Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
3241 results(29 / 130)
Practice of compost use in urban farming: Opportunities and constraints in the West Region, Cameroon
2024Moye Eric Kongnso · International Journal of Environment Agriculture and Biotechnology · Cameroon
A mixed-methods study in the West Region, Cameroon, examined compost use in urban farming through 265 household surveys, 11 in-depth interviews, and one focus group. While compost availability and technical assistance favor its use, small-scale farmers face significant technical, knowledge, financial, institutional, and policy constraints. State extension services prioritize mineral fertilizers over compost, and the current regulatory framework does not encourage compost use, leading to the persistence of traditional practices.
Governance failureCompostOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyThe community contributions of urban farms in Singapore
2024Sean Olivia Nicholas, Niki Harré · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Singapore
A review of existing literature and a case study of three urban farms in Singapore were conducted to examine their community contributions. Content analysis of 27 interviews with employees and volunteers revealed that these farms empower participants, generate social capital, provide jobs, involve marginalized groups, and promote pro-environmental behaviors. However, the farms were limited by poor job prospects and lower-than-expected yield.
Economic viabilityCommunityWelfareEconomicsClimate changeVertical farming in urban environments: A review of architectural integration and food security
2024Olabimpe Banke Akintuyi · Open Access Research Journal of Biology and Pharmacy · Global
This paper reviews the architectural integration of vertical farming systems in urban environments and their impact on food security. It explores design strategies like green walls and modular systems, emphasizing the role of technology such as AI and robotics in enhancing efficiency and scalability. Vertical farming is presented as a method to reduce reliance on long-distance transportation and mitigate climate variability, contributing to stable food production in urban centers.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsAssessment of aquaponics as a sustainable food production system for urban agriculture
2024Arnaldo Monteiro, Neusa Barbosa, Rosimeire Pereira, Josimar Cardoso · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · Brazil (São Paulo)
This 12-month study (March 2022-February 2023) at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, evaluated the productivity, water efficiency, and economic viability of a media-bed aquaponics system compared to conventional hydroponics and soil-based cultivation. Lettuce and basil were grown alongside Nile tilapia. Aquaponics used 78.2% less water than soil-based production and 22.1% less than hydroponics per kilogram of produce. Lettuce yields in aquaponics reached 4.83 kg/m², slightly below hydroponics (5.12 kg/m²) but well above soil cultivation (3.27 kg/m²), and the aquaponics unit achieved economic break-even at month 9 and returned a 14.3% annual profit margin.
EconomicsClimate changeUrban–rural linkageThe Health Burden of E-Waste: The Impact of E-Waste Dumping Sites on Child Mortality
2024Stefania Lovo, Samantha Rawlings · The World Bank Economic Review · Ghana, Nigeria
This study investigated the impact of e-waste dumping sites on neonatal and infant mortality, focusing on two major dumpsites in Ghana and Nigeria. Using a difference-in-differences approach, outcomes were compared for children born near and far from dumpsites before and after their creation. E-waste sites increased neonatal and and infant mortality for those living closer to the sites, with event studies suggesting effects emerge two to three years after site openings. There is suggestive evidence that contamination of water and of urban farming produce are among the drivers of the observed effects.
Contamination & food safetyHealthEconomicsCommunity-Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) to Hazard Disruption: Case Study of a Peri-Urban Agricultural Community in Thailand
2024Alisa Sahavacharin, Fa Likitswat, Kim Irvine, Lihoun Teang · Land · Thailand (Pathum Thani)
This study assessed the potential of peri-urban areas for sustainable development, focusing on a pandan farming community in Pathum Thani, Thailand, using the Community-Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) approach. The community identified COVID-19, water quality, and solid waste as their primary disruptive challenges. The study concluded that the community was moderately resilient to hazards, and COVID-19 was the primary disrupting event over the past 10 years.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureClimate changeCommunityEconomicsHealthEDUTOURISM AS AN EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN KELAN VILLAGE RESILIENT AND PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL TOURISM VILLAGE
2024Putu Eka Pasmidi Ariati, Dewa Putu Oka Prasiasa, I Ketut Widnyana, I Made Wahyu Wijaya · ICCD · Indonesia
This study addressed the limited economic impact of tourism in Kelan Tourism Village, Bali, due to reliance on external vegetable purchases despite available land. The solution implemented was an edutourism program featuring a Biofloc Aquaponics Integrated Urban Farming Model and Drip Irrigation Vegetable Garden Tilapia, targeting students, tourists, and the community. Implementation led to increased understanding, knowledge, and skills among target groups, and culinary tourism participants experienced increased income from self-produced vegetables, alongside strengthened environmental conservation.
Food educationCommunityDigital agricultureEconomicsUrban Agriculture in the Kathmandu Valley: Assessing Practices, Impacts, and Challenges for Sustainable Food Production and Well-being
2024Kalpana Waiba, Alina Maharjan, R Shakya · Journal of Environment Sciences · Nepal
This study investigated the status and impact of urban agriculture on the population in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A structured questionnaire survey of 230 families showed that 51% of respondents had access to growing areas and 76% chose kitchen gardening. The main motivations were economic considerations (50%) and personal satisfaction (20%). Participants reported cultivating 55% of their diet, contributing to good health, though challenges such as plant diseases (40%) were present.
Limited or null effectHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureSustainable Parental Resources of Organic Urban Teaching (SPROUT): An Innovation to Upgrade 4Ps Parents’ Livelihood Sustainability
2024Lynch Jun H. Dondriano, Cathy Jane A. Susuban, Michelle C. Estreller, Saddamiya A. Mingkat · International journal of research and scientific innovation · Philippines
This action research study introduces the Sustainable Parental Resources of Organic Urban Teaching (SPROUT) innovation, aimed at upgrading the livelihood sustainability of parents participating in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the Philippines. SPROUT supports parents in growing organic produce for personal consumption and potential income generation through sustainable agriculture practices and urban gardening techniques. This approach has the potential to enhance families' nutritional status, promote environmental stewardship, and encourage a shift towards healthier, sustainable lifestyles.
WelfareFood educationDIYEconomicsPENDAMPINGAN KOMUNITAS POKDARWIS PILANG DALAM PENGELOLAAN ANIMAL WASTE MENJADI KOMPOS ORGANIK UNTUK MENDUKUNG SUSTAINABILITY URBAN FARMING
2024Teguh Sarwo Aji, Alimatul Farida, Muh Prasetyo Nugroho · ABDI KAMI Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Probolinggo City)
This service program aimed to assist the Pokdarwis Pilang community in Probolinggo City, Indonesia, in managing animal waste into organic compost to support the sustainability of urban farming. The Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach was used, and results showed an increase in technical skills, the establishment of a compost production unit, changes in waste management behavior, and improved economic welfare through partnerships with local markets. The ABCD approach proved effective in creating sustainable social change through community empowerment.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityEconomicsLand Market and the “Sendoff” of Peri-Urban Agriculture in Tanzania: An Evolutionary Analysis of Practices and Actors
2024Kelvin Haule, Bupe Kabigi · Ghana Journal of Geography · Tanzania
This study analyzed land markets and their influence on peri-urban agriculture and livelihood strategies in Tanzania. It found that widespread monetary land markets, including formal, informal, speculative, entrepreneurial, and land grabbing forms, are transforming peri-urban agriculture into non-farm activities. These informal changes are causing a “sendoff” of peri-urban agriculture, and if unmanaged, land markets are suggested to become a blight for indigenous people selling land.
Economic viabilityPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyPelatihan Urban Farming Sebagai Solusi Pemanfaatan Lahan Kosong di Kelurahan Bendan Duwur Kecamatan Gajahmungkur Kota Semarang
2024Eko Suharyono, Ryantoko Setyo Prayitno · JMM - Jurnal Masyarakat Merdeka · Indonesia (Semarang)
In Bendan Duwur Village, Gajahmungkur District, Semarang City, Indonesia, an urban farming training program was implemented to utilize vacant land and promote food security. The program involved socialization, discussions, and distribution of horticultural seeds to participants. The training received positive responses, with participants reporting aesthetic, health, and economic benefits, and non-participants showing interest in adopting urban farming. Residents who implemented the program reduced their vegetable purchases from markets.
CommunityFood educationHealthEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDeterminants of urban agriculture market participation decision and intensity in eastern Ethiopia
2024Gebregziabher Nigus, Mengistu Ketema, Jema Haji, Million Sileshi · Discover Food · Ethiopia
A study was conducted in Eastern Ethiopia using primary data from 270 randomly selected urban farmers to identify factors influencing urban agriculture (UA) market participation decisions and intensity. The first stage of the Double Hurdle (DH) Model indicated that age, education, occupation, family size, farming experience, UA-related training, dependency ratio, and market information significantly impacted the decision to participate in the UA output market. The second stage DH Model showed that education, land size, UA-related training, and market information significantly affected the intensity of UA output market participation.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity“Farming Inside Cities” – A Look Back After Two Decades
2024Martin Bailkey, Rosalind Greenstein · Urban agriculture · United States
This paper reviews “Farming Inside Cities: Entrepreneurial Urban Agriculture in the United States” (2000) by Jerry Kaufman and Martin Bailkey. This report was one of three concurrent research studies on for-market urban agriculture as a viable reuse of vacant land in major US cities. While its practical nature and description of urban agriculture's opportunities and challenges remain relevant today, it does not explicitly state the value of farming as a vehicle for social equity and food justice in urban communities of color.
EconomicsCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkagePemberdayaan PKK dengan Pemanfaatan Lingkungan Secara Urban Farming untuk Pengembangan Pertanian Perkotaan
2024Fefi Nurdiana Widjayanti, Insan Wijaya, Firlana Rosa, Farah Zahra, Fajar Pamadi · Kontribusi Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia
This study aimed to empower PKK (Family Welfare Movement) in Indonesia by providing urban farming knowledge and techniques, utilizing yards, narrow lands, and plastic waste to increase family income. Extension, training, and mentoring on static and non-static hydroponic cultivation techniques were conducted, and hydroponic systems such as verticulture using polybags, DFT (Deep Film Technique), floating raft, and verticulture were developed. These activities contributed to improving skills and knowledge in cultivating hydroponic vegetables using plastic waste and increasing income.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood educationOrganic cycleAssessing Healthy Effects between Local Level Farmer’s Markets and Community-Supported Agriculture and Physical Well-Being at the State Level
2024Patsy Kraeger, Rhonda Phillips, J. H. Lubin, Jonathan Weir, Kristina R. Patterson · Sustainability · United States
This study investigated the connection between local farmers markets (FMs), community-supported agriculture (CSAs), and physical well-being at the state level across the 50 states of the United States. Analyzing 2016 data from the United States Department of Agriculture using an ordinal logistic regression model, the study found an inconclusive relationship at the state level. While local FMs and CSAs may increase physical well-being, this study did not find such an increase.
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiHealthEconomicsUrban agriculture between territorial anchoring and challenges of urbanisation: case of Guersif City (Eastern Morocco)
2024Mohammed Elyaagoubi · African J of Economic and Sustainable Development · Morocco
This study investigates the decline of agricultural land in Guersif City, Morocco, due to rapid urbanization. Sociological surveys and technical data from 1954 and 2021 were used to identify and quantify the rate of agricultural land loss. The preservation of urban agriculture in Guersif faces a real challenge from other, more profitable activities.
Governance failurePolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsUrban Agriculture as a Public Good: Valuing Farming and Gardening in Philadelphia and Chicago
2024Domenic Vitiello · Urban agriculture · United States
US cities have developed urban agriculture support systems reflecting competing values, with some prioritizing public good and others economic gains. A chapter reflecting on urban agriculture planning in Chicago and Philadelphia notes that institutional structures significantly impact equity and justice. The study indicates that the existing urban agriculture support systems in these cities may not adequately promote equity and justice.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityEconomicsHealthCities as Farms
2024Avi Friedman · · Global
This chapter explores the concept of urban agriculture as an approach to address challenges in the current food system, including food insecurity, environmental degradation, and unhealthy eating habits. It examines design principles for creating sustainable and productive edible landscapes and the benefits of farmers' markets, offering insights for urban planners, designers, and policymakers.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeHealthEconomicsChallenges of Formation and Development of Legal System of Urban Agriculture
2024Farhang FaghihLarijani, Elaheh Amani Vamarzani · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Iran
This study investigated whether an independent legal system exists in urban areas of Iran to recognize, maintain, and develop urban agriculture. It found that despite urban laws recognizing agricultural activities, legislators have not enacted a comprehensive law specifically for urban agriculture, nor explicitly included it in urban land definitions. The study hypothesized that a primary challenge is the lack of a compatible legal framework.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityLocal Food System Approaches to Address Food and Nutrition Security among Low-Income Populations: A Systematic Review
2024Katharine Garrity, Kathleen Krzyzanowski Guerra, Hannah Hart, Khawlah Al-Muhanna, Emily C. Kunkler, Ashlea Braun, K. Poppe, Kara Johnson, Emma Lazor, Yang Liu, Jennifer Garner · Advances in Nutrition · United States
A systematic review of 34 studies (37 articles) from 2000-2020 evaluated the impact of local food system (SVC) models on food and nutrition security among low-income populations in the United States. Farmers market interventions were more extensively evaluated than other SVC models, with fruit and vegetable intake being the most measured outcome. Barriers to SVC use included lack of program awareness, limited accessibility, and cultural incongruence, while facilitators included health-promoting environments, community cohesion, financial incentives, and high-quality produce.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsHealthCSA & TeikeiGREEN INFORMALITIES AS SOCIALLY JUST ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: Enduring with Dignity at the Edges of Resilient Development in Dhaka
2024Efadul Huq · International Journal of Urban and Regional Research · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
This article argues that in the global South, ecological infrastructure often displaces marginalized urban dwellers by erasing existing informal agricultural practices, or "green informalities." Based on research with urban farmers facing eviction in Dhaka, Bangladesh, it highlights that these green informalities are crucial for understanding grassroots practices and collective power-building. The study advocates for recognizing the political and affective dimensions of informal urban agriculture as a socially just ecological infrastructure that prioritizes justice and dweller agency.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfarePolicyEconomicsCommunity gardens support high levels of food production, but benefit distribution is uneven across the gardener community
2024Brenda B. Lin, Peter Bichier, Heidi Liere, Monika Egerer, Stacy M. Philpott, Shalene Jha · Sustainability Science · United States (California)
A study of 18 urban community gardens in Central Coast, California, USA, used gardener surveys and field measurements to evaluate food production and its distribution. Gardeners produced an average of four pounds of food per week, saving an estimated $16 USD weekly. However, gardeners with greater food insecurity (larger families or lower incomes) were not the largest producers, indicating uneven benefit distribution despite high overall productivity.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsAnalisis Faktor-faktor yang Memengaruhi Minat Masyarakat Terhadap Urban Farming (Kasus pada Kelurahan Sungai Jawi Dalam Pontianak Kota)
2024Geger Nusantara Putera, Erlinda Yurisinthae, Maswadi Maswadi · MIMBAR AGRIBISNIS Jurnal Pemikiran Masyarakat Ilmiah Berwawasan Agribisnis · Indonesia (Pontianak)
This descriptive quantitative study, conducted in Sungai Jawi Dalam sub-district, Pontianak City, analyzed factors influencing urban farming interest using primary data from 32 purposively sampled individuals and Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis. The research found that the "Business Opportunity" variable had no effect on urban farming interest. However, the "Land Use" variable positively affected urban farming interest (p=0.008, original sample value 0.479), explaining 47.9% of the interest.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsValuing ecosystem services of community gardens in developing countries: a case study of Dezful City in Iran
2024Mostafa Baniasadi, Mohammad Eydipour · Nature Conservation · Iran (Dezful)
This study analyzed citizen preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for community garden services in Dezful, Iran, using a choice experiment with 170 respondents in autumn 2022. Results showed citizens were willing to pay 4.57 USD per month, valuing cultural services most, followed by provisioning services. Age, being native, education, household expenditure, and awareness of ecosystem services significantly affected WTP.
CommunityEconomicsBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justice