Research & reports

Mahsa Tarashkar, Salman Qureshi, Zhifang Wang, Akbar Rahimi · Sustainable Futures · Asia

This study examined factors shaping preferences for front-yard greenhouse urban horticulture in Iran. It found that greenhouse design influences urban horticulture preferences, and that urban dwellers prioritize cultural ecosystem services over regulating and provisioning services when engaging in urban horticulture activities. Anticipated ecosystem services differed among socio-demographic groups, and different greenhouse elements evoked distinct perceptions of ecosystem services, though certain greenhouses were found to improve overall perception of ecosystem services due to strong correlations between different service types.

Sri Suwarni, Odilia Dea Christina, Harum Sitepu, Tessa Trimonica · BESIRU Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

This 2024 community-service report documents an urban farming team's project, together with youth and elderly residents, converting unused yard land (pekarangan) in Kalisegoro village, Gunungpati district, Semarang, Indonesia, into a "Herbal Smart Garden." The activity began with training on types of medicinal plants, followed by hands-on instruction in seedling propagation using polybag media, soil preparation, and planting. Information on the plants' medicinal uses and processing is shared through an information system or e-catalog of the medicinal plants grown in the garden. The formerly idle land was put to use as a source of medicinal plants for minor ailments and for supporting residents' immunity.

Maulia Usni, Melani Fitri · Prosiding Seminar Nasional Pembangunan dan Pendidikan Vokasi Pertanian · Indonesia

Based on a literature review drawing on books, websites and journals, this study examines how urban farming can support agricultural sustainability in West Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Framing sustainability around the availability of natural resources, human resources and environmental quality, it identifies strategies for optimizing urban farming, including microgreens cultivation, hydroponics, aeroponics, vertical cropping systems (vertikultur), and indoor vertical farms.

Nuryanti Nuryanti, Muhamad Bai’ul Hak, Adhitya Bagus Singandaru · Elastisitas - Jurnal Ekonomi Pembangunan · Indonesia

Using an integrated literature approach combining a literature review with a systematic review, this paper examines the innovations in Governor Regulation No. 6 of 2022, which sets out the Roadmap of the Halal Industrial Park in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. It finds that the Roadmap functions as a clean, clearly defined green-economy location for scaling up and increasing the productivity of small and medium industries (SMI), that it secures a sustainable supply of raw materials for industry through integrated urban farming, that it guarantees SMI empowerment from the production process through market segmentation, and that it encourages SMIs to meet national and international product standards.

Linh Dinh Hong, Khiem Phuong Huu, Diep Vu Bach, Tien Vu Quyet · Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Machinery · Vietnam

Using a national Vietnamese household living-standards survey dataset, this study applies a difference-in-differences (DID) approach combined with propensity score matching (PSM-DID) to assess the short-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban agricultural households in Vietnam. It finds that while the pandemic did not significantly affect household income, it reduced household expenditure -- both total household consumption and per-capita consumption -- and increased the number of household members participating in agricultural work as a short-term response.

Elza D’Cruz · Landscape Research · India

This study examines the disappearance of a historic urban agriculture landscape in Bangalore, India, between the 1950s and 1970s, a period of post-independence urban planning, drawing on urban planning documents, government files and oral histories recorded with the Vahnikula Kshatriya, a traditional urban agriculture practitioner community. It finds that colonial frameworks embedded in post-independence urban development plans not only displaced urban agriculture but continue to affect it, and argues for changing how urban planning in formerly colonised places approaches urban agriculture.

Nanda Andini, Muhammad Fikry, Rahma Yunita, Bayu Dwi Prasetya Bahari, Muhammad Firmansyah Zukhruf · Jurnal Dehasen Mengabdi · Indonesia

This project delivered a participatory-learning education program teaching backyard vegetable cultivation at the Bina Remaja Harapan Social Shelter in Bengkulu, Indonesia -- a residence and learning center for children mostly abandoned by their parents -- where yard land, despite sufficient space, was not being optimally used. Using selected crops such as eggplant, mustard greens, spinach, water spinach, tomatoes and chilies, the program improved the shelter children's practical understanding of planting techniques, maintenance and the benefits of urban agriculture, and showed the crops could be produced at affordable cost.

Meiling Wu · Sustainability · China

A study of a Sharing Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in China examined, through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, how external investment drives the conventionalization of alternative agriculture. The farm's low economic sustainability was the trigger that drew in external investment; investors then compelled the farm manager to relax adherence to organic agriculture's ecological values and principles and shift toward specialized, intensive farming to secure profitability, and a new business model was adopted that further entrenched this conventionalization.

G Charan Tej, P. Lakshmi, B. Savitha, A Meena · International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development · India

A study in Telangana state, India, examined the adoption of terrace gardening as a response to urban space scarcity. Adoption was found predominantly at a moderate level (48.33%), driven by enthusiasm, a desire for chemical-free produce, and cost-saving motivation, with education, health consciousness, and media exposure (notably YouTube) playing roles in uptake. Among specific practices, potting-mixture proportions and harvesting at recommended stages showed high adoption, while removing virus-infected plants ranked lower, possibly reflecting limited awareness of disease spread.

Lorenta In Haryanto, Tri Yuni Hendrawati, Darto Darto, Febri Yani, Firgi Adha Listanto, Dimas Yoga Pradipta Pratama · Abdimas Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Universitas Merdeka Malang · Indonesia

A community-service report on introducing solar-powered water pumps for hydroponic systems with the farmer group Hidroponik Generik (HG) in Pesanggrahan, Indonesia, from April to October 2024, including training and assistance in vertical hydroponic technology and solar power generation. An 800 Wp solar panel supplied 1,600 Wh daily, powering pumps for 12-13 hours and cutting electricity usage by 66%, reducing monthly expenses by 10%. Combined with the vertical hydroponic installation, farm income increased by 15%, and participants' understanding of solar technology improved by 45%.

Aisyah Aisyah, Paranita Asnur · ETHOS (Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengabdian) · Indonesia

A report describes assistance in cultivating large chili peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) using an Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart farming system in the greenhouse of the Ulul Ilmi Islamic Boarding School in East Jakarta, Indonesia. The program introduced IoT technology for automated irrigation, greenhouse temperature monitoring and fertilization maintenance, aiming to improve cultivation efficiency and productivity through guidance and technology implementation. The assistance results show that the IoT implementation improved efficiency in water, fertilizer and energy use and optimized the growth of the red chili plants, enabling more accurate and responsive crop management in response to environmental changes and healthier, more productive plant growth.

Asaduddin Abdullah, Dikky Indrawan, Anggi Mayang Sari, Asep Rakhmat · Policy Brief Pertanian Kelautan dan Biosains Tropika · Indonesia

A policy brief on the urgency of developing innovative urban farming in Indonesia as a response to challenges in urban food security and nutrition. It discusses urban farming's role not only in increasing food availability but in achieving locally based nutritious food, preserving local wisdom, supporting a free nutritious food program, and contributing to poverty reduction and environmental quality. It states that implementation remains constrained by existing policy limitations, and calls for comprehensive policy change including integrating urban farming into urban spatial planning, building community capacity, and providing infrastructure, technology, and public awareness support.

Hojun Choi, Min Kim, Jinhyung Chon · Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture · South Korea

A study structurally analyzed the socio-ecological system of honeybees, as pollinators, using systems thinking, in order to propose green space planning strategies to revitalize urban beekeeping. It analyzed the ecological structure of bees' foraging and pollination activities and the social-ecological structure of urban beekeeping through individual causal loop diagrams, then synthesized these into an integrated causal loop diagram. The resulting proposed strategies were citizen participation programs, local government investment, and the creation of urban parks and green spaces on idle land.

Anant Bahadur, Anish Kumar Singh, Hare Krishna, Rajeev Kumar, V. K. Patel, Tusar Kanti Behera · Indian Journal of Horticulture · India

Over three years (2019-2022) at ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi, India, researchers grafted four brinjal cultivars and three tomato cultivars as scions onto the vigorous, waterlogging- and salinity-tolerant brinjal rootstock IC 111056 to produce dual-fruiting 'Brimato' plants. The Kashi Manohar scion combined with Kashi Aman or Kashi Chayan gave the highest brinjal fruit numbers, while Kashi Aman combined with the Kashi Sandesh rootstock hybrid gave the highest tomato fruit numbers; the Kashi Sandesh + Kashi Chayan combination produced the highest total fruit yield at 2.58 kg/plant, and Kashi Aman + Kashi Sandesh reached a cumulative yield of 5.98 kg/plant. Photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll fluorescence varied significantly by scion, with Kashi Manohar and Kashi Aman showing the highest photosynthetic rates, and grafted plants showed higher vitamin C and β-carotene content.

Rahul B. Hiremath, Sheelratan S. Bansode · Practice, progress, and proficiency in sustainability · India

This book chapter examines the use of treated urban wastewater to support agricultural resilience in Indian cities amid rapid urbanization that strains water supplies for farming. Using an interdisciplinary approach, it evaluates current practices, policy frameworks and stakeholder engagement to assess the practicality and efficiency of incorporating treated wastewater into urban agricultural systems, addressing both the potential benefits and the difficulties involved rather than reporting a specific measured outcome.

Karuniawan Puji Wicaksono, Setyono Yudo Tyasmoro, Akbar Saitama, Paramyta Nila Permatasari · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Indonesia

A study in Kedungkandang District, Malang City, Indonesia (May-September 2022) assessed agrotourism potential across four sub-districts using direct-observation survey and SWOT analysis, in an area with average temperatures of 22.7-25.1°C and humidity of 79-86%. Identified strengths included government-owned land available for agrotourism use, existing paddy-based agrotourism integrated with sheep farming and fisheries, a nearby Masked Village aerial-photography tourist site, multiple potential locations for agrotourism-based edutourism, and community enthusiasm. The study concludes that agrotourism development in Tlogowaru sub-district should be organized around two functions: lodging and trade, and agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery education.

Chengxiang Zi, D. Winterbottom, Juanjuan Liu · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · China

Focusing on a well-preserved village of the Dong ethnic group in southwest China that maintains traditional livelihoods and a local food system, a study used field surveys, interviews and participatory mapping to propose an edible green infrastructure (EGI) model for traditional villages. The model comprises the "rice-fish-duck" cycle as the core of traditional livelihoods, a hierarchical ecological structure of "households-groups-village," and corresponding management models. By theoretically analyzing the EGI of traditional villages shaped over China's millennia-old agricultural civilization, the study aims to inform sustainable food-system and natural-resource-management knowledge, applying it to the construction of bio-districts in rural China.

Aji Saputra, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Gemilang Lara Utama · Local Environment · Indonesia

A commentary on the current state of urban agriculture implementation in large Indonesian cities, the initiatives underway and the mechanisms for pursuing stated goals. It identifies land scarcity, inadequate urban agricultural infrastructure, financial constraints, and regulatory and administrative problems as the major obstacles to implementation. It also states that urban agriculture improves quality of urban life by providing fresh, healthy food and fostering community engagement, and cites Singapore, New York and Ghana as examples showing the importance of policy support, innovation and community involvement.

Djoni Haryadi Setiabudi, Resmana Lim · Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Bangsa · Indonesia

A community-service report on implementing an IoT-based fertigation system at the Alam Sari PPPK Petra urban farm in Indonesia, aimed at automating fertilizer application, irrigation and nutrient-concentration control for hydroponic crops. Following on-site observation to define maintenance and installation needs, the team designed, built and tested the hardware and software. Two IoT devices — a fertigation unit and a nutrient-concentration controller — were installed, easing hydroponic maintenance work for farm staff and serving as a teaching tool on information technology for visiting students.

Angga Mahardika Syahrul Putra, Jafron Wasiq Hidayat, Kasiyati · Prosiding SNAST · Indonesia

Against the backdrop of Yogyakarta City, Indonesia (32.85 sq km) having only 23.52% green open space coverage versus the legally required 30%, this study used a literature review method (journal articles, proceedings, government documents, regulations, and spatial data) to analyze the form and role of the city's Lorong Sayur ("vegetable alley") program. It found Lorong Sayur to be a form of vertical urban agriculture using land along alleys and neighborhood roads, with an ecological effect of minimizing non-organic waste and contributions to changing residents' lifestyles and improving socio-economic life.

M Abror, A. Miftakhurrohmat, Andriani Eko Prihatiningrum, Ade Eviyanti · Journal of Social Comunity Services (JSCS) · Indonesia

This community-outreach program in Candi District, Indonesia, targeted the Muhammadiyah Student Association (IPM), a youth organization, aiming to improve members' understanding and skills in vertical culture cultivation as a way to optimize narrow urban land for agriculture, delivered through structured socialization, training, and mentoring. Participants gained the ability to design and implement vertical culture systems, agricultural productivity improved in both quantity and quality of harvests, and the program evaluation showed a significant increase in participant knowledge.

Putri Balqis, Riski Wulandari, Muhammad Zulfandi · Jurnal Teknologi Cerdas · Indonesia

Reducing carbon emissions is a critical task in addressing global climate change, and establishing rooftop gardens in urban areas is presented as one approach that could be adopted. This paper is a literature review examining the environmental advantages of rooftop gardens, with particular focus on their capacity to mitigate carbon emissions. It reviewed diverse sources concerning rooftop garden implementation for carbon mitigation. The review states that rooftop gardens possess significant capacity to mitigate carbon emissions and address the challenges posed by climate change, though successful installation requires careful planning and a thorough understanding of environmental and technological aspects. Rooftop gardens are described as enhancing CO2 absorption, lowering surface temperatures, and decreasing building energy needs by improving thermal insulation, as well as contributing to improved air quality and urban biodiversity. The review identified numerous designs and best practices that could optimize the ecological and economic advantages of rooftop gardens, and points to the possibility of incorporating them into urban planning as an approach to addressing climate change and enhancing urban quality of life.

Priya Singh, Ramakrishna Bora, Asha Devi · International Journal of Bioscience and Biochemistry · India

This study evaluated the effectiveness of integrated nutrient management (INM) in enhancing brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) growth, yield, and soil fertility in urban agricultural settings in Jorhat, India. Given declining soil fertility and over-reliance on chemical fertilizers, INM — combining chemical fertilizers, organic manures, and biofertilizers — was tested as a sustainable alternative using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments (control, chemical fertilizers, organic manures, INM), each replicated three times. Growth parameters (plant height, Leaf Area Index, number of branches) were measured, and fruit yield and quality were recorded at harvest; soil fertility indicators (pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) were analyzed at the start and end of the study. INM significantly enhanced growth, producing the highest plant height (112 cm), LAI (3.7), and number of branches (6.5). INM-treated plants produced 33% higher fruit yield (25.4 tons/ha) than the chemical fertilizer treatment and 66% higher than the control. Soil fertility improved in INM plots, with increases in soil pH (6.8), organic carbon (1.8%), and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels.

Wida Oktavia Suciyani, Marwansyah, Husna Candranurani Oktavia Oktavia, Jaka Sastrawan Ramlan Kusumah, Rima Midiyanti, Gilang Ramadhan · Dharma Raflesia Jurnal Ilmiah Pengembangan dan Penerapan IPTEKS · Indonesia (Bandung)

This community service program in the Sukamantri 2 area of Bandung, Indonesia, addressed a shortage of green open space (RTH) in a densely populated residential area by developing a participatory community garden on idle land. The program was implemented in four phases: (1) planning analysis for suitable plant types, (2) land preparation and provision of garden facilities, (3) construction of the community garden, and (4) monitoring and evaluation of program sustainability. Thirty participants took part, including 10 from the Bandung Polytechnic (Polban) community service team and 20 from the partner community. The program resulted in the establishment of a community garden as a use of idle land within the dense settlement.

Aliifa Jenica Athaya Natama, Kadhung Prayoga, Siwi Gayatri · Agrisocionomics Jurnal Sosial Ekonomi Pertanian · Indonesia

A study of the Dahlia Farmers' Group in Semarang, Indonesia, using multiple linear regression to examine the role of social capital in urban farming success (survey conducted December 2023-January 2024). Norms — establishing standard operating procedures for members — played an important role in supporting success, while trust and networks proved less influential, since urban farming success depends more on management and knowledge than on interpersonal relationships. The study recommends the group strengthen norms through digital networks, mentorship, social activities, external partnerships and a reward system.