Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1089 results(20 / 44)
Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture
2021Prem Nath · · Global
This paper discusses the challenges of urbanization and population growth and the potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) to address food demand, poverty, and unemployment. Various international conferences and initiatives have highlighted the importance of UPA and horticultural crops. However, it has been realized that very few countries have actually investigated the real opportunities and constraints linked to the urban agriculture sector.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyPerspectivas de la agricultura urbana y periurbana para la seguridad alimentaria en Colombia
2021Sandra Patricia Montenegro Gómez, Yulian Adalberto Sepúlveda Casadiego · Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia eBooks · Colombia
This paper contextualizes relevant experiences and technical tools for implementing urban and peri-urban agroecological orchards in Colombia. It notes that urban and peri-urban agriculture can alleviate food insecurity and create jobs, but currently, Colombia lacks government policies to support these processes. The study aims to transfer knowledge on crops to communities to strengthen food security through vegetable production.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityUsing Different Substrate Materials (Local and Imported) For Producing Eggplant on Rooftops
2021· Current Science International · Egypt (Giza)
An experiment conducted in a rooftop garden in Giza, Egypt, during the summer seasons of 2019 and 2020 investigated the effect of nine different substrate mixtures on eggplant growth and yield. Sand:rice husks (1:1) v/v (SR1) resulted in the highest plant growth and yield, followed by sand:rice husks (2:1) v/v (SR2). When considering cost-effectiveness, SR2 was the cheapest growing medium, followed by SR1, with initial costs of 10.75 E.P and 13.5 E.P respectively, and average yields of 10.96 kg/m² and 12.68 kg/m².
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban farmers land injustice: Assessing the impact of land development projects on agriculture in Dar es Salaam City
2021Mkwela Hawa · Journal of Geography and Regional Planning · Tanzania
This study used a qualitative approach to examine land injustices faced by urban farmers in Mbweni-Mpiji, a sub-urban area of Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. Findings indicated that farmers experience constant pressure from land insecurity, inferior land rights, informal land access, stiff competition from other land users, degrading land quality, and a continuous decrease in agricultural land size. These factors negatively impact the daily livelihoods, including food security, social status, and income, of those entirely dependent on urban farming.
Equity & displacementPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityCan urban gardens improve food security, health, well-being and financial sustainability of households?
2021Helena Guerreiro, Tânia Fernandes, Madalena Bettencourt da Câmara · Annals of Medicine · Global
This abstract discusses the potential for urban gardens to improve communities by enabling a supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, thereby contributing to food security, health, well-being, and financial sustainability. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with health benefits, and urban gardens can contribute to conscious decisions about eating and lessen the health costs of populations.
HealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityFood strategies and restitution of urban agriculture illustrated by the case of selected solutions of metropolitan areas
2021Aleksandra Płonka, Wojciech Sroka · Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology Organization and Management Series · Global
This paper aimed to present the importance of food strategies in creating sustainable development of metropolitan areas and the restitution of agriculture. By reviewing Canadian and French solutions, among others, it indicated the importance of urban agriculture in shaping sustainable development. A descriptive case study was adopted as the qualitative research methodology, using urban plans, literature, and legislative acts as empirical basis. Findings show that only planning and new generation strategic plans of a metropolis that account for urban food systems can balance long-term development objectives and protect natural resources.
PolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceAgriculture urbaine et périurbaine dans la ville de Lomé et ses banlieues
2021Wouyo Atakpama, Madjouma KANDA, Fousséni Folega, Denis Talate LAMBONI, Komlan Batawila, Koffi AKPAGANA · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Togo
This study mapped agricultural spaces, characterized participants, practices, and species, and evaluated the socio-economic importance of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Lomé, Togo. Using Google Earth, field inventories, and surveys of 89 producers, it found that indigenous, married landowners were most involved. Maize (57.7%) and cassava (39.0%) were the most frequently cultivated among 34 identified species.
EconomicsCommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceConsumer Citizenship Outside the Consumption Domain: Conceptualizing Motivation from a Self-Determination Perspective
2021Eranjana Kathriarachchi, Dinuka Wijetunga · Sri Lanka Journal of Management Studies · Global
Consumer citizenship has gained attention, with consumers exhibiting citizenship behaviors in non-consumption arenas, beyond choice, purchase, and use. Such behaviors are evident in consumer involvement in organized movements related to organic farming and consumption, like Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS). Guided by Self-Determination Theory and current literature, this paper presents three propositions on how consumers may be motivated to engage in citizenship behaviors outside the domain of consumption, such as volunteering as evaluators in PGS.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityA green new deal for agriculture: for, within, or against capitalism?
2021Benjamin Selwyn · The Journal of Peasant Studies · Global
This article argues that a Green New Deal (GND) for agriculture must actively combat environmental degradation, social inequality, and labor exploitation, rather than merely aiming to restart capitalist economies. It identifies key areas for discussion and political action, including the reorientation of state subsidies, workers' rights, agrarian reform, the decommodification of food, agroecology, urban agriculture, new technologies, and rewilding.
Governance failurePolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsRooftop Gardening a Modern Approach of Production in Urban Areas: A Review
2021Mukesh Choudhary, Abha Rawat · Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika · Global
This review examines rooftop horticulture as an innovative solution for urban cultivation, addressing limited space in cities. It provides an interdisciplinary assessment of various development approaches and forms of rooftop horticulture, drawing on existing experiences and offering suggestions for planning sustainable cities. The review notes that some urban rooftop gardens utilize mineral fertilizers and pesticides.
DIYPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeAssessing the Information Seeking Behavior of Urban Farmers to Design an Integrated Extension Model
2021Anju Abraham, R. Arunachalam · Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension Economics & Sociology · Global
A study from December 2020 to March 2021 in Ernakulam and Calicut districts, Kerala, India, investigated the information seeking behavior and utilization constraints of urban farmers. Findings indicated that farmers' information needs ranged from selecting nutritious food crops to marketing surplus produce. Based on this, an integrated urban farming extension model was designed for effective information dissemination to farmers.
Food educationCommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceUrban autonomous zones and the mitigation of climate disasters
2021Oliver Kellhammer · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global
This article explores how marginalized urban communities in North American cities create collective 'open-source' spaces like squats and guerrilla gardens to build social and environmental resilience against climate change emergencies. These spaces can mitigate the short and long-term effects of climate disasters, particularly in low-income neighborhoods facing overcrowding and infrastructure issues. The author provides personal accounts of involvement with a guerrilla garden in Vancouver and a community garden allied with squatters in New York's Lower East Side during Superstorm Sandy.
CommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceRooftop Hydroponics: Opportunity for Urban Agriculture in Godawari Municipality of Nepal
2021Sunil Babu Shrestha, Bijan Shrestha, Marina Vaidya Shrestha · Nepal Journal of Science and Technology · Nepal
In Godawari Municipality, Nepal, this study explored the opportunity of rooftop hydroponics for urban agriculture. A questionnaire survey was conducted in ward-14 from November to December 2018, with a sample size of 64 households selected using stratified random sampling. Out of 64 respondents, 45 (71.31%) achieved high opportunity scores based on eight factors: Space, Willingness, Affordability, Manpower, Time, Knowledge, Technology, and Acceptance with incentives. This indicates a high opportunity for practicing rooftop hydroponics for urban agriculture in Godawari Municipality.
DIYEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceReview: Potensi Pengembangan Pertanian Perkotaan oleh Lanjut Usia untuk Mendukung Ketahanan Pangan
2021Reni Nurjasmi · Jurnal Ilmiah Respati · Global
This review examines the potential of urban agriculture by the elderly to support food security. While urban agriculture could produce 180 million tons of food globally per year, representing 10% of total global food production, it is currently insufficient to meet urban food needs, with urban food supply still heavily reliant on rural areas and imports. With an increasing urban elderly population, empowering seniors through urban agriculture technologies like vertical farming is proposed as an opportunity for food security.
Limited or null effectElderlyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsURBAN HORTICULTURE INNER LIVING CITY, INTERACTIONS AND TRADE-OFFS
2021Cristina Electra Mâcnea, Asănică Adrian, Fabian Claudia, Peticilă Adrian, Julia Nerantzia TZORTZI · AgroLife Scientific Journal · Global
This abstract discusses urban degradation caused by human nature and industrial growth, considering urban horticulture as a potential strategy to partially reverse these problems and recover the human-nature relationship. It proposes that urban horticulture can be an alternative solution to issues such as poverty, lack of public spaces, deteriorating food and life quality, and climate change in cities.
HealthClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityCo-simulation for thermodynamic coupling of crops in buildings. Case study of free-running schools in Quito, Ecuador
2021Gabriela Ledesma, Jelena Nikolic, Oriol Pons · Building and Environment · Ecuador (Quito)
This study developed a co-simulation model incorporating plant heat and mass balances into building simulations to assess the thermal effect of rooftop farms on building thermal performance. Applied to two free-running schools in Quito, Ecuador, integrated rooftop greenhouses improved thermal comfort and air quality, reducing thermal load by 42% and CO2 exceedance hours by 40%, despite a 2.94 kWh/m2 rise in electricity demand.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityAgricultura urbana y periurbana en el contexto global y en Colombia
2021Carlos Carranza, Martha Cecilia Vinasco Guzmán · Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia eBooks · Colombia
This paper contextualizes relevant experiences and technical tools for implementing urban and peri-urban agroecological orchards, noting that urban and peri-urban agriculture has positive results in alleviating food insecurity, improving sustainability, and creating jobs. It highlights that Colombia currently lacks government policies to support these processes. The paper aims to transfer knowledge on crops to urban and peri-urban communities to strengthen food security through vegetable production.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyFood educationThe quest for fresh vegetables
2021Doris Friedrich · · Global
This chapter examines three Arctic vegetable farming projects: Calypso Farm in Alaska, Arviat's community gardens and greenhouses in Canada, and Polar Permaculture in Norway. These projects aimed to improve health or increase food security and independence, experimenting with various growing techniques such as greenhouses, hydroponics, growboxes, and outdoor fields. Many of these projects were successful in improving their own and their community's quality of life.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeIdentification of the start and end dates of the rain seasons in Pointe-Noire (Republic of Congo)
2021Martin MASSOUANGUI-KIFOUALA · International journal of innovation and applied studies · Republic of Congo (Pointe-Noire)
This article analyzed precipitation data in Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo, using agronomic criteria and frequencies to understand rainy season behavior for agricultural planning. The study found that Pointe-Noire has a bimodal rainfall regime, allowing for two cultivation periods annually. However, the rainy seasons are very random, with increasingly late starts, early endings, and shortening durations over the years.
Limited or null effectClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureHuertos urbanos: como estrategia de transición hacia el desarrollo urbano sostenible
2021Diego Armando Masaquiza Moposita, Juan Carlos Santillán Lima, Carlos Roberto López-Paredes · Dominio de las Ciencias · Global
This review aimed to compile and update information on urban gardens and their effects on sustainability, socioeconomic, and agri-food impacts. Databases including Sciencedirect, Google-scholar, Scopus, and NCBI were reviewed, emphasizing articles from the last five years. The review describes the origin and importance of urban gardens, their environmental, economic, and agri-food effects, and the benefits families receive from their production, contributing to food security and improved lifestyles.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeCommunityIncreasing City Resilience through Urban Agriculture: Challenges and Solutions in the Global North
2021Boglarka Z. Gulyas, Jill L. Edmondson · Sustainability · Global North
A systematic review of literature on urban agriculture (UA) in the Global North identified factors determining its success in enhancing city resilience and challenges limiting it. UA's success in increasing city resilience was defined as dependent on five factors: institutional and public support, a sufficient knowledge base, communication and collaboration among actors, and resourcefulness in efficient space and resource use. However, comprehensive assessments of UA's potential are still lacking, suggesting challenges in its effective implementation.
Governance failureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityUrbanidade e agricultura no contemporâneo: pensando a alimentação pelo viés da agroecologia e as relações com uma dinâmica socioambiental
2021Ivanio Folmer, Gabriella Eldereti Machado · Diversitas Journal · Global
This theoretical study proposes a discussion on contemporary urbanity and agriculture, focusing on food through the lens of agroecology and its relationship with socio-environmental dynamics. It discusses conceptual issues involving territory, urbanity, agroecology, and food production, as well as public policies for healthy food and a balanced socio-environmental environment. The research aims to characterize contemporary urbanity and its potential for creating new spaces for agriculture, such as urban agriculture.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changeFeeding Cities Through Urban and Peri-Urban Aquaculture
2021Dilip Kumar, Sukham Munilkumar · · Global
This article discusses Urban and Peri-urban Aquaculture (UPA) as a means to address urban food security, given the projected increase in urban populations. It states that urban households involved in UPA are generally more food secure, and UPA increases the availability of fresh, healthy, and affordable food. UPA also contributes to income and employment, particularly for women and migrants, and offers opportunities to use urban organic wastes, wastewater, and collected rainwater productively.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCultivating the city for ecosocialism
2021Salvatore Engel‐Di Mauro, George M. Martin · · Global
This chapter examines urban cultivation across diverse global contexts, finding that global South cities often experience declining food production due to displacement by financiers and landowners. It notes that urban cultivation is frequently associated with unacknowledged pollution problems, and its overall ecological impacts are not necessarily positive. Furthermore, urban food production, with the exception of Cuba, does little to reduce social inequality and can sometimes exacerbate it.
Environmental trade-offsFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyClimate changeOpportunities and Challenges of Peri-Urban Agriculture on the Fringes of the Metropolis of Rabat, Morocco
2021Fatiha Hakimi, Mohamed Brech · International journal of food science and agriculture · Morocco
This study assessed peri-urban agriculture practices, roles, and challenges in Rabat Metropolis, Morocco, by surveying 50 respondents using purposive and stratified random sampling. Major practices included horticulture, crop farming, and livestock rearing. Peri-urban agriculture contributes to economic development by generating income, creating employment, supplying food, and enhancing land use and environmental beautification. However, it faces legal constraints, such as a lack of regulating laws and housing taxes, and technical constraints, including insufficient workforce, high labor costs, difficult access to irrigation water, and lack of training and support.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity