Research & reports

Elisabet, Prima Wahyu Titisari · Jurnal Agronomi Indonesia (Indonesian Journal of Agronomy) · Indonesia

This study investigated the potential of eco-enzyme and oyster mushroom bag-log waste as growing media for celery microgreens, a model suitable for urban farming. Using a factorial design, researchers tested eco-enzyme dosages (0.5, 15, 25 mL L-1) and bag-log waste dosages (0.50, 100, 150 g/tray). Findings showed a significant interaction between the two factors, with the combination of 25 mL L-1 eco-enzyme and 150 g/tray bag-log waste yielding the best results across all measured parameters, including wet weight and nutrient levels.

Oto Prasadi, Andika Prastya, Muhammad Fauzi, Budi Nurochman · Society Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

The "compost school" (skula kompos) program, initiated in 2019 by PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk, Cilacap factory, focuses on educating communities about household organic waste management. This program, part of the Baruwani Program, aims to reduce waste, produce compost for urban farming, and support the use of waste as alternative fuel in cement production. The compost school serves as a platform for outreach and training in compost making.

Lisa Mølgaard Hald, Luke John Schafer · Agrosystems Geosciences & Environment · United Kingdom (Dartington)

This study examined soil organic carbon (SOC) in a food forest, redwood forest, pasture, and agricultural field in Dartington, UK, at 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm depths. Similar total SOC was found across all four systems. However, food forest soil showed similar long-term carbon storage to redwood forest, while pasture and agricultural fields stored less.

Yuchong Long, Zhengwei Cao, Yan Mao, Xinran Liu, Yan Gao, Chuanzhi Zhou, Xin Zheng · Land · China (Shanghai)

This study constructed an evaluation system for urban agriculture green bases in Shanghai. Using a Bayesian network, intervention, and counterfactual inference, typical green bases in six agricultural districts of Shanghai were evaluated to analyze the correlation and importance of indicators. The results showed that while there are differences among bases in various indicators, they all reach a high overall level, and base construction, production, and ecological construction elements are the main factors affecting their level.

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.

Asti Irawanti Azis, Ratih Ratih, Dea Ekaputri Andraini · Perbal Jurnal Pertanian Berkelanjutan · Indonesia

This study investigated permaculture as a method for controlling rat attacks on sweet corn in urban farming. In monoculture sweet corn plantings, rat attacks began at 21 days after planting (DAP) and reached 53% by 49 DAP. In contrast, permaculture plantings showed no rat attacks (0%), indicating its potential to prevent pest damage.

Janine Voge, Till Newiger-Dous, Emily Ehrlich, Ulrich Ermann, D. Ernst, Dagmar Haase, Isabel Lindemann, Rebecca Thoma, Emilia Wilhelm, Joerg A. Priess, Lukas Egli · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Germany (Leipzig)

This study assessed food loss and waste (FLW) and yields for one year in four Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives in the Leipzig area, Germany, comparing them to reference data. Results showed that FLW during production, distribution, and consumption was on average 22–70% lower compared to reference data. Due to lower FLW, CSA initiatives could compensate for yield gaps of 32% on average, reflecting typical yield gaps between organic and conventional agriculture. Co-evaluation with CSA gardeners indicated that FLW could be further reduced at all stages.

Lisandra Hernández-Guanche, Yoerlandy Santana Baños, Yusniel Dago-Dueñas, Ramón Hernández Carballo, Armando Del Busto-Concepción · Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas · Cuba

This study identified the beneficial entomofauna associated with arboreal species in urban agriculture settings in Pinar del Río, Cuba. Between September 2019 and March 2020, a floristic inventory of arboreal biodiversity was conducted, and samples of bioregulators were collected. Twenty-three arboreal species were inventoried, with 65% being fruit trees. The highest species richness was detected in the orders Diptera, Mesostigmata, Hymenoptera, and Araneae. The most frequent bioregulators were Condylostylus sp., Ocyptamus costatus, and Phytoseiulus sp., while the arboreal species with the highest proportion of associated arthropods were Persea americana, Citrus limon, Morinda citrifolia, and Psidium guajava.

Yenny Díaz Domke · Revista de la Academia · Chile (Santiago)

This study integrated approaches from critical pedagogy, art education, and Science, Technology, and Society (STS) perspectives through a community experience in an urban garden in San Bernardo, Chile, from 2021 to 2023. The initiative contributed to the action and reflection of agroecological values by exploring methodologies for awareness, aesthetic sensibility, and creative action regarding technical and biological relationships. The introduction of a solar distillation artifact made from recycled material opened critical perspectives on technological intervention and fostered a collective understanding that technical solutions can also be developed at a local scale.

Agung Prabowo, Muhammad Ikhsan Alif · PengabdianMu Jurnal Ilmiah Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia

In Gunung Samarinda Baru Village, Indonesia, a community service activity addressed limited green open space through urban farming and waste management. The initiative involved training and practical sessions on hydroponic vegetable cultivation and compost processing from household waste, following initial socialization. Monitoring results showed that the community utilized their green open space for hydroponic vegetable growing, evidenced by a first harvest, and engaged in compost processing.

Larissa Bizon, Marco Aurélio Soares de Castro · Revista AIDIS de Ingeniería y Ciencias Ambientales Investigación desarrollo y práctica · Brazil

This study aimed to address gaps regarding waste generated in aquaponics systems and their management practices in Brazil. A systematic review identified waste streams, and a survey of producers in 17 of Brazil's 27 federal units confirmed sludge, packaging waste, dead fish, and unusable plant fractions as typical waste streams. The survey indicated a lack of concern for in-depth assessment of these streams to improve management practices, which tended towards adequate and inadequate disposal.

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.

Carlos Novaes, Rui Cunha Marques · Sustainability · Global

This study points out the potential importance of urban stormwater in the circular economy (CE) when treated as a useful resource. Urban stormwater can replace part of the water supply from distant sources, reducing energy consumption and emissions. Urban agriculture can also benefit from using green infrastructures. The main gap lies in implementing an efficiency mentality and aligning policies, institutions, regulations, urban planning, and water cycle efficiency.

Issaka Senou · Journal of Applied Biosciences · Burkina Faso

This study assessed heavy metal bioaccumulation in cabbage grown on the Dogona market garden perimeter in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, using a randomized block design with urban solid waste treatments. The results showed high levels of cadmium, copper, and lead in cabbage leaves, with concentrations significantly exceeding WHO standards across all treatments. A critical finding was that consuming this cabbage poses a high health risk to consumers due to significant ingestion of cadmium and lead.

Dewi Kurniasih, Indri Santiasih, Wiwik Dwi Pratiwi · Kumawula Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Surabaya)

In Kalijudan, Surabaya, a community service program provided training to local women on creating "vertipots" for urban farming in limited spaces. The training covered making planting containers from used plastic paint cans, preparing growing media, and plant care. These vertipots utilize PVC pipes inside to hold organic kitchen waste, with leachate providing nutrients like Nitrogen and Phosphorus to the plants.

Ferziana Nurmeilinda Dzikrika, Sitawati Sitawati, Nurul Aini, Dewi Ratih Rizki Damaiyanti · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Indonesia (Malang)

A study conducted in Malang, Indonesia, from February to June 2023, investigated the effect of eco enzyme concentration and NPK fertilizer dosage on the growth and yield of sweet potatoes in urban farming systems. Using a factorial randomized block design repeated three times, combinations of eco enzyme concentrations and NPK fertilizer doses were tested. Results showed that eco enzyme concentration affected the NPK fertilizer dose on sweet potato plants, with the highest fresh tuber weight at an NPK fertilizer dose of 3.75 g per plant produced at an eco enzyme concentration of 30 ml per liter. Eco enzyme concentrations and NPK doses were found to increase the growth and yield of sweet potato plants across variables such as leaf area, plant dry weight, tuber fresh weight, and harvest index.

Yosefina Mangera, Jamaludin Jamaludin · ABDIKAN Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Bidang Sains dan Teknologi · Indonesia

A community service program in Tambat Village, Merauke Regency, Indonesia, provided socialization and training to the Dwitrap farmer group on utilizing sago processing waste for organic fertilizer using black soldier fly larvae bioreactors. The program successfully transferred knowledge and skills, with participants demonstrating increased understanding of sago waste processing.

Elena Todorova, Miglena Zhiyanski · One Ecosystem · Bulgaria (Sofia)

This study examined urban soil conditions and their potential for regulating ecosystem services in different functional zones of Sofia, Bulgaria. Data from 30 experimental plots (0-10 cm soil layer) were analyzed for heavy metal concentrations (Cu, Zn, Pb, Fe) and soil quality indicators (pH, CEC, total carbon, total nitrogen). The results showed differences in the capacity of green, industrial, residential, and urban agriculture zones to regulate and maintain soil quality, informing mitigation measures for soil protection and restoration.

Fabio Aislant Moreno · GACETA DE PEDAGOGÍA · Global

This documentary review analyzed 18 articles published between 2018 and 2022 to examine agroecological school gardens as a didactic strategy for sustainability. The analysis found that such gardens, when oriented towards education for sustainable development, should involve cooperative learning processes from a transversal perspective. It concluded that agroecological school gardens are key to developing socio-critical skills in students through theoretical and practical work, enhancing their sensitivity to environmental problems.

Leila Babaei, Mohammad Hossein Niksokhan, Ali Torabian, Masoud Negahban‐Azar · International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology · Iran

This study proposed sustainability measurement indicators to evaluate the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus sustainability in urban agriculture. Focusing on Varamin, a semi-arid city in Tehran, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to identify crucial indicators across social, environmental, and economic dimensions. Results indicated that water-related components are critical in arid and semi-arid regions, and pollution prevention holds a 52.8% priority as an environmental sustainability indicator.

Purificación Marín Sanleandro, Ana María Gómez-García, M. Arantzazu Blanco Bernardeau, Juana María Gil-Vázquez, María Asunción Alías-Linares · Forests · Spain

This study in the mid-plain of the Segura River (SE Spain) assessed soil properties and agricultural potential by collecting 68 arable soil samples. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in organic carbon distribution between calcaric Fluvisols and calcaric Regosols, and among industrial, cultivated, and abandoned soil uses. Cultivated Fluvisols showed a higher average organic carbon content (11.35 g kg−1) compared to abandoned (9.33 g kg−1) and industrial (5.13 g kg−1) uses.

Paul Suski, Alexandra Palzkill, Melanie Speck · Frontiers in Sustainability · Global

This article argues that sufficiency, often underestimated, is a suitable strategy for achieving a sustainable circular economy. It proposes shifting research and policy focus from product-centric approaches to consumption patterns guided by sufficiency. The case of urban gardening illustrates how small interventions can transform consumption by challenging the logic of availability. The authors advocate for using social practice theories to develop effective circular economy strategies.

Wulan Sari Sinaga, Desyana Millenia Limeranto, Eugenia Larissa Bakti Pangala, Kukuh Madyaningrana · Pro-Life · Global

This research investigated the macro nutrient content of fruit peel-based liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) and its effect on Pakcoy (Brassica chinensis L.) growth over 56 days, using a completely randomized design with five treatments and five replications. The study found that the macro nutrients in the fruit peel-based LOF did not meet the Ministry of Agriculture's quality standards. However, a 0.4 mL dose of the fruit peel-based LOF showed the best effect in supporting Pakcoy plant growth across all measured parameters.

Andra Jihan Prasetyo, Mira Azizah · Indonesian Journal of Elementary School · Indonesia (Semarang)

This study described character values integrated into urban farming activities at SDN Ngemplak Simongan 01 Semarang, Indonesia, during the 2023/2024 academic year. The research found positive attitudes towards character values such as responsibility, independence, discipline, hard work, curiosity, cooperation, and environmental care among students participating in urban farming. The findings highlight the importance of integrating character values into the school curriculum through practical learning approaches like urban farming.

Ane Novianty, Muhamad Nurdin Yusuf, Muhamad Arif Rizki Mauladi · MAHATANI Jurnal Agribisnis (Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics Journal) · Indonesia (Tasikmalaya)

This qualitative study explored the economic and environmental aspects of urban farming activities among 12 farmers in Kelompok Tani Taruna Tani Muara Hurip, Tasikmalaya City, Indonesia. The findings indicate that urban farming activities have not significantly contributed to the income of farmers or landowners, based on the investment ratio. However, environmentally, most farmers practice eco-friendly farming using organic fertilizers.