Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
1626 results(23 / 66)
Urban Agricultural Revolution in Japan with Verticulture Technology
2024Ahmya Ayaka, Fujita Hanako, Hide Haruka · Techno Agriculturae Studium of Research · Japan
This study explored the impact of verticulture technology on urban agriculture in Japan using a mixed-methods approach, including field experiments, farmer surveys, and production record analysis. The findings indicated that verticulture technology significantly improved crop yields by up to 30% per square meter and reduced water usage by 50% compared to traditional urban farming. It also lowered greenhouse gas emissions and minimized land use, demonstrating its potential for enhancing food production efficiency and sustainability in urban settings.
Digital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsStress‐gradient framework for green roofs: Applications for urban agriculture and other ecosystem services
2023Andrés G. Rolhauser, J. Scott MacIvor, Adriano N. Roberto, Selena Ahmed, Marney E. Isaac · Ecological Solutions and Evidence · Global
This paper addresses the limited understanding of conditions under which stress-tolerant "nurse" plants can facilitate stress-intolerant "protégé" species on extensive green roofs for urban agriculture. It proposes a framework and linear model, integrating trait–environment theory and facilitation ecology, to make testable predictions on protégé species performance along stress gradients. The framework aims to help researchers assess the feasibility of nurse–protégé interactions under various environmental conditions.
Limited or null effectDIYClimate changeBiodiversityUrban farming with rooftop greenhouses: A systematic literature review
2023Annie Drottberger, Yizhi Zhang, Jean Wan Hong Yong, Marie-Claude Dubois · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · Global
This systematic literature review, based on 45 articles, examined the benefits and challenges of rooftop greenhouse technology. While benefits include optimized land use, increased profitability, good yields, and resource efficiency, the review identified significant challenges. These challenges include additional investment and operational costs, limited availability of flat roofs, and various regulations, which hinder the widespread adoption of rooftop greenhouses.
Economic viabilityClimate changeEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureSustainability assessment of peri-urban organic horticulture — A case study in the United Kingdom
2023Mustafa 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.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleEconomicsClimate changeFAZENDA VERTICAL COMO MODELO SUSTENTÁVEL DE AGRICULTURA URBANA
2023Renata Priore Lima, Lady Laura Soares Gundim · Revista Gestão & Sustentabilidade Ambiental · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study investigates the benefits of vertical farms as a sustainable food production model in cities. Through a literature review and a case study of Pink Farms in São Paulo, Brazil, the results indicate benefits such as energy and land use optimization, but also highlight the ecological, social, and landscape limitations of vertical farms.
Environmental trade-offsDigital agricultureClimate changeEconomicsANALYSIS OF THE ADIWIYATA PROGRAM ON ECOLITERACY OF CLASS IV STUDENTS IN MADRASAH IBTIDAIYAH 1 KARANGANYAR DISTRICT
2023Moefty Mahendra, Sri Utami Dewi, Ajang Ramdani · JURNAL DIKDAS BANTARA · Indonesia
A qualitative descriptive study with 13 fourth-grade students at MIN 1 Karanganyar, Indonesia, found that the Adiwiyata program's greenhouse initiative was not running smoothly due to a lack of funds. The students' ecoliteracy in the "head" and "heart" aspects needed improvement, as most did not habitually sort waste despite knowing types, and some lacked empathy for plants. However, students demonstrated ecoliteracy in the "hands" aspect through proper cleaning tool use, bringing supplies from home, and saving electricity and water.
Economic viabilityFood educationCommunityClimate changeAnalysis of Urban Maize Yield Response to Urban Sprawl in a Changing Climate: Case of Harare Metropolitan City
2023Herbert Mandigo, Teddious Mhizha, Terence Darlington Mushore · Applied Sciences · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This study investigated the implications of urban growth on maize yield in Harare metropolitan city, Zimbabwe, from 1984 to 2018 using Landsat data. Cropland area was reduced from 11,120 ha in 1984 to 2631 ha in 2018. Consequently, the estimated average maize yield decreased significantly from 52,264 tons in 1984 to 12,366 tons in 2018, demonstrating that urban growth has the potential to compromise food security.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsIMPACT: Ideal Measures for Participation and Awareness of Climate Change: Stronger Together Citizen participation in achieving the European Green Deal in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion
2023Issam Alsamara, Stefanie Felicitas Beinert, Jeanne Catelijne de Jong, Maaike Jeannette Barbara Klapp, Viktoria Sirkku Marewsk, Rana Orhan · South Eastern European Journal of Public Health · Europe
This article discusses citizen participation in achieving the European Green Deal in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion (EMR). It presents three policy options to increase citizen participation: local climate measurements, sustainable food consumption (reducing food waste), and sustainable cities through urban gardening. Recommendations include encouraging citizen science projects, gathering insights on regional greenhouse gas emissions, providing more sustainable food in institutional canteens, reducing food waste, using social media for sustainable food information, utilizing urban areas for urban gardening projects, and creating community sustainability challenges.
Climate changePolicyCommunityImplications of urban farming on urban resilience in Indonesia: Systematic literature review and research identification
2023Abdillah Abdillah, Ida Widianingsih, Rd Ahmad Buchari, Heru Nurasa · Cogent Food & Agriculture · Indonesia
A systematic literature review on urban farming in Indonesia identified its trend in achieving urban resilience as a response to urban food security issues and an economic boost during the COVID-19 crisis. While urban farming is suggested to promote urban resilience in Indonesia, it has several weaknesses in the urban resilience design due to problems with production, food security, and land scarcity in urban areas.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changePolicyRunoff Water Quality from Different Urban Agricultural Systems Using Common Nutrient Management Practices
2023Leigh Whittinghill, Major Ballard, Anju Chaudhary, Smriti Kandel, Caitlin Mullins, Pradip Poudel · HortScience · United States
This study analyzed runoff water quality from four different nutrient management treatments (conventional fertilizer, organic fertilizer, low-compost + organic fertilizer, and high compost) in raised beds and small plastic pool container plots in the United States. Water samples, collected monthly, were analyzed for pH, conductivity, color, turbidity, nitrate-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, total phosphorus, and potassium. While significant differences existed between raised beds and container plots, these did not translate to meaningful water quality differences for most variables, except for nitrate-nitrogen. The conventional fertilizer treatment showed greater or more variable nutrient leaching than other treatments.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleClimate changeDIYAlgorithmic Food Justice
2023Lara Houston, Sara Heitlinger, Ruth Catlow, Alex Taylor · Policy Press eBooks · United Kingdom (London)
Workshops critically experimented with the possibilities and challenges of blockchain as an infrastructure for food abundance and reparative work, using fictional scenarios set in a London transformed into a city farm by 2025. This experimentation suggested that blockchain presents challenges to such restorative and sustainable work. For participants, reparation involved working in the aftermath of social and environmental collapse to bring into being more-than-human-value systems that radically decentered human knowledge and experience.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityDigital agricultureClimate changeIMPACTS ENVIRONNEMENTAUX ET CHANGEMENTS URBAINS DANS LA COMMUNE DE HAMMA BOUZIANE (CONSTANTINE, ALGÉRIE)
2023Institut de Gestion des Techniques Urbaines, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi, MERIEM BENLAHRECHE, Saïd Mazouz, Département d’architecture, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi · Revue Roumaine de Géographie / Romanian Journal of Geography · Algeria
This article aims to explain urban phenomena in Hamma Bouziane, Algeria, a city known for its fertile land. The study indicates that the peri-urban agriculture of Hamma Bouziane is suffering negative repercussions due to unbridled urban expansion and socio-economic changes.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageClimate changeEconomicsUrban Farming Development Strategy to Achieve Sustainable Agriculture in Magelang, Indonesia
2023Reismaya Wanamertan Nugroho, Kusnandar, Joko Sutrisno · International Journal on Advanced Science Engineering and Information Technology · Indonesia
This study used the Analytical Network Process (ANP) method with expert respondents to determine urban farming development priorities in Magelang, Indonesia. The social dimension was identified as the overall sustainability priority. Key priorities across dimensions included women farmers' income and motivation, land availability, cultivation technology, and agricultural extension roles, leading to integrated agriculture as the priority strategy.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityClimate changeHarmonizing Urbanization and Food Security: A Novel AI-Driven Approach for Sustainable Urban Agriculture
2023Divyam Jindal · International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) · Global
This research introduces an AI-based model that uses satellite imaging, machine learning, and demographic projections to optimize urban agriculture. The model integrates soil analysis, water availability prediction, crop recommendations, and population growth projections for informed decision-making. It aims to optimize land use and balance urbanization, food security, and environmental sustainability.
Digital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkagePerencanaan dan Perancangan “Vertical Urban Farming” di Kota Kupang
2023Theodorus Hugo Carvallo, Richardus Daton, Yuliana Bhara Mberu · Journal of Architecture and Human Experience · Indonesia (Kupang)
This study explored the planning and design of "Vertical Urban Farming" in Kupang City, Indonesia, to address food demand challenges such as climate change, population growth, and land-use changes. According to Riskesdas 2018, the prevalence of stunting in toddlers in East Nusa Tenggara was 42.6%, the highest in Indonesia, prompting the use of new technologies to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. Using SWOT analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the Vertical Urban Farming Center's planning and design were discussed, indicating the area's potential for development.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthClimate changeDigital agriculturePenerapan Sustainable Architecture Pada Fasilitas Urban Farming Di Kota Surabaya
2023Gagas Purwo Adi, Nareswarananindya Nareswarananindya, Dian Pramita Eka Laksmiyanti · Tekstur · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This study proposes the application of sustainable architecture for urban farming facilities in Surabaya City, Indonesia, to address basic needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The design integrates communal spaces and cultivation facilities with household waste processing and efficient resource maximization. It utilizes a slab building form with indoor cultivation areas oriented towards the sun, supported by solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems, based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods.
CommunityOrganic cycleClimate changeUrban agriculture, local economic development and climate change: conceptual linkages
2023James Kwame Mensah · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Global
This study examined how the concepts of urban agriculture (UA), local economic development (LED), and climate change can be treated in unison. Based on a review of credible published papers on UA, LED, climate change, and nature-based solutions (NBS), a conceptual framework was developed to show their linkages. The paper established that UA could boost LED, build resilient urban settlements, and promote social inclusiveness, but it also comes with social challenges.
EconomicsClimate changeCommunityPolicyGrowing interiors – cultivating urban biophilic environments
2023Kendra Locklear Ordia · Interiors Design Architecture and Culture · United States (Lincoln)
This essay presents a case study of an indoor vertical farm in the historic urban core of Lincoln, Nebraska, as a form of urban agriculture. It functions as an adaptive reuse model for existing buildings, creating a spatial ecosystem for localized plant-based food production. This approach aims to enhance urban food resiliency and reconnect communities with their food.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changeDigital agricultureRisk Mitigation Practices in Urban Gardening: A Case of Small Minority Producers in Maryland
2023Lila B. Karki, Prem Bhandari · Global Journal of Agricultural Research · United States (Maryland)
This 2022 project collected data from 22 small, socially disadvantaged minority urban gardeners in Maryland to enhance their efficiency. Findings showed farmers operated rationally, cultivating an average of 20 diversified specialty, ethnic, and medicinal crops on 1.2 acres. They employed integrated alley and mixed cropping systems, rainwater harvesting, expanded compost-making, maintained high cropping diversity, and introduced a tier system to mitigate production, marketing, and financial risks.
EconomicsHealthClimate changeCompostIntegrating Urban Agriculture into Neighborhood Planning for Sustainable Development: People’s Perceptions of the Potentials of the Al-Bastanah in Al-Za'faraniya, Iraq
2023· International Society for the Study of Vernacular Settlements · Iraq (Baghdad)
This case study explored the potential of urban agriculture in the Al-Bastanah neighborhood of Al-Za'faraniya, Baghdad. It investigated how urban agriculture can be integrated into neighborhood planning processes.
PolicyCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEffects of sand mining on peri-urban agriculture in Ife East and Ife Central Local Government Areas, Osun State, Nigeria.
2023F.E. Awoyelu, R.A. Mebo · Agro-Science · Nigeria (Osun State)
This study assessed the effects of artisanal sand mining on peri-urban agriculture in Ife East and Ife Central Local Government Areas, Osun State, Nigeria, from 2015 to 2019. Data from 120 respondents (landowners, cultivators, residents) showed that cultivated land area decreased by 24.8% (from 48% to 23.2%), while sand-mined area substantially increased by 20.4% (from 14.6% to 35%). Landowners' decision to part with land for sand mining increased with age, household size, and farming as primary occupation, but decreased with higher education levels.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsUrban–rural linkageClimate changeUtilisation of green urban space for food sufficiency and the realisation of the sustainable development goals – UK stakeholders perspective
2023Alex Opoku, Anna Duff, Moohammed Wasim Yahia, Samuel Ekung · Geography and sustainability · United Kingdom
This study investigated the use of green urban spaces for food self-sufficiency in the UK, examining how sustainable urban farms could reduce imported produce consumption and contribute to SDGs. A mixed-method approach included a survey of 115 respondents and interviews with 12 stakeholders from four urban farming groups. Findings showed a strong correlation between stakeholders' concerns about food origin/carbon footprint and imported produce, suggesting urban farms could play a vital role in food security and SDG realization.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyCommunityCITIZENS' ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTION TOWARD ROOFTOP GARDENING IN CITY AREA
2023Sadika Parvin, Md. Shahidul Islam · Khulna University Studies · Bangladesh
This descriptive quantitative study assessed the social acceptance of rooftop gardens among city dwellers in Bangladesh, surveying 475 participants online. While approximately three-quarters of respondents showed positive attitudes towards rooftop gardening, about one-third had negative attitudes, indicating unwillingness, with similar trends observed for behavioral perceptions. The study revealed that one-third of respondents still held negative attitudes and just over one-third had negative behavioral perceptions towards rooftop gardening.
Limited or null effectCommunityClimate changeUrban–rural linkagePERUBAHAN KOMUNITAS URBAN FARMING BERKELANJUTAN DALAM MEMBANGUN ECO-CITIES: PENERAPAN STRATEGI MODEL AIDP
2023Norbertus Citra Irawan, Suswadi Suswadi, Mahananto Mahananto, Agung Prasetyo · Jurnal Ilmiah Hijau Cendekia · Indonesia (Surakarta)
This study investigated changes in the urban farming community in Surakarta, Indonesia, using the AIDP model analysis approach, surveying 50 community members. Results showed varying success rates across strategy stages; evaluation strategies like partnerships with local traders and financial institutions, vertical land use, and open dialogue performed poorly. Furthermore, improving financial literacy and sustainable waste management systems were unsuccessful, and agricultural product brand promotion and innovative institutional models also performed poorly.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyClimate changeURBAN FARMING SEBAGAI USAHA MENJAGA KETAHANAN PANGAN BERKONSEP SAYURAN HIJAU
2023Eva Rosdiana, Nurul Sjamsijah, Sri Rahayu, Dian Hartati · J-ABDI Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat · Global
This community engagement activity aimed to promote urban farming as a solution for urban food security and environmental issues. The method involved socializing the benefits and implementation of urban farming to community groups, followed by assisting them in creating a model urban farm. The activity targeted outcomes such as scientific publication and increased community adoption of technology.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changeHealth