Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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1006 results(28 / 41)
Linking Multifunctionality and Sustainability for Valuing Peri-Urban Farming: A Case Study in the Turin Metropolitan Area
2018Gullino P., Battisti L., Larcher F. · Sustainability (MDPI) 10(5), 1625 · Italy
Evaluates the multifunctionality of peri-urban farming in the Turin metropolitan area from a sustainability perspective, presenting a method to quantify multifunctional values across food production, landscape, ecosystems and socio-culture.
PolicyBiodiversityMapping the Agrodiversity in Bogotá – the Platform Mapeo AgroEcoBogotá
2018Pinilla K., Hoinle B., Mahecha-Groot A., Cepeda J. · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Colombia (Bogotá)
This paper presents AgroEcoBogotá, an open counter-mapping platform that cartographically documented 47 urban agroecological initiatives in Bogotá to promote visibility of the local agroecology movement and foster solidarity networks between urban and peri-urban food producers.
CommunityBiodiversityFood educationIs urban agriculture urban green space? A comparison of policy arrangements for urban green space and urban agriculture in Santiago de Chile
2018Contesse M., van Vliet B.J.M., Lenhart J. · Land Use Policy · Chile (Santiago)
This study used the policy arrangement approach to compare urban green space planning and urban agriculture policies in Santiago, finding that urban agriculture can complement (but not replace) parks as green space, provided that policy mechanisms clarify stakeholder roles and benefits.
PolicyCommunityBiodiversityGarden Pollinators and the Potential for Ecosystem Service Flow to Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture
2018Gail Ann Langellotto, Andony Melathopoulos, Isabella Messer, Aaron Anderson, Nathan McClintock, Lucas Costner · Sustainability · United States (Portland, Oregon)
This study sampled bees from gardens in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area and estimated typical foraging distances to assess whether urban gardens might supply pollination services to surrounding agricultural land. It estimates that when pollination-dependent crops are nearby, 30–50% of the garden bee community could potentially provide pollination services to adjacent crops, suggesting urban gardens could provision neighboring farms or serve as a refuge for pollinators.
PollinatorsBiodiversityA Differentiated Spatial Assessment of Urban Ecosystem Services Based on Land Use Data in Halle, Germany
2018· Land · Germany (Halle)
A spatially explicit assessment of urban ecosystem services in Halle (Saale), Germany, combining biotope and land-use data with hemeroby and accessibility to map local provisioning capacity.
BiodiversityPolicyRole of Urban Agriculture in a Secure, Healthy, and Sustainable Food System
2018· BioScience · Global
Comprehensive analysis of urban agriculture's role in achieving secure, healthy, and sustainable food systems. Examines how citizen-driven agriculture can transform food systems.
Food educationWelfareBiodiversityCommunityThe Role of Urban Agriculture as a Nature-Based Solution: A Review for Developing a Systemic Assessment Framework
2018Martina Artmann, Katharina Sartison · Sustainability · Global
A systemic literature review of 166 academic articles focusing on the Global North examined urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a nature-based solution. The review found that UPA contributes to ten key societal challenges of urbanization, including climate change, food security, and public health, by providing social, economic, and environmental co-benefits. The study developed an integrative assessment framework for evaluating UPA implementation and impact efficiency, which should be tested using edible cities as an example.
CommunityBiodiversityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceSalutogenic Affordances and Sustainability: Multiple Benefits With Edible Forest Gardens in Urban Green Spaces
2018Jonathan Stoltz, Christina Schäffer · Frontiers in Psychology · Global
This paper explores the salutogenic potential of urban green spaces, proposing edible forest gardens as a concept for urban green space use and management. It argues that including edible forest gardens in urban green spaces (today globally dominated by lawns) could reinforce several affordances of salutogenic importance, such as social cohesion and restoration from psycho-physiological stress and attention fatigue. Increased opportunities for contact with nature and food production processes may also reinforce pro-environmental behaviors in the population.
BiodiversityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageKeanekaragaman dan Hubungan Kekerabatan Pisang (Musaceae) di Kota Bengkulu, Provinsi Bengkulu
2018Evelyne Riandini · Biota · Indonesia
This study investigated the diversity and phylogeny of bananas (Musaceae) in Bengkulu City, Indonesia, across three districts. Researchers collected 22 specimens representing 10 varieties from wild and cultivated plants in home yards and community gardens. Morphological analysis revealed two main phylogenetic groups: Musa acuminata Colla and Musa acuminata x Musa balbisiana, with similarity coefficients between 0.45 and 0.60.
BiodiversityCommunityDIYCurso de agroecología en formación de un huerto comunitario en la unidad de salud de la familia Giserlando Biondi, Jequie-Bahia-Nrasil / Course of agroecology in the formation of a community garden in the health unit of the Giserlando Biondi family, Jequi
2018Leandro Nascimento Bertoldi, Pamela Johanna Menéndez Velásquez · Revista panorama/Panorama. Cuba y salud · Brazil
A course on Agroecology was conducted in Jequié, Bahia, Brazil, focusing on creating organic community gardens and training communities in health promotion, disease prevention, and food and environmental education. The project identified farmers who transitioned from using agrotoxins to biological control, resulting in increased local biodiversity and encouraging community gardening. The initiative also fostered social empowerment, increased self-esteem, and developed collective discussion and production practices within the SUS.
Food educationCommunityHealthBiodiversityDecreased Landscape Ecological Security of Peri-Urban Cultivated Land Following Rapid Urbanization: An Impediment to Sustainable Agriculture
2018Dan Yu, Dongyan Wang, Wenbo Li, Shuhan Liu, Yuanli Zhu, Wenjun Wu, Yongheng Zhou · Sustainability · China (Changchun)
This paper assessed the landscape ecological security (LES) of peri-urban cultivated land in Changchun City, China, at three time points, considering both cultivated and surrounding landscapes. Results showed that urbanization affected the peri-urban cultivated landscape, with metrics like patch density and edge density progressively increasing for cultivated land within 20 km of the urban center. This indicated elevated fragmentation and vulnerability, and the study concluded that decreased LES of cultivated land impedes sustainable peri-urban agriculture.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeBiodiversity생태, 경관, 참여 측면의 도시농업 활성화 방안 모색 - 인구집단 특성과 개인의 주관적 인식 분석을 중심으로 -
2018장인수, 서동주, 김홍석 · 지역연구 · South Korea
This study in South Korea explored ways to revitalize urban agriculture based on empirical analysis of experience and subjective perceptions, defining its main functions as enhancing ecological, landscape, and participation values. Survey results showed that exposure to urban agriculture information was higher in large cities, and participation experience was higher with larger residential spaces. While positive responses were high for urban agriculture's functions, negative responses were high regarding perceptions of the surrounding residential environment.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyBiodiversityFood educationImpact of Urban Agriculture on the Species Distribution and Insecticide Resistance Profile of <i>Anopheles gambiae s.s.</i> and <i>Anopheles coluzzii</i> in Accra Metropolis, Ghana
2018Joseph Chabi, Miracle C. Eziefule, Rebecca Pwalia, Joannitta Joannides, Dorothy Obuobi, Godwin Amlalo, Charlotte Addae, Alidu Iddrisu, Dominic Acquah-Baidoo, Samuel Akporh, Sampson Gbagba, Kwadwo K. Frempong, Melinda P. Hadi, Helen Pates Jamet, Samuel Dadzie · Advances in Entomology · Ghana
This study in Accra Metropolis, Ghana, compared Anopheles gambiae s.l. species composition and insecticide resistance between two vegetable-growing and two non-vegetable growing areas. All A. gambiae s.l. populations tested were resistant to five insecticides, with lower mortalities observed in vegetable-growing areas (e.g., 2.6% and 12.5% for deltamethrin) compared to non-vegetable areas (36.2% and 38.9%). Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles coluzzii were dominant in vegetable-growing areas. The findings indicate that urban agriculture contributes to the development of insecticide resistance, which needs consideration in vector control strategies.
Environmental trade-offsHealthBiodiversityUrban–rural linkageThe Effectiveness of Asian Bush Mosquito (Aedes japonicus japonicus) Control Actions in Colonised Peri-urban Areas in the Netherlands
2018Adolfo Ibáñez‐Justicia, S. Teekema, Wietse Den Hartog, Frans Jacobs, M. Dik, Arjan Stroo · Journal of Medical Entomology · Netherlands
This study measured the effectiveness of a mosquito control campaign targeting the invasive Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus japonicus) in eight allotment garden complexes in Lelystad, Netherlands, between 2015 and 2016. Control actions, combining source reduction and larvicide application, significantly reduced Ae. japonicus larval abundance across all treated gardens. Rain barrels were identified as the most frequent breeding sites.
BiodiversityPeri-urban agricultureUrban Agriculture: A Regenerative Urban Development Practice to Decrease the Ecological Footprints of Cities
2018Rowaida Rashed · Environmental Science & Sustainable Development · Global
This paper explores urban agriculture as a regenerative urban development practice aimed at decreasing the ecological footprints of cities. It defines environmental problems, explains the concept of the ecological footprint, and demonstrates how urban agriculture can be integrated into cities to improve environmental conditions and reduce ecological footprints. Urban agriculture is highlighted as one of the most effective regenerative practices.
Climate changeOrganic cycleBiodiversityBiochar Application for Sustainable Soil Quality
2018Subhadip Ghosh, Lai Fern Ow, Mohamed Lokman Mohd Yusof · · Singapore
A short-term experiment in an urban park in northern Singapore investigated biochar's effects on urban horticulture. Biochar, alone or with compost, was mixed with loamy soil, and Dissotisrotundifolia was planted under various treatments. Soil analysis revealed significant improvements in soil nutrient status and organic matter content with organic amendments, especially those containing biochar, though plant physiological characteristics showed no significant differences. The study suggests biochar as a potential soil amendment for perennial ground cover in Singapore's tropical climate.
Organic cycleBiodiversityCommunityCaracterización de huertos urbanos y periurbanos de Xalapa de Enríquez, Veracruz
2018Saúl Ortiz Riveros, Nancy Domínguez González, Noel Reyes Pérez, Marycruz Abato Zárate, Carlos Roberto Cerdán Cabrera, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Josè Armando Lozada-García · Revista Biológico Agropecuaria Tuxpan · Mexico (Xalapa)
This study characterized urban and peri-urban gardens within the Xalapa Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Network (RAUPX) in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, based on garden size, diversity, arthropod presence, and phytosanitary management practices. Findings indicated that producers' phytosanitary practices are corrective rather than preventive and are moderately related to the presence of pests.
CommunityBiodiversityPeri-urban agricultureThe Correlation between Student’s Perception about School Garden with the Attitude of School Environmental Management
2018Lenny Prastiwi, Diana Vivanti Sigit, Agung Sedayu · Biosfer · Indonesia (Tangerang)
This quantitative correlational study, conducted in May 2015 at SMAN 4 Tangerang and SMAN 5 Tangerang, Indonesia, investigated the relationship between students' perceptions of school gardens and their attitudes towards school environmental management. Using simple random sampling, 214 eleventh-grade students who used school gardens as learning resources were surveyed. The study found a positive correlation (correlation coefficient 0.715) between students' perceptions of school gardens and their attitudes towards school environmental management, with perceptions contributing 51.1% to the attitude.
Food educationCommunityBiodiversityAssessing agroecosystem sustainability in Cuba: A new agrobiodiversity index
2018Ángel Leyva, A. Lores · Elementa Science of the Anthropocene · Cuba
In Cuba, poorly balanced agrobiodiversity due to sugarcane monocropping has been a main constraint to sustainable agrarian development over the last 50 years. This paper discusses the development of a new Index of Agrobiodiversity (IDA) to assess agroecosystem sustainability, describing its components, development, and efficiency assessment. A practical application measured agroecosystems within Cuba’s urban agriculture movement, suggesting IDA is a valid proposal that requires few resources and generates information through local farmers.
BiodiversityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Sanctuary: The New Domestic Outdoors
2018Johnson, Anna, Black, Richard · RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library) · Oceania
"Urban Sanctuary" showcases contemporary houses in urban Australia and New Zealand that demonstrate inventive ways of integrating outdoor spaces into domestic living. These projects feature various forms of gardens, including vertical gardens, micro-green spaces, rooftop gardens, courtyards, and reworked traditional gardens. The work explores how homes can interact with these diverse garden spaces.
DIYBiodiversityThe socio-environmental impacts of public urban fruit trees: A Montreal case-study
2018Juliette Colinas, Paula Louise Bush, Kevin Manaugh · Urban forestry & urban greening · Canada (Montreal)
A study in Montreal, Quebec, investigated the socio-environmental impacts of public urban fruit trees, using a public urban orchard as a case study. Semi-structured interviews with users revealed positive impacts on social capital, place attachment, and food knowledge, but no evidence of impact on environmental knowledge. The findings suggest that public, unrestricted-access urban agriculture can have diverse socio-environmental impacts.
CommunityBiodiversityHealthProvidence productivity framework : ideas for a network of sites rethinking productivity in Providence
2018Patricia Noto · Digital Commons - RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) · United States (Providence)
This thesis investigated the role of designers in creating or enhancing productive systems in cities, focusing on Providence, Rhode Island. It proposed rethinking the function of public and quasi-public spaces and expanding the definition of urban productivity beyond community gardens to include a network of agroforestry sites and remediated lands. The study examined a series of diverse sites along the Woonasquatucket River, noting their suitability due to the river's industrial history, varied conditions, and existing community organization connections.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCharacteristics of Users Affecting Edible Plant Demand in Urban Parks
2018Emrah Yalçınalp, Özgür Demirci · Türk Tarım ve Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi · Turkey (Trabzon)
The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the edible plant potentials of three different urban parks in Trabzon, Turkey, by questioning users' approaches. Introducing edible landscapes in urban parks is believed to help urban residents feel closer to nature and contribute to their awareness of ecology and environmental conservation.
CommunityFood educationUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityUnder the Microscope – Answer
2018Trevor A Lambkin · Metamorphosis Australia magazine of the Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club · Australia
This article discusses native bees, noting their weak jaws result in a tickle-like bite and that indigenous peoples globally have extracted their honey for various uses. Research into native bees for crop pollination began in 1984, leading to the development of hive propagation techniques by 1987. The keeping of native bees, particularly the subtropical Carbonaria species, has since gained popularity among various groups including schools and community gardens.
PollinatorsBiodiversityCommunityWalory dekoracyjne i zdrowotność Tithonia rotundifolia (Mill.) S.F. Blake w nasadzeniach miejskich
2018Marek Kopacki, Krystyna Rysiak, Mariusz Szmaraga · Annales Horticulturae · Poland (Lublin)
This 2014 study near Lublin, Poland, evaluated the decorative qualities and health of Tithonia rotundifolia in urban plantings, including a botanical garden and allotment gardens. Observations at the end of the vegetation period revealed disease symptoms, and mycological analysis of dead plant parts identified isolates of fungi from eleven genera. Dominant and dangerous pathogenic genera, Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea, were found to affect T. rotundifolia.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityBiodiversity