Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
602 results(13 / 25)
Salutogenic Affordances and Sustainability: Multiple Benefits With Edible Forest Gardens in Urban Green Spaces
2018Jonathan Stoltz, Christina Schäffer · Frontiers in Psychology · Global
This paper explores the salutogenic potential of urban green spaces, proposing edible forest gardens as a concept for urban green space use and management. It argues that including edible forest gardens in urban green spaces (today globally dominated by lawns) could reinforce several affordances of salutogenic importance, such as social cohesion and restoration from psycho-physiological stress and attention fatigue. Increased opportunities for contact with nature and food production processes may also reinforce pro-environmental behaviors in the population.
BiodiversityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultural land vulnerability due to urban sprawl – a multi-criteria spatially-explicit scenario analysis
2018Suranga Wadduwage · Journal of Land Use Science · Australia (Adelaide)
A multi-criteria spatially-explicit study in the Adelaide metropolitan area, Australia, investigated agricultural land vulnerability to urban sprawl under opposing policy directions. The study showed higher agricultural land vulnerabilities in “Business-As-Usual” and “Accelerated Economic Development” scenarios, extending into rural areas with a leap-frog effect. This confirms the need to sacrifice farmland uses to maintain land supply for urban development under these conditions.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyUrban–rural linkageTHE EVALUATION OF THE URBAN AGRICULTURE AS URBAN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES ABOUT THE MITIGATING EFFECTS AT CLIMATE CHANGES
2018Neslihan Demircan · ATLAS JOURNAL · Global
This workshop evaluated the impact of urbanization and population growth on urban agriculture. Amid challenges to food security and hygienic maintenance due to decreasing urban agricultural lands, global urban allotment models and research on their benefits to local ecosystems and the negative aspects of climate shifts were revealed.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban foodprints (UF) – Establishing baseline scenarios for the sustainability assessment of high-yield urban agriculture
2018Khadija Benis, Rukaia Gashgari, Adnan Alsaati, Christoph Reinhart · DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) · Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
The Urban Foodprints (UF) methodology was applied to assess the environmental sustainability of high-yield urban agriculture in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, focusing on tomatoes. While urban production in high-yield greenhouses could reduce Global Warming Potential by 9% and water savings were significant, the energy needs of these greenhouses were considerably higher than the baseline. This indicates a trade-off where environmental benefits are partially offset by increased energy consumption.
Economic viabilityEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCity-making through Urban Gardening: Public Space and Civic Engagement in Zagreb
2018Valentina Gulin Zrnić, Tihana Rubić · Narodna umjetnost : hrvatski časopis za etnologiju i folkloristiku · Croatia (Zagreb)
This paper examines four urban gardening communities in Zagreb, Croatia, focusing on their actors, structures, and garden aims. It discusses the practice of illegal "wild" gardens and the changing contexts of urban gardening, using ethnographic examples to illustrate diverse organizational methods, communality, and governance issues. The analysis highlights the heterogeneity and dynamics of these gardening communities and considers their potential in urban governance strategies.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageCollaborative Consumption as a Tool for Agricultural Expansion in Developing Countries
2018Abubakar U. Benna · Advances in e-business research series · Global
This chapter reviews literature and case studies on collaborative consumption in agriculture to support small- and medium-scale farmers in developing countries. It notes limited research on collaborative consumption as a catalyst for agricultural development. The study provides observations to assist with strategies for increasing producer and customer satisfaction, value addition, and engagement.
EconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageTypically Diverse: The Nature of Urban Agriculture in South Australia
2018Georgia Pollard, James Ward, Philip Roetman · Sustainability · Australia (South Australia)
This paper explores the economic sustainability of home food gardens in South Australia using new data from the Edible Gardens project online survey. While saving money is a top motivation for many respondents, the study notes that it remains to be seen whether current gardening practices actually support this aspiration. The paper concludes that more work is needed to measure the full costs of different gardens to better predict their financial accessibility and economic sustainability.
Economic viabilityDIYEconomicsUrban–rural linkageIDENTIFICATION OF STRATEGIES FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT: A SWOT ANALYSIS
2018Pushpawani Ramaloo, Chamhuri Siwar, Choong-Yeun Liong, Anizan Isahak · PLANNING MALAYSIA · Malaysia (Penang)
This study investigated the prospects of urban agriculture (UA) development in Penang state, Malaysia, from experts' perspectives using a SWOT analysis. Fifty-seven stakeholders were interviewed to identify and prioritize strategies for UA development. Strategic plans were prioritized across aspects such as legal framework, financial, infrastructure, land, water, environment and health, social, marketing, and research and development.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageImpact of Urban Agriculture on the Species Distribution and Insecticide Resistance Profile of <i>Anopheles gambiae s.s.</i> and <i>Anopheles coluzzii</i> in Accra Metropolis, Ghana
2018Joseph Chabi, Miracle C. Eziefule, Rebecca Pwalia, Joannitta Joannides, Dorothy Obuobi, Godwin Amlalo, Charlotte Addae, Alidu Iddrisu, Dominic Acquah-Baidoo, Samuel Akporh, Sampson Gbagba, Kwadwo K. Frempong, Melinda P. Hadi, Helen Pates Jamet, Samuel Dadzie · Advances in Entomology · Ghana
This study in Accra Metropolis, Ghana, compared Anopheles gambiae s.l. species composition and insecticide resistance between two vegetable-growing and two non-vegetable growing areas. All A. gambiae s.l. populations tested were resistant to five insecticides, with lower mortalities observed in vegetable-growing areas (e.g., 2.6% and 12.5% for deltamethrin) compared to non-vegetable areas (36.2% and 38.9%). Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles coluzzii were dominant in vegetable-growing areas. The findings indicate that urban agriculture contributes to the development of insecticide resistance, which needs consideration in vector control strategies.
Environmental trade-offsHealthBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageThe fate of compost-derived phosphorus in urban gardens
2018Gaston E. Small, Paliza Shrestha, Adam D. Kay · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Global
Dissolved phosphorus (PO4 3-) and nitrogen (NO3- & NH4+) losses in leachate from experimental raised-bed garden plots were measured. Plots receiving cow manure compost showed high PO4 3- concentrations (5-11 mg/L), while municipal organics compost plots had concentrations an order of magnitude lower (0.5-1.2 mg/L), and no-compost plots had 0.3 mg/L. Phosphorus lost through leachate and harvest accounted for only 1-10% of total applied phosphorus, indicating soil build-up was the dominant fate. This study illustrates a potential trade-off in urban agriculture between crop production and efficient phosphorus recycling from urban food waste.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageAgriculture urbaine et périurbaine (AUP) et économie des ménages agri-urbains à Dakar (Sénégal)
2018Ayinde BA, Nicola Cantoreggi · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Senegal (Dakar)
This study focused on the commercial dimension of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in the Dakar region, Senegal, involving 214 market gardeners across three production areas. Results showed that UPA, specifically urban market gardening, constitutes a full-fledged commercial activity with monetary income significantly higher than Senegal's minimum wage. This almost exclusively commercial orientation allows agri-urban households to cover their food and non-food expenses inherent in urban living.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureWelcome to 'agriburbia': Urban farming and our future
2018Eric Love · Wildlife in Australia · Global
This paper discusses the fundamental importance of water and food for survival, with Eric Love from CORE noting global stress due to climatic fluctuations. It poses the question of whether urban agriculture could hold the key to ensuring future water and food security.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageMediterranean urban agriculture
2018Tal Alon‐Mozes, Efrat Eizenberg · · Global
This chapter examines Mediterranean urban agriculture (MUA) through case studies, challenging the traditional division between developed northern and developing southern countries. It argues that MUA is a distinct phenomenon characterized by the transfer of modern agricultural knowledge and policies from developed to developing countries, alongside a northward movement of people, crops, and traditional lifestyles from the south.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageImpacts on the Urban Environment: Land Cover Change Trajectories and Landscape Fragmentation in Post-War Western Area, Sierra Leone
2018Solomon Gbanie, Amy Griffin, Alec Thornton · Remote Sensing · Sierra Leone
This research analyzed land cover change (LCC) dynamics in Sierra Leone's Western Area from 1976 to 2011 using satellite imagery, covering pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict periods. The study found a rapid increase in built-up land and urban/peri-urban agriculture over 35 years. During the war (1976-2000), urban agriculture became a key livelihood for displaced persons, while post-war housing demands further drove land use changes. A significant finding was that landscape fragmentation increased alongside declining forest cover, with built-up areas aggregating.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsComparing urban food systems between temperate regions and tropical regions introducing urban agroforestry in temperate climates through the case of Budapest
2018Paloma Gonzalez de Linares · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Hungary (Budapest)
This paper aimed to assess factors contributing to more successful integration of urban agriculture in some cities and to introduce agro-ecology practices in public green spaces and community gardens through landscape assessment and map-based comparison. A key problem identified was the lack of motivation among planners to integrate urban agriculture into urban plans, preventing these green structures from becoming part of the city's landscape and dynamics. The sustainability of food systems was concluded to depend on the city's planning strategy and governance policies.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePolicyCommunityClimate changeUrban Agriculture in Bogotá’s informal settlements
2018Jaime Hernández García, Sandra Caquimbo-Salazar · · Colombia (Bogotá)
In Bogotá, Colombia, over 50% of the city has developed through informal practices, with approximately four million people residing in areas of urban or housing informality. This chapter explores the transformation and appropriation of urban spaces in the barrios through urban agriculture initiatives, using examples of food growing spaces in Bogotá. It discusses agricultural practices in the city's informal settlements, highlighting social characteristics and spatial particulars, and advocates for open spaces as potential productive landscapes where spatial transformations can contribute to social, cultural, and nutritional practices.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareUrban–rural linkageHealthAgriculture urbaine à Ziguinchor (Sénégal) : des pratiques d’autoconsommation favorables à l’essor de filières d’approvisionnement urbaines durables
2018Sécou Omar Diédhiou, Oumar Sy, Christine Margétic · Espace populations sociétés · Senegal (Ziguinchor)
A study in Ziguinchor, Senegal, surveyed 248 farmers and 130 vegetable vendors in 2016 and 2017 to examine the role of urban agriculture. Urban expansion has led to shrinking agricultural land and land-use conflicts, while increasing food demand. Women play a central role from production to commercialization, farming in multiple locations for self-consumption and income, but the sustainability of these practices requires integration into proactive urban development policies.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePolicyContribution of Integrated Urban Agriculture to Household Income: A Case of Kinondoni Municipality, Tanzania
2018Kelvin Victor, Fatihiya Ally Massawe, Anna Sikira · Journal of Agricultural Sciences – Sri Lanka · Tanzania
In Kinondoni Municipality, Tanzania, a study assessed the types of integrated urban agriculture (IUA) practiced, livelihood strategies adopted, and IUA's contribution to household income. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 132 respondents, showing IUA to be the most prioritized livelihood strategy. 98.5% of farmers concentrated on crop-livestock integration, and the average annual income from IUA was 2,295,288 TSH (1093$), sufficient for a six-member household above the monetary food poverty line. This study focused solely on the income livelihood indicator, not considering other benefits like food security or social inclusion.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunityAdaptation of Urban Vegetable Farmers to Urban Change in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area
2018Michael Tuffour · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Ghana
This study in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana, investigated how urban vegetable farmers adapt to rapid urban change, using a mixed-methods approach including a survey of 251 farmers. Institutional actors promote urban agriculture through training, logistics, and land provision, but the changing urban environment hinders their support. Institutions providing land often lack official agreements with farmers and sometimes abuse them, despite being a significant support source.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsUrban food security and multi-spatial livelihoods in Ghana’s medium sized cities: does food transfer matter?
2018Hayford Mensah Ayerakwa · International Development Planning Review · Ghana
A study using data from two medium-sized cities in Ghana analyzed the importance and determinants of food transfers received from urban or rural households. It examined whether participation in agriculture reduces a household's likelihood of receiving food transfers, showing that households participating in urban agriculture had a lower chance of receiving food transfers from other urban dwellers. Female-headed households and aging household heads had an increased likelihood of receiving food transfers, with grains and tubers being the most commonly received food groups, typically from rural and urban relatives.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareUrban–rural linkageEconomic Crisis and Peri-Urban Agriculture: A Socio-Environmental Vision
2018Luca Salvati, Silvia Pili · Journal of Sociological Research · Greece (Athens)
This study proposes an approach to understand new food production strategies in fragmented peri-urban landscapes, focusing on local primary sector actors. A preliminary survey in the Athens metropolitan region, Greece, aims to identify trends in peri-urban farming and their implications for farmers and citizens, considering urban sprawl and land-use conflicts.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageHorizontal flows of nitrogen, potassium, and carbon in urban vegetables gardens of Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
2018Désiré Jean‐Pascal Lompo, Emmanuel Compaoré, Michel Papaoba Sédogo, Martina Melapie, Charles Bielders, Eva Schlecht, Andreas Buerkert · Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems · Burkina Faso (Bobo Dioulasso)
This study investigated nutrient management in six urban vegetable gardens in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, quantifying nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and carbon (C) fluxes and balances. Inputs of N and K significantly exceeded recommended amounts, leading to substantial horizontal annual surpluses of 1013 kg N ha−1, 879 kg K ha−1, and 25 t C ha−1. While total balances for N and K were positive, the total balance for C was negative, indicating an environmental tradeoff due to excessive nutrient input.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleClimate changeUrban–rural linkageAgricultura urbana e construção da paisagem: a agricultura urbana como elemento (ou parte constituinte) da construção da paisagem
2018Fernanda Teixeira Gorski · · Global
This paper addresses the use of underutilized urban land for agriculture, noting that such land incurs significant financial and social costs for public infrastructure, maintenance, and cleanliness. It aims to explore how urban agriculture can contribute to building and qualifying the urban landscape.
CommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageResearch Methodology
2018Kwaku Obosu-Mensah · · Ghana (Accra)
This research was planned to study urban agriculture in Accra, Ghana, due to a lack of published work and personal interest. The study is interested in social inequality influencing farm location choice, how new migrants adjust to urban cultivation, and factors compelling government officials to change their attitude towards urban agriculture.
WelfarePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkagePresent Scenario and Problem Confrontation of Rooftop Gardening and its Efficacy inAmbient Environment Reclamation in Khulna City
2018Manabika Sheel, Mohammad Bashir Ahmed, Shamim Ahmed Kamal Uddin Khan, Md. Matiul Islam · Fundamental and applied agriculture · Bangladesh (Khulna City)
A study in Khulna City from March to April 2018 interviewed 60 rooftop gardeners to analyze the scenario and problems of rooftop gardening. The study found that gardeners earned very poor economic benefits compared to their expenditures, with most preferring it as a hobby (98.33%) or for aesthetics (90%). Severe problems included excessive heat (91.67%), lack of proper nourishment (87.08%), and roof load (72.92%).
Limited or null effectDIYCommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate change