Research & reports

Gianni Talamini, Qi Zhang, Paola Viganò · Environment and Urbanization · China

Focusing on Nanshan District in Shenzhen, a vast, rapidly urbanizing region of China, this study used a mixed-method approach combining spatial analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews to analyze the social and spatial characteristics of urban agriculture and its regulation in a Chinese global city. The results show diverse types of urban agriculture coexisting and interacting, forming a socio-biologically rich heterogeneity of precarious practices that are overlooked by local authorities yet contribute to stewardship, social development, community engagement, and the preservation of agricultural heritage. The article presents policy insights and advocates for government involvement in recognizing the social significance of urban agriculture.

Leslie Mabon, Wan-Yu Shih, Sue-Ching Jou · Sustainability Science · Taiwan

This paper examines how a science-policy-practice community formed around Taipei's Garden City urban farming initiative. It finds the community emerged through a dynamic top-down and bottom-up process, enabling long-term public-private partnership and the coexistence of different knowledges, while questioning the community's limited ability to influence the broader 'garden city' vision beyond discrete, time-bound sites. It reports that the number of urban farming sites grew from 292 in 2015 to 733 in 2020.

Cheng C., Aviso K.B., Tan R.R., Aviso K. · Sustainability (MDPI), 13(16):9042 · Asia

A study developing a system-dynamics model of a rooftop farm in Taipei City to analyze the socio-environmental benefits of rooftop agriculture (improved food access, community ties, energy savings, reduced flood risk). It frames rooftop farming as a practical solution for strengthening water-energy-food nexus synergies in greener cities.

Bhuwan Thapa, Aniruddha Banerjee, Jeffrey Wilson, Samantha Hamlin · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Indianapolis)

The study developed a p-median spatial optimization model to identify new urban agriculture sites in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, weighting block groups by food access and obesity prevalence. Optimally selected locations were 52% more efficient than randomly chosen ones in average distance traveled, with no significant difference among the three policy scenarios.

· Sustainability · China (Chengdu)

Assesses how urban agriculture can inform evidence-based food planning in Chengdu, China. The staple-food self-sufficiency rate was 83.82% in 2019, suggesting potential food-security pressures.

· Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · China (Nanjing)

Analyzes the spatial-planning dimensions of urban informal food systems in Nanjing's Qinhuai District, China.

· Land · China (Nanjing)

Discusses comprehensive food-system planning for urban food security in Nanjing, China, including expansion of peri-urban greenhouse vegetable production.

Gendraya Rohaini, Sukendi Sukendi, Sofyan Husein Siregar, Dessy Yoswati · Jurnal Zona · Asia

This research aimed to plan an integration strategy between green open space (GOS) and an urban agriculture program in Duri City, Indonesia, a petroleum-producing city. Using a GIS-AHP approach, the study found that strategic integration of private GOS with urban agriculture contributes 14.134% to private GOS availability in Duri City, exceeding the 10% requirement mandated by the Spatial Arrangement Act.

Harniati Harniati, Reni Suryanti · Jurnal Penyuluhan Pertanian · Indonesia

This study investigated urban farmers' accessibility to agroinputs in intra-urban (Situ Gede, Margajaya) and peri-urban (Pasir Buncir, Pasir Eurih of Tamansari) areas in Indonesia. The findings revealed that land, labor, feed concentrate, fertilizer, and seeds are difficult for farmers to access. Specifically, peri-urban paddy land ownership is less than 0.2 Ha, intra-urban farmers are landless, outside labor is limited and expensive, and feed concentrate for sheep is rarely available and unaffordable. These limited accessibilities present problems and challenges for urban agribusiness development.

Han Kyul Heo, Eunseok Lee · Journal of people, plants, and environment · South Korea

This study investigated types of vertical smart farms (VSF) and citizens' awareness of them in Korean cities through case studies and a questionnaire survey. Four VSF types were identified: rooftop, facade, indoor, and whole-building farms. The survey found that 22.2% of respondents were well-aware of VSF, and improving public awareness was considered the most important factor for VSF introduction. Education and promotion were deemed crucial for VSF diffusion.

Shiyao Liu · International Journal of Frontiers in Sociology · China (Xi'an)

This thesis constructs a planning and construction model for urban agricultural complexes based on symbiosis theory and a coordinated urban-rural development model. The model is applied to the planning and design of Chunshu Village in Xi'an, aiming to integrate rural and agricultural parts of the urban fringe into the urban system and solve various problems in suburban economic and social development.

오충현, 최지원 · 한국환경생태학회 학술발표논문집 · South Korea (Seoul)

This study analyzed South Korea's urban agriculture policies over the 10 years since the enactment of the Urban Agriculture Support Act in 2011, exploring achievements and future development directions. It evaluated changes in urban agriculture demand and value by analyzing Seoul's Urban Agriculture Master Plans (1st in 2012, 2nd in 2014, 3rd in 2020). The analysis showed that urban agriculture activities became more active than initially planned, shifting from individual-level safe produce production and leisure to social values like welfare and environment.

Daren Shi-chi Leung · China Perspectives · China (Guangzhou)

The Chinese community-supported agriculture (CSA) movement advocates for peasant farming and food sovereignty, promoting "ethical" food often through intermediary certification. However, controversy exists among CSA activists who question the effectiveness of certification in improving consumer-producer relationships. This paper presents an alternative approach focusing on strengthening participatory culture within the consumer-producer nexus, based on an empirical study of Chengxianghui (CXH) in Guangzhou and outlining a "convivial agriculture" framework.

Nhung Pham Thi, Martin Kappas, Heiko Faust · Sustainability · Vietnam

This study in Huong Thuy Town, Vietnam, examined the impacts of agricultural land acquisition for urbanization (ALAFU) on 50 affected households. It found that rice cultivation and animal breeding sharply declined, while potted flower plantation grew, becoming the main income for 34% of households. However, all agricultural activities faced challenges due to shortcomings in agricultural land allocation and development plans.

Ahmad Riyadh Umar Balahmar, Eni Rustianingsih, Ilmi Usrotin Choiriyah, Hendra Sukmana, Totok Wahyu Abadi · Umsida Repository (Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo) · Indonesia

This study, based on FGDs and academic texts from the Sidoarjo Regency Government, explores the development of a tourism area in the Sidoarjo mudflow region of Indonesia. It found that mudflow tourism could become a major destination, supported by facilities like geopark galleries, urban forests, and urban farming. Realizing this model requires physical and non-physical infrastructure, along with community socialization on safety and benefits.

Wildani Pingkan S. Hamzens, Meidy Widayanto Moestopo · AGROLAND The Agricultural Sciences Journal (e-Journal) · Indonesia

This research aimed to formulate a sustainable agricultural spatial innovation for the development of agribusiness places on Palu Riversides. Field observation, satellite image map observation, and literature review were used as methods. The results indicated that implementing sustainable agriculture through agribusiness place development in urban areas could utilize open spaces designated as green open space zones on the Palu Riversides, specifically the River Green Area outside the riparian zone and the river overflow runoff area.

Adela Purba, Nelson Siahaan · International Journal of Architecture and Urbanism · Indonesia (Medan)

This study proposes a flat design in Medan, Indonesia, that integrates neighborhood spaces for urban farming. The design addresses the high density and lack of communal spaces in existing flats by creating green open areas for social interaction and productive urban farming. The design process involved field studies, physical data collection, literature review, and an Ecological Architecture approach to meet user needs and reduce urban environmental problems.

Retno Wulandari, Nana Kariada Tri Martuti, Muh Arif Syamsul, Dhita Prasisca Mutiatari · Jurnal Abdimas · Indonesia (Semarang)

This activity facilitated the construction of a greenhouse for the Kemijen Farmers Group (KT Kemijen) in Kemijen Village, Semarang City, Indonesia, as part of PT. Indonesia Power Semarang PGU's CSR program. The project successfully built one greenhouse (8m long, 5m wide, 3m high) using PDAM water and rainwater harvesting. The greenhouse has provided benefits to the community, enhancing social, environmental, and economic potential.

Audrey Chia, Junyu Ong, Anjali Bundele, Yee Wei Lim · Obesity Reviews · South Korea

A scoping review of social ventures in obesity prevention identified 512 social ventures across 32 countries, with 93% originating from developed countries, including urban farming among their intervention areas. Social ventures developed diverse business models with multiple revenue streams, offering financially self-sufficient approaches. However, the review did not provide detailed data on specific successful cases or the scale of economic viability for these ventures.

Mi Sun Park, Seongmin Shin, Haeun Lee · Forest Policy and Economics · Democratic People's Republic of Korea

This research examined urban greening policies in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by applying media content analysis to articles on urban green spaces published in the Rodong Shinmun newspaper from 1959 to 2018. The analysis, using an ecosystem service approach, identified three media frames: diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational. Findings revealed edible trees highlighted as provisioning services, disaster control and environmental protection as regulating/supporting services, and recreation/landscape as cultural services, with frames also proposing strategic planning and encouraging public participation.

M. S. Swaminathan · · India

This study examines the agricultural situation in West Bengal, noting that livestock ownership is more egalitarian than land ownership and that the region has abundant fish ponds. It emphasizes the importance of adopting integrated pest management procedures to prevent pesticide pollution in fish cultivation water. The abstract also states that socially underprivileged communities gaining access to agricultural and homestead land through land reforms is a significant step in eliminating poverty.

Yang Zhou, Yang Zhou, Jing‐Cheng Han, Jie Li, Ya Zhou, Ya Zhou, Keyi Wang, Yuefei Huang · Journal of Cleaner Production · China (Shenzhen)

This study focused on robust planning for Shenzhen City's urban agriculture system under stringent pollution controls, aiming to build resilient cities. A robust-optimization-based urban agriculture planning (ROB-UAP) model was developed and applied to Shenzhen City. Results indicated that under expected economic conditions, agricultural restructuring could increase the system's overall output by at least 8%. Furthermore, the total amount of major pollutants could be reduced in both risk-averse and risk-tolerant scenarios, highlighting the importance of robust decision-making for environmentally low-impact outcomes.

Subeen Jang · The Korea Association of Yeolin Education · South Korea (Seoul)

This study analyzed the implementation process of the School Farm Program in Seoul, South Korea, through a literature review. The analysis found that there was a risk of the policy's focus deviating from school and educational issues, as multiple policymakers pursued diverse economic and social goals using school farms. Additionally, policy effects at the target level could differ from policymaker goals depending on each school's context, and interaction among policy implementers and various interest groups like civic organizations, experts, and media was insufficient.

Zachary Burt, C. Shambu Prasad, Pay Drechsel, Isha Ray · Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development · India (Karnataka)

A preference-ranking model was developed to understand the acceptance of fecal sludge-derived fertilizer (FSF) in Karnataka, India, by modeling farmowners and farmworkers separately. The study found that farmers willing to use FSF prefer to conceal its origins from workers and their caste group, especially caste-adhering, vegetarian farmowners. Workers were open to FSF if it resembled cow manure, revealing that the waste economy in rural India is shaped by unacknowledged caste hierarchies and practices.

Margareth Margareth, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Martha Fani Cahyandito, Kinanti Indah Safitri · Prosiding Seminar Nasional Fakultas Pertanian UNS · Indonesia (Bandung)

This qualitative study examines the implementation of urban farming in Bandung City, Indonesia, from a political ecology perspective, focusing on market, service, and institutional interactions, and product marketing chains. The research identifies policy failures, where city government agricultural policies were insufficient to meet residents' food needs, necessitating top-down urban farming innovations. It also notes market failures due to public dissatisfaction with available products, driving bottom-up urban farming initiatives by independent organizations. Funding sources and operational cost efficiency strategies differ between government-led and independent urban farming efforts.