Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
2530 results(21 / 102)
Experiencia familiar de agricultura urbana y manejo de residuos sólidos en el municipio de Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, México
2024Marycruz Abato Zárate, Noel Reyes Pérez, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Doris Guadalupe Castillo Rocha, Reyna Ruth Hernández Pérez · Revista Científica Estelí · Mexico
This qualitative study described a family's experience with urban agriculture and solid waste management in Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, Mexico, through an open interview with a four-member family. The experience, spanning from 2001, included solid waste separation, composting, vermicomposting, rainwater harvesting (24 m3/year), and cultivating over 40 species of medicinal plants. The study found that urban gardens offer multidimensional benefits, including biodiversity protection, biocultural memory preservation, and spaces for learning and social participation.
DIYCompostOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEffect of Pot Substrate Volume and Nitrogen Concentration of The Nutrient Solution on Lettuce Production under Urban Conditions
2024A Hawash, M. Abul-Soud, M.S.A. Emam, Z. Y. Maharik, Mohammed Mohammed, Sahar H. Ahmed · Scientific Journal of Agricultural Sciences · Egypt (Giza)
This study investigated the effect of five nitrogen levels (80-160 ppm) and two pot volumes (6 L, 8 L) on lettuce (cv. Robinson F1 hybrid) in Giza, Egypt, during autumn 2022 and 2023. Increasing substrate volume from 6 L to 8 L and nitrogen concentration from 80 ppm to 140 ppm increased vegetative growth and yield. The 8 L volume and 140 ppm nitrogen concentration yielded the highest results for vegetative growth, yield, and nutrient content. However, 6 L pot volume with 80 ppm nitrogen achieved the highest net profit despite lower fresh weight, by providing the lowest nitrogen use efficiency and natural resource consumption.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeSCHOOL GARDEN IN THE SUBJECT OF GEOGRAPHY FOR STUDENTS OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 29 OF MAXIXE
2024Teófilo Etelvino do Amaral, Carlitos Luís Sitoie · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Mozambique (Maxixe)
A school garden project was implemented at Escola Secundaria 29 de Setembro da Maxixe in Mozambique, integrating it into the geography curriculum. Research found that geography teachers only taught theoretical content, lacked practical understanding of the geographical relationship with local agricultural production, and did not value food from home gardens. Students and their parents also had no knowledge of vegetable gardens and preferred processed foods, which exacerbated hunger when they lacked money. The school garden was suggested as a means to produce healthy food and generate family income.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceHealthJoining the ideational and the material: transforming food systems toward radical food democracy
2024Stephen Leitheiser, Rubén Vezzoni · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This paper presents a conceptualization of radical food democracy (RFD), linking diverse economies with diverse citizenship. Diverse economies scholarship, while valuable for theorizing alternative food networks (AFNs), has been criticized for essentializing the autonomy of alternative economic practices, risking the confusion of emancipatory social change with market-embedded products and the displacement of negative impacts. The paper argues that realizing RFD requires both experimenting with new economic practices that create food economies alternative to capital accumulation and cultivating new political subjects capable of universalizing these struggles.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyPemenuhan Pangan Berkelanjutan melalui Pemanfaatan Lahan Pekarangan sebagai Adaptasi Baru Urban Farming di Kota Bandung
2024Tomi Setiawan, Moch Farizy A. Pratama · Jurnal Pengabdian Sosial · Indonesia (Bandung)
This study implemented training and assistance activities for sustainable food supply through the utilization of home gardens as a new adaptation of urban farming in Bandung City. The results showed that community members were very enthusiastic about implementing sustainable food supply activities through garden utilization. Urban farming activities are accepted by the community due to increasing food demand in urban areas.
DIYFood educationCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceReinventing Urban Agriculture in Algerian Urban Policies: Stakeholders' Visions and Operational Strategy
2024Meriem Korchi, Ouassila Bendjaballah · Indonesian Journal of Social Science Research · Algeria
This study assessed urban actors' perspectives on urban agriculture in Annaba, Algeria, and mapped agricultural activities to integrate them into urban policy. Interviews with decision-makers and farmers, combined with spatial analysis, revealed that while there is interest in urban agriculture, it is not effectively integrated into institutional and legal frameworks. Agricultural plots in cities are often reserved for future urban development.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceAgricultura Urbana en la Finca Aranjuez: Análisis de Investigaciones Agroecológicas (2016-2020)
2024Josue Bejarano Chumacero, Manuel Horacio Jiménez Huamán · AGRO - ECOLÓGICA · Bolivia
This study reviewed 16 research papers on urban agriculture conducted at the Aranjuez Occupational Therapy Farm in Sucre, Bolivia, between 2016 and 2020. The review focused on agroecological practices in horticulture (37%), cereals and forages (31%), fruit growing (19%), and livestock production and soil improvement (13%). Findings indicate these practices contribute to local food security and sustainable agroecological approaches, with harvested products used by the therapy center itself. The study also highlighted both advances and limitations in adopting sustainable agricultural technologies in urban and peri-urban settings.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityOrganic cycleA sustainable livelihood pathway for urban carrot gardening in Ghana
2024Ebenezer Osei Jones, G. Henneh, Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum, Fred Ankuyi, Pascal Benson Atiglah, P.A. Abowen · SVU-International Journal of Agricultural Sciences · Ghana (Mampong)
This study investigated the adoption of carrot cultivation practices in urban areas and their impact on sustainable livelihoods, surveying 384 carrot farmers in the Mampong municipality, Ghana. Farmer training showed a significant positive influence on farmers' ability to obtain seeds from reliable sources and measure planting depth. Regression analysis revealed that post-harvest practices and distance to market significantly predict the sustainable livelihoods of the farmers.
EconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareTHE REQUALIFICATION OF THE URBAN SPACE OF DELLY IBRAHIM IN ALGIERS BY PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE
2024Bacha Nesrine, Hadj Mohamed Naima · International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science · Algeria (Algiers)
Algerian cities face uncontrolled urbanization, with Algiers experiencing a reduction in agricultural area per inhabitant from 0.82 hectares in 1962 to 0.18 hectares in 2010. This study, using historical analyses, interviews, and field observations, assessed the integration of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Delly Ibrahim to restore ecological and economic balance and enhance local food security. Findings indicate that UPA can play a crucial role in mitigating negative urbanization effects by preserving agricultural land, ensuring secure local food supplies, and promoting environmentally friendly development.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyCidades e suas agriculturas: avaliação de benefícios da agricultura urbana e periurbana para as pessoas
2024Adriana de Paula Cavalcante Fraga, Ana Moraes Coelho, José Geraldo Barreto Monteiro de Andrade, Jéssica Castro Chryssafidis, Maíra Bombachini Silva, Maria Luiza Sevilha Seraphico de Assis Carvalho, Mariana Nicolletti, Nathan Debortoli, Samuel Santos de Souza Pinto · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil
This study identified and analyzed the perceived benefits of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) among participants in four Brazilian territories: Distrito Federal, Manaus/AM, Natal/RN, and Osasco/SP. Using a mixed methodological approach, the research revealed a wide diversity of benefits, including food production, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and health and well-being promotion. The findings highlight UPA's potential to address typical urban problems and suggest opportunities for integrating these benefits into public policies, requiring appropriate governance arrangements.
CommunityHealthClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity building through collaborative food production and consumption: A case study of Grow Free in South Australia
2024Jungho Suh, A. W. Graham · Community Development · Australia (South Australia)
This study explores the agri-social characteristics of "Grow Free," a grassroots initiative in South Australia that promotes sharing free seeds, seedlings, fruits, and vegetables, which grew to approximately 230 participants by 2022. Based on 50 survey responses and 17 interviews, the research found that diverse non-governmental organizations and residential households participate, with many households also linked to other grassroots initiatives. Grow Free facilitates collaborative food production and consumption at a local scale, fostering community building and resilience through food sharing.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood lossThe Future of Urban Agriculture: Vertical Farming and its Potential
2024Dr. Nadeem Aslam · Frontiers in Agriculture · Global
This paper explores the future of urban agriculture, focusing on vertical farming as a promising innovation that uses controlled environments to grow crops in stacked layers. It examines the potential benefits, technological advancements, and challenges of vertical farming. The analysis suggests that vertical farming could reshape urban food systems, enhance sustainability, and contribute to urban resilience.
Digital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageDeterminantes de la comercialización de productos de la agricultura urbana en Bogotá: estudio de caso del cabildo indígena Mhuysqa de Bosa
2024Diana Carolina Martínez Quiroga, Juan Carlos Barrientos Fuentes, Cristian Fernando Camargo Muñoz · Magazine Portal Bibliotech Digital (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) · Colombia (Bogotá)
This study identified and analyzed the determinants of urban agriculture product commercialization, using the Mhuysqa indigenous cabildo of Bosa in Bogotá, Colombia, as a case study. Data were collected through documentary research, garden observations, surveys of 33 gardeners, and interviews with four experts. Results showed that urban agriculture in the cabildo is multifunctional, with a low surplus for sale (< 30%). Key determinants of commercialization included objective setting and fulfillment, supply volume, quality, and frequency, specialized technical production capacities, product presentation and freshness, collection and transport costs, payment methods, and fixed buyers, with the cabildo's explicit intention to market surplus products being a crucial factor.
EconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Gardening as Food Commons: METU Garden
2024Ayşen Çerşil, Esin Kömez Dağlıoğlu · İDEALKENT · Turkey
This study examines urban gardening as a form of food commoning, focusing on collective food production in urban gardens. It explores the role of common spaces and the social dynamics of urban gardening groups for urban food production, using the METU Garden (ODTÜ Bostanı) as a case study. The research aims to relate the social structures and spatial qualities of METU Garden to food commons theories and frameworks.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsIdentificación de elementos transformadores en territorios de borde
2024Fabián Adolfo Aguilera-Martínez, Fabián Alonso Sarmiento-Valdés, Juan José Castiblanco-Prieto · Ediciones Comunicación Científica eBooks · Colombia (Bogotá)
This 2024 interdisciplinary study examined transformation dynamics in urban fringe territories, focusing on Bogotá, Colombia, with cases in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Using participatory methodologies, it identified community participation, environmental management, territorial planning, and social empowerment as key transformative elements. Community workshops and projects like "Nuestra Casa, Nuestra Huerta" demonstrated the importance of collaborative design, public space recovery, and urban agriculture for sustainable urban fringe transformation.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceAS DINÂMICAS SOCIOESPACIAIS E AS REPRESENTAÇÕES DA RURALIDADE EM GOIATUBA (GO)
2024Amanda Silva Almeida, Antônio Ananias Nogueira Netto · Espaço em Revista · Brazil
This 2024 study in Goiatuba, Brazil, investigated the spatial configuration and manifestations of rurality, analyzing the implications of rural modernization. Using bibliographic research, secondary data analysis, field work with interviews, and participant observation, it found a high presence of rural elements in Goiatuba, including urban agriculture, traditional foods, and animal husbandry, which are important for local identity. The study also noted the municipality's economic importance in the agrarian sector, particularly sugar-energy, with a significant flow of workers between city and countryside.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceLand cover changes and management effectiveness of protected areas in tropical coastal area of sub-Saharan Africa
2024Jeffrey Chiwuikem Chiaka, Gengyuan Liu, Hui Li, Wen Zhang, Mingwan Wu, Zhaoman Huo, F. Gonella · Environmental and Sustainability Indicators · Sub-Saharan Africa
This study evaluated land cover change and its drivers using spatial and statistical analysis in 22 designated protected areas (PAs) across the tropical coastal regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Results indicated that food production is prevalent in these protected areas regardless of their designation, and forest loss occurred in most PAs, suggesting weak conservation. Population density was the most significant driver of land cover change, and only 15 out of 22 protected areas showed an increase in their total ecosystem service value.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityThe big lettuce
2024Mariana Sanchez Salvador · · Portugal (Lisbon)
This paper examines the historical evolution and current state of Lisbon's foodscape. Historically, Lisbon possessed large agricultural spaces and a tight-knit food network, but nowadays, food has largely disappeared from the public realm. Mapping past and present urban food assets is key to providing a comprehensive portrait of Lisbon's foodscape and its potential for solutions.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageClimate changePolicyCodification and Inclusivity of Landmark Urban Agriculture Initiatives in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin
2024Micaela F. Lipman, Marcia Caton Campbell · Urban agriculture · United States (Wisconsin)
This chapter examines local government food systems policy and planning in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin. Despite a history of regulatory innovation in urban agriculture, the city and county have been slow to address food injustices in local food systems planning and policy development. The study highlights local government collaboration with the nonprofit sector and how codification of goals supports or hinders urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthUrban Agriculture as Activism: Common Practices and Discourses in Different Contexts
2024Gustavo Nagib · Atlantis highlights in social sciences, education and humanities/Atlantis Highlights in Social Sciences, Education and Humanities · Global
This qualitative study, conducted between 2016 and 2022 in São Paulo, Paris, and Lausanne, explored the relationship between urban agriculture, activism, and the right to the city. It found a convergence between discourse and practice in intraurban horticulture, emphasizing public space reappropriation, social bond strengthening, urban biodiversity promotion, and a new city-nature relationship. Community gardens in all three cities serve as hubs of collective experience, offering a critique of contemporary cities and an alternative to urban life.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceIntegrating vertical farm into low-carbon high-rise building in high-density context: A design case study in Hong Kong
2024Yuxin Bao, M.K. Leung, Dicken Poon, Changying Xiang · Journal of Building Engineering · Hong Kong
This article discusses the technical feasibility and design strategies for integrating high-rise residential buildings with urban agriculture in Hong Kong, using the “Green Tower Hong Kong” architectural design competition as a case study. A resilient residential high-rise building integrated with shared gardens and greenhouses was proposed for the Kwun Tong Center site. The final design can provide apartments for 2500 individuals, produce 340,750 kg of vegetables with 156% self-sufficiency, and generate 1,080,000 kWh of electricity annually.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeDigital agricultureAgriculture practiced by city dwellers and the urbanization process: an analysis on the european context
2024Claudinei da Silva [UNESP] Pereira, Antonio Nivaldo [UNESP] Hespanhol · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Europe
This article analyzes agriculture practiced in European cities and their surroundings, tracing its evolution from an essential food security practice in early cities to its decline after the First Industrial Revolution. It examines how the expansion of urbanization and structural transformations of the capitalist economy from the 19th century led to the reduction or disappearance of urban agriculture in major European cities. This shift resulted in a specialized food market supplied by distant producers, highlighting the changing relationship between agriculture, urban morphology, the labor market, and food supply.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyHow is urban agriculture practiced, institutionalized, implemented, and sustained? A literature review
2024Nour Alkhaja, Khaled Alawadi, Kholoud Almemari, Ghalya Alshehhi · Progress in Planning · Global
This literature review of 51 articles examines how urban agriculture (UA) is practiced, institutionalized, and sustained, focusing on governance. It identifies consistent challenges such as discord between civil and municipal actors, contextual factors hindering supportive policies, and urban densification encroaching on UA land. These issues lead to informal or constrained UA practices and tenure insecurity.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceThe Urgent Role of Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Planning in the Global South
2024Lesli Hoey · Urban agriculture · Global
This paper highlights that urban agriculture (UA) serves as a vital lifeline for food and income security for many urban growers in the Global South. However, it notes that many governments in the Global South actively resist UA in the name of "modernization," and by promoting supermarkets and restricting informal food markets, they potentially undermine the positive impacts of UA on urban food security and poverty.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityQuantification and valorization of compost derived from urban households’ waste in Bukavu City, Eastern D.R. Congo
2024Géant Basimine Chuma, Jean M. Mondo, Adrien Byamungu Ndeko, Etienne M. Akuzibwe, Espoir Mukengere Bagula, Gustave Nachigera Mushagalusa · Discover Sustainability · Democratic Republic of Congo (Bukavu City)
This study investigated the quantity, composition, and disposal practices of domestic waste in Bukavu City, Eastern D.R. Congo. Findings revealed significant challenges in waste management infrastructure and practices, showing that approximately 5% of waste undergoes composting, while 10% is used as livestock feed, 66% incinerated, and 17% buried. Waste management is primarily handled by children (82%), with very limited involvement from non-governmental organizations.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justice