Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
984 results(19 / 40)
Community gardens: contribution to food safety and social inclusion
2021Lucas Sales dos Santos, Milena De Moura Régis, Ana Paula Branco do Nascimento · Revista Nacional de Gerenciamento de Cidades · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study investigated an organically grown community garden in the Previdência Municipal Park in the West Zone of São Paulo City, Brazil, through in-situ observations, interviews, and literature review. The findings indicated benefits for food and nutrition safety, interpersonal involvement, and environmental education. Key challenges identified were social leaderships, technical-scientific knowledge for organic productivity, and planning for project continuity.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthOrganic cycleAnálise de viabilidade financeira da produção orgânica de morangos para comercialização local
2021Naiane Modri Fuzinatto, Jaciney Aparecida Danielli, Daniela Preschlak, Augusto Fischer · Revista em Agronegócio e Meio Ambiente · Brazil
This study presented a proposal for organic strawberry cultivation in urban spaces for a small producer and evaluated the financial viability of local sales. Through a qualitative and quantitative case study in Santa Catarina State, results indicated social and environmental benefits from adopting urban strawberry cultivation under an organic production system. Furthermore, the entire investment could be recovered in just over two years, representing a medium-term return on investment.
EconomicsOrganic cycleClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceComplementary analyses of soil microbial and chemical properties and human observation on augmented ecosystems in urban environment
2021Kousaku Ohta, Masatoshi Funabashi · Measurement Sensors · Global
This study achieved high biodiversity (over 200 plant species) on an urban rooftop garden using the Synecoculture method and analyzed soil microbial diversity, activity, and chemical properties over two years. Soil microbes gradually increased in diversity and activity after installation, showing a positive correlation with cation exchange capacity. After two years of continuous practice, human subjective evaluations were qualitatively consistent with objective data, suggesting that trained human subjectivity could be incorporated as part of assessment proxies in future ecosystem management research.
BiodiversityOrganic cycleCommunityDIYEffects of Biochar and Compost Applications on Soil Properties and Growth Performance of Amaranthus sp. Grown at Urban Community Garden
2021Jemima Japakumar, Rosazlin Abdullah, Noor Sharina Mohd Rosli · AGRIVITA Journal of Agricultural Science · Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
A field study in an urban community garden in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, investigated the effects of biochar and compost on Amaranthus sp. growth and soil properties. Using a randomized complete block design with five treatments, the combination of biochar and compost significantly increased plant height, leaf count, leaf width, chlorophyll content, fresh and dry weight, soil organic matter, and soil organic carbon content compared to other treatments. This combination showed the best effects in enhancing both soil properties and plant growth.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityIncredible Edible Todmorden: Impacts on Community Building, Education, and Local Culture. A Case for the Operationalization of a Sustainability-led Discourse
2021Michelle Brener Mizrahi · European Journal of Cultural Management and Policy · Europe
This paper analyzes how Incredible Edible Todmorden (IET), a community-led project, operated notions of sustainability through permaculture and urban farming to focus on community building and its impacts on education and local culture. The paper puts forth the argument that the discursive operationalization of sustainability can produce important effects in community building, education, and local culture at a local level.
CommunityFood educationOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceA Comprehensive Review of Biomethanation of Urban Food Waste in Nairobi City County, Kenya
2021Hope Baxter Chamdimba, Isaiah Omosa, Simon M. Wandera · Journal of Energy Environmental & Chemical Engineering · Kenya (Nairobi)
This review analyzed urban food waste in Nairobi City County, Kenya, which accounts for 64% of recoverable municipal solid waste, totaling 29.4 thousand tons annually. The study found that food waste has a biomethane potential of 508.45 ml CH4 /g VS, suggesting that the city's food waste could yield 10.5 million m3 of methane and 1.38 MW of electricity. While food waste is increasingly used for animal feed and composting, its application for energy recovery via anaerobic digestion is limited by a lack of source separation. Biogas is shown to be more economical than liquefied petroleum gas, but long-term methane generation requires supportive policies.
Food lossOrganic cycleEconomicsUrban Organic Waste for Urban Farming: Growing Lettuce Using Vermicompost and Thermophilic Compost
2021Corinna Schröder, Franziska Häfner, Oliver Christopher Larsen, Ariane Krause · Agronomy · Global
This pot trial with lettuce plants assessed the fertilizer value of composts derived from urban organic waste. Seven treatments, including food waste vermicompost and thermophilic compost from green waste and human feces, were investigated. Lettuce yield and total uptake of P, K, Ca, and Mg were highest with coir-based vermicompost, while fecal compost resulted in high shoot P and K but lower Ca and Mg uptake. All composts required additional nitrogen for lettuce growth, indicating a need for further research on macronutrient availability and alternative N sources.
CompostOrganic cycleFood lossClimate Change and Fecal Peril
2021Ahmed Khadra · IGI Global eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the health effects of climate change, specifically focusing on the global issue of fecal peril caused by intestinal parasites. It suggests that water shortages, driven by climate change, increase pressure on water resources, leading to greater use of urban wastewater for irrigation in urban agriculture. Unsafe management and inappropriate wastewater use are likely to exacerbate the transmission of infectious diseases, including those caused by intestinal protozoa and helminths.
Contamination & food safetyHealthClimate changeOrganic cycleEffects of Partial Organic Substitution for Chemical Fertilizer on Antibiotic Residues in Peri-Urban Agricultural Soil in China
2021Dong BaoCheng, Wei Li, Wenyong Xu · Antibiotics · China
A field experiment in peri-urban agricultural soil in China investigated the effects of partially substituting chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizers like pig manure and sewage sludge on soil quality and antibiotic residues. Organic substitution significantly increased residual antibiotic levels in agricultural soil, with antibiotic sequestration rising by 138.1~332.5%. This indicated that organic fertilizers can promote antibiotic persistence in soil by modifying soil quality, demonstrating a contamination risk.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleClimate changePeri-urban agriculture“DO ALIMENTO, COMO QUE PLANTA, O QUE FAZ”: ETNOGRAFIA DE UMA COMUNIDADE DE AGRICULTURA EM SÃO CARLOS/ SP
2021Tainá Souza Santos · · Brazil (São Carlos)
This paper investigates knowledge practices within the Community Supporting Agriculture of São Carlos, Brazil, through the words of farmer Dina. The research, conducted from August 2019 to October 2020, relates ethnographic material to contemporary anthropological discussions on ecology and knowledge. It also compares Dina's agroecological production techniques with the production of ethnographic writing.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityOrganic cycleWaste to resource: use of water treatment residual for increased maize productivity and micronutrient content
2021Tariro Gwandu, Lynsay I. Blake, Hatirarami Nezomba, Jairos Rurinda, Stephen Chivasa, Florence Mtambanengwe, Karen L. Johnson · Environmental Geochemistry and Health · Sub-Saharan Africa
An eight-week greenhouse experiment in Sub-Saharan Africa evaluated the short-term benefits of applying aluminum-based water treatment residual (Al-WTR) with compost and inorganic phosphorus fertilizer on maize productivity. A co-amendment of 10% Al-WTR and 10% compost significantly increased maize shoot biomass (3.92 ± 0.16 g) compared to the control (1.33 ± 0.17 g). Adding phosphorus fertilizer to this co-amendment further doubled the yield and increased maize uptake of zinc, copper, and manganese.
CompostOrganic cycleEconomicsMethod for Zero-Waste Circular Economy Using Worms for Plastic Agriculture: Augmenting Polystyrene Consumption and Plant Growth
2021Samuel Ken‐En Gan, Ser-Xian Phua, Joshua Yi Yeo, Zealyn Shi‐Lin Heng, Zhenxiang Xing · Methods and Protocols · Global
This study investigated using mealworms and superworms to consume polystyrene (PS) and their frass as plant fertilizer. Researchers found that small amounts of sucrose and bran increased PS consumption by the worms. Superworm frass, in particular, supported better growth and rooting of dragon fruit cacti over a fortnight compared to mealworm frass and control media. These findings suggest worms could offer a zero-waste solution for plastic degradation and urban farming.
Organic cycleCompostClimate changeForecasting Agroforestry Ecosystem Services Provision in Urban Regeneration Projects: Experiences and Perspectives from Milan
2021Ambrogio Zanzi, Federico Andreotti, Valentina Vaglia, Sumer Alali, Francesca Orlando, Stefano Bocchi · Sustainability · Italy (Milan)
This study aimed to assess the benefits of an agroecological requalification of a dismissed peri-urban area in the South Milan Agricultural Regional Park, Italy. Using I-Tree Eco software, the provision of ecosystem services from planting new hedgerows was simulated over 30 years, showing that the planted area becomes an essential supplier of regulating ecosystem services for neighborhoods, increasing carbon storage and air pollution removal. A notable increase in carbon sequestration was observed at the end of the simulation, demonstrating a replicable methodology and techniques for assessing ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban environments.
Peri-urban agricultureBiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cycleOccurrence and Determination of Antimicrobial Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates in Fish and Vegetables as Indicator Organism of Faecal Contamination in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2021Francis Mwanza, Erick Komba, Dominic Kambarage · International Journal of Microbiology · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, investigated the occurrence, antimicrobial resistance, and genetic relatedness of E. coli isolates from 156 samples of manure, vegetables, and fish. Of these, 36 samples (23.1%) were positive for E. coli, yielding 48 isolates. A significant finding was that 25 (52.1%) of these isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent, and 12 (48.0%) showed multidrug resistance, indicating a potential microbial health risk to humans through contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunityEXPLORING THE RECYCLING OF MANURE FROM URBAN LIVESTOCK FARMS: A CASE STUDY IN ETHIOPIA
2021Solomon Tulu Tadesse, O. Oenema, Christy van Beek, Fikre Lemessa Ocho · Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering · Ethiopia
This study in Jimma, Ethiopia, from 2015-2050, used an N mass flow model and field experiments to explore manure recycling from urban livestock farms under four scenarios. It found that livestock manures are the main organic wastes in urban areas, and manure production in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) is projected to increase 3 to 10 times. Critically, only 13% to 38% of manure nitrogen will be recycled in croplands, and intensification of urban livestock production greatly increased nitrogen surpluses, indicating a significant environmental tradeoff.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceCompostLocal food loop in the capital city / by Jennifer Jevons, Kate Walmsley and Rory Lenihan-Ikin
2021Jennifer Jevons · · New Zealand (Wellington)
The work of Kaicycle, an urban farming initiative located on Wellington City Council land in New Zealand, was spotlighted. This initiative aims to help the community by improving awareness of soil health, advocating for food waste minimization, growing produce, and practicing regenerative composting. Kaicycle recycles food scraps from the community, composts using anaerobic microbes, and produces vegetable boxes for sale.
CommunityCompostFood lossOrganic cyclePENGEMBANGAN PERTANIAN PERKOTAAN JENIS DAN PENGELOLAANNYA (REVIEW ARTIKEL)
2021Haryuni Haryuni, Sapto Priyadi, Suswadi Suswadi, Mrih Rahayu, Achmad Fatchul Aziez · PROSIDING SEMINAR NASIONAL DIES NATALIS 41 UTP SURAKARTA · Global
This article reviews types and management of urban farming, concluding that vertical farming is widely adopted due to its adaptability to limited urban land. Plant management typically involves planned and regular practices, utilizing household waste for fertilization and pest control. Common plant disturbances are caused by insects, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
DIYCommunityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceOptimizing irrigation in urban agriculture for tomato crops in rooftop greenhouses
2021Felipe Parada, Xavier Gabarrell, Martí Rufí-Salís, Verónica Arcas‐Pilz, Pere Muñoz, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)
This study investigated the agronomic performance and environmental life cycle impacts of three different fertigation management practices (open, 30% recirculation, and recirculation with a further 15% fresh water reduction) for tomato crops in a rooftop greenhouse in Barcelona. All three practices resulted in similar yields, but the recirculation with reduced fresh water input was the most water-efficient, requiring 48.7 liters per kg of tomato. In terms of environmental performance, the recirculation practice showed the best performance in most impact categories, particularly in marine and freshwater eutrophication, with 44% and 93% fewer impacts than the open management.
Climate changeDIYOrganic cyclePotentially Toxic Trace Elements in the Urban Soils of Santiago de Compostela (Northwestern Spain)
2021Cecilia Herbón, María Teresa Barral, Remigio Paradelo · Applied Sciences · Spain (Santiago de Compostela)
The concentrations of trace elements Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, and As were investigated in 55 urban soils in Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain. While most soils showed higher trace element concentrations than regional backgrounds, they were not classified as contaminated according to Spanish regulations. However, geoaccumulation index values indicated low to moderate pollution levels in most soils, with Cu, Pb, and Zn highest in city center green areas, and Cr and Ni linked to parent material lithology.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunityThe cultural economy of human waste reuse: perspectives from peri-urban Karnataka, India
2021Zachary Burt, C. Shambu Prasad, Pay Drechsel, Isha Ray · Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development · India (Karnataka)
A preference-ranking model was developed to understand the acceptance of fecal sludge-derived fertilizer (FSF) in Karnataka, India, by modeling farmowners and farmworkers separately. The study found that farmers willing to use FSF prefer to conceal its origins from workers and their caste group, especially caste-adhering, vegetarian farmowners. Workers were open to FSF if it resembled cow manure, revealing that the waste economy in rural India is shaped by unacknowledged caste hierarchies and practices.
Equity & displacementOrganic cyclePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsHealthCommunityMICORRIZAS ARBUSCULARES EM HORTALIÇAS DAS FAMÍLIAS ASTERACEAE, ALIACEAE, APIACEAE, AMARANTHACEAE E BRASSICACEAE, CULTIVADAS SOB MANEJO ORGÂNICO / ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAE IN VEGETABLES FROM THE FAMILIES OF ASTERACEAE, ALIACEAE, APIACEAE, AMARANTHACEAE AND BRASSICACEAE, GROWN UNDER ORGANIC MANAGEMENT
2021Pedro Henrique Sousa Silva, Iara SuilaAlmeida do Nascimento, Cauê Barbosa Coelho, Patrícia Barbosa da Silva, Regina Lúcia Félix de Aguiar Lima · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil
This study evaluated the occurrence and degree of association between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and leafy vegetables from Asteraceae, Aliaceae, Apiaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Brassicaceae families, grown organically in an urban community garden in Brazil. Mycorrhizal colonization in lettuce varieties (Asteraceae) ranged from 10% to 40%. Chives (Aliaceae) showed an average colonization of 16%, and Apiaceae species had colonization ranging from 7.4% to 23%. In contrast, Amaranthaceae species (beetroot and spinach) showed no AMF structures in their roots, and Brassicaceae species showed colonization ranging from 0% to 19.5%.
Organic cycleCommunitySustainable Urban Agriculture as Functional Hybrid Unit—Issues of Urban Resilience
2021Magdalena Grochulska-Salak, Aleksandra Nowysz, Anna Tofiluk · Buildings · Global
This research reviews urban agriculture as green and blue infrastructure solutions, evaluating modern hybrid units that combine biomass and food production with water retention in urban areas. It defines criteria and typology for urban resilience solutions, analyzing the correlation between water production, management, retention, and reuse within sustainable urban agriculture systems in compact cities. The study describes a typology for cultivation and production in modern cities, contributing to discussions on synergy in urban planning, architecture, and engineering for city resilience.
Climate changeOrganic cyclePolicyFrom urban waste to urban farmers: Can we close the agriculture loop within the city bounds?
2021Rafael Carvalho Machado, Sieglinde Kindl Da Cunha · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Brazil (Curitiba)
This study investigated Curitiba, Brazil's Urban Agriculture Program (UAP) and its decentralized composting strategy, which aimed to close the agricultural loop within city bounds. Despite training 24 urban farmer communities in composting techniques, the program was unable to achieve this goal. The research, based on secondary data review, interviews, and participatory observation, identified cultural barriers and conflicts among actor roles within the UAP that hindered the adoption of composting practices.
Governance failureCompostCommunityOrganic cyclePolicyEffects of liquid organic manures on growth, yield and grain quality of sweet corn (Zea mays convar. sacharata var. rugosa)
2021· Crop Research · Global
To address problems such as incomplete kernel development and shrivelled kernels during sweet corn growth, the spraying of liquid organic manures was attempted. An RBD study with eight treatments and four replications revealed that the combined application of FYM at 10t/ha with two sprays of panchakavya 3% at fortnightly intervals resulted in the highest values for all growth and yield parameters while maintaining soil fertility and productivity.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleComparison of organic substrates in urban rooftop agriculture, towards improving crop production resilience to temporary drought in Mediterranean cities
2021Felipe Parada, Mireia Ercilla‐Montserrat, Verónica Arcas‐Pilz, Elisa López‐Capél, N. Carazo, J.I. Montero, Xavier Gabarrell, Gara Villalba, Joan Rieradevall, Pere Muñoz · Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture · Spain (Barcelona)
In spring and summer 2018, in a rooftop greenhouse near Barcelona, coir, vegetable compost from urban organic waste, perlite, and a mixture of compost and perlite substrates were evaluated over three consecutive crop cycles of lettuce. This study aimed to assess the use of substrates made from local materials as an alternative for urban agriculture during periods of water supply cuts. Results showed that compost and the mixture yielded similarly to perlite, and organic substrates increased crop resilience to water restriction.
CompostOrganic cycleClimate changePeri-urban agriculture