Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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5821 results(19 / 233)
Community Empowerment through Capacity Building in the Hydroponic Revitalization and Crop Processing Program in Surabaya
2025Zico Ramdhani, Saka Palwaguna, Thufailah Nafiisah Bilqis, R. Moh. Qudsi Fauzi · JATI EMAS (Jurnal Aplikasi Teknik dan Pengabdian Masyarakat) · Indonesia (Surabaya)
The KKN SDGs UPN “Veteran” Jawa Timur Period II, Group 16, implemented a community empowerment program in RW 08, Pucang Sewu Subdistrict, Surabaya, Indonesia. This initiative revitalized hydroponic systems for pakcoy cultivation and provided training on processing harvested crops into pakcoy-based vegetable nuggets. The program aimed to promote food security and urban farming, aligning with SDGs No. 8 and 11.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationBiochar and Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Resilience: Applications, Challenges, and Policy Perspectives
2025James Mbugua · African Journal of Climate Change and Resource Sustainability · Global
Biochar is presented as a promising nature-based solution for urban resilience, applicable in soil remediation, stormwater management, and carbon sequestration within green infrastructure. However, its widespread adoption faces significant barriers, including inconsistent feedstock supply, high production costs, limited public awareness, and a lack of standardized quality and safety regulations. The study also identifies a critical need for policies that integrate biochar into urban planning frameworks and incentivize its production and application.
Governance failureClimate changeBiodiversityCompostPolicyCommunity“We Have Worked the Land for Centuries”: Diasporic Memory and Black Environmental Belonging in Urban Green Space
2025Kessie Alexandre · Transforming Anthropology · United States (Newark)
This article traces Black environmental relations in the stewardship of community gardens and green spaces in Newark, New Jersey. It examines how Black Newarkers, with roots in the American South and Caribbean, contend with the legacy of plantations while framing land cultivation as a mode of recovery and resistance. The study highlights how these growers acknowledge the association between cultivation and captivity, yet use it to address present-day labor extractions and enact self-determination.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceComprehensive Review of Ecosystem Services of Community Gardens in English- and Chinese-Language Literature
2025Xiaoying Ding, Haotian Zhang, Xiaoxiao Fan, Xiaoyu Zhang, Xiaopeng Yue, Ping Shu · Buildings · Global
This review analyzed English and Chinese literature on community garden ecosystem services from Web of Science and CNKI, focusing on publication trends, locations, and topics. It found a significant increase in studies since 2015, concentrated in urban areas of Europe, America, and eastern China. Both language literatures emphasize food supply, learning and education, and social cohesion, correlating with contextual factors.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationClimate changeHuerto Pedagógico Comunitario: Estrategia para fortalecimiento de la Educación Ambiental en Instituciones rurales de Colombia
2025Carmen Natalia Bermudez Acosta, Julian David Otalora López, Valentina Vásquez Ramírez · Revista Ecosistema · Colombia (Cali)
This study designed school gardens as an educational strategy in five campuses of the La Buitrera Educational Institution in Cali, Colombia, involving 1,689 students and 73 teachers. Using a qualitative participatory action research approach, it found significant differences in garden area (e.g., San Gabriel with 2,650 m² and 161.67 m²) and student concentration (e.g., García de Toledo with 579 students). The characterization revealed infrastructure and population differences, a predominance of aromatic-medicinal species, and student-teacher complementarity, indicating a need for adapted strategies for sustainable school gardens.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityOrganic cyclePendampingan Gerakan Masyarakat Menanam Sayur (Gemmas) Untuk Peningkatan Gizi Dan Pemanfaatan Lahan Tidur Berbasis Urban Farming Di Desa Banjarbendo, Sidoarjo
2025Indarwati Indarwati, Jajuk Herawati, Tatuk Tojibatus S, Medita Johana Pakula Bafiqi, Surya Ari Widya · Agricultural-Animal Science Innovation and Empowerment Journal · Indonesia
This Community Service Program assisted the Banjarbendo village in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, to utilize approximately 20 hectares of idle land for urban farming, aiming to improve community nutrition and food security. Using a participatory method, the program engaged partners in growing various vegetables with donated seeds and seedlings. Evaluation showed increased community awareness and understanding regarding the use of idle land for healthy vegetable production.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFood educationCOMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN URBAN AGRICULTURE (UA): DOES STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION ENHANCE EMPOWERMENT?
2025Nur Shuhamin Nazuri, Mohd Roslan Rosnon, Siti Shazwani Ahmad Suhaimi, Sara Shakilla Mohd Salim · PLANNING MALAYSIA · Malaysia (Klang Valley)
This study investigated the values driving community participation in urban agriculture (UA) in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and their contribution to social and economic empowerment. Researchers surveyed 180 UA program participants using multistage random sampling and applied Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The study concluded that implementation and evaluation are crucial for social and economic empowerment in UA programs, with linking social capital acting as a key mediator between effective planning and empowerment outcomes.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PARTISIPASI MASYARAKAT DALAM PENGELOLAAN URBAN FARMING DI KOTA SURABAYA
2025Rico Yanuar Ardiansyah, Hamidah Hendrarini, Wahyu Santoso · Jurnal Ilmiah Sosio Agribis · Indonesia (Surabaya)
A study in Surabaya City, Indonesia, analyzed community participation in urban farming among 50 respondents from three farmer groups from April to June 2025, using Importance Performance Analysis. While urban farming performed optimally in ecological, socio-cultural, educational & tourism, and health aspects, the economic aspect showed the lowest performance and largest gap. This indicates a need for strengthening outcome management, market access, and community economic empowerment to optimize economic contributions.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsHealthFood educationImplementing Decentralized Composting in Urban Areas in Romania - between European Models and Local Initiatives
2025MAGDALENA DRĂGAN · Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning · Romania
This paper examines the potential for implementing decentralized bio-waste management in urban Romania, a country with low municipal waste management performance. It analyzed three EU decentralized composting systems to identify best practices and explored local bottom-up initiatives in Romania. The study concludes with policy recommendations for adapting these practices to local conditions and engaging with local initiatives to develop context-specific composting solutions.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityPolicyCultural ecosystem services and climate adaptation
2025Rumana Sultana · · Global
This chapter explores the relationship between ecological properties and cultural ecosystem services (CES) in urban settings, focusing on their role in climate change adaptation in the Global South. It examines various urban CES, including urban farming and rooftop gardening, and their diverse roles in adaptation, such as increasing environmental awareness and community engagement. A case study of Dhaka, Bangladesh, suggests that integrating CES into urban development planning is crucial for climate change adaptation.
Climate changeCommunityPolicyBiodiversityCONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE ON THE CONTAMINATION OF BRS LEILA LETTUCE (L. SATIVA) BY LITHIUM CARBONATE (LI₂CO₃)
2025Paula Marques Crelier, Manoel Jerônimo Moreira Cruz, Danusia Ferreira Lima · Seven Editora eBooks · Global
A controlled laboratory experiment cultivated BRS Leila lettuce (L. sativa) in samples contaminated with lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) at concentrations of 150 and 200 mol/L. The study found that lithium correlates with other alkaline and alkaline earth elements in the leaves and roots of the lettuce. This indicates a contamination pathway where lithium is absorbed by the plant.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthPeri-urban agricultureSaberes y actitudes ecológicas: entre la experiencia vivida, la escuela y las redes sociodigitales
2025Limachi Pérez, Vicente · Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences (University of Skopje) · Bolivia (Cochabamba)
This study examined the influences of family, school, and sociodigital networks on environmental awareness among secondary school students in urban and rural Cochabamba, Bolivia. Data from three schools showed students' environmental concerns varied by region, and the internet was their primary information source. Despite isolated initiatives like school gardens, schools did not effectively integrate environmental education into the curriculum, limiting its formative impact.
Limited or null effectFood educationUrban–rural linkageCommunityPemberdayaan Masyarakat Kalurahan Baciro, Gondokusuman, Yogyakarta melalui Optimalisasi Lahan Pekarangan untuk Membangun Ketahanan Pangan
2025Wafit Dinarto, Farra Ummush Sholiha · Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Bangsa · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)
Kalurahan Baciro in Gondokusuman District, Yogyakarta City, faces challenges in food security and economic welfare due to high population density and limited open land. This program provided education and assistance to the Ngremboko Farmers Group for five months, from April to August 2025, to optimize the use of their home gardens. The activities resulted in improved skills among the farmer group members in cultivating home garden vegetables, producing organic fertilizers and botanical pesticides, and applying digital marketing.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityDIYEconomicsEconomic Analysis of Urban Farming and its Contribution to Community Income in Gondokusuman District
2025Alifia Nur’ Annisa, Reo Sambodo · JIGA Journal Innovation in Green Agriculture · Indonesia (Yogyakarta City)
A quantitative survey study in Gondokusuman District, Yogyakarta City, Indonesia, conducted in 2025, analyzed the feasibility of urban farming and its contribution to household income using census sampling. The analysis, including R/C and B/C ratios, found that urban farming had an R/C ratio of 0.49 and a B/C ratio of -0.51. These results indicate that urban farming has not been effective in increasing household income, primarily serving as a supporting activity for household consumption, though it provides indirect benefits by fulfilling food needs and reducing expenditures.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceDISEMINASI VERTIKAL URBAN FARMING BERBASIS TENAGA SURYA DI DESA KUTAAMPEL KAB. KARAWANG
2025Rommy Andhika Laksono, Hayatul Rahmi, Abdul Yusuf, Anggun Pertiwi · Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Khatulistiwa · Indonesia
A community service initiative in Kutaampel Village, Karawang Regency, Indonesia, from January to December 2025, introduced a solar-powered vertical urban farming system to 30 participants. The program involved outreach, technical training on assembling the UNSIKA Solar-Powered Hydroponic and Aeroponic System (SHIATUN) and IoT sensors, field simulation, and three months of mentoring. Results showed 70% of participants could independently manage the system, with three groups replicating it, and increased youth interest in technology-based agriculture.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureClimate changePerceptions of Urban Agriculture (UA) practices among Malaysian urban dwellers: an exploratory study in Klang Valley
2025Ahmad Hanis Izani Abdul Hadi, M Nasir Shamsudin, Alias Radam, Yahya Awang · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Malaysia (Klang Valley)
An exploratory study in Klang Valley, Malaysia, surveyed 875 urban dwellers to identify factors influencing their perceptions of urban agriculture (UA) practices. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis, the study found that perceptions are shaped by six key factors: social and health impact, quantity and quality, environmental impact, economic impact, dietary preferences, and land utilization.
CommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyBuzzing in the City: The Rise of Urban Beekeeping and Its Ecological Impact
2025I Rabeena, Stankevich Sergey A., A Akash, G Nandhakumar, Deborah Mercy D · Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · Global
This article explores the potential, challenges, and opportunities of urban beekeeping as a sustainable response to declining bee biodiversity. It highlights urban beekeeping's role in pollination, sustainable urban agriculture, biodiversity enhancement, and income generation for urban communities, despite challenges like climate extremes and limited floral resources. The article suggests that urban green landscapes with high floral diversity and continuous bloom periods offer substantial support for urban pollinators, and responsible urban beekeeping can foster ecological citizenship.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceThe Participatory Occupational Justice Framework and Illustration of Its Use
2025Gail Whiteford, Michael Sy, Rod Charlie Delos Reyes · · Philippines
This chapter discusses the Participatory Occupational Justice Framework (POJF, a new theoretical model developed to guide occupational therapists in community-based settings. It describes how occupational therapy has expanded beyond biomedical contexts to include community gardens and other settings, aiming to address occupational injustices and ensure equitable access to opportunities. The chapter provides a case study illustrating the POJF's application in community-based and institution-based programs in the Philippines.
CommunityWelfareHealthPolicyInformal Land Delivery System and Access to Land for Urban Agriculture in Ilorin, Nigeria
2025Ola Akeem Bayonle, Raheem Wasiu Mayowa · Bioresources and Environment · Nigeria
This study in Ilorin, Nigeria, examined the role of informal land agents in supporting urban agriculture using a cross-sectional survey of 73 informal agents and 303 urban farmers. It found that most agents were male, aged 20-39, and land was primarily acquired through direct contact with owners (72.6%), with location being the main price factor (78.2%). A strong positive correlation was identified between informal land delivery systems and access to agricultural land, indicating these agents bridge gaps in the formal system.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityFamily Food Security through Urban Farming in Housing Complexes
2025Anita Kristina, Muhamad Abdul Jumali · Jurnal Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dan Komunitas · Indonesia (Sidoarjo)
A community service program targeting residents of RT 13 in the Bumi Candi Asri housing complex in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, aims to improve family food security through urban farming. The program involves training and mentoring residents on utilizing limited land to grow vegetables and other productive plants. Its objectives are to increase access to healthy and nutritious food, strengthen family food self-sufficiency, and raise awareness of the importance of a sustainable lifestyle.
Food sovereignty & justiceFood educationCommunityHealthBuilding Environmental Literacy: A Green Literacy Bootcamp Model for an Eco-School within a Coastal Community
2025Rizki Nor Amelia, Sri Ngabekti, Putri Alifa Kholil, Abdul Jabbar, Prasetyo Listiaji · Jurnal Pemberdayaan Masyarakat · Indonesia
This community service project implemented a Green Literacy Bootcamp at SMP Negeri 25 Semarang, Indonesia, involving 45 students, to strengthen environmental literacy in a coastal eco-school. The program included intensive training, follow-up, and student-led projects on waste management, urban farming, and tidal flood mitigation. Evaluation using pre-post environmental literacy tests and a satisfaction survey showed substantial improvement in environmental literacy, particularly in environmental hope and cognitive skills, and high student satisfaction.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeTilling the urban soil: rural-urban alliances and the spatial politics of radical urban agriculture in the Philippines
2025Marvin Joseph F. Montefrio, Nathalie Dagmang · The Journal of Peasant Studies · Philippines (Metro Manila)
This article examines two cases of radical urban agriculture in Metro Manila, Philippines, where urban poor communities strive for food sovereignty and assert rights over contested urban lands. It highlights that the spatiality of material constraints in cities acts as a mediating factor, influencing the formation of rural-urban alliances and the sustainability of urban resistance efforts. The study reveals challenges in establishing and maintaining these alliances due to urban material limitations.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageCultivating ecosystem conviviality through soil arts and urban gardening
2025Janna Holmstedt, Jenny Lindblad, Christina Fredengren, Cecilia Åsberg, Malin Lobell, Karin Wegsjö · · Global
This chapter explores the notion of ecosystem conviviality through soil-centered practices in urban gardening and art, using a transdisciplinary and mixed methodology of soil arts. This concept helps draw attention to sites of local empowerment and ecological belonging often overlooked in urban environments. Gardeners are positioned as entangled co-creators of open-ended ecosystems, suggesting a needed shift in Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) focus from benefits and human well-being to ecosystem relations and values.
CommunityBiodiversityOrganic cycleSowing Seeds of Trust in Beijing and Rio de Janeiro
2025· The MIT Press eBooks · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), China (Beijing)
This account describes the challenges in building support for Rio de Janeiro's Hortas Cariocas urban farming initiative in 2016. Negotiations among environmental protection officers, education officials, and school administrators generated "fiery discussions" regarding garden placement, teacher training, and incentives. The presence of a foreign professor was used to strengthen arguments for urban farming's benefits.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityFood educationRITUALS FOR EARTHLY SURVIVAL Immersive Performance, Collective Creation, and Environmental Storytelling
2025Roy Hanney · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · United Kingdom
This project report documents the development, presentation, and evaluation of "Rituals for Earthly Survival," a Butoh-inspired immersive audiovisual performance presented in Portsmouth, UK, in November 2024. It details the creative process, artistic approach, audience experience, and methodologies, including composting and collective creation, used to explore environmental crisis and renewal. The report serves as supporting documentation for ongoing creative practice research.
CommunityCompostClimate change