Research & reports

Siti Aisyah Salim, Siti Hajar Salim, Fadhlina Mohd Razali · International Journal of Sustainable Construction Engineering Technology · Malaysia

This research explored potential urban farming activities for improving the economic status of urban residents through structured literature reviews (SLR). A search of ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases yielded 851 papers, with 90 articles used for final classification after a three-iteration filtering process. The study indicated that while urban farming's potential is promoted in Malaysia, research investigating its ability to improve urban residents' economic status remains very lacking.

Sekolah Menengah Islam As-Syddiq, Simpang Renggam, Milah Zainal, M. Z. Rosmiza, Program Geografi, Pusat Kajian Pembangunan, Sosial dan Persekitaran, Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia · Malaysian Journal of Society and Space · Malaysia

This qualitative study explored human assets among 8 participants in community garden projects in Malaysia. While the government introduced community garden projects to improve urban residents' well-being, their success rate is reportedly low, with many projects expected to be unsuccessful. The study found that participants possessed human assets such as good health, physical strength, ability to seek agricultural inputs and information, strong religious practices, and resilience.

Jorinda Steenkamp, Elizelle Juaneé Cilliers, Sarel S. Cilliers, Louis Lategan · Sustainability · Global

This paper proposes urban agriculture as an intervention for planners to support sustainable food production and supply chains, addressing the neglect of food security in planning. A multiple-case study analyzed four urban agriculture examples in the Global South. The findings indicate urban agriculture's potential to improve food security for at-risk populations and mitigate urban risks like unemployment, community decline, and food deserts through its multifunctionality.

Pastory Salvatory Thomas, Wilbard Kombe, Aldo Lupala · Urban and Regional Planning · Tanzania

This qualitative study examined perceptions of urban agriculture among 60 urban farmers and officials in Arusha City, Tanzania, through interviews, observation, and literature review. Findings revealed that negative effects of urban agricultural activities influenced negative perceptions, which city officials seldom managed. While urban agriculture is acknowledged in policy, the critical effects of negative perceptions among stakeholders are considered less crucial in policy implications and formal governmental proclamations, despite their real-world impact.

Sandra Patricia Montenegro Gómez, Yetfersson Arley Serrato Velosa, Yolvi Prada Millán · Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia eBooks · Colombia

This paper contextualizes relevant experiences and technical tools for implementing urban and peri-urban agroecological orchards in Colombia. While urban and peri-urban agriculture yields positive results in food security, sustainability, and resilience, Colombia currently lacks government policies to support these processes. The paper aims to transfer knowledge on crops to various communities to strengthen their food security through vegetable production.

Paizinho, C., Maria de Fátima Ferreiro · Repositório do ISCTE-IUL · Portugal (Lisbon)

This study identified solidarity economy practices in three urban gardens in Lisbon: Vale de Chelas, Alta de Lisboa, and Horta do Baldio. Quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys of 42 users, semi-directive interviews with 3 stakeholders, and participant observation, were employed. Out of 35 evaluated practices, 31 were identified, with seven deemed "very relevant" and four "relevant." Organic production, contributions to social cohesion and health, knowledge sharing among users, promotion of reciprocal relationships, and democratic decision-making were highlighted. The remaining 20 practices were considered "less relevant."

Mariam Jibuti · Globalization and Business · Global

This research investigated the use of old and modern technologies for sustainable building, plant/tree medicines, non-timber forest products, water purity and rainwater harvesting, urban farming, and energy-efficient lifestyles. It argues that implementing these techniques can lead to economic awakening and improve current waste and unproductivity. The study states that stone building, the use of trees and herbs, rainwater collection, and urban farming contribute to people's daily lives, national self-reliance and health, and sustainable economic growth.

Naser Mughrabi, Mayyadah Fahmi Hussein, Naila Hussien Alhyari · · Jordan (Amman)

This study aims to propose design indicators for rooftop gardens in Amman, Jordan, to illustrate their economic, social, and environmental benefits. It presents a conceptual framework for interior designers to adopt green roofs, developed by studying existing literature and demonstrating its applicability in Amman. The research used descriptive analytical methodology, qualitative surveys, and questionnaires for residential building inhabitants, with expected outcomes including indicators for rooftop garden utilization in Amman.

Nur Surayya Mohd Saudi, Mohd Nor Yahaya, Muzafar Shah Habibullah, Baharom Abdul Hamid, Muhammad Amirul Azlan, Mohd Haizam Mohd Saudi · Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry · Malaysia

A study on Malaysia's Movement Control Order (MCO) noted the extension may effectively contain the pandemic's spread but is expected to have a devastating impact on food security, and proposed urban farming as a means of generating household income and food security for the low-income B40 group. Econometric modeling of the effect of lockdown measures and COVID-19 on selected vegetable prices found that not all vegetables reacted uniformly to lockdown measures; price increases were associated with reduced household purchases and income, denying people access to food security. While the substitutability of vegetables allowed some switching to cheaper options, the study states that higher food prices themselves deny people access to food security.

Julia Södergren, Christer Larsson, Lars Wadsö, Karl-Johan Bergstrand, Håkan Asp, Malin Hultberg, Jenny Schelin · Journal of Cleaner Production · Global

A study evaluating the microbiological food safety of using anaerobic digestate — a liquid residue from food-waste biogas production — as a fertilizer in hydroponic vegetable production. The biofertilizer's microbial community was analyzed via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, challenge-tested with Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus, and assessed for microbial activity using isothermal calorimetry. The microbial community changed distinctly through a necessary initial nitrification process, with Mycobacterium as the most abundant genus. Deliberate contamination of the nitrified biofertilizer with 5 log10 CFU/mL of S. enterica or L. monocytogenes became undetectable by selective plating after 48 hours of incubation at 20°C. B. cereus was present naturally at low levels (~10 CFU/mL), and an inoculation of 5 log10 CFU/mL declined to these background levels within 24 hours at 20°C. The biofertilizer did not support microbial activity without an added external nutrient source containing an accessible carbon source and trace elements. The digestate type studied was judged microbiologically safe for hydroponic use, but the constant presence of viable B. cereus was noted as underscoring the need for continuous risk assessment whenever the fertilizer's production process is modified.

Carolina Baldini, Mariana Edith Marasas, Andrea Alejandra Drozd · Journal of Environmental Planning and Management · Colombia

A land-cover change study (Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2021) applied a supervised classification of Landsat satellite imagery from 1986, 1996, 2005, and 2015 to Argentina's largest peri-urban horticultural region in South America. Between 1986 and 2015, open-field horticulture extent decreased by 51.47%, while greenhouse area increased by 2652.83%, high-density urbanization expanded by 111.58%, and low-density urbanization increased only between 1986 and 2005—expansion that came at the expense of natural grassland, herbaceous parks, and livestock land. The authors conclude this reflects a regional process of urban growth and productive intensification that has caused losses of open-field horticultural areas and produced a non-equitable distribution of remaining semi-natural areas, and they call for territorial planning that prioritizes ecologically resilient, semi-natural land cover.

Singapore Food Agency · Singapore Food Agency (SFA) · Singapore

The SFA's CEO explains Singapore's food security strategy despite importing over 90% of food from about 170 countries and having only 1% of land for farming. Under the "30 by 30" goal, funds such as the Agriculture Productivity Fund, research grants, and the 30x30 Express Grant support farm technology upgrades, with nine urban farm sites on multi-storey carpark rooftops projected to produce about 1,600 tonnes of vegetables annually.

WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities · WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities · Argentina

Rosario, Argentina launched an urban agriculture program in response to the 2001 economic crisis, evolving through a 2004 ordinance allowing temporary use of vacant land, two flood-mitigating 'Parques Huerta' opened in 2007-2008, and a 2011 ordinance designating 800 hectares of peri-urban land as a green belt. The program now covers 75 hectares of agroecological production plus the 800-hectare peri-urban belt, yields 2,500 tons of produce a year, involves more than 2,400 participating families, and has created 7 new permanent market spaces. Locally produced vegetables are estimated to cut associated greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 95%, and the project won the WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities 2020-2021 grand prize.

Guido Lautaro Padin · La tinta / Revista InterNos · Argentina

Reporting on Rosario's 2021 WRI Cities Prize win ($250,000, selected from 262 proposals across 54 countries), this article explains the programme's mechanics and history: 40 hectares across 7 Park Gardens (2.5-3 ha each) producing 2,500 tonnes a year, over 250 participating families/organizations, land granted through free indefinite loan (comodato). It also notes that around 2000-2002, roughly 800 community gardens sprang up within two years serving about 40,000 people, and that the municipality has reserved 700 hectares of peri-urban land as a protected 'green belt'.

Alessio Russo, Giuseppe T. Cirella · Agriculture, 10(8), 358 · Global

An empirical study analyzing ten edible green infrastructure (EGI) urban-regeneration case studies in Italy's Campania region through the lens of community development, involvement and education. It documents how citizen-engaged urban gardens contribute to public health (stress reduction, physical activity) and the regeneration of derelict land, with sustainability strengthened by far-sighted urban planning across all five provinces.

Diehl J. A., Sweeney E., Wong B., Sia C. S., Yao H., Prabhudesai M. · Global Food Security · Singapore

Analyzes how Singapore's land-use planning supports high-tech intensified production, an AgriFood Innovation Park, and commercial/industrial urban farms, framing the policy and private-sector roles enabling value-added corporate agriculture in a land-scarce city.

Chowdhury M.E.H., Khandakar A., Ahmed S., Al-Khuzaei F., Al-Emadi N. · Sensors · Qatar

Design, construction and testing of an automated indoor vertical hydroponic system able to grow common food crops inside homes in limited space independent of outdoor climate, with an open IoT platform for remote monitoring and display of system parameters.

· Land Use Policy · Sydney, Australia

Synthesizing measured yields with spatial analysis, the study finds urban agriculture could supply only about 15% of Sydney's total food (its entire vegetable demand) under the lower land-use scenario, rising to 34% at maximum, a reality check on the ceiling of feeding a city locally.

Chen, L., Robinson, P., Silva, A., Kumar, M. · PLOS ONE · Global

Study across 25 urban gardens in Asia, Africa, and Latin America tracking nutrient cycling. Urban farms recover 60-80% of nutrient inputs through composting versus 10% in conventional agriculture.

Cornelia Butler Flora, Corry Bregendahl · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global

This study examines expectations and benefits in collaborative Community-Supported Agriculture (cCSAs) using the community capitals framework, surveying past and present producers and consumers from three of four cCSAs in Iowa. It found that participants who received multiple 'goods' beyond economic benefits, such as social, cultural, human, and political capital, were more likely to continue their associations and were more satisfied. cCSA structures that evolved to maximize multiple capitals for individual producers and consumers proved most sustainable, demonstrating the interactive nature of successful farmer-consumer relationships.

Paule Olivia Akotto, Dorothée Boccanfuso, Marie-Ève Yergeau · Cahiers de recherche · Global

This exploratory review synthesizes 35 reports and articles published between 1980 and 2019 to assess the potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) to build resilience against poverty, food insecurity, and environmental challenges in developing countries. The review found that UPA creates one job for every 50 to 100 individuals, but these jobs are generally seasonal, and market access remains a significant constraint for farmers.

Meredith T. Niles, Molly E. Brown · Oxford University Press eBooks · Global

This chapter defines the expanding concept of food security, which now includes social and cultural issues beyond simply providing enough food, and introduces its four pillars: availability, access, utilization, and stability. It also explores urban agriculture and the use of satellite information and Internet-connected devices for farm management.

Rayeheh Khatami, Toktam Hanaei, Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

This study surveyed 35 articles on urban agriculture to identify its benefits in environmental planning strategies, particularly in non-western countries like Iran. Using a qualitative approach and documentary studies, the analysis revealed a wide range of positive benefits of urban agriculture on food security, nutrition, health, environmental outcomes, and social capital. However, the review found no definitive conclusions regarding the negative effects of urban agriculture.

Елена Глотова, И.А. Мохирева, В.В. Глотова · Экономика и предпринимательство · Russia

This article presents an analysis of urban agriculture research publications from 1999 to 2018, identified using keywords "urban agriculture" and "urban farming" in EBSCO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, focusing on management, economics, and business categories. It also includes an assessment of urban agriculture development possibilities and prospects in the Primorsky Territory of the Far Eastern Federal District, Russia, based on an expert survey. The study identified and ranked factors influencing the formation and development of urban agriculture in the region.

Steven C. Deller, David Lamie, Maureen Stickel · · Global

This review provides a critical analysis of current research on local and regional food networks, including urban farming projects. It reveals that many presumptions of the local food movement remain largely untested, and much of the current research lacks strong theoretical grounding and quantitative rigor. The review emphasizes the importance for practitioners to distinguish between objective, research-based information and speculative, advocacy-oriented analysis.