia, utilizing recycled materials and urban solid waste. The system was evaluated using three nutritional treatments (organic leachate, supplemented organic leachate, common nutrient solution) with cilantro as a biological indicator. The urban vegetable production system achieved yields of up to 627 g m-2, surpassing traditional agriculture (227 g), with the commercial nutrient solution identified as the best nutritional source.
Organic cycleCompostFood sovereignty & justiceDIYRespuesta del Sorgo en condiciones de secano como alternativa para la alimentación animal en la Agricultura Urbana Response of Sorghum cultivated under dry Conditions as an alternative for the animal feeding in the Urban Agriculture
2008Lorenzo Montero S., Reinaldo Cun, A. Dal Lago · · Cuba (Havana)
A study conducted at the Camilo Cienfuegos Basic Unit of Cooperative Production, an urban farm in San Miguel del Padron, Havana, Cuba, from June to September 2006, investigated the yield response of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, variety V-4) cultivated under dry conditions for animal feeding. Total rainfall during this period was 326.9 mm, and the yield was 4.86 t/ha. The rainfall provided optimal soil moisture for the crop's entire biological cycle, leading to a recommendation for sowing in wet months without supplementary irrigation.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsInformation seeking and use among urban farmers in Kampala District, Uganda
2008Helen M. Byamugisha, Robert Ikoja-Odongo, George William Nasinyama, Shuaib Lwasa · · Uganda
In Kampala, Uganda, urban farmers lack access to adequate information on innovative agricultural technologies, inputs, and balancing productivity with environmental requirements. This information deficit results in low urban farming production despite supportive legal frameworks. This paper presents preliminary findings on information search and acquisition mechanisms among urban farmers in Kampala District, exploring their contribution to reducing or exacerbating urban food insecurity, and plans to design an information seeking and use model for them.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunity현대 건축 및 도시설계에 있어서 지속가능한 커뮤니티의 개념과 적용에 관한 연구
2008곽동화, 이정미 · 한국디지털건축인테리어학회 논문집 · Global
This study clarified the concept of sustainable community in contemporary architecture and urban design, examining various application modes such as rural ecovillages and urban demonstration projects. It summarized design elements for sustainable communities, including symbiosis with nature, permaculture, and resource-saving technology. Design methods identified included strategic planning, visioning, and community action planning.
CommunityClimate change换个角度，再谈都市农业——都市农业的发展、特征和成效
2008何秀荣 · 蔬菜 · Global
This article discusses the rapid development of urban agriculture in China and globally, covering its origins, characteristics, and current status. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of urban agriculture, from theory to modern sightseeing vegetable cultivation techniques, with insights from agricultural economic experts and grassroots agricultural staff.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageIncreasing Recognition of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture:
2008Camillus J. Sawio · · Global
This paper, based on existing literature, discusses the increasing international, regional, and local recognition of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) over the past three decades. It highlights UPA's contributions to feeding urban populations, poverty alleviation, food security, and sustainable urban management, attributing this recognition to efforts by various international organizations and resulting municipal declarations.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfarePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsRuralizar la ciudad. Metodología de introducción de la agricultura como vector de sostenibilidad en la planificación urbana
2008Graciela Arosemena Díaz · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Global
This thesis proposes a methodology for introducing urban agriculture into urban planning to achieve urban sustainability by closing nutrient cycles. It aims to integrate urban and agrarian systems by balancing urban waste production with vegetable needs and cultivated space output with nutrient restitution. The research develops formulas to define criteria for urban agriculture introduction, including required cultivated area and organic waste reuse, and analyzes historical and contemporary green systems in relation to agriculture.
Organic cyclePolicyUrban–rural linkageAbandoning the Monumental and Seeking the Serendipitous
2008Sophie Watson · Open Research Online - ORO (The Open University) · Global
This article advocates for diverse cities where individuals can interact despite their differences within public spaces. It posits that these spaces are not the grand, planned areas created by urban planners, but rather marginal, unseen, and often unplanned locations. Examples provided include street markets, city farms, allotments, and abandoned land adjacent to railways.
CommunityUsing on-farm sedimentation ponds to improve microbial quality of irrigation water in urban vegetable farming in Ghana
2008Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, Flemming Konradsen · Water Science & Technology · Ghana (Kumasi)
A study in Kumasi, Ghana, assessed the use of on-farm ponds to reduce microbial contamination in wastewater-contaminated irrigation water, analyzing over 300 samples. It found that while ponds are common, their potential for pathogen removal via sedimentation is not fully optimized. Helminth eggs reduced by about 70% with careful water collection, but thermotolerant coliforms took six days in the dry season to meet WHO guidelines, indicating suboptimal performance for some pathogens.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceDiscussion on residential community garden scenery design
2008Wang Ai-fe · Shanxi Architecture · Global
This paper discusses the function and current state of residential community garden scenery, thoroughly examining design principles based on factors like region, function, nature, system, and comprehension. It concludes that residential community garden scenery design must adopt measures suited to local conditions and comply with nature to meet contemporary demands.
CommunityDIYPreliminary Discussion on the City Rooftop Garden
2008Peng Yi-jun · Anhui nongye kexue · Global
This discussion examined the necessity and construction methods of rooftop gardens, along with the key considerations and challenges during their development. It also covered their developmental history, current status, and future prospects.
DIYCommunityClimate change7. Analysing Visual Experience
2008Sarah Pink · Edinburgh University Press eBooks · Global
This research, conducted in autumn 2005, involved interviewing David and Anne about a community garden project, using digital video, still cameras, and audio recording. The study explored the visual elements of the project, noting how participants used spoken words, documents, drawings, and photographs to narrate their experiences. The combination of multiple media provided a comprehensive understanding of the garden's past, planned creation, and future sensory experience.
Community