Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1177 results(27 / 48)
Soil Constraints to Urban Agriculture in Valley Beds of Yaoundé (Cameroon)
2019Ibrahima Saidou · Journal of Environmental Science and Allied Research · Cameroon (Yaoundé)
A 2014 study in Yaoundé, Cameroon, surveyed 40 farmers and analyzed soil in two valley bed suburbs, Nkolodom and Nkolbisson, to identify soil constraints on urban agriculture. While nitrogen and phosphorus levels were adequate, soil salinity at Nkolodom was brackish to moderate (810 mS/m), potentially constraining crop growth. Soil fertility was also found to decrease with distance from farmers' houses.
Environmental trade-offsEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCropping Practices and Their Drivers in Various Cropping Systems in Peri-urban Areas of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
2019Delphine Bernadette Ouédraogo, Delwendé Innocent Kiba, Zacharia Gnankambary, Sheick K. Sangaré, Diakouba Sirima, Hassan Bismarck Nacro, Michel Papaoba Sédogo · Journal of Agricultural Science · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
This study investigated cropping practices and their drivers in 133 peri-urban farms near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Soil sample analysis revealed that monoculture led to low soil organic carbon, while polyculture led to low soil available potassium. The socio-economic conditions of the farms explained up to 60% of the variability in cropping practices.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceEffect of infaq and takmil wal istikmal in sustaining community vegetable farming in Malaysia
2019Suhaimi Mhd. Sarif · The International Islamic University Malaysia Repository (The International Islamic University Malaysia) · Malaysia
This study investigated the effect of infaq (charitable contribution) and takmil wal istikmal (complementarity) on sustaining community vegetable farming in Malaysia. Personal interviews with selected farmers, CSA administrators, and agricultural regulators revealed that the effect of infaq and takmil wal istikmal is limited to small-scale community farming.
CommunityOrganic cycleEconomicsA snapshot of Community Supported Agriculture in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand 2018
2019Bronwyn Wilkes · ANU Open Research (Australian National University) · Australia, New Zealand
This report presents preliminary descriptive results from a survey of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in 2018. The survey aimed to gather characteristics of CSA farms operating in the region to capture a point-in-time snapshot. The survey was not intended to provide detailed qualitative information regarding the CSA experience in the region, which is anticipated to be explored in a future series of interviews.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsUrban Dreams and Nightmares
2019Julian Cribb · Cambridge University Press eBooks · Global
This paper points out that none of the world's megacities can feed themselves, and food chain risks pose an imminent threat of starvation. It presents concepts such as climate-proof food supplies, novel urban food production systems, the importance of urban permaculture, rewilding, and developing wise consumers as solutions to urban food risk. However, it does not explicitly state that these solutions fully resolve the issue of urban food self-sufficiency.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban–rural linkageEconomicsGreen roofs dissemination regarding their potential contribution in addressing the UHI effect
2019Andrzej Klimek, Isidoros Ziogou, Apostolos Michopoulos, Theodoros Zachariadis, Sadiq Gulma, Dina Suhanova, Mure Agbonlahor, Sabine Jung-Waclik · Acta Innovations · Global
This article summarizes current efforts to mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect, focusing on the widespread deployment of green roofs. It discusses solutions like rainwater and energy harvesting or urban agriculture to make green roof dissemination viable. The authors conclude that retrofitting existing roofs is the only method to achieve the desired scale and explore business models for a prosumer approach to retrofitting.
Climate changeEconomicsAgricultura urbana em Portugal: práticas espontaneas e institucionalizadas
2019Rosangela Medeiros Hespanhol · Confins · Portugal
This field research in Portugal analyzed urban gardens, identifying both spontaneously emerging gardens with no public oversight and those organized by public authorities. Interviews revealed that urban agriculture facilitates subsistence food production without pesticides, creates intergenerational and intercultural coexistence spaces, fosters social cohesion through experience exchange, and promotes environmental education. These findings emphasize the social and cultural importance of urban cultivation practices.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSocial Entrepreneurship and Social Movement Learning: A Reflective Account of the History of the TPSS Food Cooperative
2019Neal Chalofsky · Advances in Developing Human Resources · Global
This paper reflects on the 35-year growth experience of the TPSS Food Cooperative, examining challenges faced by social entrepreneurship. It notes that individuals with vision often lack social movement learning (SML) and human resource development/organization development (HRD/OD) skills to grow and direct organizations, leading to their demise or a shift towards business over social aspects. The paper argues that lessons from the 1970s food cooperative movement can benefit contemporary social entrepreneurships.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsCompostHybrid governance tensions fuelling self-reflexivity in Alternative Food Networks: the case of the Brussels GASAP (solidarity purchasing groups for peasant agriculture)
2018Manganelli A., Moulaert F. · Local Environment · Belgium (Brussels)
Applies a Hybrid Governance Approach to the Brussels GASAP solidarity purchasing network, identifying three phases in its development and demonstrating how organizational, resource, and institutional tensions drive self-reflexivity and scaling dynamics in Alternative Food Networks.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban Gardens in Greece: A New Way of Living in the City
2018Haniotou H., Dalipi E. · In: Glatron S., Granchamp L. (eds) The Urban Garden City: Shaping the City with Gardens Through History. Springer, Cham, pp. 245–268 · Greece
The chapter surveys the proliferation of urban community gardens across Greek metropolitan areas, situating their emergence in the context of economic crisis and examining their effects on urban residents' livelihoods and relationship to green space.
CommunityPolicyWelfareEconomicsIs community management of resources by urban households, feasible? Lessons from community gardens in Gweru, Zimbabwe
2018Mwakiwa E., Maparara T., Tatsvarei S., Muzamhindo N. · Urban Forestry & Urban Greening · Zimbabwe (Gweru)
This study used econometric methods to analyze participation factors in NGO-introduced community gardens in Gweru, Zimbabwe, finding that food-insecure households with strong social capital were most likely to engage in community resource management, while tenure insecurity and water access were key barriers to sustained participation.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsWelfareReducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers
2018Poore J., Nemecek T. · Science · Global
A meta-analysis of about 38,000 farms shows food's environmental impacts are dominated by production while transport contributes only a small share, weakening the food-miles rationale and casting doubt on transport-reduction as urban agriculture's climate justification.
PolicyEconomicsSustainability of Urban Agriculture: Vegetable Production on Green Roofs
2018S. Alan Walters, Karen Stoelzle Midden · Agriculture · Global
Vegetable production on green roofs faces multiple challenges, resulting in minimal current activity despite its potential for urban agricultural sustainability. While intensive green roof systems are considered suitable for vegetable production, extensive systems with shallow-rooted crops like lettuce, kale, and radish show the greatest potential for sustained productivity due to building weight restrictions. Deeper-root crops like tomatoes require constant monitoring of fertility and moisture. Green roofs are not presented as a total solution for urban food provision.
Economic viabilityDIYCommunityClimate changeEconomicsA Global Geospatial Ecosystem Services Estimate of Urban Agriculture
2018Nicholas Clinton, Michelle Stuhlmacher, Albie Miles, Nazli Uludere Aragon, Melissa Wagner, Matei Georgescu, Chris Herwig, Peng Gong · Earth s Future · Global
This study developed a quantitative framework to assess global aggregate ecosystem services from urban agriculture (UA) using global datasets in Google Earth Engine. Existing urban vegetation provides an estimated $33 billion annually in ecosystem services. An intensive UA adoption scenario projects potential annual food production of 100–180 million tonnes, energy savings of 14–15 billion kilowatt hours, nitrogen sequestration of 100,000–170,000 tonnes, and avoided storm water runoff of 45–57 billion cubic meters. Under this intensive scenario, the value of ecosystem services could reach $80–160 billion annually, with significant country-to-country variability.
EconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban green infrastructure: The role of urban agriculture in city resilience
2018Τhomas Panagopoulos, Ilze Jankovska, Maria Boștenaru Dan · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
This article examines the role of urban agriculture as green infrastructure in city resilience, noting its ecological, cultural, social, and socio-economic value. It highlights that municipal intervention is crucial for urban agriculture, providing communal infrastructure and defining rules. The article concludes that urban agriculture, supported by municipal intervention, is instrumental for city resilience by serving as a vital source of food and occupation during crises and aiding adaptation to climate change.
CommunityEconomicsWelfareClimate changeUrban and Peri-Urban Agriculture as A Pathway to Food Security: A Review Mapping the Use of Food Sovereignty
2018Michelle Tendai. Chihambakwe, Paramu Mafongoya, Obert Jiri · Challenges · Zimbabwe
This review maps the use of food sovereignty principles in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Zimbabwe, addressing its potential for food security. Despite UPA being ingrained in urban households' livelihoods, institutional arrangements governing the practice remain ambivalent. The review underscores that the failure to involve all stakeholders undermines UPA, leading to heightened food insecurity and unsustainable practices.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsSmall-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 cycleHUERTOS 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 cycleHuman Practice Centered Design : Service Designing Practice Transition - Community Supported Agriculture as a Case Study
2018Christiana Lackner · KiltHub Repository · Global
This project explored new ways for designers to model human behavior by using social practices, an approach relatively unexplored in design. It extended social practice models into service design to create tools and approaches that support the development of social practices. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a system where community members buy shares from local farmers for weekly produce, was used as a case study to test these new approaches.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsUrban foodprints (UF) – Establishing baseline scenarios for the sustainability assessment of high-yield urban agriculture
2018Khadija Benis, Rukaia Gashgari, Adnan Alsaati, Christoph Reinhart · DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) · Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
The Urban Foodprints (UF) methodology was applied to assess the environmental sustainability of high-yield urban agriculture in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, focusing on tomatoes. While urban production in high-yield greenhouses could reduce Global Warming Potential by 9% and water savings were significant, the energy needs of these greenhouses were considerably higher than the baseline. This indicates a trade-off where environmental benefits are partially offset by increased energy consumption.
Economic viabilityEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCollaborative Consumption as a Tool for Agricultural Expansion in Developing Countries
2018Abubakar U. Benna · Advances in e-business research series · Global
This chapter reviews literature and case studies on collaborative consumption in agriculture to support small- and medium-scale farmers in developing countries. It notes limited research on collaborative consumption as a catalyst for agricultural development. The study provides observations to assist with strategies for increasing producer and customer satisfaction, value addition, and engagement.
EconomicsCommunityUrban–rural linkageTypically Diverse: The Nature of Urban Agriculture in South Australia
2018Georgia Pollard, James Ward, Philip Roetman · Sustainability · Australia (South Australia)
This paper explores the economic sustainability of home food gardens in South Australia using new data from the Edible Gardens project online survey. While saving money is a top motivation for many respondents, the study notes that it remains to be seen whether current gardening practices actually support this aspiration. The paper concludes that more work is needed to measure the full costs of different gardens to better predict their financial accessibility and economic sustainability.
Economic viabilityDIYEconomicsUrban–rural linkageIDENTIFICATION OF STRATEGIES FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT: A SWOT ANALYSIS
2018Pushpawani Ramaloo, Chamhuri Siwar, Choong-Yeun Liong, Anizan Isahak · PLANNING MALAYSIA · Malaysia (Penang)
This study investigated the prospects of urban agriculture (UA) development in Penang state, Malaysia, from experts' perspectives using a SWOT analysis. Fifty-seven stakeholders were interviewed to identify and prioritize strategies for UA development. Strategic plans were prioritized across aspects such as legal framework, financial, infrastructure, land, water, environment and health, social, marketing, and research and development.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkageWater Use Efficiency in Urban Food Gardens: Insights from a Systematic Review and Case Study
2018Georgia Pollard, James Ward, Philip Roetman · Horticulturae · Australia (South Australia)
A systematic review of literature from 1975 to 2018 on urban agriculture yield research found that only 5 out of 25 articles actively collected water use data from the perspective of water use efficiency, all from purpose-built experimental gardens. Given the scarcity of literature on urban agriculture water use efficiency and measurement, a case study from South Australia demonstrated the diversity of water pricing, sources, and irrigation methods. Four equations for calculating urban agriculture water use efficiency (WUE) were proposed.
Climate changeEconomicsDIYShort food supply chain
2018Agni Kalfagianni, Sophia Skordili · · Global
This book explores the potential of short food supply chains (SFSCs) to address environmental, social, and economic challenges in the global agri-food system. It demonstrates that SFSCs, including farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture, offer innovative forms of collective action for local sustainable transformations. The book concludes that alternatives to the dominant agri-food system are possible and thriving, but require concerted effort and collaboration to realize their full potential.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood miles & supply chainFood sovereignty & justice