Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1177 results(13 / 48)
Vertical farming - smart urban agriculture for enhancing resilience and sustainability in food security
2023Oh S., Lu C. · The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 98(2):133-140 · Global
Review of commercial vertical farming with IoT-based precision control, discussing its contribution to food security and the sustainability and profitability challenges facing the indoor farming industry.
EconomicsPolicyDriving sustainable urban development: Exploring the role of small-scale organic urban agriculture in Bogotá, Colombia: A case study
2023Riaño-Herrera D.A., Varela-Martínez D.A., Chenet J.G., García-García D.A., Díaz-Verus S.D. · Sustainable Cities and Society · Colombia (Bogotá)
This case study analyzed rooftop organic agriculture in Bogotá over 11 months, documenting an 82.1% relative yield from 336 harvested vegetables and estimating food autonomy potential for over 11,000 families through 432 projects.
Organic cycleCommunityEconomicsHealthDrivers of Innovative Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Bamenda City, Cameroon
2023Ngetleh N., Bime-Egwu M., Tambi M. · Agricultural Sciences · Cameroon (Bamenda)
This study identifies the socioeconomic and institutional drivers behind innovative urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) adoption in Bamenda City, Cameroon, demonstrating that UPA is a critical livelihood strategy for the urban poor amid rapid urbanization. The findings inform policy recommendations to support sustainable urban food production.
EconomicsCommunityPolicyFood educationSMART GROW – Low-cost automated hydroponic system for urban farming
2023Kueh Yung Shin K., Tan P.P., Goh Boon Ling M., Chong C.J., Bolhassan N.A. · HardwareX, 16:e00498 · Malaysia
An open-hardware study designing and publishing SMART GROW, a low-cost automated IoT hydroponic system paired with an Android app for small-scale urban farming. It monitors and controls basic parameters such as pH, EC and water level and can be readily replicated, self-built and customised at home. It exemplifies DIY and maker culture in which citizens tackle urban food production with self-built equipment.
DIYCommunityEconomicsDesign and Simulations of a Self-Assembling Autonomous Vertical Farm for Urban Farming
2023· Agriculture · Global
Presents a conceptual design and simulations of a self-assembling, low-cost, fully automatic vertical farm with a small footprint intended to be installed and used by a non-specialist. Cost minimisation is achieved by using one set of resources moved by a robot arm to service the plants.
DIYEconomicsDevelopment of a Low-Cost and Modular Vertical Farming Rig for Sustainable Farming Process
2023· Instrumentation Mesure Métrologie · Global
Develops a low-cost, modular vertical farming rig based on a steel cuboid enclosure constructed with sustainable and locally sourced materials. Monitoring and control use a Raspberry Pi with microcontrollers and IoT sensors/actuators for remote automation.
DIYEconomicsIoT-Enabled Smart Drip Irrigation System Using ESP32
2023· IoT (MDPI) · Global
Design of a low-cost IoT smart drip irrigation system comprising an ESP32, solenoid valve, and soil-moisture, temperature, humidity and water-flow sensors that automates watering based on sensor readings.
DIYEconomicsDevelopment of a Low-Cost Plant Growth Chamber for Improved Phenotyping Research
2023· Journal of Biosystems Engineering · Global
Development of a low-cost plant growth chamber using open-source technology that controls internal temperature, LED lighting and aeroponics with remote operation; the prototype achieved over 600 umol m-2 s-1 PPFD and 21/17 degree C day/night temperatures.
DIYEconomicsDevelopment of an economic smart aquaponic system based on IoT
2023Mahmoud M.M., Darwish R.R., Bassiuny A.M. · Journal of Engineering Research · Egypt
An economically oriented smart aquaponic system was developed and implemented, using IoT technology to monitor and control aquaponic operations.
DIYEconomicsPush and pull motivations of international voluntary workers on organic farms (the WWOOFers)
2023· Current Issues in Tourism · International
Analyzes the push and pull motivations of international volunteer workers (WWOOFers) who participate in labour and exchange on organic farms.
EconomicsCommunityOrganic cycleHouseholds' participation in agri-food based livelihoods: Insights from urban and peri-urban contexts of Tanzania
2023· Cogent Economics & Finance · Tanzania
Analyzes household participation in agri-food based livelihoods across urban and peri-urban contexts of Tanzania.
EconomicsWelfareAssessing financial subsidies for green roofs: A micro-scale analysis of Lisbon (Portugal)
2023· Cities · Portugal (Lisbon)
Cost-benefit analysis showing that Lisbon's flat, city-wide green-roof subsidy design is suboptimal—constant subsidy values fail to optimize public funds because ecosystem-service benefits vary spatially, evidencing a poorly targeted (wasteful) green-infrastructure incentive.
PolicyEconomicsFood production and resource use of urban farms and gardens: a five-country study
2023Dorr, E., Hawes, J.K., Goldstein, B., Fargue-Lelièvre, A., Fox-Kämper, R., Specht, K., Fedeńczak, K., Caputo, S., Cohen, N., Poniży, L., Schoen, V., Górecki, T., Newell, J.P., Jean-Soro, L., Grard, B. · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · Global
A citizen-science study collecting data from 72 urban agriculture sites across France, Germany, Poland, the UK and the USA to analyze yields and resource use. Most plots yielded between 0.5 and 2 kg/m².
EconomicsOrganic cycleCommunityDIYIs Urban Agriculture Sustaining the Urban Poor? A Study of Grandmother Headed Households (GHHs) in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2023Chipo Hungwe · Journal of Women & Aging · Zimbabwe (Bulawayo)
A qualitative case study based on interviews with 19 older women heading grandmother-headed households in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Urban agriculture did not reduce food insecurity or social exclusion for these participants. The barriers reported were difficulty obtaining land to cultivate, health problems associated with ageing, and the physically demanding nature of the farming work itself. The author concludes that social assistance, rather than reliance on urban agriculture as a livelihood strategy for elderly-headed households, is what these households need.
ElderlyWelfareEconomicsUrban farming with rooftop greenhouses: A systematic literature review
2023Annie Drottberger, Yizhi Zhang, Jean Wan Hong Yong, Marie-Claude Dubois · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · Global
This systematic literature review, based on 45 articles, examined the benefits and challenges of rooftop greenhouse technology. While benefits include optimized land use, increased profitability, good yields, and resource efficiency, the review identified significant challenges. These challenges include additional investment and operational costs, limited availability of flat roofs, and various regulations, which hinder the widespread adoption of rooftop greenhouses.
Economic viabilityClimate changeEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureUnraveling the role of informal mutual aid networks in maintaining urban farms in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
2023Maurice Kesonga Nsele, Thomas Dogot, Kevin Maréchal · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Democratic Republic of Congo (Lubumbashi)
Survey data from 88 randomly chosen farmers in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, was analyzed to understand the role of informal mutual aid networks in maintaining urban farms. Results showed that 79.5% of surveyed farmers utilized mutual aid to ensure their vegetable production cycle, involving resource sharing (15.1 interactions per farmer) and agricultural know-how sharing (11.6 interactions per farmer). Gender, age, experience, religious affiliation, farmer status in the household, neighborhood relations, kinship, and religious affiliation were significant factors for mutual aid.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban agricultural activities, a food system resilience strategy during COVID-19 in Haiti
2023Bénédique Paul · Food systems · Haiti
This exploratory research in Haiti investigated whether urban agriculture served as an appropriate and innovative food system resilience strategy for the urban population during the COVID-19 crisis. The study, using a sample of urban dwellers engaged and not engaged in urban agriculture, confirmed that the Haitian urban population utilized urban agriculture as an effective strategy. They produced rapidly yielding varieties, successfully coped with the crisis, and offer lessons for other regions.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthEconomicsSuitability assessment and recommendations for Urban agricultural development: A case study in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City, Viet Nam
2023Phạm Thanh Vũ, Võ Quang Minh · Plant Science Today · Viet Nam
A study in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City, Viet Nam, assessed aspects and designed adaptive models for urban agriculture using data collection, farmer surveys, statistical analysis, and FAO land suitability assessment. It found that growing green vegetables, fruits, decorative plants, orchids, and raising cattle is the most effective model. This model creates jobs, boosts income, supplies clean food, provides greenery, recycles waste, and reduces pollution, supporting sustainable agricultural options for the area.
EconomicsCommunityOrganic cycleHealthConstraint and autonomy in the Swiss “local contract farming” movement
2023Jérémie Forney, Julien Vuilleumier, Marion Fresia · · Switzerland
This study on the local contract farming (LCF) movement in Switzerland is based on an ethnography of three LCF networks. The research focuses on the contract that formalizes the "promise of difference" and the redefinition of food quality and value. It acknowledges both the potential for transformation of LCF ventures and their clear limitations, aiming to foster discussions beyond simple statements of success or failure.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceStimulating and developing sustainable urban local economies: The role of urban agriculture
2023James Kwame Mensah · Development Southern Africa · Ghana
This research examined the role of urban agriculture in the urban local economy in Ghana, addressing a lack of empirical evidence from a Local Economic Development (LED) perspective. Data was gathered through focus group discussions and key informant interviews with urban agriculturalists and local authorities in two assemblies in the Greater Accra region. The findings suggest that with proper support, urban agriculture can improve the local economy by providing employment, income, and enhanced livelihood and food security.
EconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityAssessment of Land Use Efficiencies of Ghanaian Cities: Case Study of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis
2023M. S. Aduah, Saviour Mantey · South African Journal of Geomatics · Ghana
This study used geospatial techniques, multi-temporal land use maps, and population data to estimate urban land use efficiency (LUE), changes in built-up area per capita, and urban sprawl speed (SS) in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan area of Ghana. While LUE generally improved from 2002 to 2016, it deteriorated slightly between 2016 and 2021. Critically, agricultural land or grassland in the city has been converted to built-up land, posing a challenge for urban agriculture.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAnalysis of Urban Maize Yield Response to Urban Sprawl in a Changing Climate: Case of Harare Metropolitan City
2023Herbert Mandigo, Teddious Mhizha, Terence Darlington Mushore · Applied Sciences · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study investigated the implications of urban growth on maize yield in Harare metropolitan city, Zimbabwe, from 1984 to 2018 using Landsat data. Cropland area was reduced from 11,120 ha in 1984 to 2631 ha in 2018. Consequently, the estimated average maize yield decreased significantly from 52,264 tons in 1984 to 12,366 tons in 2018, demonstrating that urban growth has the potential to compromise food security.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsAGRI|gen: Analysis and Design of a Parametric Modular System for Vertical Urban Agriculture
2023Iyad Ghazal, Reema Mansour, Marie Davidová · Sustainability · Palestine (Nablus)
This research investigated the potential of farming on facades and roofs across an entire neighborhood. A case study of 22 multi-floor residential buildings in Nablus, Palestine, was conducted using developed parametric tools. Findings indicated that existing facades could provide 28,500 m2 of farming area, with half of facades and all roofs suitable for daylight-based farming. The study found that facades could fulfill 350% of tomato and 237% of cucumber consumption, while roofs could produce over 315 times the local sweet pepper consumption. A modular facade system was designed with an average system cost of $55.2/m2 and a total cost of $1.7M.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsDIYIMPACTS ENVIRONNEMENTAUX ET CHANGEMENTS URBAINS DANS LA COMMUNE DE HAMMA BOUZIANE (CONSTANTINE, ALGÉRIE)
2023Institut de Gestion des Techniques Urbaines, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi, MERIEM BENLAHRECHE, Saïd Mazouz, Département d’architecture, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi · Revue Roumaine de Géographie / Romanian Journal of Geography · Algeria
This article aims to explain urban phenomena in Hamma Bouziane, Algeria, a city known for its fertile land. The study indicates that the peri-urban agriculture of Hamma Bouziane is suffering negative repercussions due to unbridled urban expansion and socio-economic changes.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageClimate changeEconomicsInformation and analytical support for the formation of the city farm business plan
2023Yu. N. Katkov, N. A. Starostina, A. A. Romanova, М. К. Dzhikуa, I. O. Aidlin · Buhuchet v sel skom hozjajstve (Accounting in Agriculture) · Global
This article theoretically substantiates information and analytical support for city farm business plans, aiming to enhance food security by providing organic and eco-friendly agricultural products. It presents author's models for accounting and analytical systems and information support for city farm business plans. These models are intended to aid import substitution in agricultural products and contribute economically.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycle