Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
2530 results(23 / 102)
Provisioning the 21st Century City: Community and School Gardens as Food Centers
2024Charleen Kepner · Anthós · Global
This essay analyzes case studies and academic research to explore urban agriculture and community gardens as sources of education and food production. It examines previous research showing that small-scale efforts can make lasting impacts in communities and contributes to discussions on alternatives to current farming practices. The essay suggests that policymakers and urban planners should support and expand community gardens as a feasible food production strategy.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyIntegrating ecosystem service supply–demand and ecological risk assessment for urban planning: A case study in Beijing, China
2024Shunxiang Fan, Min Yan, Linfei Yu, Bowei Chen, Li Zhang · Ecological Indicators · China (Beijing)
A framework integrating ecosystem service supply-demand and landscape ecological risk assessment was developed for urban planning in Beijing, China's plain area. This study quantified the supply and demand of five ecosystem services (biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water conservation, food production, and landscape recreation) and identified landscape ecological risks. Findings revealed an imbalance in total ecosystem service supply-demand and a high level of landscape ecological risk in Beijing's plain area, with protection priority areas accounting for 10.39% and restoration priority areas for 19.94% of the total area. Land use, distance to settlements, and vegetation cover were identified as primary influencing factors.
PolicyBiodiversityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEFISIENSI TEKNIS USAHATANI PADI SAWAH PADA PERTANIAN PERKOTAAN DI KOTA SEMARANG: PENDEKATAN STHOCHASTIC FRONTIER
2024Nur Muttaqien Zuhri, Ali Khamdi, Nun Maulida Suci Ayomi · ZIRAA AH MAJALAH ILMIAH PERTANIAN · Indonesia (Semarang)
This study assessed the technical efficiency of wet-rice farming in Semarang City, Indonesia, using cross-sectional data from 68 respondents. It found that land area, seeds, NPK, urea, and pesticides are key determinants of rice production, and paddy rice cultivation in the city is technically efficient at 0.73. Formal education and off-farm income sources influenced technical inefficiency.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicySwale
2024Mary Mattingly · arte :lugar :cidade. · United States (New York City)
"Swale" was a 5,000 square-foot floating edible landscape built on a barge that traveled to public piers in New York City, allowing visitors to harvest perennial fruits and vegetables free of charge. It circumvented public land regulations, where picking plants was illegal, by utilizing the "common law" of the water. The project questioned urban land use, food systems, and the possibility of establishing a commons, directly leading to the New York City Parks Department opening its first land-based "foodway" in the Bronx in 2017.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture and the Right to the City: A Practitioner’s Roadmap
2024Arild Eriksen, Deni Ruggeri, Esben Slaatrem Titland · The Geojournal library · Norway (Oslo)
This essay discusses the motivations for co-creating urban agriculture in public spaces from the perspective of an architect and urban farmer/beekeeper practicing bottom-up, participatory design in Oslo. It critiques the current aesthetics of impermanence and temporality in urban agriculture and questions the idea that the joy and freedom it brings should be enhanced by future development and policy. The essay presents a rich collection of stories about regeneration, change, and collective action and cultivation, rather than a replicable model.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture in a Megalopolis: A Model of Sustainable Food Security (Exemplified by the City of Saint Petersburg)
2024Svetlana Pyankova, Inna Mitrofanova, Olga Ergunova, Victoria Batmanova · Regionalnaya ekonomika Yug Rossii · Russia (Saint Petersburg)
This study analyzed urban agriculture as a sustainable solution for food security in megalopolises, exemplified by Saint Petersburg. It investigated key parameters affecting urban agriculture's efficiency, such as land area used, agricultural production, fresh food availability, and the introduction of modern technologies. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, including statistical data collection, modeling, comparative analysis, expert assessments, and forecasting, the study showed that urban agriculture in St. Petersburg has significant potential for increasing food security, reducing the carbon footprint, and improving municipal ecology.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changePolicyThe development process of urban agricultural networks to ensure urban food security in Hat Yai City, Songkhla Province, Thailand
2024Orathai Paiyarat, Uthaithip Jiawiwatkul · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Thailand
This qualitative study examined the development process, results, and influencing factors of the Hat Yai urban agricultural network for food security in Hat Yai City, Songkhla Province, Thailand. Data was collected from 31 participants through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and group discussions. The study identified a three-stage development process: network formation, seeking cooperation, and learning and integration, with results reflected at individual, group, and network levels linked to sustainable development. Negative factors affecting the development process included the nature of Hat Yai urban residents in a developing country context, resource inadequacy, and public policy.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban Agriculture Embedded in a Food Systems Approach: The Baltimore Story
2024Sarah Buzogany, Abby Cocke, Holly Freishtat, Yeeli Mui, Mariya Strauss, Sylvia Kelly · Urban agriculture · United States (Baltimore)
Baltimore, United States, has developed urban agriculture policies over the last decade, integrating them into a food systems approach to sustainability. Policy development covered zoning, permitting, land leasing, and soil regulations. However, challenges were encountered regarding staffing, funding, resident engagement, and differing city agency priorities, especially concerning land access. The experience highlights the importance of mainstreaming food policy into urban planning.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCharacterization of urban agriculture and farmers’ climate change adaptation: the case of Urban Wa, Ghana
2024Godwin K. Naazie, Isaac Agyemang, Anthony Mwinilanaa Tampah-Naah · Discover Sustainability · Ghana (Wa)
This study investigated the characteristics of urban agriculture and farmers' climate change adaptation in Wa township, Ghana. Mixed methods, including surveys of 362 urban households and 12 key informant interviews, were employed. Urban agriculture was found to be characterized by the production of animals like chickens, sheep, and goats, and crops such as maize, yam, beans, cabbage, and pumpkin, with land acquired through purchase or from relatives and friends. A strong relationship between residential class and urban farming type, and a moderate relationship between residential class and land acquisition type, were observed.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityParticipatory Development Communication Strategy of an Urban Farming Program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2024Shinta Prastyanti, Retno Wulandari, Adhi Iman Sulaiman · Palabra Clave · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)
This study in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, examined participatory development communication strategies in urban farming programs using observations, interviews, and focus group discussions. Findings indicate that while the communication strategy embodies community empowerment, the initiative has not been adopted by all community members. Additionally, harvests are limited to daily needs and have not significantly improved group members’ income.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyURBAN AND PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE IN BRAZILIAN CAPITALS: WHAT DOES RECENT ACADEMIC PRODUCTION REVEAL?
2024M. Kühn, Geisa Zanini Rorato, Bruno César Euphrasio de Mello, Carolina Cristófoli Falcão, Rodrigo Vitória Alves · MIX Sustentável · Brazil
This article presents the results of a systematic literature review on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) in Brazil. The study indicated a quantitative increase in academic articles on UPA and a concentration of cited cases in cities in southern and southeastern Brazil. Qualitatively, the analysis revealed that UPA initiatives are primarily located intra-urban, often in common/public places, and operate within a community system, focusing on vegetable production for self-consumption.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityCommuniTee’s (SP24.C)
2024SP24.C, CommuniTee’s · Bucknell Digital Commons (Bucknell University) · United States
CommuniTee’s partnered with the Lewisburg Community Garden (LCG) and the Donald Heiter Community Center (DHCC). At the LCG, they completed three service projects: painting a sign, stabilizing 93 fence posts, and starting a pollinator garden. CommuniTee’s sold 229 t-shirts, generating a net profit of $1,614.64 for the DHCC. Additionally, they raised $1,213.04 through five fundraising events and an advocacy campaign, with a total of $2,827.68 to be donated to the DHCC.
CommunityFood educationWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceSpatial Barriers to Transforming toward a Healthy Food System in the Noreste of Mexico
2024Rob Roggema, Aleksandra Krstikj, B. J. Erazo Flores · Nutrients · Mexico (Monterrey)
This study in the Noreste of Mexico, focusing on Monterrey, investigated spatial and non-spatial barriers to adopting healthy diets and accessing plant-based foods. Findings revealed significant disparities in food access across the Monterrey metropolitan area, with central urban zones having superior access to fresh foods compared to suburban and peripheral regions. This inequality disproportionately affects marginalized areas with higher poverty rates, worsening food insecurity.
Equity & displacementHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageSingapore – a case study of urban agriculture in Southeast Asia
2024Ada Górna · · Singapore
This chapter discusses a case study of urban agriculture in Singapore, a rapidly developing metropolis almost completely reliant on food imports. Authorities are promoting modern technology-based food production solutions to improve food self-sufficiency. Research demonstrated that top-down administrative decisions are particularly crucial to the spatial distribution of urban farming, and due to dynamic changes in the city's spatial and functional structure, urban agriculture, especially instances not matching promoted development directions, faces challenges and will undergo spatial and qualitative changes in the coming years.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsDigital agricultureOptimizing the Digitalization of Storage and Sales of Urban Farming Products as an Effort for Food Security and Improving the Local Economy
2024Triantya Wahyu Wirati, Allya Sofiana Assyifa, Mochamad Fakhriy Afif · Journal of Digital Business and Innovation Management · Global
This research aims to analyze the design of an e-commerce website system for urban farming to optimize its potential through appropriate information technology application. Urban farming, particularly hydroponics, is presented as a solution for limited land in urban areas, offering efficient water use and faster growth. It is hoped that this research will support the growth and sustainability of urban agriculture and open new opportunities in marketing, inventory management, and efficient operational management.
Digital agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceMotivations for women’s participation in urban agriculture: a multivariate probit model analysis
2024Tayech Lemma, Mala Sharma · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Ethiopia
A survey of 272 women in Hossana town, Ethiopia, using a multivariate probit model, identified food security and economic reasons as primary motivations for participating in urban agriculture. Factors such as age, education, marital status, family size, employment, non-urban farm income, farm experience, garden size, credit access, market access, and improved input use significantly influenced participation likelihood.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceHealthLand for Livelihoods
2024Ricardo Jacobs · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global
This chapter argues that rapid urbanization and global capitalism are destroying established livelihoods faster than creating new ones, leading to a growing surplus population. Dispossessed rural classes are reproducing themselves in urban spaces and converging with wage laborers to create agricultural livelihoods in cities of both the global South and North. This makes urban agriculture an important arena for land struggles and a livelihood option, shaping urbanization and socioecological relations.
Equity & displacementEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyThe Geography of Community Supported Agriculture
2024Catharina Any Sulistyowati, Suraya Afiff, Muhammad Baiquni, Mia Siscawati · Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik · Global
This study contributes to the geographic mapping of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) studies in Scopus-indexed social science journals, tracing the emergence and development of diverse CSA models, its political economy context, and the pattern of research themes across geographic areas. Findings reveal that the urban middle class in industrial countries can encourage farmers to produce healthy food and apply more sustainable farming systems. A limitation of this study is the lack of literature on CSA from non-western or non-industrialized countries.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageOptimalisasi Lahan Sempit Sebagai Usaha Produktif Ibu Rumah Tangga Perumahan Wilis Indah Kelurahan Pojok Kota Kediri
2024Forijati Forijati · Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Nusantara · Indonesia (Kediri)
This community service program in Wilis Indah housing area, Pojok Village, Kediri City, aimed to empower housewives through training and mentoring in optimizing narrow land for urban farming and hydroponics. The program resulted in increased understanding of land optimization, gardening skills, knowledge of agricultural technology, and confidence among housewives, leading to changes in family food consumption. It contributed to improving family economy and food security, and encouraged economic independence.
CommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPromoting Green Transformations through Smart Engagement: An Assessment of 100 Citizen-Led Urban Greening Projects
2024Eleni Oikonomaki, Ilektra Papadaki, Christina Kakderi · Land · Global
This paper examined 100 citizen-led urban greening projects globally, categorizing them by greenery type, stakeholders, implementation mode, and smart technology use. Fully citizen-led initiatives often focused on urban farms and food growing, while scaling projects frequently received support from public authorities or NGOs. Websites and social media facilitated participation and knowledge sharing, but advanced digital technologies for real-time monitoring and evidence-based decision-making were rarely integrated.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDigital agriculturePENINGKATAN PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL PADI BERAS MERAH (Oryza nivara) MELALUI PENAMBAHAN PUPUK NANOSILIKA PADA SISTEM ROOFTOP FARMING
2024Olivia Damayanti Putri, Sutini Sutini, Hadi Suhardjono · Jurnal Agroqua Media Informasi Agronomi dan Budidaya Perairan · Indonesia
This research investigated the effect of nanosilica addition on red rice growth and yield using a factorial randomized block design with two varieties (Pamera, Pamelen) and five nanosilica concentrations. Applying nanosilica colloid at 15 mL L-1 to Pamera and Pamelen varieties increased plant length and tiller number, and accelerated flowering age. However, nanosilica had no effect on harvest age and yield components.
DIYOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceRealising the potential of urban agriculture in Kingston, Jamaica
2024Sonia Gatchair · · Jamaica (Kingston)
In Kingston, Jamaica's largest urban space, systematic efforts to stimulate the adoption of commercially viable urban agriculture have lagged. This study examines the facilitators and impediments to commercially viable urban agriculture, arguing that knowledge transfer and the adoption of innovative, technology-driven approaches to farming, financing, and marketing are needed for success.
Economic viabilityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDigital agricultureAGRICULTURA PRATICADA POR CITADINOS E O PROCESSO DE URBANIZAÇÃO: UMA ANÁLISE SOBRE O CONTEXTO EUROPEU
2024Claudinei da Silva Pereira, Antônio Nivaldo Hespanhol · Boletim Goiano de Geografia · Europe
This paper aims to understand agriculture practiced in cities and their surroundings in the European context, in terms of its purposes, relationships with the labor market, and food supply. Structural transformations of the capitalist economy since the 19th century led to the reduction or disappearance of urban agriculture in certain areas of major European cities. This resulted in the formation of a specialized food market, where merchants acquire food produced in areas increasingly distant from the final consumer.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageAgricultural City – its Formal Shape in the Light of Historic Theoretical Designs and Emerging Technologies
2024Marta Rudnicka-Bogusz · Civil And Environmental Engineering Reports · Global
This study presents three lesser-known theories of W. Czerny, L. Zimowski, and O. Hansen regarding the “agricultural city,” alongside theories by L. Migge and F.L. Wright. It focuses on the role of agriculture within the city framework and its implications for future urban built structures. Urban farming is positioned as a multifunctional tool contributing to food security, ecological sustainability, community resilience, and social cohesion within the concept of a regenerative city.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changePolicyA systematic review of emerging trends in crop cultivation using soilless techniques for sustainable agriculture and food security in post-pandemic
2024Monsuru Adekunle Salisu, Yusuf Opeyemi Oyebamiji, Omowunmi Kayode Ahmed, Noraziyah Abd Aziz Shamsudin, Yusoff Siti Fairuz, Yusuff Oladosu, Mohd Rafii Yusop, Zulkefly Sulaiman, Fatai Arolu · AIMS Agriculture and Food · Global
This systematic review, utilizing the PRISMA framework, focused on emerging trends in soilless technologies for urban agriculture in the post-pandemic era. It examined the environmental impact, resource efficiency, and water usage of soilless farming techniques such as aeroponics, hydroponics, and aquaponics, evaluating their advantages and disadvantages compared to conventional soil-based farming. The review suggests that these innovative strategies hold promise in fostering sustainable urban agriculture and ensuring food security.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeDigital agriculture