Research & reports

Rodrigo Calderón, Diana Garcia-Cejudo, Rob Roggema · Land · Mexico (Querétaro)

This study analyzes the paradox of food swamps, food availability, and food's ecological footprint in Querétaro, Mexico, to promote the creation of community gardens. Findings corroborate a soaring number of unhealthy food stores, elevated carbon footprints related to food production, and a community request for urban agriculture, including the regeneration of community public areas. The research proposes designing and implementing community gardens in two marginalized neighborhoods (Tlacote and San Antonio–Bolaños) in Querétaro.

Stefan Galley, Stefan Mann, Patrick Bottazzi · Societies · Switzerland

A survey of Swiss allotment garden (AG, n=201) and community-supported agriculture (CSA, n=250) members revealed how prosumers perceive the benefits of their activity and how these experiences shape their likelihood to continue. AGs enhance production-related individual benefits, while CSAs foster positive experiences around consumption activities. AG continuation is driven by experienced health and food-related benefits, whereas CSAs rely on the communal and organizational involvement of their members.

Justin B. Richardson, Eric Vukicevich, Eric C. Sirkovich · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology · United States

Soils, sap, and maple syrup were collected from four artisanal maple syrup producers in four suburban areas across the northeastern United States to assess nutrient and trace element concentrations. Soil arsenic and lead concentrations approached or exceeded EPA limits. Sap and syrup arsenic, cadmium, nickel, lead, and zinc concentrations reached or exceeded FDA limits for food.

S. GopalaSundara Raj, Halavath Tharunkumar, R. P. Srivastava, Mukesh Kumar Singh, Manindra Nath Upadhyay · Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology · Global

This study explores the economic and environmental benefits of green cultivation, encompassing organic farming, community-supported agriculture, and sustainable land use. Economically, it offers increased profitability, improved market opportunities, and enhanced food security, while environmentally, it supports biodiversity, improves soil health, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Case studies from Spain and Egypt demonstrate the effectiveness of these sustainable farming methods.

Kurnia Dewi, Yusuf Hariyoko, Hasan Ismail · Presidensial · Indonesia (Surabaya)

A qualitative descriptive study investigated stakeholder synergy in urban farming programs in Surabaya, Indonesia. Data was collected through interviews, documentation, and observation involving the DKPP, agricultural extension officers, farmer groups, and the local community. Strong commitment, competence, awareness, and continuity were identified as driving factors for successful implementation, but challenges include declining active farmer groups and limited facilities.

Dewa Putu Oka Prasiasa, I Ketut Widnyana, P E P Ariati, I Made Wijaya · Prosiding Seminar Ilmiah Nasional Implementasi Iptek. · Indonesia (Bali)

In Kelan Tourism Village, Bali, an integrated aquaponics biofloc urban farming model with drip irrigation for tilapia and vegetable gardens was implemented as edutourism. This initiative aimed to address the economic underperformance of culinary tourism due to external vegetable purchases despite available land. The implementation led to increased understanding and skills among target groups, students, and tourists regarding the urban farming model, and improved income for culinary businesses by reducing vegetable purchase leakages.

Bernd Bonfert · · Global

A brief reference entry describing community-supported agriculture (CSA) as a collaborative grassroots innovation in which farmers and consumers share the costs and outputs of food production. It states that by joining a CSA, consumers agree to cover the costs of a farming operation over a defined period, in exchange for a share of the harvest.

Nurul Chairiyah, Nur Indah Mansyur, Eko Harry Pudjiwati, Nurjannah Nurjannah, Arbain Arbain · ABDINE Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

This report describes a community service program conducted in Tarakan City, Indonesia, in January 2025, that trained women in hydroponic cultivation (Nutrient Film Technique) of lettuce and mustard greens (sawi) to address food-land loss from urbanization and population growth. Twenty women from the Family Welfare Movement (PKK) group participated, and their average technical-skill score rose by 38 points. Harvested produce was used 50% for household consumption, 30% sold, and 20% shared with neighbors, with economic effects of roughly Rp300,000 per month in household expenditure savings and Rp200,000 per month in additional income.

Maria Angela Diva Vilaningrum Wadyatenti, Ika Yuli Listyarini, Fransisca Desiana Pranatasari · Jurnal LeECOM (Leverage Engagement Empowerment of Community) · Indonesia

A community-service report on Kampung Wisata Kali Gajah Wong, a tourist site in a densely populated urban area of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, that has several underutilized abandoned plots of land. The intervention provided education and mentoring in using abandoned land and maximizing limited space for urban farming, with results positioned as a diversification of educational tourism products — priced with an appropriate cost of production (HPP) and attractive packaging — as a form of sustainable tourism marketing. The activity is reported to have improved partners' skills in implementing urban farming and included the handover of a complete set of equipment.

Ganda Adoum Malato, Nguinambaye Mberdoum Memti, Alhadj Markhous Nazal, TAMTIAL Ngariban, Touroumgaye Goalbaye · Journal of Experimental Agriculture International · Africa

A field survey of 121 randomly selected market gardeners in the city of Sarh, Chad, characterized market gardening practices there, covering grower profiles, farm characteristics, cultivation practices and vegetable products. Most gardeners were married men (70.25% married, 86.78% men) with an average age of 31, only 11.57% illiterate, farming plots averaging 333 m² (range 42-1,492 m²), 56.20% of which were inherited; 66.67% irrigated with river water, 83.5% used organic fertilizer and 82.64% used chemical fertilizer, 53.72% applied pesticides while 46.28% used biopesticides, and leafy vegetables made up 45% of cultivated products.

Kingsley Chibuzor Fredricks, S Goyol · Journal of Resilient Urbanism & Sustainable Design · Nigeria

A 2025 study examines the relationship between annual rainfall variability and the output of maize, tomato, and potato in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria, using crop yield data from 2012-2023 and rainfall data from 1994-2023, analyzed via Pearson correlation and linear regression. Annual rainfall showed significant fluctuation, with the highest level recorded in 2019 and the lowest in 2007, but correlations between rainfall and yield were weak and statistically insignificant for maize (r = 0.012), tomato (r = 0.146), and potato (r = 0.151). Maize and tomato yields increased steadily despite the fluctuations, possibly due to improvements in farming practices, better seeds, and small-scale irrigation, while potato output dipped due to late blight disease between 2013 and 2017 before recovering sharply.

Endang Retno Wedowati, Fungki Sri Rejeki, Emmy Wahyuningtyas, Diana Puspitasari, Adi Candra · ADMA Jurnal Pengabdian dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This community outreach report describes a program to add value to vegetable products from urban farming in the Kampoeng Pintar neighborhood of Surabaya, Indonesia, working with the local farmer group Kelompok Tani Kampoeng Pintar Oase. Using socialization, training, and technology-adoption activities based on a learning-by-doing approach, the program introduced processing techniques for vegetable nuggets, vegetable chips, and vegetable ice cream. It reports that participating residents gained skills in producing these processed vegetable products.

Tantri Indriani Indriani · PANGRIPTA · Indonesia

Horticultural production dynamics in Malang Municipality, Indonesia, were analyzed from 2019 to 2023 using primary data from the Malang City Statistics Agency's Horticulture Statistics Report, covering four commodity groups: seasonal fruits and vegetables, annual fruits and vegetables, biopharmaceutical crops, and decorative plants. Significant fluctuations were found in harvested area and production, especially in seasonal crops such as oyster mushrooms and chili peppers sensitive to market prices and climate variability, alongside a downward trend in biopharmaceutical crops such as turmeric and ginger, a lemon production surge of over 1,100% between 2022 and 2023, and relative stability in the decorative plant sector.

N H Alias, Nor Hafizah Mohamed Harith, Thenmolli Vadeveloo · Journal of Administrative Science · Malaysia

This qualitative study used thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 10 residents of low-income neighborhoods in Selangor, Malaysia, to examine food access and the sustainability of food security. Five themes emerged: economic constraints, geographical and infrastructure barriers, food price and market fluctuation, limited involvement in urban agriculture, and coping strategies for food insecurity. Financial difficulty was found to be the most significant barrier to food access, forcing households toward less healthy but more affordable food, and while households' coping strategies were resourceful, they were unsustainable, underscoring the need for long-term policy intervention.

Adeyemi Israel Atanda · Open MIND · Nigeria

This study examines how socioeconomic characteristics influence residents practicing sack farming in Ibadan, Nigeria, using a cross-sectional survey and mixed methods with 1,288 respondents proportionally allocated across high- (182), medium- (708) and low-density (398) residential areas. It found benefits including efficient use of space, increased crop yields and reduced soil erosion; the 31-40 age bracket showed the highest engagement (31.3%, chi-square=41.791, p=0.003, a significant association), while participation was 34.5% male versus 65.5% female with no statistically significant gender difference (chi-square=8.035, p=0.090).

Temi Indriati Miranda, Nurlia Listiani, Nugroho Purwono, Dwiyanti Kusumaningrum, Nirma Yossa, Diah Setiari Suhodo · Journal of Urban Management · Indonesia (Jakarta)

This study examines how informal actors along Jakarta's East Flood Canal (KBT), Indonesia, perceive and adapt to unclear governance conditions, based on two months of ethnographic fieldwork including 15 semi-structured interviews and field observations. It finds that informal practices such as street vending and urban farming are crucial to livelihoods and the urban ecosystem, creating green space, supporting food security and strengthening local identity, but that these actors constantly face eviction threats and exclusion from government support and protection due to inconsistent law enforcement, while still showing resilience through adaptive strategies and social innovation such as optimizing spatial use and building community networks.

Shahida Mohd Sharif, Izyan Ayuni Mohamad Selamat, Norsidah Ujang · Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) · Malaysia

This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach supported by field observations to examine the lived experiences of long-term gardeners at the PPR Intan Baiduri public housing estate in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, exploring how grassroots gardening supports resilience, health and informal governance. It found that gardening provides retirees and low-income residents with routine, emotional wellbeing and opportunities for informal economic participation, that community gardens function as micro-level bioresource systems by repurposing reserve land, composting household waste and drawing on institutional collaborations with agencies such as DBKL and TNB, and that participants collectively organize planting cycles and maintain shared infrastructure while navigating labor constraints and fluctuating participation.

Diana Rubí Oropeza Tosca, Roger Notario-Priego, Dalia Alejandra Candelario-Morales, Ezequiel Notario-Priego, José Eliseo · Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental · Mexico

A study in a rural community in Southeastern Mexico designed a management model for the administration and sustainability of a community garden, focusing on strengthening local capacities, ensuring equitable resource distribution, and promoting food security and environmental sustainability. Drawing on frameworks of social and solidarity economy, food security, sustainable development, and agroecology, and gathering data through focus groups, field visits, and semi-structured interviews with community members and stakeholders in a mixed-methods, participatory design, the study found the community committed to adopting sustainable practices, identified challenges such as resource limitations and climatic risks, and proposed agroecological practices and capacity-building as potential solutions. The resulting management model emphasizes collaborative governance and continuous monitoring.

Remigius Sotan Nino, Werenfridus Taena, Umbu Joka · Jurnal Hexagro · Indonesia

In Kefamenanu City sub-district, North Central Timor Regency, Indonesia, a study of the district's vegetable farmer population selected four villages (Bansone, Maubeli, Kefa Kelatan and Sasi) and conducted a census survey of 150 respondents in 2025. Using location quotient (LQ), shift-share analysis (SSA) and quadrant analysis, the study found mustard greens, eggplant, spinach and beans to be comparatively superior commodities, and mustard greens, long beans, tomatoes, spinach and chickpeas to be competitively superior. Commodities leading on both comparative and competitive advantage, and thus having development potential, were mustard greens (LQ=2.57, SSA=0.15), spinach (LQ=2.19, SSA=0.312) and beans (LQ=2.54, SSA=1.25).

Kolawole Farinloye, Grzegorz M. Józefaciuk, Samson O. Ojo, Ibukun A. Ayodele, Mayowa A. Aduloju · Journal of Natural Resource Conservation and Management · United Kingdom

A study evaluated the agritourism potential of Mudchute Park and Farm, an urban farm in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom, using a mixed-methods approach that combined qualitative assessment of the farm's existing infrastructure and programming with quantitative analysis of its plant and animal biodiversity (2025). Structured data was used to model potential offerings such as educational programs, hands-on workshops and thematic tours. The farm's collection of rare-breed animals and native and cultivated plant species was identified as a base for development, and the study proposed recommendations including a farm-to-fork culinary experience, expanded seasonal festival programming, and leveraging the farm's position as a rural site within a major city.

Vidjinnagni Vinasse Ametooyona Azagoun, Kossi Komi, Djigbo Félicien Badou, Expédit Vissin, Komi Sélom Klassou · Geographies · Africa

Drawing on socio-economic, techno-agronomic, and perceptual data collected from 369 growers in the Grand Nokoué region of Benin, this study combined multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) with ascending hierarchical analysis (AHA), confirmed by K-means partitioning, to identify profiles of climatic vulnerability among urban market gardeners. Three distinct vulnerability groups were identified, differing in socioeconomic, technical, and territorial characteristics and in their exposure to flooding, drought, and dry spells. The most vulnerable farmers were disproportionately young women with low incomes, limited access to land, and reliance on manual irrigation in flood-prone areas. The findings point to an uneven distribution of adaptive capacity and a need for public policies tailored to strengthen the resilience of small-scale, low-income, and land-insecure urban farmers who are exposed to these climate-related risks.

Agung Gustiawan, Ade Cahya Kurniawan · Prospect Jurnal Pemberdayaan Masyarakat · Indonesia

This participatory action research study describes PT Pupuk Kujang's corporate social and environmental responsibility program in Indonesia through four initiatives: Kuwatan Sadesa, which raised coffee productivity from 1.2 toward a potential 3 tons/ha while conserving forest land; Kujang Wanita Tangguh (KUWAT), which had women produce at least two products from garment waste; Asa Warga Ternak Mandiri (Asatama), which developed a communal system of at least 16 sheep funded by crowdfunding and fed partly on pineapple waste; and Kujang Urban Farming (KURFA), which established one greenhouse, engaged at least 10 residents and generated derivative food products. The study reports these programs enhanced community welfare and social solidarity and promoted environmental sustainability.

Dinesh Kumar, Abhishek Ranjan, Mahendra Sharma, Sanoj Kumar, Vishnu Ji Awasthi, Anshu Kumari, Ramesh Kumar Sahni, Ananya Rai, Krishna Murari, Shilpi Kumari, S. Paswan, Kushwaha Abhijeet · Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · India

A trial at the College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar, India (November 2024-March 2025) used a randomized block design with six replications to test drip irrigation on Indra capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) grown on a rooftop. Drip irrigation produced greater plant height, more leaves and flowers, an average of 21.3 fruits per plant, fruit length of 67.2 mm, fruit weight of 79.81 g and yield of 3.52 kg/plant, while saving about 75-80% of water compared with conventional irrigation at a water-use efficiency of 9.2 kg/m³, and yield increased 10-15% over yields typically observed with traditional irrigation methods.

Mouza Mohammed Eissa, Mohamad Zahir Zainudin, Norun Najjah Ahmat · International Journal of Social Science Research · United Arab Emirates

A qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 35 stakeholders — home farmers, commercial producers, policymakers and agritech developers — in the United Arab Emirates, examined against the National Food Security Strategy 2051. It found 70% of home farmers engage in urban agriculture to reduce import dependency, but are constrained by high water costs (cited by 70%) and limited technical training (55%). Commercial farms widely use hydroponics (88%) and vertical farming (62%), though energy-water trade-offs limit scalability. Stakeholders emphasized AI-driven tools for water-use optimization (75%) and blockchain for traceability (45%); the most desired digital-platform features were real-time soil and weather data (90%), centralized subsidy access (80%) and market linkages (65%), though fragmented data systems currently limit their effectiveness. Policy implementation gaps persist, with 60% of farmers unaware of subsidy programs and minimal integration across agricultural initiatives; the study recommends expanding solar-powered irrigation subsidies, improving training and extension services, and developing a unified digital platform connecting farmers, policymakers and agritech stakeholders.

Widowati Widowati, Cahyo Budiman, Meiny Suzery, Jafron Wasiq Hidayat, Sutrisno Sutrisno, Eka Triyana, Taleb Gaber · International Journal of Community Engagement and Development · Indonesia

An article reports on a community activity strengthening local food security through sustainable, integrated urban farming in Rowosari Village, Tembalang District, Indonesia. It combines hydroponic cultivation with catfish aquaculture in limited spaces such as home yards, rooftops and vertical surfaces, and integrates waste management and plant nutrition. The activity involved lectures and discussions plus hands-on training on vertical hydroponic installations and catfish pond cultivation in the village, followed by monitoring and evaluation.