Research & reports

Michael Osei Asibey, Mohammed Abubakari, Charles Peprah · Cogent Food & Agriculture · Ghana

This paper investigated how urban farmers in Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Ghana, cope with input and crop price fluctuations. Data from 380 respondents identified four major factors influencing input price volatility (oil prices, exchange rates, cocoa producer prices, and inflation), but farmers had no coping strategies for these. Crop price fluctuations were influenced by natural and demand/supply factors, and farmers coped by adding value to crops and diversifying income sources, among others. However, shifting to cocoa cultivation and farming in flood plains was shown to have adverse environmental and ecological implications.

Jan Vávra, Petr Daněk, Petr Jehlička, Miloslav Lapka · · Czech Republic

An analysis of large-scale representative survey results in Czech towns and cities investigated urban gardens as a source of self-grown food. The study found that while food production in urban areas is less frequent than in rural areas, the level of self-sufficiency in urban households is similar to that in rural households. This paper presents data on the scale of urban food production and its contributions to ecosystem services and resilience.

Heide Studer · · Morocco

This text focuses on urban food production in Moroccan towns, discussing existing practices and their changes during urbanization. It notes that urban food questions, including food accessibility, food sovereignty, and environmental aspects, are gaining importance in international debates due to increasing urban spaces and populations. Urban food production contributes to health for the affluent and food security for poorer populations.

N.S. Al-Ghumaiz · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Saudi Arabia

This study assessed agronomic characteristics of eight bread wheat genotypes grown organically on low fertility soil in Saudi Arabia's arid Qassim region during the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons. Experiments compared conventional and organic farming systems at two locations, measuring chlorophyll content, flag leaf area, and harvest index. Findings showed differences between farming systems, with specific genotypes like YR and E-line identified as potentially suitable for sustainable organic wheat production in arid regions.

Michael Martin, Sofia Poulikidou, Elvira Molin · Sustainability · Global

This study used life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental performance of using urban residual material flows in vertical hydroponic farming. It assessed replacing conventional growing media with paper, compost, and brewers’ spent grains, and conventional fertilizers with biogas digestate. The results indicate significant environmental performance benefits when conventional growing media are replaced, and substantial potential benefits, though less significant, when fertilizers from residual urban streams are used, suggesting potential for more circular hydroponic systems.

Ignacio Carreño, Wenjun Ma · Current Urban Studies · Global

This multi-cluster quantitative and design research describes a methodology for establishing agricultural productive public spaces in cities, focusing on community participation. A case study in Shanghai, China, demonstrated how urban agriculture, in various modes, can address urban needs and improve environmental and urban conditions. The research provides a methodological approximation for formalizing local spatial development with a participatory approach, aiming to increase urban sustainability and meet the socioeconomic needs of communities.

Wasana De Silva · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Sri Lanka (Anuradhapura)

This research examines urban agriculture in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, arguing it forms a 'performing system' that connects people with the city's topography and promotes wellbeing. It explores how daily life, intertwined with agriculture and irrigation around reservoirs and paddy fields, fosters spiritual experiences and contributes to a healthy and sustainable city, drawing on phenomenology, anthropology, and Buddhist philosophy.

A. J. Sarker, Janet F. Bornman, Дора Маринова · Urban Science · Australia

This study analyzes policy and planning practices for integrating urban agriculture into city land-use planning in Australia. It found that recent planning has overlooked and failed to realize the opportunity of urban agriculture, with regulatory and legal frameworks, including land access, being significant constraints. The study concludes that without direct public policy support and institutional recognition, integrating urban agriculture into Australian cities' development and planning goals is difficult.

Marjorie Tendero, C. Guyot · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Global

This article discusses the booming urban composting sector, driven by urban agriculture's new outlets for organic materials. Individual or collective composting offers a decentralized solution with positive impacts on the environment and neighborhood social relations. Its success requires material availability in common spaces, communication systems, support for residents' initiatives, and consideration of technical, ecological, agricultural, economic, and social aspects.

Wang, Jiaxin · DR-NTU (Nanyang Technological University) · Singapore

This project focuses on developing novel sensing and monitoring techniques for urban farming environments, particularly in land-scarce areas like Singapore, to enhance food security. It introduces various IoT platforms and elements, illustrates radio frequency and Bluetooth low energy communication principles, and explains data transmission using IDE programming. The project aims to design a system capable of temperature measurement and TDS value detection in water, combining different sensors with Arduino design.

Marielle Dubbeling, R. van Veenhuizen, Jess Halliday · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

Urban and peri-urban agriculture is considered a strategy that can bring multiple benefits and help to build resilient urban food systems at the city region level and enhance the climate resilience of vulnerable residents. Cities, as major emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG), are not only contributing to climate change but are also directly and indirectly impacted by it. Key issues include rising temperatures, increasing rainfall, flooding, and urban food insecurity. Rapid urban growth will only increase the number of highly vulnerable urban communities, with the urban poor being most at risk.

Steven Beckers · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Belgium (Brussels)

The Abattoir Farm in Brussels, Belgium, established in 2015 on the roof of Foodmet, is BIGH's first full-scale production site. This project utilizes an aquaponic production system, linking fish-farming tanks to greenhouses for growing plants, recreating a natural ecosystem in an artificial environment. The system produces minimal waste, requires limited energy inputs, and delivers positive environmental impacts, while providing city consumers with year-round access to quality, locally sourced products such as tomatoes, fish, herbs, and berries.

Cvijetin Živanović, Miroslav Nedeljković · AKADEMSKI PREGLED · Global

This paper focuses on agricultural urbanism, using urban agriculture as a sustainable approach to food production, preparation, processing, and distribution in cities. Analytical methods like analysis, abstraction, and specialization, along with synthetic methods including synthesis, concretization, and generalization, were employed. The results indicate that, in most cases, industrialization and its growing social problems are the primary causes of disturbed human behavior, broken community ties, disrupted traditions, and increased crime and fear among people.

Yi-Yu Huang, Tien-Jih Ma · Energies · Global

This study conducted a four-stage field experiment on a dormitory's flat rooftop in a subtropical climate during summer to measure the surface temperature and heat amplitude reduction of extensive green roofs using edible plants (Ipomoea batata) and lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA). Roofs with Ipomoea batata showed a significantly higher passive-cooling effect than those without, and roofs with 10%–40% LECA exhibited a slightly higher cooling effect than those with conventional garden soil. The combined effects of LECA and Ipomoea batata significantly reduced the bare rooftop's average temperature by an additional 10.19 °C.

· International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) · Singapore

Singapore has achieved significant progress in sustainable urban design, contributing less than 0.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions and being recognized as Asia's greenest metropolis. The country has applied 21st-century technological innovations to enhance sustainability in areas such as transportation, energy, building, water, and urban farming.

Florijn de Graaf, Simon Goddek · · Global

This research proposes integrating a neighborhood microgrid with a decoupled multi-loop aquaponics facility to enhance self-sufficiency and flexibility. This "Smarthood" concept, connecting Food–Water–Energy flows, significantly improves microgrid performance. The integration achieved 95.38% power and 100% heat self-sufficiency due to the flexibility of thermal mass, pumps, and lighting systems.

Gabriel Wei En Wee, Haritharan Devanthran · TEST Engineering & Management · Malaysia

This paper explored the development and adoption of smart farming technologies in Malaysia through a meta-analysis of worldwide scientific literature and perspectives from experienced farmers. Research on smart farming in Malaysia began in 1999, with "Internet of Things" identified as the most researched technology. The development trend points towards urban farming solutions and sustainable agriculture.

Kim Gokmi, Ahn Jia · The International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology · Global

This study aimed to analyze the significance and types of urban agriculture, examine domestic and foreign cases, and seek development directions for urban agriculture. It notes that urban agriculture is taking hold in the West due to concerns over global warming, food safety, and urbanites seeking health and relaxation. The research plans to present development measures and conduct follow-up research for safe food.

Dian Triastari Armanda, Jeroen B. Guinée, Arnold Tukker · Global Food Security · Global

This review examined emerging innovative urban agriculture (IUA) practices, revitalized since 2010 by scientific knowledge and agricultural technology. It assessed IUA's potential contribution to food security and environmental sustainability by comparing scientific literature and actual data from eighteen practitioners worldwide. The most productive IUA practice can yield up to 140 kg of vegetables per m2/year, indicating IUA's potential to support local food supply, strengthen the food value chain, and apply more sustainable practices for global food security.

Nina Gren · Lund University Publications (Lund University) · Sweden

This presentation, based on ethnographic research from 2017-2018 in the Malmö-Lund area, Sweden, examines creativity in urban gardening projects as a response to ecological crisis. Urban gardeners, particularly project coordinators, expressed concerns about ecological emergency and sought to promote sustainable living. They developed creative events and workshops for children, including storytelling, planting, harvesting, and making 'bee hotels', to educate them on ecological issues and inspire aspirations for a different future.

Makiko Taguchi, Guido Santini · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

The FAO supports urban agriculture globally, providing technical expertise and advice to governments and working with the private sector. Its approach strengthens linkages between urban, peri-urban, and rural agriculture to enhance food security and resilience, adapting programs to local needs. Increased attention to food systems, driven by societal demands against food waste and climate change, has fostered interest in FAO's activities.

Odiney Alvarez‐Campos, Gregory K. Evanylo · Journal of Environmental Quality · Global

The impacts of exceptional quality (EQ) biosolids and inorganic fertilizer applied for rehabilitating anthropogenic soils on potential nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) water quality impairment risk were compared. After two years, reclamation rates of biosolids resulted in soil P saturation ratios greater than the recommended 30% but lower than the 65% limit. While nitrate N (NO3–N) posed the greatest nutrient leaching risk, lysimeter-collected mass loading of NO3–N from reclamation rates was not greater than for the inorganic fertilizer.

Gaston E. Small, Robert McDougall, Geneviève S. Metson · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Global

This study analyzes the potential benefits and costs of urban agriculture, comparing tradeoffs in different sustainability metrics. It assesses how optimal urban agriculture varies by context, such as maximizing production in dense areas versus filling vacant land in post-industrial cities. The research also examines urban agriculture's role in making food systems resilient and includes a case study comparing resource use and pollution for lettuce production via outdoor urban agriculture, indoor urban agriculture, conventional methods, and cross-continental transport for one U.S. metropolitan area.

Julian 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.

Andrzej 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.