Research & reports

Pinilla K., Hoinle B., Mahecha-Groot A., Cepeda J. · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Colombia (Bogotá)

This paper presents AgroEcoBogotá, an open counter-mapping platform that cartographically documented 47 urban agroecological initiatives in Bogotá to promote visibility of the local agroecology movement and foster solidarity networks between urban and peri-urban food producers.

Contesse M., van Vliet B.J.M., Lenhart J. · Land Use Policy · Chile (Santiago)

This study used the policy arrangement approach to compare urban green space planning and urban agriculture policies in Santiago, finding that urban agriculture can complement (but not replace) parks as green space, provided that policy mechanisms clarify stakeholder roles and benefits.

· BioScience · Global

Comprehensive analysis of urban agriculture's role in achieving secure, healthy, and sustainable food systems. Examines how citizen-driven agriculture can transform food systems.

Martina Artmann, Katharina Sartison · Sustainability · Global

A systemic literature review of 166 academic articles focusing on the Global North examined urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a nature-based solution. The review found that UPA contributes to ten key societal challenges of urbanization, including climate change, food security, and public health, by providing social, economic, and environmental co-benefits. The study developed an integrative assessment framework for evaluating UPA implementation and impact efficiency, which should be tested using edible cities as an example.

Jonathan 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.

Joseph 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.

Rowaida Rashed · Environmental Science & Sustainable Development · Global

This paper explores urban agriculture as a regenerative urban development practice aimed at decreasing the ecological footprints of cities. It defines environmental problems, explains the concept of the ecological footprint, and demonstrates how urban agriculture can be integrated into cities to improve environmental conditions and reduce ecological footprints. Urban agriculture is highlighted as one of the most effective regenerative practices.

Subhadip Ghosh, Lai Fern Ow, Mohamed Lokman Mohd Yusof · · Singapore

A short-term experiment in an urban park in northern Singapore investigated biochar's effects on urban horticulture. Biochar, alone or with compost, was mixed with loamy soil, and Dissotisrotundifolia was planted under various treatments. Soil analysis revealed significant improvements in soil nutrient status and organic matter content with organic amendments, especially those containing biochar, though plant physiological characteristics showed no significant differences. The study suggests biochar as a potential soil amendment for perennial ground cover in Singapore's tropical climate.

Ángel Leyva, A. Lores · Elementa Science of the Anthropocene · Cuba

In Cuba, poorly balanced agrobiodiversity due to sugarcane monocropping has been a main constraint to sustainable agrarian development over the last 50 years. This paper discusses the development of a new Index of Agrobiodiversity (IDA) to assess agroecosystem sustainability, describing its components, development, and efficiency assessment. A practical application measured agroecosystems within Cuba’s urban agriculture movement, suggesting IDA is a valid proposal that requires few resources and generates information through local farmers.

Johnson, Anna, Black, Richard · RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library) · Oceania

"Urban Sanctuary" showcases contemporary houses in urban Australia and New Zealand that demonstrate inventive ways of integrating outdoor spaces into domestic living. These projects feature various forms of gardens, including vertical gardens, micro-green spaces, rooftop gardens, courtyards, and reworked traditional gardens. The work explores how homes can interact with these diverse garden spaces.

Trevor A Lambkin · Metamorphosis Australia magazine of the Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club · Australia

This article discusses native bees, noting their weak jaws result in a tickle-like bite and that indigenous peoples globally have extracted their honey for various uses. Research into native bees for crop pollination began in 1984, leading to the development of hive propagation techniques by 1987. The keeping of native bees, particularly the subtropical Carbonaria species, has since gained popularity among various groups including schools and community gardens.

J Dostalík, Radoslava Krylová, Vojtěch Pelikán, Lucie Sovová, Zbyněk Ulčák · · Global

This paper presents a methodological tool designed to standardize the assessment of gardening sites and offer a user-friendly approach for evaluating diverse urban gardening areas. This multidisciplinary methodology assesses territory from three perspectives: urban gardening in urban planning, the social benefits of gardening communities and economic aspects including food security contributions, and the environmental aspects of gardening sites, such as their support for biodiversity.

José Darío Barragán Romero, Johana Andrea Gutiérrez Rivera · · Colombia (Bogotá)

This document illustrates how urban agriculture is being applied in Bogotá, with the assistance of the Bogotá Botanical Garden (JBB), particularly in educational institutions. The objective is for young people to understand the benefits of urban agriculture through educational processes and replicate this information in their homes. The work consists of three parts: a photographic record of the gardens in educational institutions assisted by the JBB, the creation of a list of plant species suitable for cultivation in Bogotá, and a compilation of research related to the JBB on urban agriculture.

Katrina Hoch · · Global

Involving children in decisions and preparations for activities, particularly in natural settings, increases their enthusiasm and understanding of the food system. A 2015 systematic review of 13 studies found that participation in school garden programs led to an increased preference for vegetables. School gardens provide individual, interpersonal, and social benefits, engaging children in broader themes such as protecting biodiversity.

Miguel A. Altieri, Clara I. Nicholls · Agro Sur · Global

Although urban agriculture (UA) is estimated to provide 15-20% of global food, its significant contribution to city food self-sufficiency is questionable due to low yields in most existing urban farms. Agroecology can enhance UA's productive potential by offering key principles for designing diversified, productive, and resilient urban farms. This paper describes principles and practices for increasing soil quality and enhancing plant health.

Abdel Fattah N. Abd Rabou · IUG Journal of Natural Studies · Palestine (Gaza City)

This six-month study (October 2016 – March 2017) identified and recorded woody components in three selected urban green spaces in Gaza City, Palestine: Gaza Municipality, Barcelona, and Al-Azhar parks. A total of 50 tree and shrub species, belonging to 26 families and 14 orders, were identified. Angiosperms accounted for 92.0% of species, with Fabales being the largest order. The study recommends selecting woody species adapted to local environmental conditions.

Dalmiro Cazorla-Perfetti, Pedro Morales-Moreno · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Venezuela (Coro)

This paper records the presence of deutonymphs of two mite taxa, Uroobovella Sensu lato Berlesse, 1903 and Cosmoglyphus Oudemans, 1932, in the urban area of Coro, Falcón State, Venezuela. These mites were found attached to the legs and/or abdomen of adult Desmometopa Loew, 1866 and Spalangia Latreille, 1805 specimens. The specimens were collected inside a dwelling, specifically in a plastic container with compost for growing vegetables and on the windows.

Claire Freeman, Yolanda van Heezik · · Global

This chapter describes urban environments as spaces where other species live and the characteristics of species able to thrive in human-dominated environments. It explores the potential of different modified urban habitats to support biodiversity and how animals respond to urban challenges. The urban landscape consists of numerous small patches of diverse habitats that vary in their capacity to support wildlife populations. Urban agriculture takes many forms, including private gardens, community or allotment gardens, rooftop farms, and urban orchards.

Cynthia Frazier · ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) · Global

This story describes the transformation of a garbage-filled empty lot into a beautiful green space through community effort. It illustrates how community gardens and green spaces can spread throughout a neighborhood, from parks to rooftops. The narrative inspires people to create community gardens and highlights the importance of bees and butterflies.

Natália Peres Almeida · · Global

This research aimed to identify the contribution of community gardens to healthy food for farmers and their families, with objectives of Food and Nutrition Security, Human Right to Adequate Food, and Food Sovereignty. Interviews were conducted with the president and farmers in the community garden, randomly addressed during their activities. It was concluded that the community garden significantly contributed to the healthy eating of farmers and their families through the production of in natura food of vegetal origin, of sufficient quality and quantity.

Danielle Sinnett, Gemma Jerome, Nick Smith, Sarah Burgess, Roger Mortlock · International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning · Global

This paper presents an emerging benchmark for green infrastructure (GI) developed through literature review and stakeholder engagement, addressing uncertainty in GI design, delivery, and maintenance. The benchmark offers flexible standards for assessing GI policy, planning, design, delivery, and long-term management across various spatial scales. Preliminary testing on two mixed-use developments found the benchmark performed well, rewarding high-quality GI without demanding exemplary levels.

Jamie Matthews, Akhtar-Khavari Afshin · Journal of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University · Global

This paper argues that as land values rise with increasing population density, legally established practice has pushed agriculture out of the urban environment, leaving cities dependent on regional and industrial agriculture, with urban agriculture practiced mainly in developing countries as a defense against hunger and malnutrition or as poverty alleviation. It contends that urban agriculture can contribute to environmental recovery in the Anthropocene, on the premise that existing conservation and protection strategies should not be assumed to be sufficient on their own, without presenting empirical measurements.

Brenda B. Lin, Monika Egerer, Alessandro Ossola · Frontiers in Built Environment · Global

This review examines how urban gardens might counter the ratcheting-down of everyday nature experience caused by urban green-space loss, by fostering biophilia. It outlines three pathways: exposure to diverse plants, animals and soils; understanding of natural processes tied to food production such as climate, pest control and pollination; and provision of a safe space for physical interaction with nature, and presents examples of urban gardens to illustrate biophilic design.

Bertrand Festus Nero, Nana Afranaa Kwapong, Raymond Jatta, Oluwole Fatunbi · Sustainability · Ghana

Combining interviews with 105 respondents in six neighborhoods and vegetation surveys of over 200 plots (100 sq m each) across five land use types, this study examined the composition, diversity, and socioeconomic contributions of Accra's urban forest and food trees in Ghana. Of 70 woody species found in Accra, 22 have edible parts (leaves, fruits, flowers, etc.), food trees make up about half of all trees counted, and species richness and abundance differed significantly by land use type (p<0.0001) and neighborhood type (p<0.0001), with diversity of food-bearing species much higher in poorer neighborhoods than wealthier ones — while respondents in wealthier neighborhoods rated overall tree and food-tree cover as low and showed greater interest in cultivating food (fruit) trees and expanding forest cover than those in poorer neighborhoods.

Dalmiro Cazorla-Perfetti, Pedro Morales-Moreno · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

A short report records female broad mites, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks, 1909), attached to the legs and/or thorax of adult whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci sensu lato, collected from sweet pepper (Capsicum spp.) and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) plants grown in compost at a dwelling in the city of Coro, Falcón State, Venezuela. It suggests the symbiotic association between P. latus and the whitefly may be phoretic.