Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Pemberdayaan Kelompok Wanita Tani Cendawan 31 Melalui Peningkatan Produksi Sayuran Dan Pendapatan Di Kota Pangkalpinang
2024Eni Karsiningsih, Andini Meisya Sriwijayani Suwardih, Dinda Aulia, Santia Santia, Sulthon A’uliya Alfarissi, Gita Ardianta, Aprilianti Wulandari, Annisa Miswarni Lubis, Dodi Irwandi, Muhammad Ferghio Jovanka · MESTAKA Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Pangkalpinang)
This empowerment program in Pangkalpinang City, Indonesia, aimed to increase vegetable production and income for the Cendawan 31 Women Farmers Group (KWT). The program addressed obstacles such as non-commercial orientation, simple management, low member motivation, unplanned production, limited price information, and inefficient marketing. Using active participatory methods, mentoring, and counseling, the program successfully improved the group's creativity, innovation in vegetable planting, and vegetable production, enabling them to arrange planting schedules and select appropriate plant types.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDIYFood educationA profile of urban agricultural growers, organizations, their needs, and challenges in the Northeastern United States
2024Matthew L. Richardson, John Taylor, Megan J. Thompson, Anusuya Rangarajan, Mamatha Hanumappa, Neith G. Little · PLoS ONE · United States (Northeastern United States)
This online survey of 394 urban growers, primarily in the Northeastern United States, profiled growers and assessed urban agriculture's state, identifying needs and challenges. Most growers were white (non-Hispanic), under 45, well-educated but without agriculture degrees. Urban agriculture was dominated by small non-profits and home/community gardens. A critical finding is that urban growers face diverse barriers, with the most common being land availability and long-term access in urban areas, and many reported low revenue or operating at a net loss.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceTHE IMPERATIVE ROLE OF URBAN HORTICULTURE IN FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY: A REVIEW
2024Anusha Ghimire, Sunil Ojha, Srijana Saud, Sanju Aryal, Anjali Thapa, Prabina Bhandari · INWASCON Technology Magazine · Global
This review summarizes the need for urban horticulture, its challenges, opportunities, and new trends. Urban horticulture addresses threats to food security, environmental quality, and community well-being in urban settings by providing local produce, improving green spaces, and fostering human-nature connections. It faces obstacles such as plant selection and nutrient recycling, but new techniques like aeroponics and vertical farming are emerging.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsTowards meeting the food needs of urban households in sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of formal sector employees’ participation in agricultural production in urban Wa, Ghana
2024Peter Dery Bolang, Issah Baddianaah, Issaka Kanton Osumanu · Cogent Social Sciences · Ghana
This cross-sectional survey examined formal sector employees' participation in urban agriculture (UA) in urban Wa, Ghana, using data from 364 employees across four public institutions. Findings revealed that only 37.9% of contacted employees participate in UA (food crops and/or animal production). Participation likelihood was influenced by household size, income, expenditure, and farm income, with employees in the Teacher and Education Directorate showing higher engagement. The study highlights the need for policy attention to increase formal sector employees' UA participation to enhance food supply and household well-being.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsA Comprehensive Review on Evolution, Challenges of Models, Opportunities in Urban Farming Practices in the World
2024Anushi Anushi, A. Krishnamoorthi, Jitendra Chaurasia, Bijay Kumar Baidya, Abhishek Singh, Sapna, Vijay Kumar, Anushka Singh · Journal of Scientific Research and Reports · Global
This review explores the historical evolution and diverse models of urban farming, highlighting their contributions to food security, environmental sustainability, and community resilience. Challenges faced by urban farmers include limited space, soil contamination, regulatory hurdles, and access to resources.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyEconomicsFrom Planetary Core to the High Seas
2024Mary Mattingly · Intellect eBooks · Global
This essay shares two research practices stemming from the author's seven-year engagement with extractive supply chains for specific objects. Swale is a floating food forest that uses the common law of the waterways as a loophole to do what was illegal on common land, highlighting governance challenges within existing systems.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkageUrban Farming, Planning and Environmental Jurisprudence in Delhi
2024Anubhav Pradhan · South Asia Research · India
This article analyzes the recalibration of justice for agrarian communities along the Yamuna in Delhi. Following a 2015 ban on edible crop farming by India's apex environmental court, the Delhi Development Authority has conducted multiple demolition drives for nearly a decade to evict farmers and clear land for redevelopment. The ongoing contentions involving farmers, planning agencies, and the judiciary in this region are symptomatic of the erosion of social justice in urbanizing India.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceUtilization of Media and Institutional Support for Urban Farming in Pekanbaru City
2024Yulia Andriani, Roza Yulida, Rosnita Rosnita, Fanny Septya, Meki Herlon · KnE Social Sciences · Indonesia
A survey in Pekanbaru City, Indonesia, identified the use of communication media and institutional support for urban farming among farmer women groups. Farmers demonstrated excellent information access and communication behavior, utilizing smartphones and printed media for farming information. They also received full support from local leaders and the Pekanbaru city government, including regular counseling and urban farming socialization.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agriculturePrincipais problemas da agricultura urbana e pontos de alavancagem
2024Juan Camilo Fontalvo Buelvas, Maria Teresa Pulido Silva, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · Magazine Portal Bibliotech Digital (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) · Global
This bibliographic review identified the main problems of urban agriculture and actions for sustainability. The study found that the primary deficiencies in urban agriculture are inadequate management practices, a lack of organization, and absent or inefficient public policies. Key leverage points for change include agroecology, policies for land access and sustainable financing, and dissemination processes.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceSupervivencia y Productividad de Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) en Torres Hidropónicas Artesanales
2024Dennis Guerra-Centeno, Paula Guerra-Burmester, Carlos Valdéz-Sandoval, Alfredo Gómez-Chacón, Sayra Pérez-Julián, Jackeline Marisol Noriega-Huertas, Ligia Vanessa Rios · Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar · Global
This 10-week study evaluated the productivity of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in two artisanal hydroponic towers, measuring survival, growth, biomass production, and light incidence effects. Survival was 97%. Final average heights were 40.6 cm in the upper stratum and 29.8 cm in the lower stratum, with significant differences from the second week (p < .001). Final average plant weight was 12.55 g in the upper stratum and 5.35 g in the lower, but no significant difference in average weights between strata was found (U = 212, p = 0.754). Total biomass production was 358 g, equivalent to 1.33 kg/m2.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceFood miles & supply chainSoil Organic Transformations in Urban Agricultural Systems: Application of a Neutrosophic Multicriteria Approach for Comprehensive Evaluation
2024Paolo Paolo · International Journal of Neutrosophic Science · Global
This study used a neutrosophic multi-criteria approach to evaluate the impact of biostimulants and organic additives on soil quality, plant growth, and crop yields in urban agriculture. Biofertilizers like Chromococcus and Azotobacter improved nutrient availability and plant health, while mineral additives like zeolites enhanced soil fertility. Three scenarios were analyzed: one showed exceptional plant growth and high sustainability (Very Very High), another highlighted challenges in vegetative growth and sustainability (Low), and a third combined good plant growth with high sustainability and climate change mitigation (Medium High).
Organic cycleClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceBioregional food systems and the structures of long-term territorialization processes
2024Alberto Matarán-Ruiz, David Fanfani, Josefa Sánchez Contreras, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar · · Central America; Europe
This chapter examines bioregional food systems and territorialization processes in peri-urban agricultural areas, using three case studies from Central America and Europe. It notes that the historical co-evolutionary relationship between cities and surrounding farmlands weakened in modernity due to the global capitalist market, which reduced food to a commodity. The study highlights current problems while exploring how inherited relationships are being revived to adapt urban bioregions to climate emergency and resource scarcity.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrbane Gärten zwischen Graswurzelbewegung und Klimakrisenpolitik
2024Andrea Baier, Christa Müller, Karin Werner · Neue Ökologie · Global
This study discussed the significance of the new urban garden movement for sustainable urban restructuring, focusing on community garden practices over the past two decades. It examined how the movement is integrated into the governance of urban climate crisis policies, how it utilizes this framework, and to what extent the autonomy of gardens as free spaces and commons can be maintained under these circumstances. The findings suggest that the autonomy of urban gardens may be difficult to maintain when integrated into climate crisis policy governance.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceMETODOLOGIA PARA AÇÕES COMUNITÁRIAS SUSTENTÁVEIS – PRÁTICAS DE INTEGRAÇÃO DO MODELO DAS CINCO HÉLICES EM UMA HORTA COMUNITÁRIA BRASILEIRA
2024Rosângela Míriam Lemos Oliveira Mendonça, Samantha de Oliveira Nery, Ediméia Maria Ribeiro de Mello · MIX Sustentável · Brazil
This paper presents a methodology applicable to sustainable community actions, developed from seven years of experience with low-income communities in a Brazilian community garden. The methodology is based on participatory action research, systemic design, agroecology, food sovereignty, and solidarity economy principles. The study demonstrates the importance of integrated work among the elements of the quintuple helix model (society, government, industry, academia, and environment), but it does not detail specific challenges or limitations regarding governance.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyKajian literatur: Pertanian perkotaan sebagai penyedia jasa ekosistem dalam tujuan pembangunan berkelanjutan
2024Assyifa Fauzia · Journal of Critical Ecology. · Global
This literature review analyzed the role of urban agriculture as an ecosystem service provider within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Urban agriculture in developing countries was found to be adopted as a solution to address poverty and improve the welfare of urban populations, applicable to all SDGs except ocean ecosystems. Urban agriculture contributes to social indicators like employment, food provision, community welfare, education, women's roles, and community forms; economic indicators such as market food reach, job status, land ownership, food subsidies, and credit access; and environmental indicators including water storage, land use, emission reduction, microclimate regulation, and biodiversity.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsCommunityWhere the wild things are: How urban foraging and food forests can contribute to sustainable cities in the Global North
2024Filippo Oncini, Steffen Hirth, Josephine Mylan, Clare H. Robinson, David Johnson · Urban forestry & urban greening · Global North
This review evaluates the contribution of urban food forestry in the Global North to socio-ecological outcomes across climate change, biodiversity, food production, and relational aspects. The findings demonstrate multifactorial benefits of urban foraging and food forestry, but also identify potential risks and disservices from the literature. The study concludes that upscaling these spaces offers significant gains, requiring systemic changes.
Food sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate changeCommunityCREATION OF LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF URBANIZATION: THE CASE OF ST. PETERSBURG
2024Olga Ergunova, Andrey Somov · EKONOMIKA I UPRAVLENIE PROBLEMY RESHENIYA · Europe
This article discusses the prospects for developing local food systems (LPS) in St. Petersburg, focusing on urban agriculture (GSH) as a key component. The study analyzes current trends and statistical data to forecast GSH's impact on the city's environmental and socio-economic situation by 2030. Projections indicate that GSH can be an important tool for food supply and sustainable urban development, with advanced technologies and integration into urban planning as key development directions.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changePolicyRecommendation system using bio-inspired algorithms for urban orchards
2024J. V., Juan M. Corchado, Diana M. Giraldo, Sara Rodríguez-González, Fernando De la Prieta · Internet of Things · Global
This paper presents an Internet of Things (IoT) platform for monitoring urban gardens, aiming to mitigate hunger and promote food sovereignty. The platform includes a social design layer for knowledge transfer and a recommendation system based on evolutionary computation to optimize urban orchard productivity. Experiments in urban gardens validated the models, showing an increase in urban lettuce orchard productivity between 25% and 45%.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityDigital agricultureClimate changeRewriting the Erased History of Blacks in New Orleans Urban Gardening and Farming
2024Pamela Arnette Broom, Yuki Kato, Shawn “Pepper” Roussel · Humanity & Society · United States
This article examines the history of urban gardening by Black communities in New Orleans, United States. It uses oral history to complement official documentation, demonstrating that Black New Orleanians historically grew their own food for collective efficacy and to pass on horticultural knowledge. The study notes that most new gardens since 2010 lack cultural and social connection to this history.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyLife cycle assessment to evaluate the sustainability of urban agriculture: opportunities and challenges
2024Lena Katharina Mietz, Bárbara Civit, Alejandro Pablo Arena · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This review focuses on the present state and methodology of life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the sustainability of urban agriculture. It notes that while urban agriculture is seen as a potential alternative for a resilient food system, existing case studies are mostly incomplete and lack diversity. Further research is needed, especially the integration of social and economic perspectives, to achieve a comprehensive scientific understanding.
Methodological critiqueClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban Agricultural Revolution in Japan with Verticulture Technology
2024Ahmya Ayaka, Fujita Hanako, Hide Haruka · Techno Agriculturae Studium of Research · Japan
This study explored the impact of verticulture technology on urban agriculture in Japan using a mixed-methods approach, including field experiments, farmer surveys, and production record analysis. The findings indicated that verticulture technology significantly improved crop yields by up to 30% per square meter and reduced water usage by 50% compared to traditional urban farming. It also lowered greenhouse gas emissions and minimized land use, demonstrating its potential for enhancing food production efficiency and sustainability in urban settings.
Digital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsINOVASI PEMERINTAH DAERAH KOTA TANGERANG DALAM PENINGKATAN KETAHANAN PANGAN (STUDI KASUS PADA DINAS KETAHANAN PANGAN KOTA TANGERANG)
2024Nurmiftah Fauzi, Titi Stiawati, Arenawati Arenawati · Kebijakan Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi · Indonesia (Tangerang)
The Tangerang City Food Security Agency implemented a 1000-plant hydroponic assistance program as part of an urban farming initiative to strengthen food security. This qualitative phenomenological study used Rogers' innovation attributes theory to evaluate the program's relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Results indicated the program provided economic benefits and spiritual satisfaction, and was compatible with existing values and food needs, but found room for improvement in the complexity aspect.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityA Polycentric Vision for Governing the Urban Food Commons
2024Emmanuel Frimpong Boamah · Urban agriculture · Global
This chapter examines alternative governance visions for urban agriculture, or urban food commons (UFCs), through the lens of polycentric governance. It argues that UFCs require a mix of institutional arrangements, including centralized, decentralized, market, cooperative, and command-and-control models, rather than a single approach. Four institutional design parameters are outlined to guide this polycentric vision: multiple decision centers, cross-scale and cross-sector interactions, an overarching rule system, and rule adaptability, exemplified by Chicago's NeighborSpace.
PolicyCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity gardens and urban agriculture: Healthy environment/healthy citizens
2023Cynthia Zutter, Ashley Stoltz · International Journal of Mental Health Nursing · Canada (Edmonton)
This focused ethnography explored the mental, social, and physical health benefits of participating in the Green and Gold Garden (GGG), an urban community garden in Edmonton, Canada. Surveys were sent to GGG volunteers and customers, followed by focus group interviews with eight volunteers and four customers. Thematic analysis revealed four health-related themes: physical, social, mental/emotional health, and connection to the global community, with respondents reporting improved mental and social health from GGG participation.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceUrban farming with rooftop greenhouses: A systematic literature review
2023Annie Drottberger, Yizhi Zhang, Jean Wan Hong Yong, Marie-Claude Dubois · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · Global
This systematic literature review, based on 45 articles, examined the benefits and challenges of rooftop greenhouse technology. While benefits include optimized land use, increased profitability, good yields, and resource efficiency, the review identified significant challenges. These challenges include additional investment and operational costs, limited availability of flat roofs, and various regulations, which hinder the widespread adoption of rooftop greenhouses.
Economic viabilityClimate changeEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agriculture