Research & reports

Secretaría Distrital de Ambiente de Bogotá · Observatorio Ambiental de Bogotá · Colombia

The Bogotá Environmental Observatory reported on 11 September 2015 that the city, via Acuerdo 605 de 2015, established guidelines to institutionalize a sustainable, low-cost Urban and Peri-urban Agroecological Agriculture program. The program includes eight farming systems -- vertical agriculture, biointensive systems, floating roots, raised beds, agricultural recycling, family farming, biological fertilizer production and biocontrol preparation -- coordinated by the District Secretariat of Environment together with the José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden and the Secretariats of Social Integration, Economic Development, Government and Health.

Nimoh Fred, Ohene-Yankyera Kwasi, Poku Kofi, Konradsen Flemming, Claude-François Robert · Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics · Ghana

A study in Ghana's Shai-Osudoku district investigated farmers' attitudes toward excreta reuse for peri-urban agriculture, surveying 400 randomly selected respondents. A majority of respondents disagreed that excreta are waste and were willing to use them as fertilizer. However, a majority also agreed that excreta can pose health risks, and perceptions on reuse differed among households.

S.J.E. Verzandvoort, G. Mol, Suzanne van der Meulen, Niels van Oostrom · Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) · Global

This literature review collected knowledge on the potential benefits of urban agriculture within local food systems for climate change mitigation and adaptation. It found that the effects of urban agriculture depend on the specific agricultural practice and the difference from previous land use. Certain types of urban agriculture can alter the urban environment, influencing climate adaptation or contributing to mitigation through lower energy inputs.

Dwi A. Nirwana · International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis · Global

This study investigated the community role of civil society in household waste management and urban farming for achieving sustainable development, using a case study method. Data was collected through physical observation, interviews, and literature review. The results indicate that the community plays a significant role in achieving sustainable development.

Daniela Peña Corvillon · Kobra (Universitätsbibliothek Kassel) · Cuba

The Palma Project in Palma Soriano, Cuba, is an experiment using cultural identity to address ecological degradation. It employs environmental, social, and urban analyses to develop a master plan for wastewater treatment, reforestation, urban agriculture, and public space utilization along the Cauto River. The project aims to improve quality of life, provide potable water, restore the riparian zone, and create new food production opportunities.

Claire McDonnell · · Ireland (Dublin)

This case study examined community-based learning and research projects at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), including soil analysis in a community garden, from 2007 onwards. Analyzing student reflective accounts, questionnaires, and assessment grades, the study found improvements in learner engagement, confidence, and appreciation for real-world subject application. However, issues were identified regarding the level of critical thinking and self-awareness in some students' reflective writing, leading to the introduction of a framework to support reflective practice.

Olle Lind · · Sweden (Malmö)

This study tested bokashi fermentation leachate from four food waste sources in Malmö and Lund, Sweden, on pak choi in sand, garden waste compost, and peat substrates to evaluate its potential as a biofertilizer in urban farming. The leachates were generally low in nitrogen, leading to poor plant growth in nitrogen-poor substrates, though they were high in potassium and phosphorus. Avoidable food waste contained higher sodium and chloride than unavoidable food waste, suggesting unavoidable food waste is a more suitable source for bokashi leachate fertilizer.

Jan Jansen · · Global

This research explored how insects can add value to urban farming by up-cycling waste streams into high-grade nutrients and compost, focusing on their use as animal feed. Through expert interviews with urban farming practitioners and pet owners (165 respondents, 59 in urban environments), a concept was developed for growing black soldier fly larvae on organic waste to replace meat in carnivorous animal diets, specifically for dogs. Over half of urban respondents indicated no municipal green waste pickup, and over 50% practiced urban farming.

Leslie Vorraber, María Sebastián López, Esteve Fernández, Marcelo Scofano · Redalyc (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México) · Argentina (Flores)

Since 2012, the University of Flores (UFLO) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has implemented an Urban Agriculture Development Program. This program creates organic garden models with various production systems and designs, utilizing recycled materials and urban-adapted formats, to be promoted in community productive spaces. It involves monitoring and evaluating physical-chemical parameters of system components to ensure optimal development and the use of seasonal species adapted to the local climate.

Balan Viorica, V. Tudor, Oana Mencinicopschi, Carmen Gabriela Manole, Baia Sprie · AgroLife Scientific Journal · Romania (Bucharest)

Multidisciplinary research at UASVM of Bucharest recommended specific varieties and biotypes with sanogene characteristics suitable for cultivation in urban and suburban gardens. These included Deea, Elita 124, and Roxia from black currant; Rolan and Jh. Van Tets from red currant; V2 biotype from wolfberry; and Rares, Valeria, Carmela, Viorica, Bucovina, and Ilinca from apricot. These selections were based on characteristics such as early fruiting, production under ecological conditions, low to medium shrub and tree volume, plant density, high self-compatibility, and the quality, organoleptic, biochemical, and sanogene properties of the fruits.

R. Panwala, Alyssa Joyce, Manuel R. Reyes · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · Global

Natuculture is defined as any human-made system that mimics nature in human-disturbed landscapes. It is an agroecologically balanced and biologically diverse system designed for food production, stormwater treatment, and recreation.

Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armand PALIJON, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Journal of The Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture · Philippines (Metro Manila)

The nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in suburban residential districts of Quezon City, Metro Manila, was assessed. Analysis revealed that almost half of the subdivisions faced nitrogen oversupply, while several were in short supply. Current centralized composting facilities may not adequately support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. It was proposed that existing barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture require greater flexibility and attention to coordination systems across subdivision boundaries.

Yuki Sampei, Yuji Hara, Akinobu Murakami, Armando M. Palijon, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Makoto Yokohari · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Philippines

This study assessed the nitrogen supply-demand balance in compost and vegetable production on vacant lots in subdivisions and barangays in Quezon City, Metro Manila, using GIS. It found that nearly half of the subdivisions experienced nitrogen oversupply, while others faced shortages. Although cooperation among subdivisions within a barangay could improve nitrogen balance, the current centralized composting facilities were deemed insufficient to support a continuous compost recycling system due to their distribution patterns. The study concluded that current barangay-based policies on organic waste management and urban agriculture need greater flexibility and attention to inter-subdivision coordination across barangay boundaries.

Allan John Komakech, Noble Banadda, Joel R. Kinobe, Levi Kasisira, Cecilia Sundberg, Girma Gebresenbet, Björn Vinnerås · Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association · Uganda (Kampala)

A study characterized municipal waste in Kampala, Uganda, from July 2011 to June 2012, analyzing waste delivered to Kiteezi landfill during dry and wet months. Waste was sorted, weighed, and organic samples were analyzed for nutrients and energy content. Findings showed that organic waste constituted 88.5% in wet months and 94.8% in dry months, with an average moisture content of 71.1% and significant nutrient levels. The organic waste was concluded to be a suitable source of plant nutrients for urban agriculture, with characterization results differing from other Sub-Saharan African cities.

Guang Zhao · Applied Mechanics and Materials · Global

This paper presents a concept for building-integrated decentralized technologies for wastewater and organic waste treatment with energy and nutrient recovery, termed a "sustainable implant," for deep green housing districts. It explores the potentials of integrating solutions for energy and sanitation flows near their origin, linking sanitation to energy and food production. The system layout and dimensioning are explained, noting scale limitations and its application in a unique intentional community, with no other similar urban district-scale projects found worldwide.

Ávila Martínez, Yury Carolina · · Global

The Women Entrepreneurs Marie Poussepin Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes entrepreneur training in both product and service lines, currently supporting women through courses and workshops to develop as entrepreneurs in the urban agriculture and ecological art lines (2014). This project focused on creating a cost structure that would be easy to understand, complete and workable for both the foundation and the women entrepreneurs, addressing a latent and visible need, since it had been unclear how much value vegetable production actually generated.

Lucía Ferreira Fernández, Walter Alejandro Muiño, Pablo Valentín Ermini · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Argentina

In two peripheral neighborhoods of Santa Rosa, La Pampa province, Argentina — Zona Norte and Villa Germinal — a 2014 ethnobotanical and agroecological study examined home gardeners' knowledge, uses and meanings attached to arvenses, spontaneous plant species growing alongside cultivated crops. Using ethnobotanical data-collection tools, researchers collected and identified 57 species; roughly half of informants said they remove these plants without using them, while the rest use them mainly as fertilizer for their gardens or feed for domestic animals. Published literature cited medicinal preparation as the most frequent use, and Cynodon dactylon ("gramilla"), the species appearing most often in the gardens, was also regarded by informants as a "pest."

US Yannick, BL Louis, KL Antoine, AB Lukangila, MK Matthieu, KM Nathan, MKL Jerry, MM Mpundu, KL Nyembo · Journal of Applied Biosciences · Colombia

In Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, researchers analyzed the fertilizing value of different types of biowaste used in urban market gardening through principal component analysis of grower profiles, chi-square analysis of practices, and physico-chemical analysis of the waste materials. Most market gardeners were married women over 18 without land title; half the biowaste used was purchased chicken manure (with some pig manure), applied raw and buried in the soil, and while 33% of growers expected spreading it to increase productivity and improve soil physico-chemical properties, 48.3% expected it to improve vegetable growth appearance and boost yield.

Sotamenou J., Parrot L. · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Cameroon (Yaoundé, Bafoussam)

A survey of 242 urban farmers in Yaoundé and Bafoussam found that 36% adopted compost (alone or mixed with inorganic fertilizers), with compost uptake driven by fertilizer expenditure, vegetable production scale, land ownership, and farm distance. The study provides policy insights for sustainable soil management in Cameroonian urban agriculture.

· International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture · Global

Investigates domestic-scale vermicomposting as a low-cost, low-maintenance option for managing household solid organic waste by converting kitchen waste into worm castings.

Leigh Whittinghill, D. Bradley Rowe, Bert M. Cregg · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global

This study evaluated vegetable and herb production across three growing systems—a green roof, raised green roof platforms, and in-ground—over three seasons (2009–2011). Tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, basil, and chives were cultivated. All plants except pepper survived and produced biomass in all systems, yielding crops for analysis in 2009 and 2010. Yields and basil biomass were higher in-ground in 2009, while roof and platform systems showed similar results. The study suggests that vegetable and herb production is possible and productive in extensive green roof systems with proper management.

Peter Yaw Mensah, Richard Amankwah Kuffour, Philip Kweku Baidoo, E. Awuah · Water Science & Technology · Global

A bench-scale study evaluated the effect of dewatering faecal sludge (FS) mixed with different percentages of sawdust on its microbial quality. The dewatered FS-sawdust mixture showed a significant reduction in bacterial content and helminth eggs, rendering the biosolids safe for agricultural use. Pathogen removal was highest with 150% sawdust and lowest in the 0% sawdust control.

R. van Veenhuizen, G. de Bruijne, Miriam Otoo · Documents & Reports (World Bank) · Global

This paper explores sustainable financing for urban agriculture, particularly as part of the sanitation value chain. Financing is considered from two perspectives: an adequate mix of public, private, and local finance to avoid external funding dependency, and the purpose of investment focusing on value chains in the sanitation and (peri)urban agricultural sectors. The emphasis is on exploring financing options for urban agriculture through the valorization of urban waste, aiming for clear beneficial impacts on the urban and peri-urban agricultural sector.

Clinton L. Beckford, Donovan Campbell · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · Caribbean

In the Caribbean, kitchen gardens are categorized into home gardens and food forests, both grown on home plots. Home gardens are small areas for short-term crops, used for home consumption and sharing, while food forests are low-maintenance agroforestry systems with diverse plant species, including fruit trees and non-food hardwoods. These systems mimic a forest's vertical structure.

Jaap Evers · · Global

This paper discusses the use of untreated wastewater for irrigation in urban and peri-urban agriculture, noting its prevalence in four out of five cities in the developing world according to a 2008 survey. It highlights that local policymakers are often unaware of the significance and opportunities of this practice, despite its potential for nutrient recovery and integration into urban sanitation systems. Planning for wastewater use requires multi-agency involvement.