Research & reports

Wawan Setiawan, B J Gawryszewska · Scientific Review Engineering and Environmental Sciences (SREES) · Global

This study is a literature review aiming to show that contemporary researchers recognize the potential of urban gardening in improving urban retention. A meta-analysis of peer-reviewed scientific articles from databases like Web of Sciences, Science Direct, Springer, and MDPI was performed, defining urban garden retention indicators such as rainwater/stormwater infrastructure, watering systems, and planting type. The analysis of article distribution noted an overrepresentation from North America and an absence from South America.

Jialing Xie · · Australia (Wyndham)

Wyndham, one of Australia's fastest-growing communities, faces increased urbanization and pressure on its socio-ecological environment, leading to growing food insecurity. This paper aims to explore agriculture-based resilient community development to achieve food security in Wyndham. Through a critical review of relevant literature and case studies on implementing a pilot site design approach, the paper presents necessary actions for urban farming practices at their current scale and reviews opportunities and barriers to scaling up these practices under future risks like climate change and sea-level rise.

Ernst‐August Nuppenau · PLoS ONE · Global

This article proposes an ecological economics orientation for peri-urban development, focusing on land use planning, local food, and entropy. Based on a mathematical model and control theory, it presents an operational concept to minimize negative externalities within a given population, aiming to assure space for urban agriculture and enable organic matter recycling. It notes that current unhealthy developments and market-oriented city expansions have limited the scope for peri-urban farming, advocating for regional planning based on organic matter recycling.

Ayşegül YARIŞ, Emel Karakaya Ayalp · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

The current agri-food system is undergoing an unsustainable transition, with Urban Food Planning emerging as a holistic approach for sustainable transition. This paper explains and translates the "City-Region Food System (CRFS) Toolkit," developed in partnership with FAO, RUAF, and participating cities. It examines the toolkit's roadmap and approach for building more sustainable and resilient urban food systems through two case studies in West Africa. The research concluded that the CRFS Toolkit defines limited tools for building sustainable urban food systems and excludes the relationship with spatial disciplines.

Gerhard Fischer, F. Fischer · Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Hortícolas · Global

This overview, based on the ScienceDirect database, addresses heavy metal (HM) contamination in vegetables from urban and peri-urban areas. It notes that HMs like Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, and As accumulate to toxic levels in the soil-plant-consumer continuum, causing health damage to consumers and physiological alterations in plants. Leafy and solanaceous vegetables accumulate the most HMs, while cucurbits and legumes are least affected.

Patrizia Pugliese, Cosimo Rota, Fatima Zohra Sabrane, Marie Reine Bteich, E.J. Veen · · Morocco

A mixed-methods study of four urban agriculture initiatives in Morocco found that while all cases struggled with certain perturbations, some were able to turn them into more hopeful situations, whereas others could lead to new perturbations or increased vulnerability. The study concluded that the outcomes were highly case-specific and related to existing resources, highlighting the complex and fluid nature of these initiatives.

Małgorzata 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.

Nchiye Yahaya Andrew, Joy Nanlop Uwa, Abel Odion · American journal of civil engineering and architecture · Global

This review paper provides an overview of passive cooling techniques, focusing on bio-mimicry design approaches adopted in global building design and construction. It highlights examples such as the East Gate Office building in Harare, which uses termite mound concepts, and the Vancouver Convention Center, which employs rooftop gardens for indoor temperature balance. The paper is limited to bio-mimic design approaches and suggests they offer significant solutions for building energy efficiency.

Una Smilgaine · Aktuālās problēmas literatūras un kultūras pētniecībā rakstu krājums · Latvia (Riga)

This article explores the environmental issues reflected in the experience stories of 16 gardeners and locals on Lucavsala island, Riga, collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, audio recordings, and photography in 2021. Gardeners expressed environmental awareness through narratives about the island's geography, gardening practices, and environmental quality, with acquiring and managing a garden being a prominent theme. Despite mentions of waste, the environmental quality of Lucavsala was generally judged to be relatively high, with fresh air, peace, and quiet being important indicators.

José Anido · Agroalimentaria · Venezuela

This exploratory review study examined the viability of urban food systems and their governance in Venezuela, based on secondary sources. While identifying available resources like educational infrastructure and a renewed legal framework, the study highlighted significant limitations. These include increasing deforestation, deteriorating potable water services for urban agriculture, migration of skilled populations, decline in public funding for science and technology, opaque official information, and scarcity of financing for new developments.

Abdulai Adams, Samuel Sekyi, Irrshad Kaseeram · Cogent Food & Agriculture · Ghana (Accra)

This study analyzed the efficiency performance and willingness to pay (WTP) for treated wastewater among 214 urban vegetable producers in the greater Accra metropolis of Ghana. Using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and logistic regression models, results showed that the current production system is technically inefficient, with 33% more output possible from existing resources. The mean amount farmers were willing to pay for treated wastewater delivered to their farms was GH¢66.7 per month.

Lalawmpuii Lalawmpuii, Prabhat Kumar · Energy Nexus · Global

This review emphasizes the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus as a tool to combat environmental degradation, address climate action, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It investigates the methodological paradigm and application of the WEF Nexus through case studies on water resources, energy efficiency, urban food production, food waste reduction, cross-sectoral perspectives, and the circular economy. The WEF nexus approach was found to stimulate multilevel and inter-sectoral governance, aiding in addressing complexities and inefficiencies in achieving the SDGs.

Gizaw 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.

Cordelia Mason, Wan Mohd Hilmi Wan Ahmad · · Malaysia

This 2023 case study examines Urban Hijau, a social enterprise in Malaysia that promotes urban farming for sustainability. It describes Urban Hijau's origins and progression through various sustainable farming systems, including permaculture, and discusses the opportunities and challenges in urban farming and food security. The study concludes by posing questions about the significant contribution of small urban farms to the food industry and Urban Hijau's long-term sustainability.

Paola Clerino, Agnès Fargue‐Lelièvre, Jean-Marc Meynard · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · Global

This study investigated the sustainability assessment practices of professional intra-urban agriculture (PIUA) projects in the Global North, analyzing 19 case studies. Four dimensions underpinning sustainability assessment were identified: internal sustainability, external sustainability, the project leader’s credibility, and the innovative nature of the project. The study found 67 diverse assessment criteria and that 78% of indicators used were qualitative, noting that assessment practices evolve over time. The results enhance understanding of how PIUA project sustainability is assessed.

M.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.

Anna Stage, Mads Bølling, Glen Nielsen, Peter Bentsen, Mette Aadahl, Camilla Roed Otte, Peter Elsborg · European Journal of Public Health · Global

The FoodACT study aims to investigate the impact of a school gardening intervention on pupils' school motivation, climate literacy, food literacy, and physical activity, with a special attention on children with low socio-economic status. The study design includes an efficacy study using a pre-post quasi-experimental design measuring pupils’ food literacy, climate literacy, and school motivation; a within-subject association study quantifying the influence of school garden activities on pupils’ physical activity; and an association study investigating contextual characteristics of school garden activities using systematic observations and focus-group interviews. This abstract describes the study protocol and design.

Mansi I. Bhati and R.K. Dubey · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

Urban horticulture, a new concept for growing family-sufficient food in urban and peri-urban areas, is gaining importance. However, environmental challenges for urban farming in urban environments include soil contamination, micro-climate alteration and air pollution, and contaminated water resources. Appropriate guidelines for urban and peri-urban agricultural practices are required.

Triya Tessa Ramburn, Yufei Mandy Wu, Rachel Kronick · International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care · Global

A narrative review analyzed 17 peer-reviewed and 4 grey literature articles up to 2021 to document psychosocial outcomes of gardening programs for refugees and migrants. The analysis found that community gardening programs promoted continuity and adaptation (81% of articles), social connectedness (81%), overall wellbeing (95%), and a sense of meaning and self-worth (67%). Community gardens can strengthen psychosocial pillars for the recovery and resettlement of refugees and migrants.

Stuart Walters, V. P. Thomas, Karen Stoelzle Midden, John W. Groninger · Journal of Living Architecture · Global

This study evaluated the productivity of four Romaine lettuce cultivars grown to maturity in an 8 cm deep lightweight clay substrate on an extensive green roof during the autumn production seasons of 2012 and 2013. Lettuce productivity was improved by the addition of fertilizers, with fast-release fertilizer providing the greatest growth and productivity. However, abnormally cold growing conditions in autumn 2013 resulted in lower yields compared to 2012, highlighting the system's vulnerability to weather.

Anna Horolets, Saša Poljak Istenič, Alexandra Schwell · Etnološka tribina · Slovenia (Ljubljana)

This ethnographic fieldwork examined the role of maintenance and care practices in urban gardening. It was conducted at the Onkraj gradbišča community garden in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which was initially conceived as a social and cultural innovation. The study argues that continuous maintenance labor by organizers and gardeners is crucial for the longevity and sustainability of urban future-making practices, highlighting that the focus on innovation often obscures the importance of ongoing care.

Akbar 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.

Yurisandra Sierra Reyes, Ana de Dios Martínez, Jorge Pereda Mouso, Manuel Francisco Rodríguez Saldaña · Cuadernos de Administración · Cuba (Camagüey)

This article proposes indicators for urban agriculture planning in Camagüey, Cuba, aiming to contribute to urban sustainability and food sovereignty. The methodology involved theoretical analysis and synthesis, a mixed focus group for variable delimitation, and the IADOV method for validation. These indicators are presented as a useful tool for decision-making, enabling the diagnosis and characterization of urban agriculture and its integration into territorial planning.

Arun Kafle, James Hopeward, Baden Myers · Land · Global

This paper assesses the potential economic, social, and environmental contributions of urban agriculture (UA) based on five key features: area, purpose, crop value, mechanisation level, and market mechanism. A review of 15 past studies, including those from Adelaide, Australia, and the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, revealed that most UA research focuses on social benefits and cost savings. Few studies investigate economic viability, employment potential, or greenhouse gas reduction opportunities, indicating a need for a systems approach and diverse real-world case studies.

Sun–A Jung · The Global Association of Applied Liberal Arts Studies · Global

This study investigated the effects of environment-friendly urban agricultural education. It found that participants mostly used chemicals for pest control, though some avoided them for safety and environmental reasons. Those who completed the education perceived a higher possibility of solving urban environmental problems and used less manure, with some producing their own.