Research & reports

Shanza Neda Hussain, Aritra Ghosh · Energy and Buildings · United Kingdom

This study examined a sustainable residential building design in Birmingham, UK, combining rooftop agrivoltaics, vacuum gasochromic smart glazing and onsite green hydrogen production. Comparing vertical, optimal 30-degree tilt and dome monofacial/bifacial agrivoltaic setups growing tomatoes, tomato production held steady at 0.31 kg/m2 despite varying shading; maximum electricity generation was 7,919 kWh from bifacial 30-degree panels, the lowest levelized cost of electricity was 0.061 British pounds/kWh from monofacial 30-degree panels, the vacuum gasochromic glazing had the lowest U-value (1.32 W/m2K) but the greatest thickness (24.6 mm), and the hydrogen needed annually for the glazing was estimated at 52.56 g, with the bifacial 30-degree system theoretically covering up to about 64.23 km per day for a hydrogen vehicle.

Aregawi Beyene, Azeb Gebreegziabher, Zenebe Abraha, Tsahaynesh Hagos, Yohansu Girmay · European Journal of Horticultural Science · Africa

This study examined factors affecting urban households' participation in home gardening in Mekelle city, Tigray Region, Ethiopia, where home gardens served as a means of survival, particularly in urban areas, during the region's war and siege. Structured questionnaires and focus group discussions with 264 multistage-sampled households (171 users, 93 non-users) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a probit model, showing government motivation and access to land, income, education, extension services and inputs significantly influence home gardening participation. Users were significantly older, had larger families, and had higher incomes and education than non-users, with markedly greater access to land and agricultural inputs, underscoring the role of socioeconomic factors in participation.

Stefano Follesa, Leila Farahbakhsh, Xinxin Song · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

A paper examines urban agriculture as a process capable of promoting environmental sustainability, social inclusion and the circular economy, proposing ways to use and develop it. Through an interdisciplinary approach based on "demand maps," it presents an implementation model aligning users' needs with design solutions. Critical analysis of case studies identifies benefits including reducing urban heat islands, supporting biodiversity, enhancing food security, fostering social cohesion, and aiding the development of vulnerable communities. The guidelines presented aim to encourage the use of demand maps in urban decision-making processes to support participatory, inclusive and sustainable strategies.

Rafitri Novitasari, Agustina Shinta Hartati Wahyuningtyas, Heptari Elita Dewi, Riyanti Isaskar · JOURNAL ON SOCIAL ECONOMIC OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRIBUSINESS · Indonesia

A study in Malang City, Indonesia, where population growth has reduced agricultural land even as unused agricultural land is being converted to urban farming, analyzed factors (knowledge, attitude, perception) influencing interest in farming. Using purposive sampling, data were collected from 70 respondents via interviews and documentation and processed with descriptive statistical analysis and SEM-PLS. The results showed that knowledge of and attitude toward urban agriculture did not have a significant effect on people's interest in urban farming, while perception of urban agriculture had a positive influence on interest, associated with residents' recognition of its economic, social and environmental benefits.

Judy Thomas, Nedumaran Swamikannu, R. Vijaya Kumari, Jyosthnaa Padmanabhan · CABI Agriculture and Bioscience · India

A survey of 330 peri-urban farm households in Hyderabad, India, using multi-stage sampling and a Double Hurdle Model to analyze the decision to diversify farm activities and the intensity of that diversification. Results show the initial decision to diversify is strongly shaped by socio-environmental factors — proximity to urban areas, sole reliance on farming for income, household size and risk attitudes — while diversification intensity is largely determined by farm-specific resource conditions such as soil fertility and farmers' subjective assessment of production and market uncertainty. The study concludes that peri-urban farms in India are moving toward diversification, but at low intensity, particularly among small and semi-medium landholdings.

Laura Patricia Mulazzi, Francisco Jose Pescio, María Amalia Lorda, Christophe Albaladejo, María Amalia Lorda, Laura Jiménez, Gastón D. Godoy · El Servicio de Difusión de la Creación Intelectual (National University of La Plata) · Argentina

This essay surveys urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as it has developed across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. It argues that in South American, Asian, and African countries, UPA is oriented mainly toward meeting the food and income-generation needs of poor and economically excluded populations, who use food production to reduce their socioeconomic vulnerability, whereas UPA in European and North American countries serves different ends tied more to leisure, quality of life, and recreation in public spaces.

Nazmul Haque, Ranjan Roy, Abdullah All Imtiaz, Rafio Rahmatullah, Ronzon Chandra Das, S.M. Abdul Gani, Md. Shamsuzzoha, Kamrun Nahar Sheuly, Khalid Syfullah, Akther Banu · International Journal of Agricultural Extension · Bangladesh

A study of 105 climate-smart agriculture (CSA)-practicing farmers in Chuadanga district, southwestern Bangladesh, using structured face-to-face interviews. Multiple regression analysis in SPSS (version 20) across eleven variables found that education level, organizational participation, ICT access and positive attitudes toward CSA significantly influenced adoption, while farm size and access to finance had comparatively less impact. The model explained 47.7% of the variance in CSA adoption.

Manuel Ignacio Manríquez, Verónica Gil-Costa, Mauricio Marı́n · Future Internet · Global

A technical paper presenting a parallel agent-based framework for analyzing vegetable trade dynamics within a metropolitan area. It combines agent-based and discrete-event techniques to model interactions among farmers (who select crops based on market trends and environmental risk) and vendors and consumers (who adapt purchasing behavior to seasonality, prices and availability). To handle the computational demands of large-scale scenarios, it employs an optimistic approximate parallel execution strategy and a credit-based load-balancing mechanism to improve scalability. The framework is presented as enabling detailed analysis of urban food distribution systems relevant to smart cities and digital agriculture.

Shah, Mill Jignesh, Shah, Mill · Digital Commons - RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) · India

This design thesis addresses the imbalance in India's rapid urbanization, where Tier-I cities dominate as aspirational centers while smaller towns face depopulation, economic drift, and cultural amnesia. Centered on Sidhpur, a town in Gujarat with Bohra Muslim architectural heritage and a history of Hindu-Muslim cultural synthesis, the project proposes a regenerative model reclaiming Tier-II and Tier-III towns' vitality through layered strategies of adaptive reuse, vernacular craftsmanship, and integrated food systems. Abandoned havelis (mansions) are reimagined as living infrastructure for memory, sustenance, and economic regeneration, through reviving vernacular craft, embedding urban agriculture within the architectural fabric to reinforce local food sovereignty, and fostering reverse migration by creating culturally familiar, aspirational environments. It is presented as a scalable model grounded in participatory design and sustainable material practices; no quantitative evaluation results are reported.

Medardo Wilfredo Blanco Villacorta, Marcelo Tarqui Delgado, Gladys Jhovanna Challco Challco · Sapiens Studies Journal · Bolivia

This study evaluates the sustainability of urban agriculture in the Municipality of El Alto, Bolivia, in the context of urban poverty among migrants marked by limited access to housing, basic services, education, health and employment, and low income, alongside an observed rise in nutritional food insecurity. Using a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach, the research found that the activity is led mainly by women aged 26 to 65 (average age 46) in households averaging five members, who typically have secondary education or less, limiting job opportunities and leading them to combine domestic work with urban production for income. Immigration has driven the expansion of urban agriculture by drawing on prior knowledge; many families have more than 10 years of experience and manage gardens of 3 to 50 m2, using solar tents and agroecological methods, with most having access to drinking water and some collecting rainwater, and sales taking place at local fairs generating additional income. However, sustainability indices show that these production systems have very low or unsustainable levels across their economic, environmental and social dimensions, indicating a need for strategies to strengthen their long-term viability.

Elmira Dhiva Avivah, Teguh Soedarto, Wahyu Santoso · JPEK (Jurnal Pendidikan Ekonomi dan Kewirausahaan) · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This study assessed the economic feasibility of Yurga Farm, a farmer group participating in Surabaya City's urban farming program in East Java, Indonesia, which cultivates horticultural vegetables — including pakcoy, romaine, siomak, lettuce, kale, samhong and caisim — on narrow but productive urban land. Primary data on production costs, revenue and income were collected through in-depth interviews. All commodities showed an R/C ratio above 1, with break-even-point (BEP) production levels below actual production and BEP prices below selling prices, indicating the farming business is profitable and has potential for sustainable development.

Irmadatus Sholekhah, Dwi Herlindawati, Marjono Marjono, Dibyo Waskito Guntoro · Kumawula Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia

A community-service report on a training program in urban farming marketing strategy for the Wife's Extended Family Association (IKBI) at PTPN I Regional 5, Kebun Kalisanen Kotta Blater, Jember Regency, Indonesia. A preliminary study found that urban farming adopted by the plantation had positively affected household food availability, but surplus fruit and vegetable harvests were not being fully utilized — some were merely shared with neighbors or relatives, while the rest were left to rot and go to waste. The training program, targeting 20 IKBI participants, covered urban farming product processing, branding socialization, and marketing strategy development assistance. Results showed increased understanding and knowledge of urban farming practices — including organic vegetables, hydroponics, horticulture, and potted plants — and improved marketing skills, particularly in digital marketing.

Mei Linda Sipayung, Mariana Eva Yanti · Journal Inovasi Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

A qualitative descriptive study of the Binjai Green Hidroponik (hydroponic) system in the Binjai region of Indonesia, combining a literature review, field observation, and interviews with local hydroponic practitioners to examine its concept, advantages, and application. Hydroponics is described as a soil-free cultivation method using a mineral nutrient solution adjusted to plant needs, positioned as a solution for raising agricultural productivity amid limited fertile land and rising food demand. The study found that the hydroponic system can raise water-use efficiency by up to 80%, speed up vegetable harvest time, and produce more hygienic, higher-quality products. Implementation of Binjai Green Hidroponik is described as having potential to drive local economic growth through urban-farming-based agribusiness.

R. Jaishanker, Akshay Kumar, Mritunjay Pandey · Journal of Rural Development · India

This paper proposes the "Nalanda model," a paradigm linking rural and urban women in India through grow-bag rooftop farming: rural women prepare cow dung cakes that are stacked in grow bags with a sand-dung mixture as potting material, channeled through women's collectives to urban women who fill and sell the bags to urban customers. The paper presents this as a conceptual empowerment and livelihood strategy connecting rural and urban marginalized women rather than reporting field-tested outcomes or measured results.

Filip Schilla, Gaga Mumladze, Jana Soukupová, Ľuboš Smutka · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global

This study simulated basement and ground-level room conditions — temperature, humidity, light exposure, and air quality — for cultivating Agaricus bisporus (white button mushrooms) as a form of urban agriculture, and calculated the associated costs and profits to compare feasibility between the two environments. The basement environment proved more favorable, with more stable temperatures and higher humidity reducing energy requirements, and economic analysis showed basement cultivation had lower initial and operational costs than ground-level cultivation.

Mysha Clarke · EDIS · Global

This extension publication outlines the potential benefits of urban gardens for nearby neighborhoods, the broader urban community, peripheral communities, and visitors to a city, aimed at urban planners, residents, and community members planning new gardens or maintaining existing ones. It presents guidance rather than original study data or measured outcomes.

V. S. Manivasagam, G. V. Saai Shreyaa, Shriienidhie Ganesh · Computational Urban Science · India

This study built a geospatial framework using open-access geospatial datasets to assess the economic feasibility of rooftop gardening, rainwater harvesting, and photovoltaic installations across 368,748 rooftops in Coimbatore, India. Projected revenue estimates were ₹28.58 billion for photovoltaic systems, ₹15.79 billion for rooftop gardens, and ₹0.34 billion for rainwater harvesting; a crop-specific analysis found chillies the most profitable rooftop crop, with potential revenue of ₹38.51 billion, and coriander the least profitable at ₹4.57 billion.

Puteri Sidrotul Nabihah Saarani, Asniza Hamimi Abdul Tharim, Zulkefle Ayob, Asmalia Che Ahmad, Osman Mohd Tahir · Journal of Construction in Developing Countries · Malaysia

Using a triangulation method combining a Delphi survey with a case study, researchers identified life-cycle cost (LCC) components and phases for smart urban farming (SUF) practices in Malaysia. Iterative semi-structured interviews and Delphi rounds built expert consensus on which SUF practices matter for LCC assessment, producing a structured framework for classifying these cost components.

Grace O’Connor, Kimberley Reis, Georgette Leah Burns, Cheryl Desha, Ingrid Burkett · Journal of Rural Studies · Australia

Researchers investigated the lived experiences of 24 small-scale farmers across 16 ecologically sustainable farms in South-East Queensland and the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, examining how their experiences shaped participation in societal transitions to sustainable food systems and contributions to social-ecological resilience. Participants' narratives largely aligned with the "new peasantry" movement, and the paper uses a lens of collective autonomy to discuss how shared responsibility between individuals, communities, organizations, and governments could be reperceived through collective paradigm shifts, community-supported agriculture, and universal basic income.

Finn Williams, Ruby Johnston, Aiden Campbell · International Journal of Horticulture and Food Science · Germany

At the Christchurch College of Food Technology in New Zealand, researchers compared five growing systems -- rooftop container, raised bed, peri-urban orchard, rural orchard (reference), and heated greenhouse -- for avocado (Persea americana) cv. 'Hass' under simulated Bavarian Plateau conditions, using a randomized complete block design with four replications over three years (2020-2022). The rural orchard yielded highest at 22.3 kg per tree, peri-urban raised beds achieved 18.7 kg per tree using 56% less land, and rooftop containers (200 L pots) produced only 6.8 kg per tree, confirming that container culture is viable but yield-limited; rooftop systems had the lowest weed pressure, peri-urban orchards supported the richest arthropod biodiversity, and ISSR molecular markers confirmed genetic uniformity among grafted plants across systems, ruling out somaclonal variation as a source of the yield differences.

Agustin Windianingsih, Mulki Siregar, Estu Mahanani, Aisyah Hikmatur Romadhonah, Nihlah Hariro Romadhona, Urvia Rahmadani, Adinda Putri Salsabila Salvi, Idham Nur Kholiq · Jurnal SOLMA · Indonesia (Jakarta)

This report describes a community-service activity (PKM) conducted by Universitas Islam Jakarta with D'Shafa, a farming community in Jakarta focused on urban agriculture development, aimed at strengthening food security and economic welfare. The activity followed five method stages — education, training, technology application, evaluation, and program sustainability — with the goal of helping the D'Shafa Women Farmers Group (KWT) create value-added processed products. The activity produced value-added products through the use of a vacuum-frying machine for making fruit and vegetable chips, and it broadened KWT D'Shafa members' knowledge of preparing simple and digital financial reports and of digital marketing.

Dhaipule Amritha, B. Nirmala, Ch. Srilatha, K. Supriya · Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · India

This study examines the motivations driving urban gardening, the challenges gardeners face, and how pricing, usability, and support services shape consumer preferences among residents of Hyderabad, India. Using purposive sampling, 80 respondents completed a structured questionnaire with 5-point semantic differential scales, analyzed via mean ranking and multiple linear regression. Most respondents were female, educated, middle-aged, and married, living in nuclear families, with both working professionals and homemakers participating in gardening. Adverse weather and pest problems were the most commonly reported challenges; among package features, material quality was rated most important, followed by price and ease of use. Pricing, usability, and support services significantly influenced consumer preferences (p < 0.01).

Ratih Hesty Utami Puspitasari · Moneta Journal of Economics and Finance · Indonesia

This study evaluates willingness to pay (WTP) for urban ecosystem services — particularly cultural and provisioning services delivered by urban agriculture (UA) — in rapidly urbanizing Indonesian cities, using a Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) structured survey and logistic regression to identify socioeconomic predictors of WTP, supplemented by a review of comparative case-study literature to contextualize the findings. The results show strong public support for UA, with higher WTP associated with cultural ecosystem services tied to heritage, aesthetics, and community identity. Key predictors of WTP were income, education, environmental concern, and prior exposure to UA, with regional differences reflecting cultural and policy context. The study notes methodological limitations of CVM in capturing intangible values and advocates mixed-methods approaches incorporating ethnographic and participatory tools.

Xintao Lin, Jianping Qian, Jian Chen, Qiangyi Yu, Liangzhi You, Qian Chen, Jiali Li, Pengnan Xiao, Jingyi Jiang · Resources Environment and Sustainability · China

A study of Beijing and Shanghai, China (2025) modeled decarbonization from adjusting the local-sourcing share of seven perishable food categories — vegetables, poultry, aquatic products, beef, and lamb among them — incorporating both production and cold-chain logistics emissions across multiple localization scenarios. Each 1% increase in localization of vegetables, poultry, and aquatic products cut 2020 emissions by 0.4-1.9 tCO2e, while the same 1% increase for beef and lamb raised emissions by 0.2-2.9 tCO2e; localization reduced the cold-chain emission share for every food category. A constrained "balancing strategy" cut 2020 emissions by about 0.76 MtCO2e (5%) in Beijing and 0.44 MtCO2e (2%) in Shanghai, and an unconstrained scenario maximizing urban agriculture use achieved 3-4 times more reduction. Under a business-as-usual projection, the strategy was estimated to offset over 90% of Beijing's added emissions by 2035, with a further 0.44 MtCO2e reduction possible in Shanghai. The findings indicate that importing more carbon-intensive ruminant meat while reallocating urban resources toward vegetables, poultry, and aquatic products could produce more sustainable food supplies in megacities.

Fabio Henrique Albuquerque de Jesus · Revista Americana de Empreendedorismo e Inovação · Brazil

A theoretical essay on hunger in Brazil (2025) applies the Public Policy Cycle Model to the persistent, structural problem of hunger in Brazilian politics, noting that hunger is not unique to Brazil — about two billion people worldwide experience moderate or severe food insecurity — while all Brazilian regions show nutritional deficits tied to inadequate or insufficient food intake. In this context, it frames urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUP) as a social and public-policy tool for promoting food and nutrition security, examining the agenda-setting and formulation stages of AUP policy through discussions from Brazil's National Conferences on Food and Nutrition Security. Noting the 2024 establishment of Brazil's National Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Policy and its ties to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the essay concludes that much remains to be done to strengthen AUP as public policy and consolidate its social, economic, and environmental impact, particularly to make it effective for promoting food and nutrition security.