Research & reports

華奈 中塚, 基 小林 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · Japan

This paper clarifies the effectiveness and challenges of JA-led agricultural experience farms, using JA Kitakawachi as a case study. It extracts elements for JA to support farmers and manage operations, aiming to revitalize local urban agriculture and maintain urban farmland by sharing it with residents as a common resource. The study suggests involving diverse stakeholders in managing experience farms for joint land use and sustainable development.

Assyifa Fauzia, Evi Frimawaty, Hadi Susilo Arifin · RISALAH KEBIJAKAN PERTANIAN DAN LINGKUNGAN Rumusan Kajian Strategis Bidang Pertanian dan Lingkungan · Indonesia (Jakarta)

This study aimed to provide recommendations for community-based urban agriculture sustainability in Cempaka Putih District, Central Jakarta, facing challenges like limited land and environmental changes. Using SWOT analysis and FGDs with stakeholders, the findings indicate that strategies can be implemented through agricultural technology and strengthened collaboration. However, the study implies that supporting policies, incentives, investment facilitation, and continuous infrastructure and assistance are currently lacking for implementation.

Tamás Lakatos, Patrícia Andresz-Dérer, Dorota Kotowska, Péter Batáry · · Global

This chapter reviews the role of urban gardens, such as allotments, community gardens, and urban farms, in biodiversity conservation by highlighting a few case studies globally. Urban gardening practices may contribute to combatting the global biodiversity crisis through habitat provision for various plant and animal species in a concrete matrix. Depending on the taxon, these urban refuges can harbour more species than other urban green spaces like vacant lots, parks, remnants of natural habitats, and even exurban habitats.

Md. Ashikuzzaman, Mohammad Shahidul Hasan Swapan, Atiq Zaman, Yongze Song · Sustainability · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

This study explored the connection between organizational rational choice in urban rooftop farm (URF) policy development and social innovation, using a literature review and a case study of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Despite the rising popularity of URFs in Dhaka, existing policies and strategies were found to lack clarity and governing mechanisms are absent. The findings suggest that a participatory and co-productive approach, involving community members, local governments, and NGOs, is optimal for URF policy formulation and successful governance.

Madeleine Pries, Walther Zeug, Daniela Thrän · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption · Germany (Leipzig)

A Holistic and Integrated Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (HILCSA) was applied to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative in Leipzig, Germany, supplying seven fruits and vegetables to schools, comparing it to a conventional food market. Based on 82 indicators, the CSA showed 63% fewer sustainability risks and a positive contribution to SDGs, with replacing conventional supply for 200 pupils avoiding 1 ton of CO2 equivalents annually. However, the CSA had significantly lower yields than conventional production, despite similar water, land, and energy uses per hectare, and spent mushroom substrate caused the highest upstream impacts.

Yayan Hendrayana, Agus Yadi Ismail, Handayani Handayani, Dede Kosasih, M. A. Romdona, Naufal Althaaf, Syifa Afidah Nurul Arifin · Brazilian Journal of Biology · Indonesia

This study analyzed soil fertility around Ficus trees in sand mining areas, community gardens, and secondary forests in Kuningan Regency, Indonesia. Soil fertility varied across locations, ranging from low to medium in sand mining areas and low to high in community gardens and secondary forests. Ficus benjamina and Ficus septica are recommended for land rehabilitation due to their adaptability and contributions to soil restoration.

Yaryna Onufriv, Halyna Lukashchuk · Środowisko Mieszkaniowe · Ukraine (Lviv)

In Lviv, Ukraine, urban gardening practices have a historical presence, with the "Nursery" project recently initiated by NGO 'Plato' at the historic Zalizna Voda Park nursery. Despite this, a portion of the historical greenhouses remains dilapidated. Students and teachers from Lviv Polytechnic National University developed a project to restore these greenhouses, aiming to create a modern ecological space. The development of urban gardening, involving the city community and internally displaced persons, is considered important for unification, psychological rehabilitation, and adaptation, requiring specific landscape architecture techniques and evidentiary studies.

Tibor Farkas, Róbert Barna, Gábor Koncz · European Countryside · Hungary

Allotment gardens in Hungary play a significant role in agriculture, society, environmental preservation, household economy, and sustainable development. The Hungarian government's allotment garden development program in 2018, 2019, and 2021 received 540 applications, and this study assessed their current status, characteristics, results, impacts, and future needs through an online questionnaire administered in 148 settlements. The most important future goal for applicants was found to be the development of various infrastructures, such as roads and ditches, and the creation of public utilities, including electricity and water supply.

Christina Frendo · Urban Geography · Canada (Montréal)

This study analyzed how urban agriculture contributes to green gentrification in Montréal. Based on interviews with planners, developers, and community actors, and discourse analysis of municipal policy documents, it showed that ecological initiatives are prioritized over housing, and sustainability fixes reconcile progressive rhetoric with growth imperatives, leading to policy trade-offs that undermine housing affordability. These findings reveal how progressive governments reproduce structural injustices through their ecological transition agendas within the context of a housing crisis.

Marisol Silva-Vera, María de Jesús Jiménez González, Laura Varela Almanza · JÓVENES EN LA CIENCIA · Mexico

A quasi-experimental study in Mexico with 21 adults over 65 evaluated a community urban garden intervention for nutritional status. Participants showed increased nutrition knowledge, a 47.7% rise in vegetable intake, and a 23.8% increase in physical activity. However, anthropometric variables did not show significant differences, indicating limited impact on physical measurements despite positive changes in knowledge and habits.

Xiang Zhou, Nan Wang, Jiaying Shi, Michael Hensel · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · China (Nanjing)

A study of urban foraging behavior in Nanjing's central urban area, China, revealed significant enthusiasm among residents, linking personal childhood experiences to their foraging motivations. However, environmental pollution was identified as a critical barrier to these activities.

Néstor Nova, Leidy Johana Palma Huertas, Nestor Nova · Open MIND · Colombia (Bogotá)

This study explores how community-based initiatives coordinate knowledge and collective action in urban agriculture and organic waste management in Bogotá, Colombia.

Patricia Abrantes, Luís Moreno, Maria Lucinda Fonseca, Burcu Borhan Türeli, Christos Stergiadis, Gábor Szüdi, Martin Felix Gajdusek, Carolin V. Zorell · City and Environment Interactions · Europe

This study examined how governance influences inclusion and long-term viability in seven community gardens in Portugal, Türkiye, Austria, Hungary, and Greece. Using a qualitative comparative design with 65 semi-structured interviews and policy analysis, findings showed that community gardens with stronger relational and procedural governance demonstrate higher levels of inclusion, particularly for women, migrants, and low-income residents. However, weak vertical policy integration across local, national, and European levels in most cases limits their broader systemic impact.

Juliane Forßmann, Simon Goebel · Zeitschrift für Flüchtlingsforschung · Germany

An urban gardening project in a residential facility for up to 230 refugees in Germany aims to counteract precarious living conditions. While the garden offers a low-threshold space for knowledge exchange on resource-saving cultivation, biodiversity, and health promotion, this paper also reflects on the project's limits.

Melisa Todingan, Sandra Pakasi, Valentine Lasut · Jurnal Agroekoteknologi Terapan · Indonesia (Manado City)

A spatial analysis method was used to identify and classify the potential of yard land for urban farming development in Sario Subdistrict, Manado City, Indonesia. By applying overlay techniques on datasets including residential buildings, land parcels, land use, and administrative boundaries, verified with Google Earth, 3,019 land units with a total potential area of 47.43 hectares were identified. These were categorized into high potential (>50 m²) at approximately 93.53%, moderate potential (10–50 m²) at approximately 6.37%, and marginal potential (<10 m²) at approximately 0.11%, indicating substantial opportunities for household-based agriculture.

Fadhil Ahla Firdaus, Siti Nurlaela, Mastur Mastur · Journal of Agribusiness Science and Rural Development · Global

This qualitative descriptive study analyzed Instagram insights for the @great.andgreen account from November 20, 2023, to April 28, 2025, to understand its role in digital empowerment for urban farming communities. The account showed positive growth with 1,335 followers, 130,413 impressions, and 18,991 reach, primarily among 18-24 year olds. Content interaction reached 2,215, indicating potential for expanding influence beyond main followers.

N Suhana, Smitha Baby · Archives of Current Research International · India

This study in the Central region of Kerala, India, assessed the entrepreneurial potential of urban and peri-urban agri-enterprises across multiple dimensions. Using Principal Component Analysis, it identified strategic growth orientation and green innovation as key pillars, with marketing competence being the most significant dimension and ecological sustainability having the least impact. The Entrepreneurial Potential Index (EPI) showed that 66% of enterprises had a medium potential, and value-addition firms had the highest EPI, while aquaponics had the lowest.

Jenny Clarke, A Crosbie, K Green · International Journal of Art Therapy · Global

This practice paper describes an ongoing, weekly garden-based art therapy group for people with dementia, facilitated in a community garden. Using a person-centred approach, the facilitators explored factors contributing to psychological safety, drawing on client feedback, artwork, and observations. Findings indicated that the non-clinical garden setting provided calming effects, inspiration, and focus, while the person-centred approach fostered expression, communication, and feelings of value and success, despite some challenges inherent to the outdoor environment.

Sota Takagi, Miki Saijo, T. Ohashi · International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science · Japan

This study identified potential Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) participants in Japan and validated existing theories on CSA participation through a quantitative analysis of 2484 Japanese consumers using choice experiments and Latent Class Analysis. Five distinct consumer segments were identified, with "Food Education and Learning Opportunities" and "Contribution to Environmental and Social Issues" being key drivers for participation across all segments. Factors related to "Variety of Ingredients" were less influential.

Sukma Aprilia Islami, Tati Budiarti, Afra Donatha Nimia Makalew · Jurnal Penyuluhan · Indonesia (Bogor)

A study surveyed 40 farmer groups in Bogor City, Indonesia, to assess their perceptions of urban agriculture implementation, benefits, constraints, and sustainability. Findings indicated that urban agriculture in Bogor is generally practiced on limited land, primarily producing vegetables, with implementation efforts rated good (index 0.80) and constraints moderate (index 0.53). Farmer groups strongly perceived the benefits of urban agriculture (index 0.84), especially in social aspects like education and social interaction. The sustainability of urban agriculture was rated good (index 0.76).

Inger‐Lise Saglie · · Norway

This chapter investigates the motivations for urban agriculture policies in three Norwegian cities: Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim. Five categories of motivations were identified: urban "green" development (environmental friendliness, biodiversity), food production and alternative food systems (linking to peri-urban agriculture), provision of social meeting places and community building, municipal welfare services (work training, integration, health promotion), and active citizenship and co-creation of city development. While motivations were similar across cities, their emphasis varied.

Stonebraker, Richard · Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium) · United States (Maryland)

This study in a Maryland county, United States, explored the role of community gardens in addressing food insecurity, fostering social interactions, and providing education. Through interviews, sentence completion, and a focus group with 16 participants from two gardens, findings showed gardens offer fresh produce, a sense of belonging, collaboration, and cultural exchange. Participants emphasized the need for more food preservation education and broader inclusion within these dynamic spaces.

Rezka Fedrina, Farah Kesya Saira, Muhammad Arif Wicaksono · JELAJAH Journal of Tourism and Hospitality · Indonesia

This descriptive qualitative study used SWOT analysis to examine challenges at Agro Edukasi Wisata (AEW) Ragunan, an urban agro-tourism destination in Indonesia. It found strengths in institutional support and a unique urban farming education concept, but weaknesses in limited infrastructure and marketing. The research concluded that strategic development should focus on optimizing educational potential, improving facilities, enhancing digital promotions, and fostering collaboration.

Ahmed Abdelnaby, A. Meawad, A. Gendy, M. Abdelkader · Ornamental Horticulture · Egypt

This study, conducted in 2022-2023 at Zagazig University, Egypt, proposed and evaluated three rooftop garden designs for a college campus using 3D software, with assessments from specialists and users. Results indicated that 100% of specialists and 91.7% of users preferred flowering herbaceous plants, while trees and palms were preferred by 60% of specialists and 48.6% of users. Overall satisfaction with proposed designs for human senses ranged from 69.4% to 75.7%, and agreement on suitable recreational areas ranged from 65.8% to 78.4% among users.

María Antonia Fernández Nieto, Jose Rodriguez, Jorge Gallego Sánchez-Torija · ZARCH · Spain (Madrid)

This article examines how Madrid's municipal markets are adopting new strategies linked to sustainable food systems in response to competition from supermarkets and online commerce. It highlights how citizen movements and municipal policies, including urban gardens and agroecological cooperatives, are fostering circular economies, responsible consumption, and urban resilience. The research positions markets as social mediators that connect diverse actors and balance economic interests with collective benefits, serving as instruments for regenerative urbanism and food equity.