Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
984 results(25 / 40)
Novel Soil Barrier Systems Potentially Protect Urban Growing Beds from Legacy Soil Contamination and Improve Soil Health
2018Blake T. Moskal, Sean T. Berthrong · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Indianapolis)
The study tested a barrier strategy used by urban farmers in Indianapolis—layering wood chips between contaminated or low-quality background soil and healthy growing media—for protecting urban growing beds. Despite a limited sample, barriers appeared effective at separating contaminated soils from growing beds, and farming with barriers or in non-contaminated soil improved soil nutrients and physical characteristics, though phosphorus was very high in many beds, posing a potential risk to waterways.
CompostOrganic cycleHealthBulk density and content, density and stock of carbon, nitrogen and heavy metals in vegetable patches and lawns of allotments gardens in the northwestern Ruhr area, Germany
2018Burghardt W., Schneider T. · Journal of Soils and Sediments · Germany (Ruhr)
Analysed pH, bulk density, and contents/stocks of organic carbon, nitrogen and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni) in vegetable patches, lawns and compost heaps across fourteen gardens in four allotments of the northwestern Ruhr area.
Organic cycleCompostHealthSoil Fertility Characteristics and Organic Carbon Stock in Soils of Vegetable Gardens Compared with Surrounding Arable Land at the Center of the Urban and Industrial Area of Ruhr, Germany
2018Burghardt W., Heintz D., Hocke N. · Eurasian Soil Science · Germany (Ruhr)
Compared vegetable-garden soils with surrounding arable land in the central Ruhr area, analysing horizons, texture, pH, bulk density, C/N ratio, and stocks of organic carbon, nitrogen and available nutrients.
Organic cycleCompostVermicomposting of different organic materials using the epigeic earthworm Eisenia foetida
2018· International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture · Global
Evaluates the efficiency of the epigeic earthworm Eisenia foetida in vermicomposting different organic substrates, including kitchen waste.
DIYCompostOrganic cycleImpact of Wastewater-Irrigated Urban Agriculture on Diarrhea Incidence in Ahmedabad, India
2018Timo Falkenberg, Deepak Saxena · Indian Journal of Community Medicine · India (Ahmedabad)
A 12-month case-cohort study of 187 households in four communities of Ahmedabad, India, purposively selected by irrigation water type (groundwater, surface water, wastewater), with bimonthly self-reported health diaries and most-probable-number measurement of Escherichia coli in water. Mean E. coli concentrations per 100 mL were 3.04×10^4 (groundwater), 9.28×10^5 (surface water) and 4.02×10^9 (wastewater) — all exceeding international irrigation water standards. Diarrhoea incidence was 7.92 episodes per 1000 person-weeks in the groundwater area versus 13.1 (wastewater) and 13.4 (surface water), with a positive correlation between irrigation water quality and diarrhoea. Wastewater reuse is often promoted as a water-scarcity fix for urban agriculture; this study shows it carries a health cost borne by the farming households themselves.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleSmall-scale urban agriculture results in high yields but requires judicious management of inputs to achieve sustainability
2018Robert McDougall, Paul Kristiansen, Romina Rader · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · Australia
This study evaluated small-scale urban agriculture systems in Australia using economic and emergy (embodied energy) analyses. While these systems used land efficiently, they were relatively inefficient in their use of material and labor resources. Benefit-to-cost ratios demonstrated that, on average, the gardens ran at a financial loss, and emergy transformity was one to three orders of magnitude greater than many conventional rural farms. Only 14.66% of all inputs were considered "renewable," resulting in a moderate mean environmental loading ratio (ELR) of 5.82.
Economic viabilityEconomicsClimate changeOrganic cycleSUSTRATO BIOFÍSICO PARA AGRICULTURA PROTEGIDA Y URBANA A PARTIR DE COMPOST Y AGREGADOS PROVENIENTES DE LOS RESIDUOS SÓLIDOS URBANOS
2018Universidad Tecnológica Fidel Velázquez, Alfredo Ricardo Pérez Fernández, Mariana Ruiz Morales, Universidad Iberoamericana, María Odette Lobato Calleros, Universidad Iberoamericana, Eloy Pérez Valera, Biosistemas Sustentables, S. A., Promotora de Inversión de Capital Variable, Perla Rodríguez Salinas, Universidad Tecnológica Fidel Velázquez · Revista Internacional de Contaminación Ambiental · Global
This study developed biophysical substrates for protected and urban agriculture by mixing compost from urban solid waste with polystyrene and tepetate. Experimental tests were conducted on roses and tomatoes under four different treatments in a greenhouse, evaluating substrate nutritional properties and productivity. The results indicate that the proposed biophysical substrates possess physical, chemical, and biological properties making them a viable substitute for urban gardening or protected agriculture.
CompostOrganic cycleDIYHUERTOS URBANOS COMO DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE
2018Doris Laury Beatriz Dzib Moo, Sandra Patricia Dzib Moo, L.E. Gerardo González García · · Venezuela (Falcón)
This proposal introduces urban gardens for Colonia Lindavista in Tabasco, Mexico, aiming to demonstrate the benefits of urban farming. The project, initiated in January 2017 as a pilot, seeks to raise awareness and secure institutional support. It also aims to show how urban gardens can promote daily consumption of organic produce for health benefits and support family economies, thereby increasing the community's resilience.
CommunityClimate changeEconomicsOrganic cycle“WETWALL” — an innovative design concept for the treatment of wastewater at an urban scale
2018Joana Castellar, Carlos Alberto Arias, Pedro N. Carvalho, Martina Rysulová, Joan Canals, Gabriel Pérez, Montserrat Bosch González, Jordi Farreras Morató · Desalination and Water Treatment · Global
The WETWALL design concept proposes a unique ecotechnology for secondary wastewater treatment at an urban scale, integrating constructed wetlands and modular living walls into a modular living wall hybrid flow. This article reviews existing living walls treating wastewater, focusing on nitrate and phosphate removal, and presents the WETWALL concept, including component selection (plants, substrate) and operational strategies. It also discusses potential interactions with the urban environment, aiming to substantiate WETWALL's potential as an innovative urban wastewater treatment.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleDigital agricultureLa lombriz Roja Californiana (Eisenia foetida) una Aliado en la Agricultura Urbana Sustentable
2018Lisbeth Gallardo, Yelitza Contreras, J. Saavedra Jaramillo, Raúl Ernesto Alban · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Venezuela
This paper investigated the population growth index of the Red Californian Earthworm (Eisenia foetida) to produce solid and liquid humus from urban organic waste. Conducted at the Artisanal Bioisumes Laboratory at the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, the study compared compost and egg shells with coffee waste as substrates. The egg shell and coffee waste substrate yielded better earthworm population growth and humus production.
CompostOrganic cycleDIYCommunityESTRATÉGIAS DE CONTROLE FÍSICO-MECÂNICO SOBRE Rumex obtusifolius
2018Germano Güttler, Valmir Milani, Camila Peligrinotti Tarouco, Marcos André Nohatto, Eliete De Fatima de Ferreira da Rosa · Revista Ciência Agrícola · Brazil
A study conducted in Brazil evaluated the effects of physical-mechanical control strategies on Rumex obtusifolius (broad-leaved dock), a difficult weed in urban production. Using a randomized block experimental design, treatments including black mulching, intermittent black mulching, transparent mulching, mowing, weeding, and a control were compared. Results showed that mulching, in particular, had a greater capacity to reduce the population density and aerial dry mass of broad-leaved dock, but the effectiveness of control depends on the continuous maintenance of these strategies.
DIYOrganic cycleThe impact of different land uses in urban area on humus quality
2018Lidia Oktaba, Diana Odrobińska, Łukasz Uzarowicz · Journal of Soils and Sediments · Poland
This study assessed the impact of different land use types on soil organic matter (SOM) properties across 35 sites, including lawns, allotment gardens, fallows, and arable lands, in Pruszków Town, Poland. Humus horizons (0–20 cm) were analyzed for soluble SOM (PY), humins (HM), low molecular weight humus, and humic acids (HA) using extraction and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Results showed that humins were the dominant humus component, with central town soils containing twice as much HM and PY as peripheral zones.
Organic cycleCommunityA Agroecologia: pesquisa e extensão por meio do NEPEA
2018Cláudio José Bertazzo · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Goiania)
NEPEA (Interdisciplinary Center for Research and Extension in Agroecology) in Goias, Brazil, was established to foster sustainable rural development. The center focuses on ecologically based farms in Southeast Goiania, conducting research on sustainable agriculture and tree arrangements for the rehabilitation of degraded areas. It also carries out extension activities in schools, promoting and implementing school gardens and pedagogical nurseries.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleProjeto Horta – uma experiência agroecológica no IFMG - Santa Luzia
2018Ana Carolina F. G. Araújo, João Paulo de Souza Moreira, Lorena Martins Costa, Tales Bedeschi Faria, Louise Rochebois Quintão, Aline Silva Santos · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
At IFMG – Santa Luzia campus, a community organic garden was established to develop agroecological awareness among teachers and students. This initiative, stemming from discussions during Environment Week, involved constructing flowerbeds and planting vegetables. It aimed to create spaces for knowledge construction and promote future extension projects for mapping small farmers and replicating the school garden.
CommunityFood educationOrganic cycleGlasgow in crescita: un community garden presso il Govan Graving Docks = Growing Glasgow: a community garden at the Govan Graving Docks
2018Villarino Hernandez, Diana Carolina · · United Kingdom (Glasgow)
This thesis proposes a redevelopment project for the Govan Graving Docks in Glasgow, Scotland. The project aims to make the port complex, abandoned since 1988, safer, more sustainable, and integrated with the existing urban environment by incorporating vertical farming and sustainable organic agriculture technologies. Vertical farming is positioned as a key element for developing new markets, shops, galleries, and a residential building.
CommunityOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyDiversity and nutrient balances of urban and peri-urban farms in Ethiopia
2018Solomon Tulu Tadesse, O. Oenema, Christy van Beek, Fikre Lemessa Ocho · Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems · Ethiopia
This study investigated the diversity and nutrient balances of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) systems in three Ethiopian cities, using data from 425 households (Addis Ababa: 175, Adama: 126, Jimma: 124). It identified six farm types, including commercial livestock (cLS) and subsistence field crop (sFC) systems. The study found that cLS systems accumulated significant nutrients (450 kg N, 85 kg P, 260 kg K ha−1 year−1) with low use efficiency (26% N and P, 15% K), while sFC systems depleted nutrients (−30 kg N, −17 kg K ha−1 year−1) with high use efficiency.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Agriculture: A Regenerative Urban Development Practice to Decrease the Ecological Footprints of Cities
2018Rowaida Rashed · Environmental Science & Sustainable Development · Global
This paper explores urban agriculture as a regenerative urban development practice aimed at decreasing the ecological footprints of cities. It defines environmental problems, explains the concept of the ecological footprint, and demonstrates how urban agriculture can be integrated into cities to improve environmental conditions and reduce ecological footprints. Urban agriculture is highlighted as one of the most effective regenerative practices.
Climate changeOrganic cycleBiodiversityThe fate of compost-derived phosphorus in urban gardens
2018Gaston E. Small, Paliza Shrestha, Adam D. Kay · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Global
Dissolved phosphorus (PO4 3-) and nitrogen (NO3- & NH4+) losses in leachate from experimental raised-bed garden plots were measured. Plots receiving cow manure compost showed high PO4 3- concentrations (5-11 mg/L), while municipal organics compost plots had concentrations an order of magnitude lower (0.5-1.2 mg/L), and no-compost plots had 0.3 mg/L. Phosphorus lost through leachate and harvest accounted for only 1-10% of total applied phosphorus, indicating soil build-up was the dominant fate. This study illustrates a potential trade-off in urban agriculture between crop production and efficient phosphorus recycling from urban food waste.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageBiochar Application for Sustainable Soil Quality
2018Subhadip Ghosh, Lai Fern Ow, Mohamed Lokman Mohd Yusof · · Singapore
A short-term experiment in an urban park in northern Singapore investigated biochar's effects on urban horticulture. Biochar, alone or with compost, was mixed with loamy soil, and Dissotisrotundifolia was planted under various treatments. Soil analysis revealed significant improvements in soil nutrient status and organic matter content with organic amendments, especially those containing biochar, though plant physiological characteristics showed no significant differences. The study suggests biochar as a potential soil amendment for perennial ground cover in Singapore's tropical climate.
Organic cycleBiodiversityCommunityEvaluation of effect of human urine fertilizer in the cultivation of corn in Camagüey
2018Dania de la Caridad González Gort, Arelys Valido Tomés, Roberto Vázquez Montes de · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba (Camagüey)
A study on "The New Hope" farm in Camagüey, Cuba, evaluated human urine as a fertilizer for corn cultivation under family farming conditions. Family-collected human urine, stored for six months and applied in dilution, was compared to a mineral fertilizer and an unfertilized control using a randomized block design with 18 sample plants per treatment. Results showed that human urine yielded equivalent results to mineral fertilization, with no significant differences, but both differed from the unfertilized treatment, concluding that urine is an economic alternative for family farming.
Organic cycleDIYEconomicsOnde muitos chamam de lixo a gente chama de reciclagem
2018Janaina Henrique dos Santos, Júlio César Maestri · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This work presents the experience of reapplying the "Revolution of the Baldinhos" Social Technology, which involves managing organic residues and urban agriculture, in Macaiba-RN, Brazil. The project focuses on women collecting household organic waste to produce thermophilic static compost for urban food production and gardening. This method, originating from the UFSC Method, was applied through the Urban Housing Project with Social Technology (MUTS), supported by AACC/RN and Banco do Brasil Foundation, marking its first national application.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityDIYIndigenous and Scientific Knowledge in the Farming System: A Case of Urban Agriculture in Kageshwori-Manohara Municipality
2018Kanhaiya Sapkota · Tribhuvan University Journal · Asia
This study, based on a survey of 105 households in the Kangeshwori-Manohara low-lying Area, aimed to analyze contradictions and the interface between scientific and local knowledge on urban agriculture. Farmers transitioned from traditional to intensive, market-oriented agriculture, adopting a wider range of improved farming techniques for economically viable and sustainable production, indicating some link between scientific and indigenous knowledge.
CommunityEconomicsOrganic cycleSoil Properties on Farmers’ Fields Amended with Untreated Solid Urban Wastes in Ouagadougou Peri-urban Area, Burkina Faso
2018P.S. Bouda, Edmond Hien, A. Dioma, Hyacinthe Kambiré, Yacouba Maïga, Der Adolphe Somé, Sylvie Nazaret, A.S. Ouattara · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Burkina Faso
A study in Ouagadougou sub-urban agricultural fields, Burkina Faso, assessed the impact of using untreated Solid Urban Wastes (SUW) as agricultural fertilizers on soil properties and crop production. SUW amendment significantly increased pH, total C, N, P, and available P, and maize height and biomass yield were 124% and 164% higher in amended plots, respectively. However, trace metal elements (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr) concentrations were higher in amended fields, indicating that urban waste carries contaminants posing public health risks.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthPeri-urban agricultureCapacitações com base agroecológicas potencializando a agricultura urbana e periurbana em Capitão Poço - PA
2018Rayssa da Rocha Batista, Aparecida Hurtado Soares, Carolina Simões dos Santos, Henderson Gonçalves Nobre · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
In Capitão Poço, PA, urban and peri-urban farmers cultivate vegetables for subsistence and surplus sale. The NEA/UFRA/Capitão Poço/PA has supported these farmers by providing information on agroecology principles and building participatory knowledge on sustainable vegetable production technologies. This initiative included three training workshops on agroecological production systems, covering biofertilizer production, composting, and vermicomposting, fostering learning and knowledge exchange.
Food educationCompostOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureECF FARMSYSTEMS: a Circular Economy Business Model Case
2018Alexis Figeac · Repositorio institucional da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (University of Santiago de Compostela) · Global
ECF is a small-to-medium sized enterprise operating an aquaponic urban farm, demonstrating a co-product recovery business model where circularity is retained within its own operations. The aquaponics system enables resource-efficient food delivery on a B2B basis and achieves significant socio-environmental impact by displacing food miles. However, fish feed sustainability challenges need addressing for greater circularity, and aquaponics faces competitiveness issues due to support for traditional farming and planning hurdles in urban communities.
EconomicsOrganic cycleClimate change