Research & reports

Leena Erälinna, Barbara Szymoniuk · Sustainability · Finland

This article presents an experimental project in Turku, Finland, aimed at implementing a circular food system in sustainable urban farming. The project had two objectives: reducing food waste in Turku University Campus restaurants and supporting local nutrient recycling by composting food waste for urban farming. The resulting concept, based on two experimental studies, is globally replicable for managing local circular food systems.

Claudia Marani, A. Lighezzolo, C. Bisio, Beatriz Giobellina, Diego Pons · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Argentina

This report, part of the SAT-CV-CBA Project, aims to inform provincial authorities and the community about the estimation of horticultural areas affected by extreme weather events in Córdoba, Argentina, at the end of January 2021. It estimates the number of farms, crop losses based on vulnerability, and storm intensity. The information is expected to be useful for supporting affected producers.

Vu Bach Điep, Dinh Hong Linh, Bui Thi Minh Hang · International Journal of Legal Studies ( IJOLS ) · Viet Nam

Thai Nguyen province in Vietnam is experiencing agricultural land reduction due to rapid urbanization. This article analyzed five groups of factors affecting urban agricultural development in Thai Nguyen province during 2015-2018: Socio-economic; Natural conditions and infrastructure; Policy factors; Planning factors; and Links and integration. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze and synthesize secondary and primary data sources.

A. Varela, Alexandra Sandoval-Albán, Marcela Muñoz, Alfonso Goméz Gómez, Manuel Bogoya, Germán Combariza · Urban forestry & urban greening · Global

This study evaluated the optimal combination of three different modular extensive green roof structures and two types of local substrates (compost and soil + biochar) for Lactuca sativa L. var. crispa (lettuce) growth under tropical climate conditions, measuring physicochemical and biological properties of substrates and plant growth variables over seven weeks under rainy and dry conditions. A monolithic multilayer structure, high Mg concentrations, elevated amounts of 600 μm aggregates, and lower substrate bulk density were linked with higher L. sativa yield, but the specific substrate used was not associated with this result. Some physicochemical and microbiological properties of substrates changed by the experiment's end, with these changes dependent on climatic conditions.

Sara Bouzekri, Saïd Madani, Christine AUBRY · Bulletin de la Société Géographique de Liège · Algeria (Algiers)

This paper diagnosed the sustainability of urban agriculture in agriparks within the Chéraga commune of Algiers, Algeria. Applying a double sustainability method (internal and external) proposed by Ba and Aubry (2011), the study identified several major challenges to optimize urban agriculture sustainability, reduce deficiencies, and remedy observed imbalances.

Paul Drenning, Shaswati Chowdhury, Yevheniya Volchko, Lars Rosén, Yvonne Andersson‐Sköld, Jenny Norrman · The Science of The Total Environment · Sweden

This paper proposed a framework for risk management and communication of Gentle Remediation Options (GRO) to support phytomanagement strategies at contaminated sites. An extensive literature review mapped risk mitigation mechanisms, and the Swedish national soil guideline value model derived human health exposure pathways and ecological risks. Results indicated that most expected risk mitigation mechanisms are supported by literature, but knowledge gaps still exist. The framework was demonstrated to support the identification of GRO options for a case study site under two envisioned land uses: biofuel park and allotment garden.

David Satterthwaite · · Global

This chapter discusses innovations such as improvements in energy efficiency in housing, the trend of recognizing waste streams as resource streams, and innovations in urban agriculture and urban forestry that reduce cities' ecological footprints. A factor constraining government action on resource conservation and waste reduction is concern over employment costs. In most cities in the Global South, the potential for new employment in resource conservation is rather less due to lower resource use and higher levels of recycling, reclamation, and reuse.

Valerio Morabito · TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment · Global

This text explores the relationship between ecology and landscape architecture, and urban agriculture and vertical farm experiments through the lens of circular economy and recycling. Urban agriculture plays ecological, social, cultural, and aesthetic roles, evolving into new architectural experiments with vertical farms. Finally, it describes a building envelope patent developed by APS spin-off UNIRC for organizing vertical farms in unfinished buildings.

Aleksandra 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.

Brenda B. Lin, Monika Egerer, Jonathan Kingsley, Pauline Marsh, Lucy Diekmann, Alessandro Ossola · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · Global

This letter explores whether there was a renewed global interest in gardening during the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It notes that gardening, in various forms from private yards to community gardens, has the potential to counteract negative physical and mental health impacts of lockdowns and reduced human-nature interactions. Media reports indicated spikes in gardening interest, with sold-out seeds and plants in stores.

Naji Meidani Ali Akbar, Ismaila Rimi Abubakar, Ayesha Agha Shah, Wafa Al-Madani · Land · Global

This research explores how the ecologically embedded settlement patterns, building configurations, urban agriculture and home gardening, and water conservation of the Maya-built environment can offer insights for mitigating contemporary urban sustainability challenges. The Mayans' respect for nature guaranteed sustainable habitats, featuring mixed land use and residences constructed with native and recyclable materials. The study suggests that Mayan principles, such as protecting vegetation, conserving water, and listening to environmental feedback, have significant implications for urban land-use planning and policies today.

Benjamin 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.

Mukesh 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.

Oliver 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.

Ana Manríquez-Altamirano, Jorge Sierra-Pérez, Pere Muñoz, Xavier Gabarrell · Journal of Cleaner Production · Global

This study proposed an eco-design methodology to upcycle tomato stems, identified as the most promising agro-urban solid waste from rooftop greenhouse tomato crops, for local "do-it-yourself" use. Researchers characterized tomato stems physically, chemically, and mechanically, then conducted a creative session with specialists to identify applications. Resulting concepts included "Fences and trellises," "Packaging," and "Boards, panels and blocks," providing data on stem characterization for broader biomass utilization.

Gail Hansen, Joseli Macedo · University Press of Florida eBooks · Global

Many ecological, political, and economic programs are available to help cities become more sustainable and protect the urban environment. Resilient city planning practices include climate change adaptations, renewable energy technology, reducing urban sprawl, improving urban agriculture and native species use, and using self-sustaining, biophilic buildings. Goals and strategies for implementing these practices rely on citizens accepting responsibility with pro-environmental behaviors that mitigate destructive impacts from development and maintenance practices.

Cristina 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.

Gabriela 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.

Doris 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.

Martin 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.

Diego 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.

Ahmed 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.

Boglarka 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.

Ivanio 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.

Samuel 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.