Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9074 results(23 / 363)
Life Cycle Assessment of an Industrial Aquaponics System in Chongqing, China: Environmental Performance and Optimization Strategies
2025· Sustainability · China (Chongqing)
A life cycle assessment of a large industrial aquaponics system in Chongqing, China, evaluating environmental performance and identifying optimization strategies.
Organic cycleEconomicsExploring the Value of Urban Agriculture in China: Based on Three Urban Agriculture Case Studies
2025· Sustainability · China
A study exploring the multifaceted value of urban agriculture in China based on three urban agriculture case studies.
CommunityEconomicsPerceived Benefits and Barriers of Gardening Among Urban Older Adults: A Chinese Perspective
2025Lin · Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology · China
A study examining the perceived benefits and barriers of gardening among urban older adults from a Chinese perspective.
ElderlyHealthLicensed Commoning and the Authoritarian Commons: Governing Participation in China's Community Gardens
2025· Environmental Policy and Governance · China
Analyzes how citizen participation in China's community gardens is governed within state-licensed frameworks, conceptualized as an 'authoritarian commons.' Examines the relationship between participatory greening and governance.
PolicyCommunity'Quiet' green community innovations at the interface of public and private ownership in an old neighbourhood in Zhengzhou, China
2025· Geo: Geography and Environment · China (Zhengzhou)
Analyzes 'quiet' green community innovations—resident greening and gardening at the interface of public and private ownership—in an old neighbourhood of Zhengzhou, China.
CommunityDIYUrban pollinator communities are structured by local-scale garden features, not landscape context
2025· Landscape Ecology · Germany (Berlin, Munich)
Recorded pollinators and garden features across 33 community gardens in Berlin and Munich over two summers, finding local-scale garden features—rather than landscape context—predominantly structured urban pollinator communities.
PollinatorsBiodiversityEnvironmental factors influence airborne microplastic deposition in the soil of urban allotment gardens
2025Amato-Lourenço L., Bertoldi C., van Praagh M., Rillig M. · Environmental Pollution · Germany (Berlin)
Investigated vertical distribution of microplastics over 90 days in three Berlin allotment gardens; fibers dominated and peaked in surface layers, with deposition increasing with precipitation and PM2.5 and decreasing with wind velocity.
HealthWild Plants Drive Biotic Differentiation Across Urban Gardens
2025Sexton A., Conitz F., Sturm U., Egerer M. · Ecology and Evolution · Germany (Berlin, Munich)
Using four years of plant community data from 30+ community gardens in Berlin and Munich, found no support for urban biotic homogenization—wild plant species instead showed increased biotic differentiation with urbanization.
BiodiversityHow Democratic Is Just Enough? Critical Reflections on the Transformative Potential of the Berlin Food Policy Council
2025· Urban Planning · Germany (Berlin)
Critically reflects on the transformative potential and democratic character of the Berlin Food Policy Council (Ernährungsrat).
PolicyCommunitySupporting the transformation of urban food systems: The food network of the city of Dortmund
2025Leimkühler · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Germany (Dortmund)
Examines the food network of the city of Dortmund and how it can support the transformation of urban food systems.
PolicyCommunityDesign and Implementation of a Low-Cost Controlled-Environment Growth Chamber for Vegetative Propagation of Mother Plants
2025· AgriEngineering · Global
Designs and implements a low-cost modular growth chamber as an accessible alternative to expensive commercial equipment. It integrates thermal insulation, LED lighting, forced ventilation, a recirculating irrigation system with double filtration, and Arduino UNO-based environmental monitoring.
DIYEconomicsAn innovative design of household-scale vermicomposting bin for domestic organic waste treatment
2025· International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology · Global
Proposes a household-scale vermicomposting bin using Perionyx excavatus to both treat domestic organic waste and grow vegetables; adding a ventilation pipe improved performance.
DIYCompostOrganic cycleExploring the utility of different bulking agents for speeding up the composting process of household kitchen waste
2025· Scientific Reports · Global
Compares different bulking agents for speeding up the composting process of household kitchen waste.
DIYCompostTechno-economic evaluation of decentralized community composting as a management model to valorize organic matter in small and medium-sized towns
2025· Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management · Global
Techno-economic evaluation of decentralized community composting as a model to valorize organic matter in small and medium-sized towns.
DIYCommunityEconomicsProducing Bokashi Compost from Vegetable and Fruit Wastes and Characteristics of Compost
2025· Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology · Turkey
Produces bokashi compost by fermenting vegetable and fruit wastes with lacto serum and bran in vacuum buckets for 28 days, then characterizes the resulting compost.
DIYCompostFood lossNon-sterile substrate cultivation of oyster mushrooms on fresh Giant Juncao Grass: a scalable strategy for sustainable nutrition in underdeveloped regions
2025· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
Proposes a low-tech, non-sterile cultivation method growing oyster mushrooms on fresh Giant Juncao grass. Presents it as a scalable, low-cost strategy for sustainable nutrition in resource-poor, underdeveloped regions.
DIYCommunityHealthDesign and Implementation of a Small-Scale Hydroponic Chamber for Sustainable Vegetative Propagation from Cuttings: A Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Case Study
2025· Sustainability · Global
A low-cost, modular hydroponic chamber for early-stage vegetative propagation of cuttings was designed, built and functionally validated using readily available components for decentralized seedling production in space-constrained settings.
DIYOvercoming barriers to aquaponics adoption in schools: a practical implementation guide
2025· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
The study develops a practical, accessible guide for constructing small-scale aquaponics systems (plant bed, fish tank, mechanical and biological filters) tailored for educational settings.
DIYFood educationAn automated small-scale aquaponics system design using a closed loop control
2025· Environmental Challenges · Global
An automated small-scale aquaponics system (43x60x80 cm) is designed for compact urban spaces such as condominiums, using an Arduino to control lighting, feeding, misting and circulation while displaying real-time parameters.
DIYA narrative review on the potential reuse of greywater for irrigation in crop production: pros and cons
2025· Sustainable Water Resources Management · Global
Narrative review of greywater reuse for crop irrigation, summarising treatment advances and positive and negative effects on postharvest quality, and the need for proper treatment to reduce heavy metals and microbial loads.
DIYHealthpicoSMMS: Development and Validation of a Low-Cost and Open-Source Soil Moisture Monitoring Station
2025Kootanoor Sheshadrivasan V., Langhammer J., Scheiffele L., Terschlüsen J., Francke T. · Sensors · Germany
Develops an open-source, off-grid, low-cost soil moisture monitoring station (picoSMMS) built from consumer electronics and programmed in MicroPython, and performs unit-specific calibration of a popular low-cost capacitive sensor (DFRobot SEN0193).
DIYEconomicsUnderstanding visitor perceptions to guide IoT-based innovations in university ecofarms: insights from Indonesia
2025· Frontiers in Sustainability · Indonesia
A mixed-methods study of visitors to a university ecofarm, assessing their motivations, learning experiences, and perceptions of facilities during on-site visits.
CommunityFood educationA Pilot Study of a Youth Gardening Retrospective Survey Tool: Evaluating Outcomes of School-Based, Garden-Enhanced Nutrition Education Programs
2025· Future · USA
A pilot study developing and testing a retrospective survey tool that practitioners can use across varied school sites, grades, and communities to evaluate outcomes of school-based, garden-enhanced nutrition education programs.
Food educationImpact of School Gardens on Nutrition Education Among Limited-Income Communities in Alabama
2025Sanchez · Journal of School Health · USA (Alabama)
A study examining the impact of school gardens on nutrition education among limited-income communities in Alabama.
Food educationHealthImpacts of farm to school on children's perception of food
2025· Food, Nutrition and Health · Global
A study examining the impacts of farm-to-school programs on children's perception of food.
Food education