Research & reports

Abdul Muis Muhammad, Dompak Napitupulu, Suandi Suandi · Jurnal Pembangunan Berkelanjutan · Indonesia (Jambi)

This study analyzed the decrease in food land and its relationship with the foodstuffs balance and expected food pattern in Jambi City, Indonesia, during 2001-2020. Jambi City's food land decreased by 24.77 percent per year, totaling -19018 hectares or 96.01 percent. The correlation between food land and foodstuffs balance was 0.416 kg/cap/year for every 1 ha, and the correlation between foodstuffs balance and expected food pattern was 0.125 per 1 kcal/cap/day for Energy Adequacy Number and 0.361 per 1 g/cap/day for Protein Adequacy Rate.

Pierre Michard Beaujour, Frank Cézilly · Caribbean Journal of Science · Haiti (Port-au-Prince)

This survey assessed the distribution of pollinating insect orders in 16 urban green sites in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from January to April 2018. Researchers collected 2,747 pollinating insects and found that insect order richness was significantly higher at agroforestry plantations compared to unexploited forest remnants. Site area, elevation, and built area percentage had no significant influence on the total number of insects collected.

Madara Dobele, Aina Dobele, Andra Zvirbule · Rural Sustainability Research · Europe

This research aimed to identify the main functions of urban agriculture and evaluate their significance in Latvia. The study identified 14 functions of urban agriculture, classified into five groups: political, economic, social, environmental, and technological. The most significant functions in Latvia were found to be social (promotion of social cohesion and public health, education, and maintaining traditions and values) and technological innovations.

R V S K Reddy, J. Omprasad, T. Janakiram · Current Horticulture · India

In India, indigenous ethnic vegetables are underestimated for their nutritional and economic value and are underutilized, despite their potential to improve human nutrition. Urban populations often prefer less nutritious exotic vegetables due to the greater availability of ethnic vegetables in rural areas. The study suggests increasing the cultivation of these nutrient-dense vegetables in urban and peri-urban areas through home gardening and urban farming to enhance supply for urban residents.

Birgit Hoinle · Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Solidaria e Innovación Socioecológica · Colombia (Bogotá)

This chapter explores the emancipatory potential of urban agroecology in Bogotá, Colombia, and its surrounding Sabana region. Based on participatory action-research conducted between 2014 and 2017 with agroecological groups, it develops a theory of spatial empowerment. The study highlights the potential of solidarity economy within the urban agroecology movement to foster spatial empowerment, discussing both contributing and hindering factors.

Adam Abraham · Jurnal Riset Daerah · Indonesia

This study aimed to identify the impacts of land use change experienced by urban farmers in Kapanewon Kasihan, Indonesia. Using a deductive-qualitative approach, it was analyzed that urban development has both positive and negative impacts on farmers. The most significant negative impacts included pollution, decreased productivity, and the squeezing of urban agricultural land, which could lead to long-term environmental quality degradation and further spread of land use change.

Jiefu Wang, Yuepeng Sun, Kang Xia, Allison Deines, Ross Cooper, Karen Pallansch, Zhi‐Wu Wang · Water Environment Research · Global

This review examines the potential pivotal role of Urban Water Resource Reclamation Facilities (WRRFs) in sustainable urban agriculture. It highlights that reclaimed water can offer higher quality and less variable supply than other sources, while biosolids from wastewater treatment can be used as fertilizers or soil amendments. Additionally, WRRFs can produce renewable electricity, heat, CO2, and bioplastics, serving as essential resources for urban agriculture operations.

Yannick Baumann, Emanuel Guay · Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales · Canada

This is a book or article titled "Perspectives critiques et analyse territoriale. Applications urbaines et régionales," edited by Hélène Bélanger and Dominic Lapointe, published in 2019 by Presses de l’Université du Québec. It is an article from the journal "Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales" on the theme "Urban agriculture: towards a reconfiguration of social and territorial ties."

Kinanti Safitri, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Budhi Gunawan, Parikesit Parikesit, Yusep Suparman, Akhmad Mubarak, Margareth Pardede · The Qualitative Report · Indonesia (Bandung)

This mixed-method study, involving 107 export-scale urban farmers in the Bandung metropolitan area, Indonesia, investigated their adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers prioritized commercial agriculture and adapted through market access, agricultural management, and financial resource strengthening. However, some adaptation methods were not environmentally friendly, as farmers increased reliance on synthetic inputs and used cold storage on open land, leading to intensive, non-environmentally friendly agricultural practices.

André Torre, Brenno Fonseca · Sociologia Ruralis · Brazil (São Paulo)

A study on the development of peri-urban agriculture in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region, Brazil, was conducted based on expert interviews, analysis of the regional daily press, and local information sites and blogs. It was found that territorial opposition between different land uses is one of the main factors preventing food production in urban and peri-urban areas. The study investigated local conflicts, their location, their link to agriculture, the consumption of agricultural soils, and the typology of opponents and supporters of this activity.

Roman Szkup · Journal of Geography Politics and Society · Poland

Changes in the ways of using plots in allotment gardens in Poland were investigated. A direct inventory and questionnaire survey were conducted among users of five gardens: one in Łódź and four in its suburban zone. Analysis revealed that the farther from the center of Łódź, the less dominant the leisure and recreational model was. Additionally, users' professional activity and age were identified as socio-demographic features currently determining the way plots are used in these gardens.

El Syabrina, Rosmaina Rosmaina, Risqiana Dani, Purwati Purwati, Nadya Hermantika Sari · JIA (Jurnal Ilmiah Agribisnis) Jurnal Agribisnis dan Ilmu Sosial Ekonomi Pertanian · Indonesia (Pekanbaru)

A descriptive qualitative study in Pekanbaru City in August 2022 surveyed 102 urban farming managers to assess their perceptions and interest in urban farming. Respondents generally agreed with the social, economic, and ecological benefits of urban farming, scoring 3.17 on a Likert scale, with social benefits (3.34) being highest. The study suggests that commercializing urban agriculture on vacant land could maximize community socialization and boost economic and ecological benefits.

Caroline Petit, Barbara Redlingshöfer · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Global

This paper discusses food basin analysis, focusing on evaluating the food dependency and self-sufficiency capacity of territories. This boxed text is presented as part of Chapter 6, "Territorialized Food Systems: New Frameworks for Integrating Urban Agriculture."

Alesandros Glaros, Geoff Luehr, Zhenzhong Si, Steffanie Scott · Land · China

An exploratory study investigated the manifestation of urban agriculture within the context of Ecological Civilization (EC) in four Chinese cities, through four months of on-site interviews and surveys with urban agriculture practitioners. The study found that capital-intensive and peri-urban approaches to urban agriculture are favored under EC, while small-scale intra-urban initiatives are actively discouraged in policy and risk overlooking grassroots efforts and local residents' needs.

Emaediong Uko, Tony Binns, Etienne Nel · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Nigeria (Benin City)

This study investigated the significance of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Benin City, Southern Nigeria. Field-based data, collected using qualitative research methods (observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaire surveys), revealed that in the context of unpredictable and frequent economic shocks, households across all socio-economic levels significantly depend on food production activities. This dependence serves not only for immediate survival but also as a means of reducing household vulnerability and building resilience against future shocks.

Felipe Facci Facci Inguaggiato, Tatiane Ferreira Olivatto · PIXO - Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade · Brazil

This reflective bibliographic review examines Brazil's historical and urban housing policies, which have contributed to the disconnect between urban and rural populations. It also identifies initiatives, such as agricultural modernization, farmers' markets, and urban agriculture, that aim to reconnect rural and urban spheres and promote socio-spatial transformation.

I Gede Indra Mahendra, I Dewa Gede Agung Diasana Putra · ASTONJADRO · Indonesia (Bali)

Denpasar's high food demand, driven by tourism and community needs, is heavily dependent on external areas due to decreasing agricultural land. This qualitative descriptive study explored the potential of integrating urban farming with traditional markets, specifically Sindu Market in Sanur, Bali. The results showed that Denpasar City is not self-sufficient in food, leading to the innovative idea of implementing an urban farming system at Sindu Market as a solution to food needs and to shorten the carbon chain of food distribution.

Udit Debangshi, Pritam Ghosh, Himanshu Tiwari, Durgesh Kumar Maurya, M. Kumar · International Journal of Environment and Climate Change · India

India's urban population is projected to double by 2050, facing significant threats from climate change impacts such as increased rainfall intensity and temperature fluctuations. This paper discusses mitigation and adaptation strategies like climate-resilient agriculture and rooftop farming, emphasizing urban planning's potential role in developing and implementing adaptive responses.

Laís Caroline Marianno de Olivera, Gislaine Costa de Mendonça, Renata Cristina Araújo Costa, Regina Aparecida Leite de Camargo, Luís Filipe Sanches Fernandes, Fernando António Leal Pacheco, Teresa Cristina Tarlé Pissarra · Land Use Policy · Brazil

This study investigated the impacts of 35 years of urban expansion in Brazil's Administrative Region of Ribeirão Preto, linking it to agricultural land loss and environmental consequences. Using Landsat images and GIS, the research found rural area losses exceeding 350 km2, with equivalent production and economic losses of approximately 1.1 Mton/year and 230 MR$/year. Significant environmental impacts included the destruction of over 9100 km of natural watercourses, nearly 630 km2 of Permanent Preservation Areas, and the occupation of Guarani Aquifer recharge areas with impermeable surfaces, affecting approximately 7000 headwaters.

Tirto Wahyu Widodo, Damanhuri Damanhuri, Ilham Muhklisin, Indra Alief Titale · Jurnal Ilmiah Inovasi · Indonesia

A study in Indonesia investigated differences in the production of three rice varieties (Ciherang, IR 64, Mapan 05) in a soilless cultivation system with intermittent irrigation as an urban farming method. The experiment was arranged in a complete randomized factorial design with two factors and three replications. The Mapan 05 variety showed the best response for panicle length, number of grains per panicle, number of filled grains per panicle, and grain weight per clump, while topsoil+husk+non-intermittent media had the best effect on panicle length, root length, number of grains per panicle, number of filled grains per panicle, and 1000-grain weight.

Enagnon Arsène Euloge YAOVI, Martial WOROU, Bola A. MALOMON, Sylvain A. VISSOH · International Journal of Progressive Sciences and Technologies · Africa

This research in the Arrondissement of Zinvié, Africa, investigated agricultural land governance through surveys of 109 people and field observations. Findings indicate rapid urbanization is causing anarchic land occupation and uncontrolled consumption of agricultural space, with renting being the dominant land access mode (50%). From 2010 to 2020, cultivable land decreased by 517.69 hectares due to urbanization, highlighting significant governance challenges.

Prem José Vazhacharickal, K. S. Jagadish, G. Eswarappa · Agricultural Reviews · India (Bengaluru)

This outlook study reviewed honey bee diversity and the potential for integrating honey bees into urban agriculture and forests in Bengaluru, India. An urban forestry study in Bengaluru identified 374 plant species, with the highest diversity in parks (291 species). Most plant species provided good foraging sources for honey bees, including Apis indica, Apis dorsata, Apis florea, and Trigona iridipennis. The urban agro-ecosystem in Bengaluru was found to be suitable for beekeeping, particularly for stingless bees.

Julieth Milena Jurado Chana, Irma Soto-Vallejo · Luna Azul · Colombia (Manizales)

A mixed-method approach was used to identify and understand the characteristics of urban agriculture practices in the San José commune, Manizales, Colombia, and their impact on sustainable urban development and territorial defense. Information collected through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and field observations was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively with ATLAS.ti software. Findings indicated that urban agriculture is recognized in the commune as a strategy for territorial appropriation and defense, and community actions have led to more sustainable urban development.

Fabian Pascalis Serenai, Firra Rosariawari · EnviroUS · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This study in Dinoyo, Surabaya, Indonesia, investigated the potential of using 595,040 m3/year of canal sediment as a growing medium for urban farming. Sediment was mixed with green compost and cocopeat in 1:1:1, 1:3:1, and 1:5:1 ratios, and Capsicum frutescens seedlings were grown for two weeks. After pretreatment (drying, grinding, sieving), the 1:1:1 mixture showed optimal parameters: 3.58% C, 0.31% N, 0.02% P, 1.63% K, CEC 43.92 emol/kg, C/N 21, pH 8.55, non-toxic with 4% seed growth inhibition, optimal seedling growth, and lower nutrient loss. The research suggests that sediment can be used as a more environmentally friendly mixed growing substrate in the long term.

Yosuke Masuda, Takashi Oka, Erika Yoshinari, Takaaki Nishida, Tadashi Ikeda · Ecological research monographs · Japan

This research collected eight types of administrative plans from local governments across Japan related to the multifunctionality of farmland and reviewed the extent to which they describe these functions. Findings revealed that farmland's multifunctionality was incorporated into many municipal plans, with municipalities of a certain population size and high financial strength index tending to mention these roles more frequently. However, descriptions of functions like "disaster mitigation and response" and "water and food supply" in times of disaster were less common.