Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
940 results(29 / 38)
The Efficacy Assessment and Manufacture of Kitchen Garden Soil Using Livestock Manure for an Urban Agriculture
2015Jong-Jin Lee, Ki Woon Chang, Ki-Pil Han, Joo-Hwa Hong, Dong‐Soek Lee, Young‐Jun Kim · 유기물 자원화 · South Korea
This study manufactured kitchen garden soil for urban agriculture and conducted a growth experiment with lettuce. Soil mixed with peatmoss, livestock manure, cocopeat, zeolite, and microbial fertilizer in a 49:35:10:5:1 ratio showed appropriate levels for pH, total nitrogen, available phosphate, cations, and salt content. In the lettuce growth experiment using this manufactured soil, leaf length increased by 21%, leaf width by 20%, chlorophyll content by 17%, and biomass by 22% compared to the control group.
DIYOrganic cycleUrbanization and soil nutrient challenges and opportunities: lessons from Malawian cities.
2015David Mkwambisi, Andrew J. Dougill, Philip Antwi‐Agyei, C. P. Chabvuta · CABI eBooks · Malawi
Research in Lilongwe and Blantyre, Malawi, assessed urban agriculture's potential to improve soil quality, crop yields, and livelihoods. Preliminary evidence showed urban waste could address food insecurity and soil nutrient benefits, but several constraints in waste management were identified. City authorities are not proactively utilizing organic municipal waste for soil quality and agricultural production benefits.
Governance failureOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCompostRecycling urban waste as possible use for rooftop vegetable garden
2015Baptiste Grard, N. Bel, Marchal, Nicolas, Frédéric Madre, Jean‐François Castell, Philippe Cambier, Sabine Houot, Nastaran Manouchehri, Stéphane Besançon, Jean‐Charles Michel, Claire Chenu, Nathalie Frascaria‐Lacoste, Christine Aubry · Kobra (Universitätsbibliothek Kassel) · France (Paris)
A 2012 pilot experiment in Paris, France, tested simple rooftop gardening systems using local urban organic waste as crop substrates. Measurements of production levels and heavy metal content in crops and substrates showed high crop production with limited inputs, low heavy metal pollutants in edible parts, and positive yield influence from layered substrates and earthworm inoculation. These results suggest rooftop gardening is feasible and has potential for urban resiliency, though further assessment of roof types, pollution levels, and sustainability is needed.
DIYCompostOrganic cycleHealthOrganic Urban Agriculture
2015Klaus Lorenz · Soil Science · Global
Urban agriculture (UA) engages approximately 800 million people globally and covers over 67 million hectares of urban cropland. While UA contributes to food security, growing food in urban ecosystems, particularly on degraded urban soils, presents challenges. Past research on UA has focused on social sciences, and although studies on urban soils have increased, many urban areas remain neglected. Further research and dissemination of knowledge are needed on how to maintain or enhance urban soil fertility through soil and land-use management practices.
Limited or null effectOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityCompostMunicipal solid waste composts as organic inputs in vegetable gardening cropping systems in Mahajanga, Madagascar. [P141]
2015Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Heriniaina Ramahefarison, Dominique Massé · · Madagascar (Mahajanga)
Two experiments in Mahajanga, Madagascar, compared municipal solid waste (MSW) composts with conventional organic inputs (poultry or pig manure) in leaf cropping systems over two three-month seasons. MSW composts resulted in yields higher than pig manure and urea, and similar to poultry manure. However, monitoring soil mineral nitrogen levels revealed significant accumulation under certain conditions, indicating a possible source of environmental pollution by nitrates.
CompostOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureAgricultura urbana e conservação da agrobiodiversidade: um estudo de caso Cáceres, Mato Grosso
2015Luciene Rodrigues, Maria Antônia Carniello · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This study aimed to document the use and agricultural management practices of tuberous plants by residents in urban backyards in Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil, using semi-structured interviews. Nine species were recorded, including Manihot esculenta, with carrot, sweet potato, ginger, and saffron cited for medicinal use (8.3% to 16.6%). Planting followed seasons and lunar phases, and soil fertility was corrected with organic fertilizer and sawdust.
BiodiversityDIYOrganic cycleANÁLISE DE AÇÕES EXTENSIONISTAS NA IMPLANTAÇÃO DE HORTAS ESCOLARES DE BASE ECOLÓGICA, SEUS EFEITOS E DESAFIOS NO CONTEXTO EDUCACIONAL
2015José Tobias Marks Machado, Jeferson Tonin, Evandro Pedro Schneider · SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología · Brazil
This study, conducted in two schools in Cerro Largo - RS, Brazil, during 2013, performed a post-implementation analysis of ecologically based school gardens introduced through a university extension program. Positive results included the proliferation of similar projects. However, significant difficulties were emphasized in integrating the school gardens with disciplinary education, attributed to existing conservatism in the educational context.
Governance failureFood educationCommunityHealthOrganic cycleLa construcció discursiva de la competència ecociutadana a l'escola primària: la realització d'un disseny tecnològic col·laboratiu a l'hort escolar agroecològic
2015Miren Rekondo Iparraguirre · TDX (Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa) · Europe
This doctoral thesis explores the development of eco-citizenship competence in school gardens, specifically through collaborative technological design activities. Elementary school students designed and assembled an irrigation system for their school garden over ten activities. Analysis showed students integrated elements from various design proposals without exclusive opposition, and that design conflicts led to a more dynamic and complex garden model. The study also found differences in argumentative discourse structure and dynamics between scientific argumentation and technological design activities.
Food educationCommunityDIYOrganic cycleО перспективах применения растительной земли на основе компостов из древесно-растительных остатков в городском озеленении
2015А А Золотаревский, И И Прокопович · Лесной вестник / Forestry bulletin · Russia (Moscow)
This article explores the potential of composts made from woody-plant waste (WPW) as an alternative to expensive organic additives for urban gardening in Moscow. It suggests that composting WPW can provide a cost-effective solution for preparing fertile soil, which is crucial for plant survival in urban environments. Modern composting technologies allow for the mechanization of WPW composting, producing vegetable earth suitable for planting trees.
CompostOrganic cyclePolicyEconomicsAcciones de Mejora para el Manejo Actual de los Residuos Solidos en los Barrios Manatial y Triangulo Alto Localidad de San Cristobal Sur en la Ciudad de Bogotá
2015Juan Sebastián Muñoz Castiblanco, José Francisco Landinez Cardona · · Colombia (Bogotá)
In the Manantial and Triangulo Alto neighborhoods of Bogotá, serious problems in solid waste management necessitate solutions involving the community and public sanitation companies. This project proposes diagnosing the current state of waste and, based on the findings, implementing an environmental education campaign with an emphasis on urban agriculture and vermiculture. It also aims to improve community collection centers and promote the use of various household materials.
CommunityOrganic cycleFood educationUrban food systems
2015J.S.C. Wiskerke · · Global
This chapter focuses on urban food supplies and the challenges of managing waste flows from urban households and markets in developing countries. Large amounts of municipal solid waste, human excreta, and wastewater are produced, most of which end up in non-engineered landfills or pollute the urban environment. It is noted that these wastes pollute the urban environment, especially in low-income countries with less developed sanitation infrastructure.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleCompostFood lossHealthGREEN ONION (ALLIUM CEPA L.) AND JEWS MALLOW (CORCHORUS OLITORIUS) PRODUCTION IN SUBSTRATES IN URBAN AGRICULTURE
2015· Journal of Biological Chemistry and Environmental Sciences · Egypt (Cairo)
A study conducted over two seasons (2011/2012 and 2012/2013) at Ain Shams University in Cairo investigated the effects of four growing substrates on green onion and Jews mallow production. Green onion growth, yield, lipid, fiber, and total sugar content were highest in peatmoss + vermiculite substrate, while Jews mallow growth, yield, total carbohydrates, protein, ash, energy, sugars, indoles, and vitamin C content were highest in clay substrate. The study recommends peatmoss + vermiculite for green onions and clay substrate for Jews mallow.
DIYHealthOrganic cycleProductive Synergies in the City
2015Greg Keeffe · Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) · United Kingdom
This chapter focuses on developing sustainable growing infrastructure at two scales: a large-scale city-wide fuel-productive landscape using algae arrays in Liverpool and a hyper-localized neighborhood food production system in Salford, UK, utilizing a closed-cycle aquaponic system. The author proposes a three-part model for urban agriculture implementation—hardware, software, and interface—concluding that urban agriculture should be viewed as a process rather than a static design, with benefits extending beyond physical outputs like energy and food.
Organic cycleCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeSpatial Heterogeneity Of Urban Soils: The Case Of The Beijing Metropolitan Region, China
2015· Urban Ecology · China (Beijing)
This article discusses the pivotal role of soil in urban green spaces (UGS) for maintaining urban ecosystem services, including food production, in the Beijing Metropolitan Region. Urban soils serve as large pools of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements, supporting plant growth and biogeochemical cycles. Quantifying soil properties and understanding soil conditions are essential for assessing UGS ecosystem services and detecting pollution.
BiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageManagement of poultry waste and its implications on urban vegetable production in Metropolitan Lagos
2015Vide Adedayo · Journal of Research in National Development · Nigeria (Lagos)
This study investigated poultry waste management in urban vegetable farms in Metropolitan Lagos from an ecosystem to human health perspective. Using a transdisciplinary approach, community participation, and socio-cultural, physiochemical, microbiological, and clinical information, the research revealed negative impacts and health problems associated with poultry waste management due to poor storage, composting, and packaging techniques. Consequently, adverse effects on users were identified.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealth연구논문 : 서계 박세당(西溪朴世堂) 색경(穡經)에 표방된 현대 도시농업적 가치에 관한 연구
2015임정언, 성종상 · 한국전통조경학회지 · South Korea
This study examined the agricultural philosophy of Seogye Park Sedang and his treatise Saekgyeong (1676) from the Joseon Dynasty, considering its relevance to modern urban agriculture. The research identified four values: socio-economic for small farmers' stability and self-reliance, experiential for agricultural practice as learning, environmental for adapting to nature, and practical for sharing wisdom. These values align with modern urban agriculture's potential contributions to welfare, education, ecological restoration, and knowledge sharing.
CommunityFood educationOrganic cycleWelfareWorld Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) in the United States: locations and motivations of volunteer tourism host farms
2014· Journal of Sustainable Tourism · United States
Analyzes the locations and motivations of WWOOF volunteer-tourism host farms in the US, finding host distributions are spatially skewed toward the west coast and Appalachia.
EconomicsOrganic cycleCommunityFarmers perception on excreta reuse for peri-urban agriculture in southern Ghana
2014Nimoh Fred, Ohene-Yankyera Kwasi, Poku Kofi, Konradsen Flemming, Claude-François Robert · Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics · Ghana
A study in Ghana's Shai-Osudoku district investigated farmers' attitudes toward excreta reuse for peri-urban agriculture, surveying 400 randomly selected respondents. A majority of respondents disagreed that excreta are waste and were willing to use them as fertilizer. However, a majority also agreed that excreta can pose health risks, and perceptions on reuse differed among households.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleHealthEffets de l’apport de produits résiduaires organiques sur le stockage de carbone, les émissions de gaz à effet de serre et la lixiviation du nitrate dans les sols agricoles périurbains
2014Emmanuelle Vaudour, Christine Aubry, Liliane Bel, Laëtitia Bréchet, Philippe Cambier, Yves Coquet, Karim Dhaouadi, Veronique V. Etievant, Benoît Gabrielle, Jean-Marc J.-M. Gilliot, Jean Christophe Gueudet, Dalila Hadjar, Jonas Hamiache, Sabine Houot, Christophe Labat, Patricia Laville, Raia Silvia Massad, Joël Michelin, Paul Emile Noirot Cosson, Jean-Noël Rampon · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · France
The PROSTOCK project aimed to spatially assess the potential of recycling organic waste (exogenous organic matter, EOM) to improve soil organic carbon stocks (SCS) in peri-urban agricultural areas. It also evaluated the impacts of EOM use on greenhouse gas emissions and nitrate leaching. The Versailles Plain and Alluets Plateau (221 km²) were chosen as the study region, with field and lab measurements collected from over 250 point locations. The project advanced the use of imaging data for estimating topsoil organic carbon content (SOC) from soil reflectance spectra, but found that medium spatial resolution multispectral satellite images do not discriminate changes in SOC resulting from EOM applications.
Organic cycleCompostClimate changePeri-urban agricultureMission San Jose Well Initiative
2014Mary Foran, Nonda Kozas, Daniel Lafranchi · Scholar Commons (Santa Clara University) · United States (California)
The Mission San Jose Well Initiative is a community-based project in Fremont, California, aiming to develop a sustainable irrigation system for a community garden. The system will utilize one of three wells on the Dominican Sisters' Convent property, employing a submersible solar-powered pump to deliver water to a storage tank, which then supplies the garden and other areas via a timer. The project focuses on environmental and water resource design, balancing budget, functionality, and location.
CommunityClimate changeOrganic cycleEvaluation of Urban Agricultural Land Use Efficiency based on Urban Agricultural Multi-Functionality—a Case Study of Xi'an City
2014Yu Wang · · China (Xi'an)
This paper constructed indicators for urban agricultural land use efficiency by incorporating urban agricultural ecosystem service indexes and evaluating their values in Xi'an city using the DEA method, analyzing temporal and spatial changes. Results showed that economic efficiency of agricultural land use gradually increased from 2010 to 2012, reaching 1 in 2011 and 2012, with social and eco-efficiency both in good conditions, indicating increasingly significant urban agriculture service functions. However, economic efficiency decreased spatially from urban core to suburban and rural areas, while social efficiency remained generally high, and eco-efficiency diminished from the city to surrounding counties.
EconomicsCommunityBiodiversityOrganic cycleOrganic in Cape Town - fresh food security revolution : organic farmers
2014Carol Posthumus · SABI Magazine - Tydskrif · South Africa (Cape Town)
Abalimi Bezekhaya, a community-supported agricultural organization in Cape Town, operates a network of approximately 5000 small-scale organic farmers across various areas of the Cape Flats. The organization views the city as a farm, contributing to fresh food security.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cyclePracticing urban agriculture on campus : integrating the LFS Garden with the Faculty of Land and Food Systems community
2014Jessica Chen, Shawn DiPardo, Yuliana Hermanto, Amy Jennermann, Lyviana Mananta, Sharon Lee, Alanna Jean Schroeder · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This student project at the University of British Columbia focused on expanding the LFS Garden to enhance organic production, provide food, and offer interdisciplinary learning opportunities. The group reviewed literature and consulted stakeholders to devise a business proposal for the garden's development, covering aspects like management, layout, and educational integration. The project also designed a garden layout and established a garden management committee.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleDIYUrban cultivation in allotments maintains soil qualities adversely affected by conventional agriculture
2014Jill L. Edmondson, Zoe G. Davies, Kevin J. Gaston, Jonathan R. Leake · Journal of Applied Ecology · United Kingdom
This study compared soil quality indicators (soil organic carbon storage, total nitrogen, C:N ratio, and bulk density) in urban allotments, surrounding agricultural land, and other urban greenspaces in a typical UK city. Allotment soils showed 32% higher soil organic carbon concentrations and 36% higher C:N ratios than pastures and arable fields, and 25% higher total nitrogen and 10% lower bulk density than arable soils. The study reported no significant difference in soil organic carbon concentration between allotments and urban non-domestic greenspaces, but it was higher in domestic gardens beneath woody vegetation.
CommunityOrganic cycleClimate benefits and environmental challenges related to urban food systems
2014S.J.E. Verzandvoort, G. Mol, Suzanne van der Meulen, Niels van Oostrom · Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) · Global
This literature review collected knowledge on the potential benefits of urban agriculture within local food systems for climate change mitigation and adaptation. It found that the effects of urban agriculture depend on the specific agricultural practice and the difference from previous land use. Certain types of urban agriculture can alter the urban environment, influencing climate adaptation or contributing to mitigation through lower energy inputs.
Climate changeOrganic cycle