Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
1006 results(13 / 41)
Agricultura Urbana e Periurbana na zona oeste do Rio de Janeiro: seu papel na conservação da comunidade de abelhas nativas.
2024L. Garcia Ferreira, M. E. F. CORREIA, M. C. UZEDA · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study evaluated the role of agroecological urban and peri-urban agriculture in preserving native bee communities in the western region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ten different bee species, nesting in soil and cavities, were identified. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) indicated that the percentage of agricultural, natural, and built-up land cover was insufficient to explain the species composition regarding their nesting habits. The findings suggest the importance of assessing the quality of agricultural environments, as their association with urban landscapes could support a greater richness of species with diverse nesting habits.
BiodiversityPollinatorsPeri-urban agricultureOrganic compost belowground and floral diversity aboveground interactively shape beneficial insects in urban gardens
2024Carmen K. Blubaugh, R. Chesnut, Katherine Hagan · Journal of Applied Ecology · Global
This study investigated how organic composts mediate the effects of plant diversity across trophic levels over two field seasons, conducting 18 experiments in school gardens. Vermicompost strengthened a positive relationship between flower richness and foliar-feeding omnivores, but predators increased with flower richness and were not affected by vermicompost. The net outcomes of vermicompost and plant diversity were neutral for herbivores.
CompostBiodiversityPollinatorsOrganic cycleFood educationOrganic amendments alter urban soil microbiomes and improve crop quality
2024Joshua Garcia, Mariel Mondragon-Becerra, I. Rojas Martínez, Mallika Nocco, Cristina Lazcano · Applied Soil Ecology · United States (California)
A greenhouse trial was conducted in urban agricultural soil from the San Francisco Bay Area, USA, to investigate the effects of organic amendments derived from local municipal waste products on the soil microbiome, tomato productivity, and quality. Liquid food waste hydrolysate and mixed herbivore waste compost increased microbial abundance in the soil compared to mineral fertilizer. While mineral-fertilized tomato plants generally had higher productivity and yields, plants treated with the hydrolysate and mixed herbivore waste compost showed enhanced fruit soluble sugar content (°Brix).
Organic cycleCompostBiodiversityDIYWhere the wild things are: How urban foraging and food forests can contribute to sustainable cities in the Global North
2024Filippo Oncini, Steffen Hirth, Josephine Mylan, Clare H. Robinson, David Johnson · Urban forestry & urban greening · Global North
This review evaluates the contribution of urban food forestry in the Global North to socio-ecological outcomes across climate change, biodiversity, food production, and relational aspects. The findings demonstrate multifactorial benefits of urban foraging and food forestry, but also identify potential risks and disservices from the literature. The study concludes that upscaling these spaces offers significant gains, requiring systemic changes.
Food sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate changeCommunityFenómenos socioambientales en los huertos urbanos comunitarios de Madrid, España
2024Adriana Flores-Guevara, María de Lourdes Hernández- Rodríguez, María Esther Méndez- Cadena · Revista Investigium IRE Ciencias Sociales y Humanas · Spain (Madrid)
This 2018-2023 study in Madrid, Spain, investigated socio-environmental phenomena in the Community Urban Gardens Network (RedHMad) to understand how they foster sustainable neighborhood development. Researchers conducted open interviews with ten participants, performed participatory observation, and reviewed RedHMad assembly minutes. Findings indicate that community urban gardens generate social cohesion and coexistence, supporting cultural, artistic, experimental, environmental education, and health activities, and facilitating social organization when needed.
CommunityHealthFood educationBiodiversityExploring human appreciation and perception of spontaneous urban fauna in Paris, France
2024Chloé Duffaut, Florence Brondeau, Julien Gasparini · Cybergeo · France (Paris)
A questionnaire survey of 200 individuals in Paris, France, from May 2017 to March 2018, assessed the appreciation and perception of pigeons, rats, and hedgehogs in various urban locations. The study found clear differences in appreciation based on species and perceived usefulness, with rats disliked (2.2/10), hedgehogs liked (7.7/10), and pigeons receiving mixed reactions (4.7/10). Age, gender, education, or survey location were not decisive factors.
CommunityBiodiversityDesign knowledge of urban agriculture providing ecosystem services. A systematic literature review
2024Yu Huan, Steffen Nijhuis, Nico Tillie · Urban forestry & urban greening · Global
This systematic literature review analyzed 70 empirical research articles on urban agriculture, ecosystem services, and design research to identify gaps in design knowledge. The review found that while "research for design" is prevalent and offers abundant design knowledge, the infrequent use of "research through design" hinders the transition from implicit to explicit design knowledge, leading to a shortage of operational guidelines. The study proposes a framework for systematic design knowledge of urban agriculture to address these gaps and facilitate knowledge transformation.
BiodiversityClimate changePollination deficits increase with urbanization in Chicago
2024Alexandra Zink, Paul J. CaraDonna, Kelly Larsen, Amy M. Iler · Ecosphere · United States (Chicago)
This study investigated how urbanization relates to pollination by growing 240 plants (squash and tomato) across six sites with varying urbanization levels in Chicago, Illinois. For tomatoes, the magnitude of pollen limitation increased with greater impervious surface, indicating more pronounced pollination deficits at highly urbanized sites. For squash, evidence of pollen limitation was found only at the most urban site, with a weak trend of pollen limitation of fruit set (but not seed set) increasing with impervious surface.
Limited or null effectBiodiversityPollinatorsUrban–rural linkageThe role of green roofs as urban habitats for biodiversity modulated by their design: a review
2023Coulibaly S.F.M., Aubry C., Provent F., Rousset-Rouvière S., Joimel S. · Environmental Research Letters, 18(7) · Global
A review synthesizing existing research on how far green roofs can support urban biodiversity, framed by their design and modes of use. It finds green roofs can provide habitat for soil organisms and pollinators as well as plants, but that the effect depends strongly on design such as substrate depth and vegetation diversity, and recommends integrating soil communities into construction guidelines and increasing heterogeneity at roof and landscape scales.
BiodiversityPolicyOrganic cycleAssessing five decades of garden bee studies
2023Bell N.C.S., Ascher J.S., Hayes J.J.-M., Langellotto G.A. · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5:1102360 · Global
A systematic review covering roughly five decades of bee research in urban and community gardens, analyzing 227 publications through early 2022. It clarifies the potential of gardens to support diverse bee communities, the role of citizen-tended green spaces in pollinator conservation, and existing research gaps, pointing toward future directions for urban pollinator conservation and participatory monitoring.
BiodiversityCommunityPolicyグリーンインフラ推進戦略2023
2023国土交通省 · 国土交通省（令和5年9月策定） · Japan
The core strategy of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism aiming to mainstream and 'build in' green infrastructure across all sectors with the public and private sectors working in tandem. It sets out seven perspectives—collaboration, community, technology, evaluation, finance, global and digital—and positions a broad range of spaces, including urban farmland and everyday greenery, as multifunctional green social infrastructure for stormwater management, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, health and community.
PolicyBiodiversityCommunityHealthBioactive and nutritional compounds in fruits of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) landraces conserved among indigenous communities from Mexico
2023García-Vásquez R., Vera-Guzmán A.M., Carrillo-Rodríguez J.C., Pérez-Ochoa M.L., Aquino-Bolaños E.N., Alba-Jiménez J.E., Chávez-Servia J.L. · AIMS Agriculture and Food 8(3):832-850 · Mexico
Compared phenolics, vitamin C, carotenoids, capsaicinoids, and antioxidant activity in Oaxacan Huacle and De Agua pepper landraces versus commercial Jalapeño. Landraces showed higher flavonoid and carotenoid contents, underscoring indigenous germplasm value.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityHealthCommunityElucidation of genetic variation and population structure of melon genetic resources in the NARO Genebank, and construction of the World Melon Core Collection
2023Shigita Gentaro, Tran Phuong Dung, Pervin Mst. Naznin, Duong Thanh-Thuy, Imoh Odirich Nnennaya, Monden Yuki, Nishida Hidetaka, Tanaka Katsunori, Sugiyama Mitsuhiro, Kawazu Yoichi, Tomooka Norihiko, Kato Kenji · Breeding Science, 73(3): 263-275 · Japan
Genotyping-by-sequencing of 755 melon accessions in the NARO Genebank identified ~39,000 SNPs to clarify genetic relationships and population structure and to construct a World Melon Core Collection, supporting conservation and use of genetic resources.
Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityPolicyHolobiont Urbanism: sampling urban beehives reveals cities' metagenomes
2023Hénaff E., Najjar D., Perez M., Mason C., McMeekin P. · Environmental Microbiome, 18:23 · United States (Brooklyn) / Australia / Italy / Japan
A pilot using three rooftop beehives in Brooklyn, NY, comparing hive substrates (honey, debris, swabs, bee bodies) to map surrounding urban metagenomes, then extending to hive debris from Sydney, Melbourne, Venice and Tokyo. Each city shows a distinct metagenomic profile, positioning rooftop beekeeping as a tool for reading the urban environment.
PollinatorsBiodiversityCommunityBee diversity on urban rooftop food gardens
2023Riehn J.K., Fogel N.S., Hathaway J.N., Camilo G.R. · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5:1100470 · United States (St. Louis, MO)
Surveyed bees on three urban rooftop food farms and two nearby ground-level community gardens in St. Louis during 2017–2018. Rooftops hosted 38 species—a nested subset of ground-level communities, with fewer bumblebees and more non-native Megachile—with implications for pollination services on rooftop food production.
PollinatorsBiodiversityCommunity大阪府摂津市 防災協力農地看板設置事例
2023大阪府摂津市, 農林水産省 · 農林水産省 農山漁村振興交付金事例 · Japan
Settsu City grant case installing signage for disaster-cooperation farmland, showing a municipal public-support model linking urban farmland's disaster and green functions with conservation of citizen farms.
PolicyCommunityBiodiversityMultiple ecosystem service synergies and landscape mediation of biodiversity within urban agroecosystems
2023Jha S., Egerer M., Bichier P., Cohen H., Liere H., Lin B., Lucatero A., Philpott S.M. · Ecology Letters, 26(3):369-383 · United States (California)
Using >5,000 observations over five years across a network of urban community gardens in California, this study quantifies trade-offs and synergies between biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services (e.g., pest control and pollination) in urban agroecosystems. Contrary to assumptions that food production conflicts with biodiversity, it finds many synergies and few trade-offs, and shows that surrounding natural landscape cover interacts with local management to mediate services from mobile animals — underscoring the role of garden management and urban planning in optimizing biodiversity and human benefit.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityThe Role of Allotments and Community Gardens and the Challenges Facing Their Development in Urban Environments—A Literature Review
2023Kwartnik-Pruc A., Droj G. · Land (MDPI), 12(2):325 · Global
A systematic review of 162 peer-reviewed papers (1978–2022) organizing the role of allotments and community gardens into six themes (community, health, economics, pollution, urban planning, sustainable environment). Ecologically, it concludes that gardens create habitat mosaics that act as refugia for urban biodiversity and that urban agriculture enriches plant diversity, helping conserve native and agricultural biodiversity — and calls for planning and policy frameworks that treat gardens as part of urban green infrastructure alongside greenspace restoration and heat-island mitigation.
BiodiversityCommunityPolicyMultidimensional performance of periurban horticulture: assessing agroecological transition and soil health
2023Sokolowski A.C., Álvarez V.E., Mangiarotti A., Gonçalves Vila Cova C. · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Argentina (Buenos Aires)
In Buenos Aires peri-urban family farms, TAPE surveys and soil measurements showed that self-defined agroecological farms outperformed conventional ones on soil health indicators including aggregate stability and organic carbon.
Organic cycleCommunityBiodiversityCrop–pollinator interactions in urban and peri-urban farms in the United Kingdom
2023Nicholls E., Griffiths-Lee J., Basu P., Chatterjee S., Goulson D. · Plants, People, Planet · United Kingdom
Study of crop-pollinator interactions in UK urban and peri-urban farms, quantifying ecosystem services provided by pollinators in city farming systems.
PollinatorsBiodiversityCommunityUrban agriculture and its biodiversity: What is it and what lives in it?
2023Royer H., Yengue J., Bech N. · ScienceDirect · Global
Systematic review of biodiversity impacts of urban agriculture globally, comprehensively analyzing agriculture's role in urban ecosystems.
BiodiversityCommunityOrganic cycleMicroclimate characteristics and multi-effect analysis of facade and rooftop agriculture based on in-situ observation and meta-analysis
2023Li Y., Ma E., Liao L., Li J., Zhu S., Zhang Q. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
Meta-analysis of microclimate effects from facade and rooftop agriculture, demonstrating building-integrated farming's role in climate adaptation and urban heat mitigation.
BiodiversityLand tenure security and luxury support plant species and trait diversity in urban community gardens
2023Stacy M. Philpott, Peter Bichier, Genesis Perez, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere, Brenda B. Lin · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States (California)
This study examined how garden physical features, garden "luxury," and land-tenure security influence plant species richness, functional diversity, and composition in community gardens on the California central coast. It found that land-tenure-secure gardens had higher plant and crop richness, while luxury-associated variables raised ornamental richness and flower abundance but lowered crop richness.
CommunityBiodiversityPolicyUrban agriculture as nature-based solutions: Three key strategies to tackle emerging issues on food security in Chinese cities under climatic and non-climatic challenges
2023· Frontiers of Engineering Management · China
A paper framing urban agriculture as nature-based solutions and proposing three key strategies to address food security in Chinese cities under climatic and non-climatic challenges.
PolicyBiodiversityHolistic wild bee management in urban spaces
2023· Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Germany (Freising)
Developed a holistic assessment of bee and flowering-plant diversity in the medium-sized city of Freising using citizen science, identifying 22 bee-diversity hotspots and evaluating planted flower patches as stepping stones for oligolectic bees.
PollinatorsBiodiversityPolicy