Research & reports

· Wikipedia (Italian) · Italy

Parco Nord Milano is a roughly 640-hectare regional park spanning seven municipalities north of Milan, recognized as a regional park by the Lombardy Region in 1975. It contains over 350 hectares of green space with more than 100 tree species and diverse wildlife, managed by a consortium of the participating municipalities. It serves as an example of large-scale peri-urban green infrastructure.

European Environment Agency · European Environment Agency (EEA) · Europe

This EEA indicator page defines water scarcity as river sub-basins where the water exploitation index plus (WEI+) exceeds 20% for at least a quarter of the year, tracking conditions across the EU27 from 2000 to 2023. The data combines EEA water quality monitoring, Eurostat abstraction and population statistics, and JRC river flow and climate data.

Ricard Segura, Johannes Langemeyer, Alba Badía, Sergi Ventura, Jaime Vila-Traver, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)

A study in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain, investigated the impacts of peri-urban agricultural expansion on the food-water-climate nexus using urban metabolism and atmospheric-biosphere models across four land-use scenarios. While expansion increased food production and irrigation water requirements, replacing natural non-forested and forest areas for peri-urban agriculture was predicted to reduce net ecosystem productivity by up to 18.5% and total carbon stocks by 3.3%. Irrigated peri-urban agriculture potentially reduced near-surface temperatures by 0.7°C, though reductions in the densest urban areas were minimal.

Juan David Arosemena Polo, Susana Toboso‐Chavero, Biraj Adhikari, Gara Villalba · Waste Management · Spain (Barcelona)

This research determined the potential of organic municipal solid waste (OMSW) compost to supply nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) demand for urban agriculture (UA) and its environmental benefits in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain. Using spatial material flow analysis and life cycle assessment, it was found that the current waste management system could substitute 8% of total NPK demand with compost, reduce impacts by up to 39%, and yield 130% savings in global warming. A 2025 scenario could substitute 21% of NPK demand and reduce environmental impacts by up to 1,049%.

Sabina Rossini Oliva, Rafael López Núñez · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · Spain (Andalusia)

This study evaluated potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in vegetables and topsoils from urban gardens in Seville, Cordoba, Huelva, and a mining area (Riotinto), Spain, comparing them with market and peri-urban samples. Soils in the mining area and cities generally showed higher contamination with As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn compared to other locations. Despite this, all PTE concentrations in vegetables from the studied urban gardens, including those from As-contaminated soils, were below health-based guidance values and market levels (except lettuce), and human health risk assessments indicated safe consumption.

Elliot Buckminster, Charlotte Breckenridge, Thomas Sedgwick · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · United Kingdom

This research quantified soil-to-plant transfer factors for six heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr) in lettuce, spinach, and carrot across 20 peri-urban agricultural sites in Berkshire, UK, from 2021-2022. Cadmium exhibited the highest mean transfer factor (0.31), and at 4 of 20 sites, cadmium concentrations in lettuce exceeded the EU maximum limit of 0.20 mg/kg fresh weight. Soil pH was a strong predictor for Cd and Zn transfer factors, with TFs increasing below pH 6.0.

Jon Marín, Teresa Garnatje, Joan Vallès · Sustainability · Spain (Barcelona)

This study investigated whether agro-food supply chains in peri-urban agricultural areas contribute to preserving local biodiversity, using the Baix Llobregat Agrarian Park in Spain as a case study. Analysis of different food retailers revealed variations in plant diversity, origin, and seasonality. Farmers' markets were found to exhibit higher intraspecific diversity, contributing to local agrobiodiversity conservation.

Concetta Cardillo, Orlando Cimino · Rural and regional development · Italy

An economic evaluation of urban and peri-urban agriculture in the Rome metropolitan area was conducted using Italian FADN data from 2008–2020 to analyze agricultural land use changes. The analysis revealed that farms are mainly specialized in arable land and herbivores, operated predominantly by men aged 40–65 with a high school education. While economic performance was good, it varied yearly, and few farms resorted to other gainful activities to increase income, suggesting greater diversification of agricultural activities is desirable.

Alberto Matarán-Ruiz, David Fanfani, Josefa Sánchez Contreras, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · · Central America; Europe

This chapter examines bioregional food systems and territorialization processes in peri-urban agricultural areas, using three case studies from Central America and Europe. It notes that the historical co-evolutionary relationship between cities and surrounding farmlands weakened in modernity due to the global capitalist market, which reduced food to a commodity. The study highlights current problems while exploring how inherited relationships are being revived to adapt urban bioregions to climate emergency and resource scarcity.

Francesca Monticone, Antonella Samoggia, Elena Viti · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · Italy

This mixed-methods study investigated Italian consumers' perceptions, barriers, and drivers for urban food purchasing and consumption apps, and analyzed the features of existing apps. The desire to eat fresh and seasonal food was identified as the main driver for buying from (peri)urban agriculture initiatives, and a mismatch emerged between consumer needs and app features. Sustainability food profiles and information on seasonal food are preferred by consumers but are present in a limited number of apps.

Michele Deri · Florence Research (University of Florence) · Italy

This paper examines the peri-urban agricultural park, an instrument that has gained significant importance in Italian territorial policy in recent years, as a tool for integrated governance of peri-urban territory and socio-ecological factors. Based on a desk analysis, it selects several major Italian experiences and presents an initial overview of the characteristics this tool presents in various contexts, in terms of both process and project. The paper highlights the relevance and diffusion of the instrument in public discourse and territorial governance practices, as well as the strengths, limitations, and critical issues the various cases present in operational terms, concluding that further exploration of its design and management characteristics as a connective element between planning and rural development is needed.

Matthias Winfried Kleespies, Dorian D. Dörge, Norbert Peter, Anna V. Schantz, Ajdin Skaljic, Viktoria Feucht, Anna Lena Burger-Schulz, Paul Wilhelm Dierkes, Sven Klimpel · Biological Invasions · Germany

Surveying more than 2,200 people across nine stakeholder groups in Germany involved with invasive species—hunters and hunting association members, farmers, environmental and conservation organization members, allotment garden club members, animal welfare supporters, divers, zoo employees, regulatory authority administrative staff, and speleologists—this study investigated how these groups perceive invasive species. The number of invasive animal and plant species in Germany was roughly correctly estimated across all groups, but the economic damage they cause was substantially underestimated. Species named were mostly conspicuous ones such as raccoons (Procyon lotor) or Impatiens glandulifera, and while all groups showed notable interest in invasive species and regarded them as an environmental issue, the study found a need for greater education about inconspicuous invasive species and the damage they cause.

Elżbieta Skorbiłowicz, Piotr Ofman, Mirosław Skorbiłowicz, Marcin Sidoruk, Urszula Tarasiuk · Water · Poland

This study assessed heavy metal contamination in 96 surface sediment samples collected from urban, agricultural, and forested areas of the Bug River catchment in Poland between July 2018 and 2020, measuring metals (Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cd) by atomic absorption spectroscopy and applying the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), and pollution load index (PLI). Urban sediments showed significantly higher heavy metal concentrations than agricultural or forested areas, with cadmium reaching up to 2.5 mg/kg; the average Igeo for cadmium was 0.24 in agricultural areas and 0.15 in urban areas, while the highest PLI values, reaching a maximum of 0.33, occurred in urban areas, and statistical analysis showed both urban emissions and agricultural activities significantly influenced heavy metal presence in the sediments.

Mustafa Ali, Lenny Koh, Adolf Acquaye, Jonathan R. Leake, Jacob Nickles, Toby P. Evans, Gareth Roberts, Douglas Kemp · The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · United Kingdom (Sheffield)

This study conducted an integrated environmental and economic assessment of organic peri-urban horticulture using primary data from a farm in Sheffield, UK. A hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) found that the global warming potential (GWP) for case study tomatoes was 3.53 kg CO2-eq, which was 1.87 times higher than imported Spanish tomatoes. Economic analysis showed that the marginal increase in the prices of tomatoes and courgettes from the case study farm was 4.6 and 5.15 times less than the market prices, leading to the conclusion that the studied production system is economically and environmentally sustainable compared to the existing scenario.

Stefano Corsi, Marta Dell’Ovo, Catherine Dezio, Antonio Longo, Alessandra Oppio · Cities · Italy (Milan)

This contribution proposes the case study of a multifunctional farmhouse, Cascina Biblioteca, in the Milan suburban area of Italy, to test an integrated preliminary evaluation model. The model aims to support urban planning and design decisions by maximizing the performance of ecosystem services provided by multifunctional agriculture (MFA), which includes food production, environmental preservation, and social inclusion.

J. L. Miralles i Garcia · International Journal of Environmental Impacts · Spain (Valencia)

In L’Horta de València, a historical agricultural area in Valencia, Spain, challenges and opportunities in peri-urban agriculture management were investigated. A semi-structured survey focusing on a SWOT analysis was administered to key specialists involved in the 2018 legislative protection and 2019 management plan. The study aimed to evaluate how newly implemented tools are rectifying identified issues, but the abstract does not present specific findings from the survey.

Wojciech Sroka, Piotr Sulewski, Jarosław Mikołajczyk, Karol Król · Agriculture · Poland

This study, based on a survey of economically successful peri-urban farms in Poland, identified success factors and major barriers to their development. The research shows a considerable convergence in business solutions in recent years, particularly in customer relationships and channels. According to respondents, the success of peri-urban farms is primarily determined by three groups of factors: motivation, diligence, and creativity; high quality of products and services; and cultivating deep bonds with customers. While farm managers indicated relatively few internal problems, urban pressure was considered the most significant external barrier to development.

Carme Estruch, Sauveur Belviso, Alba Badía, Verònica Vidal, Roger Curcoll, Mireia Udina, Claudia Grossi, Josep-Antón Morguí, Ricard Segura, Sergi Ventura, Yolanda Solá, Gara Villalba · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · Spain (Barcelona)

This study measured the spatial distribution and variability of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) in four urban land uses in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain, during May and October 2020. Urban values ranged from neutral to above background, suggesting anthropogenic and marine emissions, while agricultural areas showed OCS uptake during land breezes in May. Urban forests also showed significant OCS uptake, but marine and anthropogenic emissions from the port strongly impacted the spatial-temporal distribution of OCS, complicating the determination of the urban biosphere signal.

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.

Alioune Badara Dabo · Norois · France (Île-de-France)

This article analyzes how the public land tenure system, introduced in the 2018 "Agricultural Pact" in the Île-de-France region, articulates with local farming systems. Based on a qualitative survey conducted in the Green Belt area, the findings reveal that this land tenure system does not fully align with the strategies of farmers, particularly young people outside family farming who wish to establish themselves in agriculture, as they do not necessarily seek land ownership.

Branduini P. · Virtual Community of Pathological Anatomy (University of Castilla La Mancha) · Italy (Milan)

This paper reflects on management and training issues in landscape restoration, based on two pilot water meadow restoration sites in the Milanese peri-urban agricultural area. A training course for "campari" (water flow controllers) was organized at the second site, attracting diverse participants including professionals and vulnerable groups. While the course increased participant awareness, it resulted in a decrease in restoration quality compared to work by professionals at the first site. This led to a participatory management process involving owners, tenants, and volunteers to address the landscape's high perishability.

Evinç Doğan, Federico Cuomo, Luca Battisti · Sustainability · Italy (Turin)

This paper explored strategies for reviving urban greening in post-industrial landscapes through nature-based solutions (NbS), using the case of Turin's old FIAT premises in the Mirafiori Sud area. Data were collected through public literature review, interviews, and focus groups with policymakers, volunteers, and inhabitants. Qualitative thematic analysis showed that Mirafiori Sud became a co-creation hub for sustainable solutions, regenerative art in shared spaces was crucial for community engagement, and urban agriculture support could improve alternative food networks.

Emanuela Granata, Paolo Pedrini, Luigi Marchesi, Chiara Fedrigotti, Paolo Biella, Silvia Ronchi, Mattia Brambilla · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · Italy

This study investigated the environmental and management factors influencing bird communities, pollinating insects, and two ecosystem services — pollination and nature-based recreation — along an urban-natural gradient dominated by agricultural areas (vineyards, apple orchards, and grasslands) in northern Italy. Flower-visiting insects were mainly affected by management and environmental-climatic variables, with flowers at field margins and within vineyard and apple-orchard inter-rows best predicting pollinator and flower-visiting-insect abundance; sward height and grassland cover promoted insect abundance, while vineyards and apple orchards had a negative effect on it. Bird communities were mainly shaped by land-use/land-cover and management variables, with landscape heterogeneity and linear elements having a major positive effect; apple orchards negatively affected the richness and abundance of most bird species, and vineyards negatively affected overall bird abundance, while hedgerows had a positive effect on richness. Nature-based recreation was greater in areas with low or intermediate vineyard or urban cover, with apple orchards and intensively managed grasslands having negative effects and waterways a positive effect. The study concludes that apple orchards and large vineyards are largely unsuitable for biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Julio César García-Colin, Carlos Díaz-Delgado, Humberto Salinas-Tapia, Carlos Roberto Fonseca, María Vicenta Esteller Alberich, Khalidou M. Bâ, Daury García-Pulido · Water · Spain

Using lysimeter data from a golf course in Spain, researchers designed and validated a sustainable urban agriculture drainage system with water reuse (SUADS-WR) based on a daily water balance, estimating reference evapotranspiration via the Penman-Monteith or Hargreaves-Samani methods. Compared with experimental data, estimated irrigation depths were lower than the water actually supplied, and estimated percolation matched measured field drainage. Implementing SUADS-WR allowed harvested water to cover more than 38% of the crop's annual water demand.

Angelica Mendoza Beltrán, Kelzy Jepsen, Martí Rufí-Salís, Sergi Ventura, Cristina Madrid‐López, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)

This study mapped N2O emissions from peri-urban agriculture in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), Spain. Researchers spatially distributed factors like crop type, fertilizer use, and irrigation, creating N2O emission maps using crop-specific and Tier 1 IPCC emission factors (EFs). The study found that Tier 1 IPCC EFs estimated 15% more emissions (7718 kg N2O-N year−1) than crop-specific EFs (6533 kg N2O-N year−1) for the entire AMB, indicating higher emissions for rainfed crops with Tier 1 EFs and for irrigated horticultural crops with crop-specific EFs. The mapping helps evaluate spatial variability of key factors but carries uncertainties due to downscaling regional data.