Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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3622 results(15 / 145)
Agricultural development in the peri-urban areas of Samarkand, Uzbekistan: Challenges and prospects
2025Firdavs Berdikulov, Iroda Orifjonova, Bekhzod Eshboev, Jumanazar Xolmurzayev, Bakhtiyor Abdusayitov · Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) · Uzbekistan (Samarkand)
This study examined agricultural growth in Samarkand, Uzbekistan's peri-urban regions from 2000 to 2024, using government data and predictive modeling. It found that urban populations surged while arable land declined, and the vegetable surplus, though currently meeting demand, began shrinking around 2015, suggesting a tipping point toward shortages. The research indicates that without proactive measures like smarter land allocation and advanced irrigation, Samarkand risks a structural food deficit within a decade.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyClimate changePerceptions of Urban Agriculture (UA) practices among Malaysian urban dwellers: an exploratory study in Klang Valley
2025Ahmad Hanis Izani Abdul Hadi, M Nasir Shamsudin, Alias Radam, Yahya Awang · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Malaysia (Klang Valley)
An exploratory study in Klang Valley, Malaysia, surveyed 875 urban dwellers to identify factors influencing their perceptions of urban agriculture (UA) practices. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis, the study found that perceptions are shaped by six key factors: social and health impact, quantity and quality, environmental impact, economic impact, dietary preferences, and land utilization.
CommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyBuzzing in the City: The Rise of Urban Beekeeping and Its Ecological Impact
2025I Rabeena, Stankevich Sergey A., A Akash, G Nandhakumar, Deborah Mercy D · Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · Global
This article explores the potential, challenges, and opportunities of urban beekeeping as a sustainable response to declining bee biodiversity. It highlights urban beekeeping's role in pollination, sustainable urban agriculture, biodiversity enhancement, and income generation for urban communities, despite challenges like climate extremes and limited floral resources. The article suggests that urban green landscapes with high floral diversity and continuous bloom periods offer substantial support for urban pollinators, and responsible urban beekeeping can foster ecological citizenship.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceReplacing Commercial Substrate with Millicompost: A Sustainable Approach Using Different Green Wastes Combined with Millicompost for Bell Pepper Seedling Production in Urban Agriculture
2025Luiz Fernando de Sousa Antunes, André Felipe de Sousa Vaz, Giulia da Costa Rodrigues dos Santos, Talita dos Santos Ferreira, Renata Rodrigues dos Santos, Renata Alves, Jaqueline Carvalho de Almeida, M. A. de A. Leal, Maria Elizabeth Fernandes Correia · ACS Omega · Global
This study investigated millicompost as a sustainable peat-alternative substrate for bell pepper seedling production, combining it with regional agro-wastes like coconut coir, gliricidia shavings, and elephant grass. Seven novel growing media formulations were tested. Substrates S4 (33% millicompost + 33% gliricidia + 33% coconut fiber) and S8 (50% millicompost + 50% gliricidia) produced seedlings of similar quality to pure millicompost and commercial substrate.
CompostOrganic cycleDIYThe Participatory Occupational Justice Framework and Illustration of Its Use
2025Gail Whiteford, Michael Sy, Rod Charlie Delos Reyes · · Philippines
This chapter discusses the Participatory Occupational Justice Framework (POJF, a new theoretical model developed to guide occupational therapists in community-based settings. It describes how occupational therapy has expanded beyond biomedical contexts to include community gardens and other settings, aiming to address occupational injustices and ensure equitable access to opportunities. The chapter provides a case study illustrating the POJF's application in community-based and institution-based programs in the Philippines.
CommunityWelfareHealthPolicyTilling the urban soil: rural-urban alliances and the spatial politics of radical urban agriculture in the Philippines
2025Marvin Joseph F. Montefrio, Nathalie Dagmang · The Journal of Peasant Studies · Philippines (Metro Manila)
This article examines two cases of radical urban agriculture in Metro Manila, Philippines, where urban poor communities strive for food sovereignty and assert rights over contested urban lands. It highlights that the spatiality of material constraints in cities acts as a mediating factor, influencing the formation of rural-urban alliances and the sustainability of urban resistance efforts. The study reveals challenges in establishing and maintaining these alliances due to urban material limitations.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkagePlants in urban environment: increase in biodiversity and other ecosystem services
2025NERUCCI, GABRIELE · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
This presentation discusses the ecosystem services provided by plants in urban environments, specifically focusing on agricultural plants and their contribution to biodiversity. It also covers the current state of urban and peri-urban agriculture globally.
BiodiversityClimate changeUrban–rural linkageCultivating ecosystem conviviality through soil arts and urban gardening
2025Janna Holmstedt, Jenny Lindblad, Christina Fredengren, Cecilia Åsberg, Malin Lobell, Karin Wegsjö · · Global
This chapter explores the notion of ecosystem conviviality through soil-centered practices in urban gardening and art, using a transdisciplinary and mixed methodology of soil arts. This concept helps draw attention to sites of local empowerment and ecological belonging often overlooked in urban environments. Gardeners are positioned as entangled co-creators of open-ended ecosystems, suggesting a needed shift in Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) focus from benefits and human well-being to ecosystem relations and values.
CommunityBiodiversityOrganic cycleCurrent Prospects of Social–Ecologically More Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Agriculture
2025Moritz von Cossel, Rocío Díaz‐Chavez, Bastian Winkler · Agriculture · Global
This Special Issue serves as a timely follow-up to a previous exploration of “Social–Ecologically More Sustainable Agricultural Production.”
Climate changeCommunityPolicyInnovation in Technosols to promote urban agriculture in Barranquilla, Colombia
2025Andrea liliana Moreno rios, Daniela Paola Lugo Sierra · Latin American Developments in Energy Engineering · Colombia (Barranquilla)
This study proposes the use of Technosols, artificial soils developed from domestic solid waste, to promote urban agriculture in Barranquilla, Colombia. Technosols improve soil quality by reusing organic and inorganic materials, fostering revegetation and biodiversity in urban areas. The development process ensures the final product has no toxic effects and a suitable structure for plant growth, offering a sustainable solution for waste management and urban environmental improvement.
Organic cycleCompostBiodiversityChallenges and Opportunities for New Frontiers and Technologies to Guarantee Food Production
2025José Cleydson F. Silva, Kleiton Lima de Godoy Machado, Anna Flavia de Souza Silva, Raquel Dias, Victor Ricardo Bodnar, Wallison Oliveira Vieira, María Alejandra Moreno-Pizani, Jenifer Dias Ramos, Ivani Pauli, Lucas Cavalcante da Costa · Sustainability · Global
This global review explores innovative advancements in agriculture and food technology, including urban farming, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and food production in extreme environments. It examines advances in biotechnology, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and the role of AI in precision farming to improve crop yields and nutrition. The review also discusses the importance of policy, regulation, and community-driven approaches for a resilient global food system.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDigital agricultureCommunityGenomic Tracing Reveals Multiple Independent Occurrences of Bactrocera dorsalis in Belgium
2025Sam Vanbergen, Pablo Deschepper, Jan Van Autreve, Vera Huyshauwer, Massimiliano Virgilio, Jochem Bonte, Wannes Dermauw · Insects · Belgium
In 2023 and 2024, adult male Bactrocera dorsalis, a major fruit pest, were captured in community gardens and produce markets in Belgium. Genomic tracing via nuclear SNP analysis revealed that three adults originated from Africa and eight from Asia, indicating multiple independent occurrences. Intercepted larvae predominantly had an African origin, and a diagnostic set of nuclear SNPs was developed for origin tracing.
BiodiversityCommunityCultivating health: the role of interventionist actions in promoting vegetable consumption among children
2025Letícia Malherbi Byczkovski, João Lucas Mota Nogueira da Costa, Daiana Novello · Caderno Pedagógico · Global
This study evaluated the effect of educational interventions on knowledge, consumption, acceptance, frequency of intake, planting of vegetables (focusing on endive), and help with culinary preparations among 260 schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 in public schools. The intervention based on setting up a school garden (G4) was the most effective, promoting a significant increase in knowledge about endive, acceptance, frequency of consumption, and involvement in planting a garden. Theoretical-practical activities (G2) and cooking workshops (G3) were effective in increasing children's knowledge of vegetables, but workshops also resulted in less willingness to try new vegetables.
Food educationHealthCommunityA Grounded Theory on Consumer Perception of Urban Farming’s Role in Enhancing Supply Chain Resilience
2025Rui Fu, N.Sureshkumar PP Narayanan, Umahdevi Jayamani, Li Lian Chew, Fadhlur Rahim Azmi, Veera Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram · Malaysian journal of consumer and family economics/Malaysian Journal of Consumer and Family Economics · Malaysia
This qualitative study used grounded theory methodology, collecting data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 25 Malaysian consumers, to explore perceptions of urban farming's role in supply chain resilience. Consumers generally view urban farming as a vital strategy for resilience, influenced by environmental and social impacts, trust in local food, and community empowerment. However, significant barriers to widespread adoption include concerns about scalability and cost-effectiveness.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePrecision Farming in Urban Environments to Ensure Zero Hunger
2025Anand A. Jose, S. Mahalakshmi, S Arjun · · Global
This paper explores the integration of precision farming methods in urban landscapes to address food insecurity and achieve zero hunger goals. Precision farming utilizes advanced technologies to optimize crop production, resource allocation, and environmental sustainability. The paper scrutinizes the concept of precision farming, its applicability in urban contexts, diverse techniques suitable for urban agriculture, and showcases successful case studies.
Digital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyFeeding cities: new trans-scale scenarios for Urban Agriculture
2025Leonardo Zaffi, Michele D’Ostuni · TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment · Global
This paper reconsiders the relationship between urbanized areas and food production, noting that cities are sustained by food from remote locations with unsustainable environmental impacts. Advances in soil-free cultivation technologies offer opportunities to integrate productive vegetation into urban and residential spaces. This approach calls for innovative design paradigms that integrate the built environment with cultivated spaces to promote sustainable regeneration.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePolicyComparative analysis of organic and conventional farm sustainability in peri-urban zones of Rabat, Morocco: insights and perspectives
2025Fatiha Hakimi, Sara Sehli, Abeer Hashem, Graciela Dolores Ávila-Quezada, Elsayed Fathi Abd Allah · Cogent Food & Agriculture · Morocco
In peri-urban Rabat, Morocco, a study compared the sustainability of 30 farms (15 organic, 15 conventional) using the IDEA method, assessing agro-environmental, socio-territorial, and economic dimensions with 18 indicators. Organic farms excelled in agro-environmental sustainability and demonstrated long-term economic resilience. Conversely, conventional farms, while more productive, faced socio-territorial limitations and economic dependence on external inputs.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsBiodiversityOrganic cycleSolución de agricultura vertical inteligente y sostenible basada en IoT para los desafíos agrícolas en Pakistán
2025Sadiq Ur Rehman, Muhammad Adeel Mannan, Muhammad Ahsan Shaikh, Muhammad Uzair · Memoria Investigaciones en Ingeniería · Pakistan
In Pakistan, an IoT-based solar-powered smart vertical farming system was proposed to address agricultural challenges like water scarcity. A six-week trial cultivating cherry tomatoes showed the system achieved a 60-65% yield increase, 40% energy saving, and 28.57% water consumption reduction compared to traditional methods. However, limitations included the small trial size and lack of long-term environmental impact data, and scalability challenges such as cost, maintenance, and local restrictions need to be addressed for wider adoption.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureClimate changeEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureKnowledge facilitates reflexive urban governance of nature-based solutions in Australian and European cities
2025Clare Adams, Alexandra Tsatsou, Niki Frantzeskaki · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global
This chapter aims to understand how knowledge can facilitate processes of reflexive urban governance of nature-based solutions in diverse governance contexts. It examines two case studies: urban forestry governance in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, and Trikala's Urban Agriculture Initiative, Greece.
PolicyClimate changeAntifungal potential of local plant extracts in the biological control of soil-borne diseases of tomato and eggplant in Daloa, Centre-West, Côte d'Ivoire
2025SORO Sibirina, TRAORE Aboulaye, KOFFI N’guessan Mathurin, TRAORE-OUATTARA Karidia · World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews · Côte d'Ivoire (Daloa)
In Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire, tomato and eggplant production is limited by biotic diseases. This study evaluated the antifungal activity of six plant extracts against soil-borne fungal pathogens affecting tomato and eggplant. Eggplant plants treated with Securidaca sp exhibited the greatest tolerance to disease, with a severity index of 2.1%. Aqueous extracts of Securidaca sp and Solanum sp reduced mortality rates more effectively than synthetic fungicide, suggesting they can be recommended as an alternative for controlling soil-borne fungal diseases in tomato and eggplant.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleFrom local to global: Leveraging localized environmental actions for scalable sustainability effects
2025Sebastian Theis · PLOS Sustainability and Transformation · Global
This synthesis explores how localized environmental actions, such as community gardens, address specific sustainability challenges and contribute to environmental conservation. Analyzing 17 different programs across 40 countries, the paper highlights key challenges and pathways for adapting localized environmental actions, emphasizing the need for clear outcomes, robust tracking mechanisms, and scalable approaches. The study presents 10 core points to serve as the foundation for a generalizable framework to advance small-scale environmental actions.
CommunityClimate changePolicyParticipatory science in urban soil research: A framework for overcoming challenges and expanding public engagement
2025Anna Paltseva · iScience · Global
This article presents a participatory science framework for urban soil research, engaging communities in soil monitoring and management through co-designed projects and educational outreach. The framework integrates digital tools and real-time mapping to enhance data accuracy and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration to improve urban soil health. Demonstrated through case studies, this approach aims to build capacity for sustained community involvement and equitable environmental decision-making.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeFood educationRancho (r)evolution A strategy for reinventing urban gardening in Plovdiv
2025Popov, Velian · reposiTUm (TU Wien) · Bulgaria (Plovdiv)
This study examines the disappearing phenomenon of informal urban gardening, known as Rancho, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, focusing on its socio-historical factors. Despite its authentic, decades-long existence, Rancho is neglected and considered outdated, with a lack of legal regulation and its informal character endangering its future. The study proposes a gradual transformation of these areas into community urban gardens with new infrastructures to raise awareness and encourage authorities to reintegrate Rancho into the urban context.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageClimate changeHydro-smart: User-Configurable IoT Platform for Hydroponic Agriculture
2025Wafaa Radi · Journal of Communication Sciences and Information Technology · Global
Many existing IoT-based hydroponic control systems limit user customization due to tightly coupled hardware and software. This paper proposes Hydro-smart, a modular and user-friendly IoT platform designed for small-scale DIY enthusiasts and medium-scale urban agriculture practitioners. Hydro-smart aims to automate and optimize gardening processes, facilitate agricultural experimentation, and enable users to act as citizen scientists by simplifying experimental design and automating data collection.
Digital agricultureDIYCommunityUrban Farming for Sustainable Urban Livelihoods in Mbarara City, Western Uganda
2025Elias Nuwagaba, Murindwa Rutanga · East African Scholars Journal of Education Humanities and Literature · Uganda (Mbarara City)
This study explored how state-initiated, unplanned urbanization in Mbarara City, Western Uganda, affects the sustainability of urban farming and urban livelihoods. The research found that rapid, haphazard urban expansion, lacking strategic planning, has led to significant challenges. These include the emergence of slums, illegal land occupations, destruction of wetlands and riverbanks causing water pollution, and inadequate waste management, all negatively impacting public health and urban farming sustainability.
Governance failureEconomicsPolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkage