Research & reports

Dwinanda Ripta Ramadhan, Supartini, Susilaningtyas Budiana Kurniawati · PROFICIO · Indonesia

A community outreach program in Indonesia (PROFICIO, 2026) applied Participatory Action Research—assessment, intensive training, coaching, and periodic evaluation—to help urban farming groups shift from consumers to micro-scale commercial producers through crop diversification, financial management, and digital marketing. Reported outcomes were skill gains in diversified cultivation, separation of household and business cash accounts, and creation of a digital brand on social media and local marketplaces; the program's expected increase in group revenue was stated as a goal, not a measured result.

Nia Amalia, Sri Widayanti, Mirza Andrian Syah · JURNAL ILMIAH PETERNAKAN TERPADU · Indonesia (Surabaya)

A feasibility study of the Balitbangtan superior free-range chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) farming business run by the Jago Karah Farm (JKF) urban farming community in Surabaya, Indonesia (2026), used qualitative descriptive analysis for market, technical, and environmental aspects and quantitative income analysis with the R/C Ratio for financial feasibility. JKF was found to have clear market segmentation and a functioning marketing mix; the operation remains micro-scale with only partial technology adoption; environmentally it was assessed as feasible, producing no unpleasant odors and managing waste properly; and financially it was profitable, with an average income of IDR 4,069,888 and an R/C Ratio of 1.7. The study notes JKF still faces limited technology, high feed costs, and a narrow marketing reach.

Ligia Tobar, César Augusto Gutiérrez, Leidy Yurani Villa García, Jonathan S. Pelegrin · Applied Environmental Education & Communication · Colombia

This study examined how a school garden in Vijes, Colombia, functions as a habitat for pollinators and a space for experiential education. Primary school students recorded 208 floral visits across four plots (ornamental, medicinal, fruit, and crop) over three weeks of limited observation time. Visiting activity was dominated by the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula (49%) and the honeybee Apis mellifera (36%). Pollinators mainly visited the ornamental plot, particularly Zinnia peruviana, and Cucurbita maxima in the crop plot. Participation in the monitoring fostered ecological awareness, teamwork, and appreciation of biodiversity among the students.

Rabia Admin, Malka Shahzadi, Malika Shahzadi, Muhammed Faisal Rasheed · Social Sciences Spectrum · Pakistan

This study examines women's involvement and empowerment in agricultural activities in Lahore Cantonment, Punjab, Pakistan, based on data from 118 women engaged in agriculture, analyzed using mixed methods including descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, correlation, and multiple regression. The results show that while participation rates among women are high, women are not yet empowered, owing to existing socio-cultural and resource-based obstacles. Significant associations were found between land ownership and women's decision-making, between education and participation, and between access to credit and extension services and involvement in agricultural activities; the correlation matrix showed positive relationships among key variables, and regression analysis identified land ownership, education, and access to credit as significant predictors of women's empowerment. The paper states that changes to law, access to resources, and social support are needed to improve women's agency in peri-urban agriculture, and proposes policy measures including land rights reform, targeted educational initiatives, and improved access to resources.

Iasmin Emanueli Becker, Luciana Nunes de Oliveira, Jordana Marques Kneipp, Augusto Costa Bernardy, Edgar Cesar Rodrigues Maia, Juarez Felisberto · Revista Tópicos. · Brazil

As urban flooding, heat islands and water scarcity become more frequent in socioeconomically vulnerable peripheral areas, this qualitative case study analyzed how an agroecological community garden contributes to urban environmental resilience and efficient use of natural resources. Focusing on the Horta Comunitária Urbana Agroecológica Renova Vidas garden in Brazil, the study combined document analysis, non-participant observation and interviews, analyzed through content analysis. The garden was found to promote recovery of degraded land, conservation of natural resources and efficient water use, illustrating how local practices can contribute to urban resilience.

Lauren Strumos, L. G. Beaman · Journal for the Academic Study of Religion · Global

Drawing on interviews with 134 community garden members across eight countries, this article examines how individuals, both religious and nonreligious, understand and enact moral relationships with other terrestrial beings at their community gardens. It frames the community garden as a place constituted by human and more-than-human relationships, showing how people make sense of the world from where they are situated, with or without reference to religion or spirituality. Gardeners' relationships are organized into three experiential modes — gardens as places of connection, as places of control and human intervention, and as places of world-repairing or mending the Earth — which are not mutually exclusive and span the diverse lifestances of individual gardeners.

Chandni Singh, Sheetal Somashekar Patil, Swarnika Sharma · Environmental Research Climate · India

As urban heat increasingly affects liveability, labour productivity and human health, nature-based solutions such as green roofs, increased urban tree cover and dedicated park space have been proposed to adapt to rising urban heat, but the literature has paid relatively little attention to how smaller urban green spaces — fragmented urban greenery and rooftop home gardens — contribute to hyperlocal temperature regulation. This study examined whether rooftop home gardens in Bangalore, India, regulate indoor temperature and provide thermal comfort, drawing on perception-based data from household surveys and in-depth interviews alongside modelled scenario data covering different types of rooftop home gardens. People generally perceived thermal comfort in rooms directly below rooftop farms/gardens, and reported air-conditioner use declined after starting rooftop gardening. Modelling across seven scenarios, from no green cover to complete (100%) soil-bed cover, showed heat reduction benefits ranging from 1.5°C to 14°C depending on foliage type, density and extent of green cover; because most rooftops serve multiple purposes, the study identifies a more realistic temperature reduction of 1.5°C to 3°C, corresponding to a scenario with 50% of the roof covered in dense foliage.

G. Bastian, Sarah Lane, Haley McMahon, Olivia Husmann, Evangeline Schumacher · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

One in eight South Dakota residents faces food insecurity, which has been linked to higher prevalence of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Against this backdrop, this study conducted a preliminary process and impact evaluation of Dakota Food Rx, a pilot community-supported agriculture (CSA) produce prescription (PRx) program in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota. Healthcare providers (Prescribers) referred low-income and/or food-insecure adults with diet-related chronic disease (Patients) to receive weekly produce boxes from a local specialty producer (Grower); evaluation measures included patient pre-post surveys and key informant interviews with Prescribers, Growers and Patients. From June to November 2024, 30 patients participated, receiving 434 produce boxes (mean 14.5 per patient) valued at over $14,000. Ten pre-surveys and eight post-surveys were completed (seven pre-only, five post-only, three both), along with nine interviews. Overall program satisfaction was high, and patients responding at post-test reported higher food security and sense of community than at pre-test. Thematic analysis of the interviews indicated patients improved their diet, food access and overall health, and that relationships were built among program participants; however, Prescribers, Growers and Patients all reported having to adapt to the program, with future considerations including increased communication, improved workflow, and additional resources.

Syauqi Az Zahra, Erwan Efendi · Ganaya Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Humaniora · Indonesia

In Martebing Village, Serdang Bedagai Regency, Indonesia, a qualitative descriptive study using field observation, in-depth interviews with community administrators and members, and activity documentation examined how management of the Nurul Huda women's empowerment community, organized through a da'wah (Islamic outreach) management approach, contributes to family food security. The community was found to carry out functional management — activity planning, role organization, program implementation and collective evaluation — integrated with da'wah values, realized in practice through urban farming and yard-land utilization as part of family food security management. Women's active involvement throughout this process was said to encourage the independence and sustainability of family food security, positioning the integration of da'wah management and women's empowerment as a potential model for community-based empowerment in rural areas.

Alfiya Rokhmah, Ririn Mulyani, Muhammad Yusuf Hamdhani, Doni Doni · Jurnal Keteknikan Pertanian · Indonesia

At Universitas Sains Indonesia in Cibitung subdistrict, Bekasi Regency, Indonesia, researchers designed an urban farming layout to increase green open space on limited campus land. Using a mixed-method approach combining site analysis, field observation, facility-relationship analysis and economic feasibility estimation, the proposed design combines an aquaponic system (a 1,000-liter fish tank linked to hydroponic pipes with 120 planting holes), a vertical farming system adding 60 planting holes, and a green-learning park. The initial investment was estimated at approximately Rp 12,270,000 with relatively low operating costs, and the system was projected to yield 37-45 kg of vegetables per month and 30-40 kg of fish per production cycle.

Guilherme Raj, Flor Avelino, Marie-Claire Bribois · Cambridge University Press eBooks · Europe

This chapter argues that power dynamics have received limited attention in sustainability-transitions research despite their centrality to lasting societal change, and introduces two frameworks -- "power to, over, and with" and "three relations of power" -- to analyze how power relations shift over time and are constituted. Applying these frameworks to a case study of community-supported agriculture in Portugal, the analysis shows how individual and collective agency, human and non-human interactions, and historical structures of social relationships shape opportunities and barriers for transitions. It concludes that more power-aware research incorporating non-Western and Indigenous epistemologies is needed.

Flora Elvistia Firdaus, M. Dachyar · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science · Asia

This study examined food self-sufficiency in limited spaces as a survival strategy among Indonesian migrant communities in Malaysia, through a community-based educational program teaching container gardening, vertical planting and cultivation using recycled materials, targeted at migrant households and particularly women engaged in informal economic activities, delivered through demonstration, participatory discussion and knowledge exchange. Participants responded positively, viewing food self-sufficiency as a feasible strategy for household resilience and small-space cultivation as a practical way to reduce food expenses and improve access to fresh food, with the program highlighting the importance of culturally relevant practices and community-based learning for adoption.

Dina Oktavia, Yuni Amelia, Fitri Ammara Azhar, Radha Alizha, Widya Natasya, Nayla Putri Abdullah · Warta Dharmawangsa · Indonesia

Using descriptive qualitative methods combining literature review, observation, and interviews with urban farmers, mainly in Medan, Indonesia, and other major cities, this study analyzed urban farming business opportunities built on organic waste management as a form of green entrepreneurship. Converting organic waste into compost was found to reduce production costs, increase soil fertility, and support a circular economy, making urban farming a potentially profitable and environmentally friendly business opportunity. Young people play a strategic role in this development through innovation, digital technology use, and strengthening community networks, but limited knowledge, capital, and policy support remain ongoing challenges.

Intan Ratri Prasundari, Setyo Tri Wahyudi, Anthon Efani, Reny Tiarantika · Agrisocionomics Jurnal Sosial Ekonomi Pertanian · Indonesia

A study assessed the sustainability status of seven types of urban agriculture in Malang City, Indonesia — irrigated agricultural land, rainfed dryland farming, recreational activity, community gardening, commercial farming, agro-educational tourism, and institutional farming — using multidimensional scaling with the RAPHYTON tool. Primary data came from expert and supporting informant interviews plus field surveys and observation. Results showed the sustainability level of urban agriculture types in Malang City was generally in the "moderately sustainable" category. The ecological dimension of irrigated agricultural land was classified as unsustainable, while agro-educational tourism achieved the highest sustainability status, rated sustainable in the social dimension.

Dominik Bittner, Joanne U Smith, Georgios Leontidis, Grant Campbell, Jeanne Biegel, Pete Smith, Matthias Kuhnert, Rastislav Skalský, Licida M. Maria Giuliani, Abdul Walid Walid Salik, Paul Hallett, D Burslem, Getahun Yakob, Wolde Mekuria, Euan Phimister, Amare Haileslassie, Desalegn Tegegne, sarem norouzi, Heyu Chen, Cecile Gubry-Rangin, Adnan Khan · Environmental Research Letters · Sub-Saharan Africa

A narrative review examines tools for assessing soil health and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for soil quality in sub-Saharan Africa, drawing primarily on examples from Ethiopia but intended for farmers and advisors across the region and other developing countries. It reviews physical, biological, chemical, functional, and service-related soil tests, noting that science-based tests require expertise, equipment, and cost, while locally-derived tests are affordable and readily applicable. NbS practices are assessed against labor, cost, and crop-production factors, and the review concludes there is no single universally applicable practice — suitability depends on farmers' priorities and circumstances. It also examines predictive methods, including mechanistic soil models, AI, and hybrid approaches combining data, physics, and knowledge such as digital soil mapping.

Ruma Chowdhury · Asian Journal of Advances in Agricultural Research · Bangladesh

A survey of urban agriculture in three Thanas (administrative wards) of Dhaka, Bangladesh — Bashabo, Gulshan, and Pallabi — examined the location, patterns, and processes of the practice. The survey found various types of urban agriculture in Dhaka, including vegetable gardens, ornamental plants, floriculture, pigeon and bird keeping, and dairy and goat farming. For most people it was found to be a hobby motivated by the aesthetic appeal it brings to houses and surroundings, with some residents growing fresh, chemical-free vegetables and fruit in their backyards. The city's agro-climatic conditions were described as well suited to flowers and foliage plants, floriculture was characterized as a new industry in Bangladesh, and dairy farming was reported to be common across every ward amid rising demand for milk.

Ana Paula Branco do Nascimento, Rafael Silva de Araújo, Thais Reis Rocha, Ramoel Serafini · Revista Nacional de Gerenciamento de Cidades · Brazil

This applied, exploratory-experimental study designed and implemented a rainwater harvesting and irrigation automation system for food plant beds at a community garden ("Horta das Flores") under an impermeable roof in the eastern region of São Paulo, Brazil, aiming to reduce dependence on manual irrigation by volunteers. Developed through literature and technical review, field measurements, hydraulic efficiency tests, and component adjustments, the system was found to be technically and operationally feasible, ensuring regular water supply while reducing manual effort, and field evaluation enabled further hydraulic improvements and automation adjustments.

Yun Wu · Architecture Engineering and Science · China

Set against the backdrop of accelerating urban stock renewal in China, this paper addresses the contradiction between "quantity" and "quality" in developing high plot ratio land—where rigid plot ratio constraints create physical barriers such as insufficient lighting, chaotic circulation, and lack of public space, while demand for quality living raises requirements for spatial openness, ecology, and social inclusiveness. It analyzes design strategies including composite utilization of underground space, ecological compensation through rooftop gardens, and cross-plot three-dimensional corridors, combined with coordination of ownership division, full-process cost control, and policy tool innovation, to construct a comprehensive improvement mechanism of "physical optimization, ownership coordination, and economic balance," intended to provide a replicable design paradigm and decision-making reference for improving the quality and efficiency of existing land in high-density urban development.

Muhammad Prakarsa Al Qadr Saleh, Djibran Dirgantara, Adhita Arif Setyawan · Dinasti Information and Technology · Indonesia

A study for the "Buruan SAE" (Healthy, Natural, Economical) urban farming program in Maleer, Bandung City, Indonesia, designed and developed a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce website to address marketing and sales problems previously handled through word-of-mouth and manual paper-based records. Citing suboptimal market penetration, stock uncertainty for prospective buyers, and high financial-loss risk given vegetables' perishability, the project used a risk-driven Spiral model methodology, collecting data through interviews, observation, and literature study. Business process analysis identified four main problem areas: product publication, stock management, ordering and transactions, and financial recording. The study reports that a structured web-based e-commerce system can shorten the distribution chain, ensure catalog-stock synchronization, and minimize manual recording errors.

Ruyu Liu, Daniel Harwood, Ora Kemp, Alyson Rosenthal, Roger Figueroa, PhD, MPH, MSc · Public Health Nutrition · United States (New York City)

A quasi-experimental pilot study with 3-month follow-up assessed a food pantry-led, subsidized community-supported agriculture (CSA) program called Farm Share in New York City. Farm Share provided biweekly bags of about 25 pounds of fresh produce at $5 per bag; control participants were recruited from a comparable food pantry without CSA (Farm Share n=54, control n=69), predominantly Hispanic/Latino, Black or African American, foreign-born, female and with a high school education or lower. Retention at follow-up was 65.0% (Farm Share n=33, control n=47). Skin carotenoids increased by 12 points in the Farm Share group relative to control, adjusted for smoking status, age, sex and birthplace (P=0.005), but total Healthy Eating Index (HEI) declined by 6.3 points (P=0.031) and the saturated fats HEI component declined by 1.1 point (P=0.027) in the Farm Share group. Improvements in fruit and vegetable intake (P=0.25) and food security (P=0.16) were not statistically significant.

Esther Reyna Molina, María Xóchitl Astudillo Miller, Yanik I. Maldonado-Astudillo, Ricardo Salazar · Discover Sustainability · Global

A systematic review using PRISMA 2020 methodology examined social innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship practices in the agri-food sector as responses to socio-environmental resilience challenges facing small-scale rural producers and local food systems. It characterized these practices, evaluated their impacts across sustainability dimensions, and identified success factors and barriers. Studies on social innovation predominated over those on sustainable entrepreneurship, with experiences distributed across Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. The initiatives analyzed included social agriculture, community gardens, inclusive agribusiness models, women's cooperatives and regenerative agroecological projects, with overall positive effects reported for social inclusion, community empowerment, market access, income diversification and improved environmental practices. Facilitating factors included cross-sector collaborative governance, local leadership and the capacity to combine heterogeneous resources; barriers included poorly adapted regulatory frameworks, dependency on external funding, and tensions between economic and socio-environmental objectives. The review concludes that hybrid practices combining social innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship contribute significantly to rural producers' socio-environmental resilience when embedded in favorable institutional environments and supported by public policy and legal frameworks.

Quinton J, Nesbitt L, Connolly JJT, Wyly E · Urban Studies · カナダ（バンクーバー・カルガリー）

Green gentrification describes how greening a neighbourhood — with parks, community gardens and the like — can draw in higher-income households and displace or exclude marginalised residents; the authors note this has rarely been tested empirically, and that the literature has focused almost exclusively on urban neighbourhoods even though the desire for green space is often cited as a reason households move to suburbs. Surveying 104 households in gentrified downtown Vancouver and suburban Calgary new-build neighbourhoods, the study finds green factors were of similar importance to non-green factors such as safety, scenic views and ambience (and, in Vancouver, proximity to entertainment and transit). Proximity to green space mattered more than overall neighbourhood greenness, and private green space mattered more in the suburbs. Greening, in other words, is not the sole driver, and green-gentrification research needs to widen its geography beyond dense city environments.

Burton M, Margerison C, Nanayakkara J, Worsley A, Booth A · BMC Nutrition · オーストラリア（全国調査＋ビクトリア州）

School gardens are an effective strategy for food literacy and for promoting healthy eating and environmental health, yet inadequate funding, time and training stop many schools implementing or properly using one. This mixed-methods study surveyed 111 Australian primary school staff online and interviewed 13 Victorian primary teachers. Ninety per cent of respondents worked at a school with a food garden, but how well it was used varied widely. Responsibility for managing and maintaining the garden fell mainly on students and classroom teachers, with some schools relying heavily on volunteers. Healthy eating and environmental sustainability were the usual focus, and gardens also taught life and social skills — but many teachers reported the garden was poorly integrated into the curriculum. Time and funding were the most commonly reported barriers, though many schools showed resilience by drawing on existing community connections and adopting cost-reducing practices. The authors conclude that targeted teacher training, leadership support, community involvement and cost-reducing strategies would help.

Agure E, Kihagi GW, Muok EMO, Sorgho R, Danquah I · Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition · ケニア・シアヤ郡

A qualitative study of a home gardening intervention in Siaya county, rural Kenya, undertaken because home gardens are promoted as a climate change adaptation strategy in sub-Saharan Africa but the lived experience of them is less documented. Between September and November 2023 the authors ran two focus group discussions with stakeholders (n = 5) and implementers (n = 8), plus 30 in-depth interviews with male (n = 5) and female (n = 25) beneficiaries, using purposive sampling and semi-structured guides; data were transcribed verbatim and analysed by inductive content analysis mapped along the proposed impact pathways. Participants articulated a good understanding of the trainings and valued them as an occasion for knowledge exchange, and the adoption of tailored garden structures, organic gardening and food preservation created feelings of fulfilment, women's empowerment and family peace. Challenges included water scarcity, ineffective pesticides and long distances between beneficiary households. Perceived benefits were increased income, cost savings and increased dietary diversity.

Liz Ignowski, John Luis Lagdameo, Liel Gonzalez, Arma Bertuso, Pepijn Schreinemachers · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems 11(1) · Philippines (Quezon City, Metro Manila)

A quantitative survey of 300 urban food producers in Quezon City, one of the 17 cities of Metro Manila, examining who practises urban agriculture, the methods and technologies used, the challenges met and the benefits gained. Production is mainly small-scale and subsistence-oriented, with commercialisation limited except among those with access to agricultural land. Self-produced food does increase access to fruit and vegetables, but participation reflects economic vulnerability rather than food sufficiency, and both scale and commercialisation depend strongly on land access — a structural barrier in dense cities. The authors conclude that urban agriculture in Quezon City acts as a safety net rather than an income source, while also providing enjoyment and stress relief, and that urban food-security policy should be realistic about the limited role of urban food production.