Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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1006 results(15 / 41)
Understanding Multiple Ecosystem Services of Urban Agriculture Across Scales
2023Jiangxiao Qiu, Hui Zhao · EDIS · Global
This overview identified eight ecosystem services generally attributed to urban agriculture, including food production, microclimate regulation, stormwater retention, and social-cultural values. However, the study found that quantitative evidence for many of these ecosystem services, especially intangible ones, is scarce. It suggests that while urban agriculture could be integral to green infrastructure, further consideration is needed for types, technology, management, and potential tradeoffs.
Methodological critiqueBiodiversityClimate changeHealthOrganic cyclePolicyCommunityAnalysis of Importance of and Satisfaction with the Values and Major Achievements of Urban Agriculture
2023Yumin Park, Yong-Wook Shin · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study conducted an importance-performance analysis (IPA) on the values and major achievements of urban agriculture, analyzing 104 responses from experts involved in urban agricultural policies. It found that both importance and satisfaction were highest for health functions, followed by social-cultural, environmental-ecological, and economic functions. Awareness of health functions was high, while economic functions were low, suggesting a need for strengthening.
PolicyHealthEconomicsCommunityBiodiversityResilience processes and positioning of agroecological farmers in an urban horticultural fair in northwest Patagonia
2023Ana H. Ladio, Melisa Longo, Soledad Molares · Ethnobotany Research and Applications · Argentina (San Carlos de Bariloche)
This qualitative study analyzed the resilience processes of agroecological farmers at the Free Fair of Family Farmers from Nahuel Huapi in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. The fair's main resilience principles include high agrobiodiversity, learning and connectivity, cooperation, and adaptive systemic thinking. However, the economic and cultural viability of this fair is uncertain due to the drastic socio-environmental changes experienced in the region.
Economic viabilityCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsA lifecycle analysis approach to the impact of green roofs on the structural and thermal performances of buildings
2023Sasan Khademi Kalantari, Mohammad Raoof Rashedi, Rojina Ehsani, Fariborz M. Tehrani · · Global
This paper addresses the lifecycle analysis of green roofs in hot summer Mediterranean climates, such as Rome, Italy, to optimize their application for sustainability. Green roofs can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by lowering roof temperatures, but they also impact building weight and construction costs. The study aims to translate energy consumption into greenhouse gas emissions and measure water and waste related to structural or thermal operations, providing insights for building professionals.
Climate changeBiodiversityINVESTIGATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEREST OF STUDENTS WHO SPEND THEIR LEISURE IN THE SCHOOL GARDENS
2023Dilek SELÇUK, Mustafa Can KOÇ, Nurullah Emir Ekinci, Ersan Tolukan · DergiPark (Istanbul University) · Turkey (Istanbul)
This study investigated the environmental interest of students who spend their leisure time in school gardens at Şehit Onbaşı Murat Şengöz Imam Hatip Secondary School in Arnavutköy district, Istanbul, Turkey. Data was collected online from 51 male and 229 female students. Findings showed no significant difference in environmental interest based on age or grade level, but a significant difference was observed in the biodiversity sub-dimension based on gender, with girls demonstrating more interest.
Food educationBiodiversityThe “City Healing” Development through Ethnobotany Urban Farming with a Sustainable Planet, People, and Profit Approach
2023Suswadi, Norbertus Citra Irawan · Kufa Journal for Agricultural Sciences · Indonesia
This study investigated urban communities' perceptions of how ethnobotanical practices and urban farming relate to planet, people, and profit in achieving "city healing," surveying 150 respondents in five major Indonesian cities. Analysis using structural equation modeling and partial least squares showed that people, planet, and profit generally have excellent and significant effects on urban farming ethnobotany, and the use of ethnobotanical practices has a considerable and beneficial impact on urban health.
CommunityBiodiversityEconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justice(Re)creating a Living Memorial: Urban Gardening as a Multispecies Co-creating Practice
2023JC Niala · Ecozon European Journal of Literature Culture and Environment · United Kingdom (Oxford)
This essay explores a case study where an allotment in the style of 1918 was recreated at a charity allotment site in Oxford, United Kingdom, during the 2020-2021 growing season. The researcher planted open-pollinated non-hybrid heritage seeds from that era, reflecting on the soil as a repository of memory through academic and creative responses. The plot became a living memorial visited by diverse members of the public, engaging with themes such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, the 1918-1919 flu pandemic, and the First World War.
CommunityHeirloom & landraceBiodiversityFood educationSoil bacterial community composition and diversity respond to soil environment in rooftop agricultural system
2023Mengdi Dai, Xiangfeng Tan, Ziran Ye, Bojun Li, Yi Zhang, Xuting Chen, Dedong Kong · Environmental Technology & Innovation · Global
This study analyzed 15 soil samples from three sampling sites (original soil, after a seven-year natural cycle, and after a seven-year microcirculation system) to investigate soil properties, bacterial communities, and their relationships in a rooftop farm. The microcirculation system was shown to effectively improve the soil environment and bacterial community by increasing total nitrogen and total organic carbon contents by approximately 2 and 3.5 times, respectively.
Organic cycleBiodiversityClimate changeNurturing soil-adarities
2023Bethaney Turner · · Global
This chapter explored human-soil relations in urban home and community gardens through ethnographic fieldwork. While biodiverse soil offers direct health benefits, the presence of contaminated, toxic soils, prevalent in lower socio-economic neighborhoods, was shown to expose inequities in access to safe gardening sites and hinder the realization of potential therapeutic benefits. It argues that the therapeutic benefits of gardens are best realized when humans cultivate attentive relationships with myriad multispecies companions.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthBiodiversityOrganic cycleWelfareStingless bee keeping: Biocultural conservation and agroecological education
2023Elda Míriam Aldasoro Maya, Ulises Rodríguez‐Robles, María Luisa Martínez Gutiérrez, Guelmy Anilú Chan Mutul, Teresita Avilez López, Helda Morales, Bruce G. Ferguson, Jorge Mérida‐Rivas · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Mexico (Tabasco)
Meliponiculture, or stingless bee breeding, in Mesoamerica serves as an effective tool for agroecological education, scaling, and pollinator conservation. In Tabasco, Mexico, activities included documenting contemporary knowledges, community agroecological workshops, guided visits to an institutional meliponary, and promoting school gardens, utilizing "knowledge dialogues" as a methodological approach. The study identified characteristics of stingless bees and their cultivation, such as their ecological and cultural importance, role as pollinators, association with community values, and productive potential, making them excellent mediators for biocultural conservation and agroecological education.
Food educationBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityEnvironmental factors affecting honey bees (Apis cerana) and cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae) at urban farmlands
2023Myung‐Bok Lee · PeerJ · China
This study investigated how environmental features within and surrounding urban farmlands affected the abundance of Asian honey bees (Apis cerana) and cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae) in a megacity of China during winters. P. rapae abundance increased with local crop diversity but was strongly negatively associated with landscape-scale crop and weed covers. A. cerana responded positively to fine-scale flower cover, increased with local-scale weed cover, but decreased with increasing landscape-scale weed cover.
BiodiversityPollinatorsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageFood Production in the Cities of Tomorrow. The Results of International Questionnaire Surveys
2023Małgorzata Burchard‐Dziubińska · Comparative Economic Research Central and Eastern Europe · Global
This study aimed to gather information on the practical experience of young urban residents using urban horticulture and agriculture products, determine their readiness to practice such production independently in the future, and identify environmental benefits (ecosystem services) related to urban horticulture and agriculture indicated by respondents. A comparative study was conducted with students from 29 countries, including Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Poland, and seven EU countries. The collected data were used to compare approaches to urban horticulture and agriculture and their produce across different countries and cultural backgrounds.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityClimate changeGREEN as model urban gardening in school
2023Hanif, Nayudin · UiTM Institutional Repositories (Universiti Teknologi MARA) · Malaysia
An experimental study at the Indonesian School of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, introduced the "GREEN" urban gardening model to 34 high school students. The model, implemented through Project Based Learning, significantly improved students' knowledge scores from 64.85 to 76.77 and was found to effectively promote biodiversity, food, and learning experiences. Students perceived the model as engaging and user-friendly, contributing to enhanced activities and nutritional intake through fruits and vegetables.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityHealthJardim de Sequeiro: a rainfed garden technique, innovative in aesthetics and environmental quality, inspired by the Cerrado
2023Júlio Barêa Pastore, Paulo Henrique Honorato · Ornamental Horticulture · Brazil (Brasília)
The "Jardim de Sequeiro" is a naturalistic, seasonal rainfed gardening technique developed at the University of Brasilia, Brazil. The first experimental garden, over 5,000 square meters of rooftop gardens, was planted at the Instituto Central de Ciências. It relies entirely on rainfall and withers during winter drought, functioning as a temporary installation redesigned annually. Its first cycle ran from December 2020 to May 2021, yielding promising results despite pandemic difficulties.
DIYClimate changeBiodiversityPengaruh Model Pembelajaran Berbasis Masalah Terhadap Hasil Belajar Siswa Pada Materi Ekosistem Di Kelas X SMA Negeri 2 Tondano
2023Regina Indri Rembang, Alfonds Andrew Maramis, Fanny Nella Nanlohy · Jurnal Arjuna Publikasi Ilmu Pendidikan Bahasa dan Matematika · Indonesia
This experimental study investigated the impact of a problem-based learning model (PBM) on student learning outcomes in ecosystem content for class X students at SMA Negeri 2 Tondano, Indonesia. Using a pretest-posttest control group design, 60 students were randomly assigned to an experimental class (PBM) and a control class (traditional learning). The average learning outcome for the experimental class was 98.16, compared to 81.63 for the control class. The study concluded that the problem-based learning model can enhance student learning outcomes.
Food educationBiodiversityATTITUDE AND PERCEPTION OF LOCAL FARMERS TOWARD AGROBIODIVERSITY IN HOME GARDEN. CASE STUDY: BUOT VILLAGE, CHIENG YEN COMMUNE, VAN HO DISTRICT, SON LA PROVINCE, VIETNAM
2023Tuyet Truong, Khoirunnisa Khuzaimah, H.T.M. Pham, Ho Ngoc Son, Tuan Van Bui, Long Ha · SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF TAN TRAO UNIVERSITY · Vietnam (Son La Province)
A study surveyed 39 local farmers in Buot village, Son La province, Vietnam, to examine their perception of agrobiodiversity and factors influencing the adoption of syntrophic farming in home gardens. The survey found that most farmers understood the importance of agrobiodiversity and were willing to adopt syntrophic farming. However, challenges in capital, market access, and a lack of irrigation systems were identified as barriers hindering their adoption of syntrophic farming.
Economic viabilityBiodiversityDIYEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban agriculture and environmental sustainability
2023Gizaw Ebissa, Kumelachew Yeshitela, Hayal Desta, Aramde Fetene · Environment Development and Sustainability · Global
This study investigated urban agriculture's (UA) contributions to environmental sustainability (ES) using scholarly search engines. Findings indicate UA contributes to ES by mitigating greenhouse gases, urban heat island effects, and floods, while enhancing biodiversity and promoting agro-tourism. However, challenges such as lack of policy support, exclusion from urban land use planning, and urbanites' behavior towards UA products limit its full benefits.
Governance failureClimate changeBiodiversityPolicyCommunityKonsep Permakultur Sebagai Metode Pengendalian Serangan Tikus pada Jagung Manis di Pertanian Perkotaan
2023Asti Irawanti Azis, Ratih Ratih, Dea Ekaputri Andraini · Perbal Jurnal Pertanian Berkelanjutan · Indonesia
This study investigated permaculture as a method for controlling rat attacks on sweet corn in urban farming. In monoculture sweet corn plantings, rat attacks began at 21 days after planting (DAP) and reached 53% by 49 DAP. In contrast, permaculture plantings showed no rat attacks (0%), indicating its potential to prevent pest damage.
Organic cycleBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceEntomofauna benéfica en la diversidad arbórea de la agricultura urbana en Pinar del Río, Cuba
2023Lisandra Hernández-Guanche, Yoerlandy Santana Baños, Yusniel Dago-Dueñas, Ramón Hernández Carballo, Armando Del Busto-Concepción · Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas · Cuba
This study identified the beneficial entomofauna associated with arboreal species in urban agriculture settings in Pinar del Río, Cuba. Between September 2019 and March 2020, a floristic inventory of arboreal biodiversity was conducted, and samples of bioregulators were collected. Twenty-three arboreal species were inventoried, with 65% being fruit trees. The highest species richness was detected in the orders Diptera, Mesostigmata, Hymenoptera, and Araneae. The most frequent bioregulators were Condylostylus sp., Ocyptamus costatus, and Phytoseiulus sp., while the arboreal species with the highest proportion of associated arthropods were Persea americana, Citrus limon, Morinda citrifolia, and Psidium guajava.
BiodiversityPollinatorsOrganic cycleEdible Garden Cities: Rethinking Boundaries and Integrating Hedges into Scalable Urban Food Systems
2023David Adams, Peter J. Larkham, Michael Hardman · Land · United Kingdom
This paper explores how porous boundary treatments and plot layouts can encourage ecological exchanges in new urban and peri-urban developments, focusing on a large-scale residential development in the English midlands. It outlines the socio-economic, cultural, and ecological significance of embedding diverse hedgerow designs into early planning, revealing a need to move beyond current models. The study suggests these designs could encourage sustainable land use and scalable urban agricultural systems.
BiodiversityUrban–rural linkageClimate changeCommunityAGRICULTURA URBANA NA PAISAGEM VERDE PÚBLICA DO BAIRRO JARDIM TROPICAL, SERRA-ES.
2023Cleberson Saraiva · Revista Contexto Geográfico · Brazil (Serra)
This study investigated the relationship between the multifunctionality of urban agriculture and cultivated plants in the public spaces of the popular urban neighborhood Jardim Tropical, Serra-ES, Brazil. Using bibliographic, documentary, and field research, it found that these cultivated plants form a public green landscape. This landscape facilitates social relations for environmental revitalization and comfort, small-scale production of food and natural medicines, leisure, and social interaction, promoting a sense of belonging and characterizing urban agriculture's multifunctionality.
CommunityBiodiversityHealthEnvironmental horticulture for domestic and community gardens—An integrated and applied research approach
2023M.B. Gush, Tijana Blanuša, Lauriane Suyin Chalmin‐Pui, A. Griffiths, Elisabeth K. Larsen, Raghavendra Prasad, Marc Redmile‐Gordon, Chloe Sutcliffe · Plants People Planet · Global
This article presents an integrated and applied research approach to environmental horticulture from The Royal Horticultural Society. It emphasizes the importance of domestic and community gardens in the context of global environmental threats and discusses four primary research focus areas. These areas include responding to climate change, using plants for environmental regulation, sustainable resource management, and gardening for human health and wellbeing.
CommunityBiodiversityClimate changeDIYThe impact of planting scenarios on agricultural productivity and thermal comfort in urban agriculture land (case study: Tabriz, Iran)
2023Akbar Rahimi, zahra nobar · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · Iran (Tabriz)
This study examined the effect of native plant-crop combinations on micrometeorological conditions and thermal comfort on urban agricultural land in Tabriz, Iran. Through ENVI-MET model simulations validated with field data, seven scenarios were identified. The findings showed that edible functions of deciduous plants increased with canopy height and diameter, improving thermal comfort in high-temperature conditions, and concluded that adopting this planting form would rejuvenate abandoned agricultural fields.
Climate changeBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageUnique landscape features and significance of former allotment gardens in the protection of the visual landscape
2023Kinga Albicz, Nóra Hubayné Horváth · 4D Tájépítészeti és Kertművészeti Folyóirat · Hungary
This study explores the landscape significance and unique features of former allotment gardens in Hungary, focusing on their vineyard origins and role in visual landscape protection. Using geographic information methods, the analysis revealed that a significant portion of allotment garden areas have a vineyard past. These areas contain unique landscape features at a density almost five times higher than the national average, with one-third of the country's vine and fruit production features concentrated there.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityBangkok’s existing mixed fruit orchards are tree diversity hotspots for city greening
2023Vudipong Davivongs, Sigit D. Arifwidodo · Urban Ecosystems · Thailand
This study surveyed six orchards in Bangkok's Inner Orchard (BIO) to analyze forest structure and tree diversity. It found 98.64% forest canopy cover, an average tree height greater than common orchard trees, and mid-range diversity (Shannon index 2.53). Older orchards showed greater fruit tree species diversity, while newer ones had less.
Peri-urban agricultureBiodiversityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justice