Research & reports

Martin Daniel Florez Camelo · Observatorio Ambiental de Bogotá · Colombia

The Bogotá Environmental Observatory reported on 4 October 2021 on "Bogotá es mi huerta," a digital co-creation platform jointly launched by the Bogotá Botanical Garden (JBB) and the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI). The article states the city has more than 20,000 urban farmers and over 4,000 gardens, with surplus-producing gardens generating about 1,778 kilograms of vegetables, herbs and fruit per month. Since 2004, the Botanical Garden's urban agriculture program has cumulatively trained 71,286 people, provided technical assistance to 55,426 gardeners, and supported 25,022 gardens.

Giuseppe Pulighe, Flavio Lupia · Sustainability · Global

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of large cities to global risks and the importance of food availability. Border closures and movement restrictions increased food losses and export costs, particularly for perishable goods. This paper suggests fostering urban agriculture in developed countries with practices like vertical farming, hydroponics, and rooftop greenhouses to mitigate uncertainties from global systemic risks.

Meredith T. Niles, Molly E. Brown · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global

This chapter defines the expanding concept of food security, which now includes social and cultural issues beyond simply providing enough food, and introduces its four pillars: availability, access, utilization, and stability. It also explores urban agriculture and the use of satellite information and Internet-connected devices for farm management.

Ranka Junge, Nadine Antenen, Morris Villarroel, Tjaša Griessler Bulc, Andrej Ovca, Sarah Milliken · Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften digital collection (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) · Global

The Aquaponics Textbook for Higher Education accompanies the Aqu@teach Aquaponics Curriculum, intended for tertiary level teachers introducing basic aquaponics to students. The curriculum comprises 150 hours of student workload (5 ECTS) and is divided into 15 modules, covering topics such as aquaponic technology, aquaculture, hydroponics, and urban agriculture.

Fatin Natasya Shuhaimi, Nursuriati Jamil, Raseeda Hamzah · Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics · Global

This study proposed and evaluated two Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart farming system designs for personal use in residential apartments, focusing on humidity and temperature monitoring. After comparing sensor readings (DHT 11 and DHT 22) over three days against actual environmental values, and assessing implementation costs and power consumption, the findings regarding accuracy and costs were inconclusive.

Dedi Sudarmaji, Ruswadi Muchtar, Ayu Vandira Candra Kusumah · Jurnal Ilmiah Respati · Indonesia

This study investigated the response of pakcoy plants to liquid supplementary fertilizer in a vertical culture system. Using a Randomized Block Design with six treatments and three replications, researchers observed variables such as leaf count, leaf width, plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight. The results showed that treatment P4, with a liquid supplementary fertilizer concentration of 2.5cc/liter of water, yielded the best plant height, leaf width, leaf count, fresh weight, and dry weight for pakcoy plants.

Nana Sutrisna · · Indonesia

This paper discusses urban agricultural development as a strategy for food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. It suggests that innovative urban agriculture, including vertical gardens, hydroponics, and vertiminaponics, can support food availability, access, and utilization across various scales. Small to medium-scale urban agriculture can supply local markets, while larger scales can meet national or global needs, reducing reliance on long food value chains.

ایوب محمدیان, جلیل حیدری دهوئی, علیرضا قربانی · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

This research identified applications of IoT in smart agriculture by examining 168 selected academic documents (from 480, 2010-2017) using a meta-synthesis approach. Documents were categorized into eight agricultural areas, including urban agriculture, and clustered into six analytics domains such as monitoring and control. The study determined the effect coefficient of elements using the Shannon entropy method, addressing technical uses of IoT in each sector.

Jacob Wood, Caroline Wong, Swathi Paturi · eTropic electronic journal of studies in the tropics · Singapore

This research examines urban farming, specifically vertical farming methods, in Singapore. Despite substantial public and private investment in R&D for high-tech, high-yielding vertical farms, Singapore faces a highly constrained urban environment where land scarcity is exacerbated by a complex regulatory land use framework.

J. R. da Costa, J. R. de Alencar, Patrizia Costa, V. S. Hammes, D. de C. Victoria, K. R. E. de Jesus, Henrique Nery Cipriani, C. C. de A. Buschinelli, F. F. Calegario, Géraldo Stachetti Rodrigues, L. A. Magalhães, C. R. Marmo, A. C. Lira-Guedes, Manuel Correia Guedes, L. A. Forato · · Global

This paper enumerates a wide range of concepts and systems related to strategic territorial intelligence, participatory community-level planning, farm management planning, territorial management, and urban and peri-urban farming. It includes agricultural and hydrological models, mapping of agricultural areas, spatial data integration, environmental management plans, integrated waste management, and pest control recommendations for urban gardens. Strategic management decision support systems, such as technological innovation impact evaluation systems, agrometeorological monitoring systems, and georeferenced data collection software, are also presented.

Mosen Farhangi, Margherita Turvani, Arnold van der Valk, G.J. Carsjens · Sustainability · Netherlands (Amsterdam)

An ethnographic study in Amsterdam, Netherlands, analyzed barriers to the integration of high-tech urban agriculture (HTUA) into urban planning processes. The research revealed a lacking connection between planning actors and HTUA technology developers.

Fernando Almeida, Nuno Miranda, Bruno Vieira · International Journal of Environmental Sustainability and Green Technologies · Global

This study proposed the development of a mobile device application to facilitate the management and monitoring of urban farming production. The application can be used by less experienced farmers by providing information on optimal seasonal products based on soil characteristics and climate. The developed application demonstrated potential to increase crop visibility, enhance efficiency across the value chain, provide real-time business and financial data access, allow user profile customization, improve marketing process efficiency, and reduce transport costs.

Hilyah Magdalena, Hadi Santoso · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Indonesia (Pangkalpinang)

A Decision Support System (DSS) for urban farming using hydroponics was developed in Pangkalpinang City, Indonesia, utilizing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. This research considered factors such as limited urban land, suitable vegetable choices, soil conditions, fertilizers used, pest disturbances, and community interest in hydroponic vegetables. Combined assessment results from expert respondents indicated that the superiority of hydroponics was the highest supporting criterion at 19.9%, and white mustard was the most preferred vegetable at 36.4%.

Rosalia Filippini, Sylvie Lardon, Stefano Corsi · · Italy

This chapter designs an inter- and transdisciplinary, multiscale, and mixed-method framework for analyzing Smart Agriculture (SA) in urban-rural relationships across Italian case studies. It proposes SA as an experimental field for cooperation among decision-makers, civil society, and academia to improve urban-rural links in metropolitan regions. The promotion of peri-urban agriculture and rural-urban links is central to this approach.

Keshav Chandra · Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research · Japan

In Japanese agriculture, women's participation is progressively increasing, and there is a close relationship between attracting youth to agriculture and achieving food self-sufficiency. Urban agriculture is developing as a new trend in Japan. New trends such as organic farms, robotics agro, urban agriculture, and increasing women's participation are emerging, which can accelerate the pace of agricultural development in Japan.

F. Feldmann, Ute Vogler · Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection · Global

Ten key challenges for plant protection in cities were identified, each belonging to a specific field of action of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in urban horticulture, according to Directive 2009/128/EC. These challenges include appropriate plant selection, microbiome engineering, nutrient recycling, smart digital solutions, diversification of vegetation, avoidance of pesticide side effects on beneficials, biorational efficacy assessment, effective pest diagnosis, efficient outbreak control, and holistic approaches.

Mary Njoki Mwaura, Sabina Wangia, Japheth Ododa Origa, Lee Ernest Mbatia Oliver · Journal of Agricultural Extension · Kenya (Nairobi)

This study investigated the influence of urban extension workers' socio-economic characteristics on farmer empowerment in Nairobi County, Kenya, using data from 64 extension workers. While extension workers' characteristics positively influenced the choice of extension methods, explaining 37.2% of farmer empowerment, a significant finding was that 49.9% of extension workers were unaware of adult learning principles (ALPs). The study recommends training extension workers in ALPs and ICT techniques to improve extension methods.

Rasmuna Mazwan Muhammad, Nik Rozana Nik Mohamed Masdek, Mohd Tarmizi Haimid, Siti Zahrah Ponari, Zulhazmi Sayuti · · Malaysia

This study in Malaysia investigated the effectiveness of urban farming in reducing household expenses among the urban poor, who spend 50-70% of their income on food. Using questionnaires, FGDs, and interviews, it found that urban farming, particularly aquaponics, led to a significant average reduction of RM66 per month in household expenses. The study concluded that urban farming benefits the community by supplying nutritious vegetables, improving housing aesthetics, and reducing costs.

Setiadi Setiadi · Jurnal Humaniora · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)

This case study examines Joglo Tani in Yogyakarta, an organization promoting new agricultural technology and urban farming for local food security. The research, using participatory observation and interviews, found that Joglo Tani's success stems from social entrepreneurship in its leadership and effective networks, which have driven social transformation in rural resource management and agricultural work organization. The study concludes that this bottom-up movement has successfully addressed food supply limitations and fostered sustainable food systems.

Yan Mitha Djaksana, Heru Sukoco, Sri Wahjuni, Hendra Rahmawan, Shelvie Nidya Neyman · Petir · Indonesia

A 2020 paper from Indonesia proposes a "smart water management system" framework using IoT sensors and machine-learning algorithms to manage available water resources in support of urban farming, addressing water scarcity in densely populated urban areas. The framework is designed around reusing treated water and filtered rainwater that meets minimum quality requirements for agricultural reuse; no implementation or evaluation results are presented.

Lily Kiminami, Shinichi Furuzawa, Akira Kiminami · Studies in Regional Science · Global

This study examines the relationship between the multi-functionality of urban agriculture (MFUA) as a city amenity and creative classes (CCs) in Tokyo and Shanghai, two global cities in Asia. Drawing on existing research on creative classes, multi-functional agriculture, social capital and social business, the authors built a model and tested it using structural equation modeling (SEM) on an original questionnaire survey of residents in both cities. Alongside creative classes defined by traditional creative occupations, the study also examined creative classes based on creative thinking, their orientation toward multi-functional agriculture, and their relationship to social capital.

Irmane Mze Ali, Mohd Wajdi Mohd Feham, Yahia Siddique, Abdul Rahman Ahmad Dahlan · · Malaysia

As part of Malaysia's "University-of-the-Future" (UotF) concept, this paper designs an approach to improving the wellbeing of low-income (B40) youth by normalizing an urban farming programme and expanding economic opportunity through digital entrepreneurship, using a literature review together with a Business Model Canvas (BMC), a Value Proposition Design Canvas (VPC), and surveys of participants for feedback. It reports using these tools to formulate both an initial and a validated version of the BMC and VPC.

Esther McGinnis, Alicia Rihn, Natalie R. Bumgarner, Sarada Krishnan, Jourdan Cole, Casey Sclar, Hayk Khachatryan · HortTechnology · United States

A workshop report (HortTechnology, 2020) documents a July 23, 2019 session held in Las Vegas by the Consumer Horticulture and Master Gardener Professional Interest Group at the American Society for Horticultural Science annual conference, which discussed terminology resonant with millennials (e.g., plant parent, plant enthusiast, urban agriculture) and featured presentations on social media outreach on Instagram, retail point-of-sale promotions, and botanical garden programming aimed at younger audiences. The group concluded that more consumer horticulture professionals should engage in tailored social media outreach and recommended further research into consumer behavior and retail marketing preferences among millennials.

Thesar Gufont Agrinusa, Arief Kurniawan, Ahmad Zaini · Jurnal Teknik ITS · Indonesia

With farmland shrinking as population growth accelerates in Indonesia's large cities, this study (2020, Indonesia) applies urban farming, specifically indoor cultivation methods, as a countermeasure, addressing the previous inability to monitor and control indoor growing-space environmental conditions objectively and in real time. It implemented an Internet of Things (IoT) and Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) system using XBee Series 1 communication modules to monitor and control environmental conditions within the growing space, and reports successfully implementing IoT/WSN-based monitoring and control of urban farming that lets the space's owner monitor it directly in real time.

Celina Gómez, Christopher J. Currey, Ryan W. Dickson, Hye‐Ji Kim, Ricardo Hernández, Nadia Sabeh, Rosa E. Raudales, Robin G. Brumfield, Angela Shaw, Adam K. Wilke, Roberto G. López, Stephanie E. Burnett · HortScience · Global

This review discusses the application of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) techniques to urban agriculture (UA), driven by increased market demand for local produce. While CEA offers opportunities for year-round production and resource-use efficiency, significant challenges remain due to the high costs of production in urban settings. The review emphasizes that for urban growers to benefit, studies evaluating CEA for commercial food production must consider economic viability.