Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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On the Path to a Resilient Urban Food System in a Rural State: A Mixed-Method Needs Assessment of Urban Producers and County Extension Agents in Arkansas
2019Catherine Dobbins · Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science · United States (Arkansas)
This mixed-method needs assessment in Arkansas investigated urban agriculture, using interviews with 16 urban farmers and a quantitative survey of County Extension Agents (CEAs) with a 57% response rate. Farmers expressed varied needs, and while they viewed the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) positively, CES lacked specific resources for small-scale sustainable farming. The survey revealed that 70.2% of CEAs reported low or nonexistent concentrations of urban farming in their counties, indicating potential barriers for agents to work with urban farmers.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePAESAGGIO E URBAN FOOD PLANNING
2019Giacomo Pettenati · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This paper explores the concept of landscape in food systems and urban food planning. It presents three main perspectives on food landscapes: food systems as producers of landscape, foodscapes as frameworks for any food-related action, and food landscapes as heritage. Urban food landscapes are explored, focusing on landscapes of urban agriculture, the role of consumers as co-producers of landscape, and urban foodscapes as resources for new urban images strategies of urban development. The paper investigates the underrepresentation of landscape as a field of action in existing Urban Food Strategies/Policies. Conclusions discuss the potential role of landscape in urban food policies both as the object of specific strategies or actions and as a useful conceptual framework, able to connect the actors of the food system, in sharing a vision for its future evolution.
PolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageSustainable Community Gardens Require Social Engagement and Training: A Users’ Needs Analysis in Europe
2019J. Ochoa, Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Kathrin Specht, J.A. Fernández, S. Bañón, Francesco Orsini, F. Magrefi, Giovanni Giorgio Bazzocchi, Severin Halder, Doerte Martens, Noémi Kappel, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Europe
A user needs analysis conducted in Berlin, Bologna, Budapest, and Cartagena, Europe, evaluated training requirements for participants in community gardens. The results revealed a need to reinforce training during the formation and community building phases of community gardens, particularly for top-down activities. Users expressed a need for training in crop management skills, such as maintenance and organic practices, and communication skills to disseminate their activities.
CommunityFood educationDIYEducación popular, educación ambiental y buen vivir en América Latina : una experiencia socioeducativa de empoderamiento comunitario
2019Byron Cevallos, Xavier Úcar · · Ecuador
This doctoral thesis proposal analyzes socio-educational approaches to the global social-ecological crisis and climate change. It systematizes the experience of the "Convento Eco-emprende" project in Convento, Manabi province, Ecuador, where participatory bioconstruction of an agro-ecological community center and a community garden began in 2017 through strengthening local organizational capabilities. These are understood as spaces for knowledge exchange aimed at collective empowerment and social transformation.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceKent Hakkı ve Katılımcılık Bağlamında Kendin Yap Kentleşme: Roma Bostanı Örneği
2019gökçe öcal · Journal of Planning · Turkey (Istanbul)
This study focuses on the Roma Garden, one of Istanbul's last remaining urban gardens, within the context of "DIY urbanism." In Istanbul, historical gardens are threatened by municipal policies favoring urban development, leading to the formation of "DIY" urban gardens on public land since 2013. These gardens operate without legal ties to the local state, and the destruction of urban public space over the last decade is noted as having paved the way for DIY public gardens as spaces of solidarity and shared knowledge.
Governance failureDIYCommunityPolicyBiodiversityUrban family agriculture
2019Annelise Caetano Fraga Fernandez, Almir Cezar Baptista Filho · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This article describes the obstacles to implementing public policy for family agriculture in urban areas of Brazil. Representations associated with rural-agricultural concepts have shaped the classification criteria of rural technical assistance technicians, limiting the policy's application in urban settings. Social movements in Rio de Janeiro highlighted the lack of access for urban family farmers to agrarian policies, leading to the recognition of urban family agriculture as a public problem.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkageA review of urban farming research: taxonomy, challenges and future research direction
2019Siti Aisyah Salim, Zawiyah Mohammad Yusof, Laili Farhana Md Ibharim, Siti Hajar · Scientific Repository (Petra Christian University) · Southeast Asia
This study conducts a structured literature review on urban farming activities in Southeast Asia, presenting its taxonomy and future research directions. Analyzing 88 articles from ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus, it focused on urban farming activities, technology applications, and smallholder farming. The review identified benefits of urban farming in Southeast Asia, challenges hindering its utilization, and recommendations to improve the acceptance and use of urban farming applications.
Digital agriculturePolicyEconomicsTOURISM DIVERSIFICATION THROUGH URBAN FARMING AS A CONSTITUENT OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURE AND EDUCATION
2019Ivan Obreshkov · Knowledge International Journal · Global
This study examined urban farming in Almere, Netherlands, as a means of tourism diversification and an integral part of modern culture and education. Based on interviews with local food producers and an entrepreneur, it highlighted efforts by local governments and academia to shorten the food chain and enhance urban farming's appeal. The urban farming initiative in Almere provides food for consumption and sale, alongside educational activities.
Food educationPolicyEconomicsInterpreting the Ursinus Food Forest: Visualizing, Designing, and Realizing Signage at the Whittaker Environmental Research Station (WERS)
2019Sarah Becker · Digital Commons - Ursinus (Ursinus College) · United States
This project developed an interpretive signage protocol for the Ursinus Food Forest at the Whittaker Environmental Research Station (WERS), a two-acre agricultural field. The protocol includes a conceptual framework for the food forest, an inventory of signage topics and their placement, and design parameters for textual and visual clarity. Finished signage models accompany the protocol to illustrate these goals.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationUrban gardening - an integrative approach
2019Nenad Židak, Nidžara Osmanagić Bedenik · The holistic approach to environment · Global
This paper investigates whether urban gardening is a fashion trend, utopia, or the future, using an integrative approach. Employing The World Café Method with experts in biology, chemistry, and geography, the research compared these three aspects. Results indicated that the future aspect of urban gardening holds a primary and dominant role, despite fashion and utopia providing interdisciplinary impulses.
CommunityClimate changeEl aporte de la permacultura en el desarrollo de la agricultura urbana
2019Rafael Bújanos Muñíz · · Global
This essay explores the intersection of permaculture principles and their potential application in urban agriculture. Permaculture, originating from the work of Bill Mollison, David Holmgren, and Masanobu Fukuoka in the 1970s, is a system for designing and implementing general principles for organic food production in urban settings. It is based on natural ecosystem patterns and ethical principles, including soil, forest, and water conservation, self-care, and equitable distribution of goods with reasonable consumption limits.
Organic cycleCommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCarbon Accounting for Compost Use in Urban Areas
2019Sally Brown, Ned Beecher · Compost Science & Utilization · United States
This study modeled the carbon benefits and costs of biosolids compost use in King County, Washington. Soil carbon sequestration was highest for use on disturbed soils, such as new housing developments, neglected urban soils, or highway right-of-ways (–1.1 Mg CO2eq per Mg compost), and lowest for use in well-tended yards or other highly maintained landscapes (–0.036 Mg CO2eq per Mg compost). Compost use for tree growth, calculated over a 30-year period, added above-ground sequestration benefits ranging from –1.53 Mg CO2eq per Mg compost for a mature tree grown on a healthy soil to –4.58 Mg CO2eq per Mg compost for a newly planted tree grown on a disturbed site. Assuming a 20 km haul distance, transport costs ranged from 0.005 Mg CO2eq per Mg compost for delivery in a 5 Mg truck to 0.09 Mg CO2eq per Mg compost for pick up in a personal vehicle.
CompostOrganic cycleClimate changeFrom cotton mill to co-op: the rise of a local food culture in Carrboro, North Carolina
2019Whitney Elizabeth Brown · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States (North Carolina)
In Carrboro, North Carolina, a group of citizens with progressive values has created a thriving market community for locally produced food over the last thirty years, leading to the rise of a local food culture. Farmers' markets, cooperative groceries, home and community gardens, urban chickens, and locally-focused restaurants play a vital role in the community's identity and its social, political, and economic activities. This project illuminates the complex ties (urban/rural, liberal/conservative, etc.) that facilitated the local food segment of Carrboro's broader economy and investigates local definitions of place, group, taste, and tradition.
CommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceHow Can Innovation in Urban Agriculture Contribute to Sustainability? A Characterization and Evaluation Study from Five Western European Cities
2019Esther Sanyé‐Mengual, Kathrin Specht, Erofili Grapsa, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto · Sustainability · Europe
This study evaluated 11 urban agriculture case studies across Italy, Germany, France, and Spain to identify innovation triggers, characterize novelties, assess their innovativeness, and link them to sustainability. Researchers found 147 novelties, with more in environmental and social dimensions than economic, often originating from specific problems. The analysis suggests that innovativeness enhances overall sustainability in urban agriculture projects.
EconomicsPolicyCommunityClimate changeFecal Sludge Derived Products as Fertilizer for Lettuce Cultivation in Urban Agriculture
2019Surendra K. Pradhan, Olufunke Cofie, Josiane Nikiema, Helvi Heinonen‐Tanski · Sustainability · Global
This research determined the fertilizer value of sawdust and fecal sludge (SDFS) pellets and compared their effect on lettuce cultivation with other fertilizers in a greenhouse and open field. SDFS pellets, with or without enrichments, resulted in higher saleable fresh weight lettuce yields than commercial compost, poultry manure, mineral fertilizer, or no fertilizer. Open field cultivation yielded more than greenhouse cultivation. While no helminth eggs were detected, some fecal coliforms were found in lettuces fertilized with almost all tested fertilizers, including NPK and the non-fertilized control.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthCompostMaterial and social relations in a coastal community garden assemblage
2019Lindsay K. Campbell, Erika S. Svendsen, Renae Reynolds, Victoria Marshall · Social & Cultural Geography · United States (Rockaway, NY)
This study used Actor Network Theory to explore the material and social dynamics of a coastal community garden on public housing grounds in Rockaway, NY, after Hurricane Sandy. Three assemblages with different governance arrangements—tidal shore, garden plots, and treed lawn—were identified. However, "unruly" actors and actants, including people, saltwater, poison ivy, dogs, and trash, were found to spark controversy and resist governing.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyBiodiversityClimate changeNOVO OLHAR DA PRODUÇÃO E DO CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS: UMA EXPERIÊNCIA DE HORTA URBANA NO LAR DOS IDOSOS E SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR (NEW LOOK AT FOOD PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION: AN URBAN HORTICULTURE EXPERIENCE AT THE MIDDLE EAST AND FOOD SAFETY)
2019Maria Lúcia da Silva Sodré, Ubirani Oliveira Santos, Altemar S. Dias · Revista GeoNordeste · Brazil
This study demonstrated the experience of vegetable production and consumption at an elderly home in Cruz das Almas, BA, Brazil. Field research, including semi-structured interviews, was conducted after the vegetable garden was built. The main results indicated that the produced food provided access to agrochemical-free consumption, ensuring food and nutritional security. It also portrayed the inmates' life histories, family memories, and recollections of past agricultural activities, leveraging their cultural background in the urban territory.
ElderlyFood educationHealthCommunityThe countryside in the city? Rural-urban dynamics in allotment gardens in Brno, Czech Republic
2019Lucie Sovová, Radoslava Krylová · Moravian Geographical Reports · Czech Republic (Brno)
This paper evaluates the position of urban allotments within the rural-urban spectrum, investigating how urban and rural characteristics are materialized, represented, and practiced in five allotment sites in Brno, Czech Republic. The research examines the physical environment, social life, and food production within these spaces. It suggests that overcoming the urban-rural dichotomy could facilitate the inclusion of urban gardening in contemporary cities.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceTrade‐offs in the performance of alternative farming systems
2019Navin Ramankutty, Vincent Ricciardi, Zia Mehrabi, Verena Seufert · Agricultural Economics · Global
A review was conducted on the production, environmental, and socioeconomic performance of three alternative farming systems: organic, smallholder, and urban agriculture. Organic agriculture offers environmental, livelihood, health, and nutritional benefits but is hampered by lower yields and higher prices. Smaller farms exhibit higher yields and biodiversity but result in lower incomes for farmers. Urban agriculture can alleviate pressure on rural landscapes, provide nutritional benefits to the urban poor, and engage urban dwellers in food system challenges, but it cannot scale up to be a substantial solution on its own.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity Gardening in a Society With High Malnutrition Prevalence Helps Reduce Malnutrition but Increases Obesity
2019Greg Zandrow, Samir Malkani, Kerri Gosselin · PEDIATRICS · Philippines
A community garden program in a rural Filipino village, involving families of 67 children, aimed to assess the impact of community gardens and education on plant care and proper diet on malnutrition and food security. The study found that while the program helped reduce malnutrition, it also led to an increase in obesity.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthFood educationThe school garden: possibilities for working with literacy students of the 5th year of a public school in the municipality of Parintins - Am.
2019Cristiane Socorro Okamura de Farias, Edinelza Macedo Ribeiro · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil
This study investigated the possibilities of working with literacy practices through a "School Garden Project" for 5th-year elementary students in a public school in Parintins, Am. A qualitative field study was conducted using participant observation and semi-structured interviews with the project monitor, one Portuguese language teacher, and four students from the observed class. The investigative path demonstrated that despite the challenges the institution still faces in developing possibilities for working with literacy in the "School Garden Project," this is an expectation that can become a reality if the school is willing to invest seriously in this proposal.
Food educationCommunityWomen's agricultural practices and their effects on soil nutrient content in the Nyalenda urban gardens of Kisumu, Kenya
2019Nicolette Tamara Jonkman, Esmee D. Kooijman, Karsten Kalbitz, Nicky Pouw, Boris Jansen · SOIL · Kenya (Kisumu)
This study in Nyalenda urban gardens, Kisumu, Kenya, investigated how female farmers' knowledge and practices influence soil nutrient status. Soil analysis revealed that intercropped fields had significantly lower total soil nutrients than fields with only manure, despite cowpeas theoretically increasing soil N. Female farmers' knowledge was limited to practical and sensory aspects, and intercropping did not increase soil nutrient content due to socioeconomic factors like poverty.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthWelfareOrganic cycleUrban soil management of marginalized lands: recognizant of history
2019Nicolette Tamara Jonkman, Boris Jansen · Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability · Sub-Saharan Africa
This literature review on urban agriculture (UA) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) identifies a significant constraint: conflicting stakeholder perceptions of UA, which hinders its development into a sustainable business. Some view UA as illegal and unsustainable, while others see it as a means to food security and employment. The review highlights a knowledge gap regarding land-use history and its effect on UA soil composition and nutrient status, proposing that UA sustainability requires understanding this historical context to build inclusive business models.
Governance failureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyAgronomic and Environmental Assessment of a Polyculture Rooftop Soilless Urban Home Garden in a Mediterranean City
2019Anna Boneta, Martí Rufí-Salís, Mireia Ercilla‐Montserrat, Xavier Gabarrell, Joan Rieradevall · Frontiers in Plant Science · Spain (Barcelona)
This study analyzed an 18 m2 polyculture rooftop soilless urban home garden in Barcelona city center from 2015 to 2017 to estimate its degree of self-sufficiency and sustainability. A total productivity of 10.6 kg/m2/year was achieved, estimating that 5.3 m2 would be needed to fulfill the yearly vegetable requirements of an average citizen. While a high degree of self-sufficiency was achieved, fertilizers and their associated leachates accounted for the highest environmental impacts in all studied categories.
DIYClimate changeEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePengendalian Alih Fungsi Lahan Sawah sebagai Upaya Pemenuhan Ruang Terbuka Hijau Kota (RTHK) di Kota Denpasar
2019I Gusti Agung Adi Wiraguna, Ngakan Putu Sueca, I Made Adhika · RUANG-SPACE Jurnal Lingkungan Binaan (Space Journal of the Built Environment) · Indonesia (Denpasar)
This mixed-method study in Denpasar, Indonesia, investigated factors driving the conversion of urban agricultural land, primarily rice paddy fields. Despite a local government requirement for 30% urban open space, statistical data showed an average annual decrease of 31.86 hectares of farming land, from 2,632 hectares in 2010 to 2,409 hectares in 2017. The study revealed that various parties, including the government, community, private sector, and social institutions, play important roles in directing this land conversion.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsCommunity