Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9074 results(25 / 363)
Towards Sustainable Vertical Farming: A Systematic Review of Energy Return on Investment Efficiency and Optimization Strategies
2025Aborujilah A. · Sustainability · Global
A systematic review of 52 studies concluded that, despite efficiency advances, large-scale adoption of vertical farming remains impeded by high energy requirements and costs, leaving its energy-return sustainability in question.
EconomicsPolicyVertical farming limitations and potential demonstrated by back-of-the-envelope calculations
2025Lovat S., Noor E., Milo R. · Plant Physiology · Global
The analysis shows vertical farming requires large amounts of energy and, under the recent average electricity mix, could substantially increase greenhouse gas emissions with limited land benefit; it is not cost-competitive with cereals or pulses and only marginally so for tomatoes and lettuce.
EconomicsPolicyA Comparative LCA of Field Grown Lettuce Versus Vertically Farmed Lettuce
2025Gargaro M., Harris Z. · Food and Energy Security · United Kingdom
Even on renewable electricity, vertically farmed lettuce emitted about 0.93 kg CO2e/kg versus about 0.57 for UK field farms, with higher impacts in all but one category (water) and roughly twice the land footprint.
EconomicsPolicyThe emergence of indoor agriculture as a driver of global energy demand
2025· npj Sustainable Agriculture · Global
A meta-analysis of 116 studies across 40 countries finds that controlled-environment agriculture has substantially higher capital and operating costs than open-field cultivation because of its energy use, translating into higher prices and substantial business risk.
EconomicsDeveloping indicators to assess the viability of small- and medium-scale farms: a case study of market gardening farms at the regional scale
2025Heine B., Gaspart F., Biot N. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Belgium
Analyzing 17 market-gardening farms in Belgium, the study finds low economic viability: many farms survive only because farmers pay themselves below minimum wage, rely on unpaid labor, or depend on off-farm income.
EconomicsVertical farming: productivity, environmental impact, and resource use. A review
2025· Agronomy for Sustainable Development · Global
This review states that although vertical farming is claimed to use land, water, and nutrients efficiently, its high energy use lies behind several recent major bankruptcies and hinders large-scale uptake of the technology.
EconomicsSupporting the small market gardening sector in France: Comparison of two policy options
2025Lecole P., Preget R., Thoyer S. · Ecological Economics · France
Premised on the economic fragility of small market gardens and their need for public support, the study compares France's coupled aid program with a small-farmers subsidy scheme, reflecting that the sector struggles to be self-sustaining without policy support.
EconomicsPolicyBeyond the blueprint: Rethinking governance and sustainability in Cape Town's community gardens
2025Kanosvamhira T. · Journal of Urban Affairs · Cape Town, South Africa
While external support from nonprofits and government agencies matters for garden survival, poorly managed support can undermine local ownership and autonomy. The case study shows how governance failures threaten the sustainability of community gardens.
PolicyCommunityIntegrating urban and peri-urban agriculture in planning systems. Barriers, policy tools and recommendations
2025· Planning Practice & Research · Global
The paper identifies structural barriers to embedding urban and peri-urban agriculture in planning systems, including outdated zoning, fragmented governance, weak interdepartmental coordination, and inadequate financing, which leave agriculture routinely sidelined in favor of real-estate development.
PolicyUrban Allotment Gardens with Turf Reduce Biodiversity and Provide Limited Regulatory Ecosystem Services
2025· Sustainability · Warsaw, Poland
A survey of 44 plots in Warsaw finds turf-dominated allotments have the lowest plant species diversity (lowest Shannon index among use types) and provide only limited regulatory ecosystem services such as cooling and PM2.5 retention, showing garden management choices can undercut ecological function.
BiodiversityGrowing pains: Successes and barriers in London, Ontario's urban agriculture strategy
2025Bloomfield R., Miedema K., Lee D., Ellis R., Nasr J. · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · Canada (London, Ontario)
Evaluates London, Ontario's 2017 stand-alone Urban Agriculture Strategy—Canada's first. Finds that nearly eight years on, many of the strategy's goals remain unrealised, attributing the implementation gap to shortfalls in leadership, staff capacity, technical guidance, and communication.
PolicyUrban agriculture—An assessment of the potential of private gardens to cover the nutritional needs in four Swedish cities
2025Bengtsson · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Sweden
Assessment of vegetable production potential in private gardens across four Swedish cities. Demonstrates that current private gardens can produce up to 23% of recommended vegetable intake.
Organic cycleEvaluating Food Resilience Initiatives Through Urban Agriculture Models: A Critical Review
2025Federico Lopez-Muñoz, Waldo Soto-Bruna, Brigitte L. G. Baptiste, Jeffrey Leon-Pulido · Sustainability · Global
Critical review of how urban agriculture contributes to food resilience. Analyzes role of urban farming in supply chain shortening, food access improvement, and waste reduction.
Cultivating Well-Being: An Exploratory Analysis of the Integral Benefits of Urban Gardens in the Promotion of Active Ageing
2025Noelia Fernández-Salido, Alfonso Gallego-Valadés, Carlos Serra-Castells, Jorge Garcés-Ferrer · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Spain
Analyzes comprehensive benefits of urban gardens for senior active aging. Demonstrates impact on addressing multimorbidity, disability, frailty, and improving mental well-being and social participation.
HealthWelfareElderlyCommunityNative vs. Non-Native Plants: Public Preferences, Ecosystem Services, and Conservation Strategies for Climate-Resilient Urban Green Spaces
2025Alessio Russo, Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez, Annick St-Denis, Mark G. Tjoelker · Land · Global
Compares native and non-native plants in urban green spaces. Examines impacts on pollinator diversity, ecosystem services, and climate resilience. Analyzes conservation strategies and public preferences.
BiodiversityPollinatorsSupporting pollinators in urban gardens: floral richness and abundance influence flower visitor interactions regardless of the surrounding landscape
2025Emma Plant, Ria Dunkley, Davide M. Dominoni, Dominic J. McCafferty · Urban Ecosystems · Global
Empirical analysis of factors supporting pollinators in urban gardens. Demonstrates that floral richness and abundance are critical for pollinator diversity. Garden diversity prioritized over surrounding landscape influence.
BiodiversityPollinatorsOrganic cycleTypology of peri‐urban farming in the southeastern fringe of Nairobi city: A spatial and socioeconomic approach
2025Ahogle et al. · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Kenya (Nairobi)
Typology of peri-urban farming in southeastern Nairobi. Analyzes production technologies: open field (24.9%), multi-storey gardens (16.4%), moist-bed gardens (11.9%). Institutional land is largest available (54.2%). Spatial and socioeconomic analysis reveals diversity and adaptability of urban-peri-urban systems.
CommunityEconomicsNurturing Socio-ecological Spaces Through Urban Gardening Practices in India: An Exploration of Alternate Imaginations
2025Deborah Dutta, Amrita Hazra · SAGE Journals · India
Explores socio-ecological dimensions of urban gardening practices in India. Examines how citizen-driven agriculture nurtures social spaces, ecological value, and innovative imagination in urban contexts.
Food educationCommunityPolicyHealthUrban agriculture: A strategic pathway to building resilience and ensuring sustainable food security in cities
2025Urban Food Security Research Consortium · ScienceDirect · Global
Analyzes urban agriculture as a strategic pathway for building city resilience and food security, examining policy integration and governance frameworks
PolicyComplementing urban agriculture and green spaces is important for ecosystem functions and biodiversity in cities: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
2025Li et al. · Ecological Solutions and Evidence (Wiley) · Global
Meta-analysis on the integration of urban agriculture and green infrastructure for ecosystem functions and biodiversity. Urban agriculture shows less negative impact than conventional farming while reducing food supply chain distances.
BiodiversityCommunityGreening African Cities for Sustainability: A Systematic Review of Urban Gardening's Role in Biodiversity and Socio-Economic Resilience
2025African Urban Gardening Research Network · National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI/PMC) · Sub-Saharan Africa
Systematic review of 47 peer-reviewed studies across sub-Saharan Africa (2000–2025) showing urban gardens support ecological functions including pollination, soil fertility, and microclimate regulation.
BiodiversityCommunityWelfareFood educationExploration of Composting Strategies for Sustainable Organic Waste Management in Urban Environments
2025Sustainable Waste Management Research Group · Global NEST Journal · Global
Evaluates various urban composting methods (traditional, vermicomposting, aerobic systems) for process efficiency and compost quality. Documents emergence of decentralized community composting in circular economy context.
CompostOrganic cycleUrban garden communities' social capital as a support for climate change adaptations – a case study of Warsaw
2025Warsaw Urban Resilience Research Institute · Management and Organizations: Research and Development · Poland
Examines social capital (information sharing, coordinated activities, collective decision-making) in Warsaw garden communities as support for climate adaptation. Documents social bond strengthening through gardening.
CommunityCooking up Knowledge: Empowering High School Students Through a Food Literacy Boot Camp
2025Food Literacy Education Research Center · PMC/NCBI · United States
Evaluates food literacy boot camp effectiveness in promoting healthy lifestyle choices among adolescents. Demonstrates food literacy as critical influence in disease prevention and youth engagement in agriculture.
Food educationWelfareAssessing Urban Agriculture's Potential for Biodiversity Conservation, Carbon Sequestration, and Community Development: A Comparative Study of Residents' Perceptions in Three Western Romanian Cities
2025Romanian Urban Agriculture Research Center · MDPI Land (Open Access) · Romania
Comparative study of residents' perceptions in three Western Romanian cities on urban agriculture's potential for biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and reducing synthetic compound use.
BiodiversityCommunity