Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
5821 results(25 / 233)
FAZENDAS VERTICAIS NA SEMIPERIFERIA DO CAPITALISMO
2025Claudia Rochael Oliveira · Terra Livre · Global
This article argues that while vertical farms (VFs) are often presented as indispensable for sustainable cities, their purported sustainability is difficult to achieve without structural changes to reduce social inequalities. Critiques of urban agriculture, including VFs, point to their contribution to gentrification, racialization of space, and vulnerability to real estate capital, indicating a critical finding regarding equity. The article advocates for VFs to be appropriated by social movements to foster critical stances against conventional agriculture and catalyze urban utopias.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityEconomicsHORTAS DOMÉSTICAS: BENEFÍCIOS, DESAFIOS E MOTIVAÇÃO NO CULTIVO URBANO EM DOM PEDRITO/RS
2025Lucas Velasques, Janaína Wohlenberg, Osmar Manoel Nunes, D. Friedrich, Norton Víctor Sampaio · Revista Científica Agropampa · Brazil (Dom Pedrito/RS)
This field study, involving 20 residents of Dom Pedrito/RS, Brazil, who practice home gardening, aimed to identify motivational factors, difficulties, and benefits. The main difficulties reported were the time required for cultivation and the presence of pests and insects. While benefits included consuming healthy food, health improvements, and supermarket savings, the significant challenges of time commitment and pest management indicate limitations to the widespread positive impact of home gardening.
Limited or null effectDIYCommunityHealthOrganic cycleThe New Urbanism in New York City: A Case Study Comparing Battery Park City and Alphabet City
2025Lena Farley · Scholarship @ Claremont (The Claremont Colleges) · United States (New York City)
This thesis compares Battery Park City and Alphabet City in Manhattan, examining how they embody New Urbanist principles despite different planning approaches. While both neighborhoods show core New Urbanist characteristics, the research raises critical questions regarding community engagement in master-planned developments and the mitigation of gentrification in evolving urban landscapes.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyUtvikling og institusjonalisering av offentlig politikk og planlegging for urbant landbruk
2025Inger‐Lise Saglie · · Norway
This chapter presents the development of public policies and the main actors in urban agriculture in three Norwegian cities: Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim. While showing common traits in institutionalization, differences exist in the role of voluntary groups, bottom-up versus top-down processes, networking, relationship to peri-urban agriculture, and implementation in plans. Oslo's approach is politically driven with traditional participatory methods, developing urban agriculture as a social activity and professional food production. In Bergen, the voluntary sector actively co-creates policy and runs a competence center. Trondheim's policy is co-produced annually with growers based on their experiences, with a strong connection to professional agriculture, and has consciously chosen not to develop specific strategies for urban agriculture.
PolicyCommunityPeri-urban agricultureWOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT IN URBAN FARMING: AN ANALYSIS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS IN TASIKMALAYA, INDONESIA
2025Universitas Perjuangan, Ristina Siti Sundari, Lies Sulistyowati, Universitas Padjadjaran, Trisna Insan Noor, Universitas Padjadjaran, Iwan Setiawan, Universitas Padjadjaran, Farhan Ahmad, Universitas Padjadjaran, RAFIF NAUFAL ASSADEL TARIGAN, Universitas Siliwangi · Journal of Sustainability Science and Management · Indonesia (Tasikmalaya)
This study, conducted from February to December 2021, investigated women's implementation of urban agriculture in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, involving 250 participants from 136 urban farming collectives. Despite 100% institutional support, urban farming faced significant challenges in market access, resource allocation, and regulatory frameworks. The findings highlighted the importance of urban farming for empowering women, reducing poverty, and promoting environmental sustainability.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Vegetable Clusters as Engines of Sustainable Urban Livelihood: A Case Study of Narkara, Srinagar
2025Sehreena Maqbool · International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology · India (Srinagar)
This study examined the socio-economic viability and sustainability of vegetable cultivation in urban clusters, specifically the Narkara belt of Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Analyzing primary data from 60 urban vegetable growers and market functionaries, the research found that vegetable farming substantially contributes to household income and nutrition. It also suggests that institutional support and market reforms could enhance its performance, proposing recommendations for urban agricultural policy.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityPromoção de saúde mental por meio da participação em uma horta comunitária no DF: um estudo sobre o projeto “Terraterapia”
2025Daniel de Araujo Barbosa, Renata Rodrigues Gomes, Jesuana Oliveira Lemos, Joyce de Oliveira Vieira · Contribuciones a las Ciencias Sociales · Brazil (Federal District)
An exploratory study in Águas Claras, Federal District, Brazil, investigated the mental health impacts of participating in the "Terraterapia" community garden group. Using mixed methods with semi-structured questionnaires for 10 participants, the study found a significant improvement in self-assessed mental health, with an initial average of 6.2 rising to 9.4. Participants reported reduced anxiety and loneliness, emphasizing community bonds, socialization, and garden management as central to the intervention's success.
CommunityHealthEnhancing the Well-Being of Older Adults and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities Through an Intergenerational Community Garden: Participatory Action Research
2025Diane Keen · Global Qualitative Nursing Research · Global
This participatory action research explored ways to enhance the well-being of four young adults with developmental disabilities and five older adults through intergenerational interaction in a community garden. Using semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and field notes, the study identified five themes of well-being: engagement, positive relationships, accomplishment, meaning and purpose, and positive emotion. The research found that enlisting the wisdom of older adults enhanced the well-being of both young adults with developmental disabilities and the older adults themselves.
CommunityHealthWelfareElderlyAssessing land suitability and potential for extending the area for urban agriculture in Norway using GIS-MCDA
2025Ulrike Bayr, Svein Olav Krøgli, Sebastian Eiter · Urban forestry & urban greening · Norway (Bergen)
This study ranked urban and peri-urban farmland areas in Norway based on their suitability for urban agriculture (UA) and identified opportunities for extending UA to currently unused farmland. Through collaboration with urban farmers, four key themes and eleven criteria were identified and weighted for on-farm and off-farm sales scenarios. A GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) using TOPSIS was performed on 1x1 km grid cells. In the City of Bergen, 15.3% (on-farm) and 14% (off-farm) of the total farmland was both unused and highly suitable for UA, compared to 2.8% (on-farm) and 2.4% (off-farm) in Oslo.
PolicyPeri-urban agricultureCommunityUrban Farming Center dengan Pendekatan Arsitektur Berkelanjutan di Kota Makassar
2025Muhammad Ainun Najib, Marwati Marwati, Nursyam Nursyam · TIMPALAJA Architecture student Journals · Indonesia (Makassar)
This article describes the concept of an urban farming center in Makassar City, Indonesia, as a prototype for urban farming development. It aims to address the lack of public knowledge on urban cultivation methods and the absence of dedicated architectural facilities for urban farming. The center would provide education and training to communities and farmer groups, supporting the equitable distribution of urban farming activities.
Food educationCommunityPolicyEducación ambiental y su impacto social en la sostenibilidad empresarial
2025Fabiola Cabral-Rochin, Fabiola Lydie Rochin Berumen, Silvia Paulina Rochin-Berumen · South Florida Journal of Development · Global
This article describes a corporate social responsibility project that fostered sustainability and environmental awareness through five environmental education workshops. Fifteen employees participated, achieving a 70% increase in knowledge of sustainable practices, and 10 families benefited from actions like creating urban gardens. A social media campaign reached 2,648 people, increasing inquiries for the company Atelier Fábrica de Ideas by 30%.
Food educationCommunityAnalyzing the prospects and hurdles of urban agriculture an examination of economic landscapes and versatile approaches in Ethiopia
2025Mohammed Adem Ali, B. Lilly Grace Eunice · Discover Sustainability · Ethiopia
Urban agriculture in Ethiopia is a vital livelihood strategy, contributing to employment, income, and food security. Despite its significant contributions to GDP and urban employment, its potential is insufficiently utilized due to structural obstacles. These hurdles include restricted access to land and water, deficient regulatory frameworks, poor institutional support, social stigma, and environmental risks, and it is insufficiently acknowledged in urban development strategies.
Governance failureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyCommunityFrom crisis to opportunity: exploring urban food growing in the UK during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
2025Chris Blythe, Silvio Caputo, Michael Hardman, Paul Milbourne, Victoria Schoen · Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) · United Kingdom
This chapter examines the impact of urban food growing on individual, household, and community resilience, well-being, environment, and local food systems in the UK during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on survey and research data. It discusses the potential role of urban food growing in post-pandemic food security, environment, health, and society, and considers how "crisis gardening" experiences are leading to calls for new approaches to urban food growing in the UK.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeKomunikasi Partisipatif dalam Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Oleh PT. Saka Energi Muriah Limited Melalui Program Urban Farming di Kelurahan Tambakredjo
2025Yunita Dwi Astuti, Chrisdina Wempi · Jurnal Sosial Teknologi · Indonesia
In Tambakredjo Village, Indonesia, the impact of participatory communication within PT. Saka Energi Muriah Limited's urban farming program was analyzed using a qualitative descriptive case study. Findings indicated that participatory communication contributed to increased community empowerment, self-confidence, and farming skills. Economically, the program strengthened food security and created new business opportunities, and social interaction in training strengthened relationships among residents.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agricultural Land Revitalization and the Creation of Edible Parks Toward Sustainable Urban Development
2025Zahra Nobar, Akbar Rahimi · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This study explores the revitalization of urban agricultural lands and the creation of edible parks as nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development. It highlights urban agriculture's role in addressing food demands and its social and environmental implications. Edible parks, utilizing public and private spaces, are presented as a strategy to build sustainable urban infrastructure, promote social interaction, and strengthen community bonds.
Climate changeCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceBecoming ‘Good Neighbors’: Co-Creating Spaces for Interspecies Hospitality in Urban Encounters
2025Emily Schneider · Amsterdam Museum Journal · Global
This essay explores the conjuncture of interspecies reciprocity, hospitality, gift-giving practices, and the co-creation of urban spaces, focusing on the potential for and complexity of neighborly relationships between humans and plants. Borrowing the concept of the ‘good neighbor’ from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, it considers the conditions under which relationships based on care and responsibility can thrive through ‘circular reciprocity’. Sites for close interspecies encounters, like urban foraging practices and community gardens, show the potential of a caring and attentive striving toward neighborliness but also reveal the multiplicity and ambiguity of what can be considered different, sometimes irreconcilable, interests and needs of various urban dwellers. Nevertheless, this essay argues that the practice of becoming ‘good neighbors’ ultimately benefits both humans and plants.
CommunityBiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePemberdayaan Perempuan Melalui Inovasi Urban Farming di Kampung Ijo Kelurahan Kendangsari Kota Surabaya
2025Manda Ayu Febrianti, Dewi Casmiwati · JIIP - Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan · Indonesia (Surabaya)
A qualitative descriptive study in Kampung Ijo, Surabaya City, Indonesia, investigated women's empowerment through urban farming innovation. Focusing on three stages—awareness, capacity building, and empowerment—the study found that urban farming provided economic, social, and environmental benefits to the local community. However, limitations such as minimal local government support and technical challenges during the rainy season were also identified.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood educationAVALIAÇÃO DE PROCEDIMENTOS QUE GARANTAM A ADVOCACIA NA PERSPECTIVA DOS SISTEMAS ALIMENTARES, POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS, LOGÍSTICA ALIMENTAR E RESILIÊNCIA URBANA NA CIDADE DE QUELIMANE-2025
2025Moçambique MANI TESE, Franscisco Monteiro Chimote, Paulo Xavier Tebulo · Revista fisio&terapia. · Mozambique
A study conducted in Quelimane, Mozambique, analyzed the procedures and challenges for ensuring advocacy for sustainable food systems. The research highlighted institutional fragmentation, the absence of urban agriculture regulation, and precarious logistics as critical obstacles. While community micro-strategies and urban gardens were identified as potential catalysts for transformation, the study concluded that strengthening local governance and multi-sectoral mobilization are fundamental.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityClimate changeFrom Windowsills to Rooftops: The Cultural History and Modern Uses of Domestic Plant Cultivation in Estonia
2025Mare Kõiva · Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies · Estonia
This study examines the historical development, cultural meanings, and contemporary practices of indoor, balcony, and rooftop gardening in Estonia from the 19th to 21st centuries. Combining historical sources, folkloric data, horticultural literature, and qualitative interviews, the research shows that urban plant cultivation in Estonia is shaped by cultural, ecological, architectural, and personal factors.
DIYCommunityUrban–rural linkageBetydningen av sosial programmering i urbant landbruk: en praktikers erfaringer fra Norge
2025Helene Gallis, Kimberly Weger, Adam Curtis · · Norway (Oslo)
This contribution presents Norwegian experiences from Nabolagshager and its founder Helene Gallis, focusing on the development of urban agriculture projects in Oslo. Gallis argues for a more systematic application of placemaking principles in urban agriculture to enhance social well-being. Her experience suggests that combining placemaking with urban agriculture can empower community members, residents, and fragile and undesirable groups to co-create urban agriculture in public spaces, highlighting the transformative impact of using the placemaking principle of triangulation in these projects.
CommunityWelfarePolicyShorter Food Chains
2025Jeffery W Bentley, Paul Van Mele · CABI eBooks · Global
Supermarkets dominate the food market, resulting in lower prices for farmers and the decline of smaller shops, impacting local sourcing and quality. The abstract states that consumers and local governments can support family businesses, farm shops, and farmer markets, with examples from France to Ecuador. Allotment gardens and innovations like the Belgian ‘Juice Mobile’ are also noted for providing fresh food, social interaction, exercise, and a connection to nature.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityHealthEconomicsÅ øke ambisjonene for urbant landbruk i det offentlige rom: å fremme urban agroøkologi og planetær helse
2025Chiara Tornaghi · · Global
This chapter, based on 15 years of research, identifies key shortcomings in urban planning policy that prevent urban agriculture from reaching its full potential for human and non-human health. These include the failure to recognize urban agriculture as food production, the invisibility of soil and its role, and the neglect of soil care and food production specialists in public land design and soil management. The chapter suggests that agroecological considerations can enhance urban agriculture's ambition in public spaces.
Governance failurePolicyHealthCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDeveloping Sustainable Urban Agriculture in Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy to Implement the Quintuple Helix
2025Ana María Bartolomé Sualdea, Teresa Briz, Beatriz Urbano · Sustainable Development · Europe
This study analyzed socio-economic variables from 100 European regions to understand how urban agriculture (UA) development within Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3) benefits regions. A binary logistic regression found that a 1% increase in the population over 65 could lead to a 72.75% increase in UA. ANOVA results indicated that regions benefit from UA in RIS3 through active aging, diversification, alleviating urbanization pressure, technology development, and improved governance and social capital.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityElderlyEcopreneurship-based urban farming assistance program for communities in the urban fringe area
2025Durrotun Nafisah, Ika Purnamasari, Isnawati Isnawati, Zulfin Rachma Mufidah · Journal of Community Service and Empowerment · Indonesia
An ecopreneurship-based urban farming assistance program was implemented with the Karya Jaya 4 Farmers Group in Deket District, Indonesia, where agricultural land conversion reduced rice and fish production. The program provided training on hydroponic aquaponic systems and supported the construction of five backyard systems. This initiative increased participants' knowledge and skills, achieved an 85% success rate in system management, and contributed to increased household food production, income, and food security.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationPeri-urban agricultureThe Social Determinants of Urban Agricultural Practice: A Study of Market Gardeners in the City of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
2025Vazoumana Koné · Uirtus · Côte d’Ivoire
In Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, market gardening is widespread, but the Master Plan of Greater Abidjan does not allocate specific spaces for these crops. This forces producers to use unsuitable areas like flood-prone lowlands. A study of 45 market gardeners found that they employ various social practices to legitimize their activities and maintain their presence in urban spaces despite the lack of official land allocation.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomics