Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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PRODUÇÃO DE HORTALIÇAS ORGÂNICAS: PROTAGONISMO FEMININO E SUSTENTABILIDADE NA VILA GALVÃO, CASA NOVA - BA
2025Suzana Márcia Souza dos Santos, Clecia Simone Gonçalves Rosa Pacheco · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil
This study analyzed the experience of the Vila Galvão Women Workers' Benevolent Association in Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil, which produces organic vegetables in urban and peri-urban contexts. The study aimed to characterize the productive, commercial, and sociocultural aspects related to organic vegetable production and commercialization, identifying main marketing channels and understanding difficulties faced by producers. It concluded that organic production, combined with collective organization and the strengthening of the solidarity economy, represents a viable alternative for a more just, sustainable, and female-led rural development model.
Economic viabilityCommunityPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicyOptimizing Investments in Alternative Water Infrastructure for Urban Food Production in Water Stressed Cities
2025Qing Zhong, Daoqin Tong, Courtney Crosson, Yinan Zhang, Rashi Bhushan · Water Resources Research · United States
This study developed a spatial optimization model to identify investment strategies for deploying rainwater harvesting (RWH) and reclaimed water systems to expand urban food production in water-stressed cities. Applied to Tucson, Arizona, the model showed that 72%–96% of investment was allocated to rainwater tanks, though RWH contributed only 18%–27% of total food production. The results indicated that expanding the reclaimed water network was more effective and cost-efficient for urban food production compared to implementing rainwater tanks.
Climate changeEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceProfile of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Rio de Janeiro State: Case Study
2025Letícia Englete de Mello, Dirlane de Fátima do Carmo, Daiane Cecchin, Leonardo da Silva Hamacher, Marcel Carvalho Abreu, R. M. Anjos, Mariana Vezzone · Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study investigated the profile of 159 urban and peri-urban agricultural producers across 29 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, using quantitative interviews and statistical analysis. Producers were predominantly men over 50 with limited education, cultivating small plots with organic methods but receiving little technical support. Key challenges identified were a lack of assistance and resources, and urban agriculture's potential is hindered by the absence of effective public policies.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityEconomicsImpulsores e inhibidores de la agricultura urbana a partir de una aproximación diacrónica desde 1821 hasta 2023: el caso de Xalapa (Veracruz, México)
2025Juan Camilo Fontalvo-Buelvas, María Teresa Pulido Silva, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Raúl Romero Ramírez · Memorias · Mexico (Xalapa)
This diachronic study analyzed the drivers and inhibitors of urban agriculture in Xalapa, Mexico, through a historical tracing from 1821 to 2023. Drivers included rural immigration, academia, and government programs, while inhibitors were identified as diversification of trades, ejido laws, remittances, health policies, and food markets.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageUrban Gardening in Latin America and Panama: A New Strategy for Conservation
2025Belma Soto-Fernández, Lurys Bourdett-Stanziola · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Latin America
A documentary review on the importance of urban gardening in Latin America revealed that urban gardening, when approached through the lens of agrobiodiversity, has become a key strategy for safe food production and environmental sustainability. However, it was found that several Latin American countries lack clear and established laws to regulate this activity. Preliminary evidence of rotavirus was detected in fresh vegetables from an urban garden in Panama, indicating that urban gardens can become infection foci capable of causing diseases of public health and veterinary importance.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsPolicyPara além do rural: Hortas Urbanas e Periurbanas como políticas públicas de garantia de segurança alimentar no meio urbano
2025Garcia, Pedro Henrique Lundquist de Souza, Carvalho, Joelson Gonçalves de · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Brazil (São Paulo)
This research, presented at the 10th Conference on Studies of Rural Settlements in July 2025, analyzes the socioeconomic impacts and challenges of urban and peri-urban gardens in Brazil, focusing on a 35-year municipal program in Penápolis, São Paulo. Based on field research and secondary data, preliminary results suggest that production for self-consumption and collective labor strengthen community bonds and reduce food insecurity. The study aims to propose improvements for local public policies.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsEnergy Efficiency of Glasshouses and Plant Factories for Sustainable Urban Farming in the Desert Southwest of the United States of America
2024Md Azad, Nazim Gruda, Most Naznin · Horticulturae · United States (Desert Southwest)
This review assesses how controlled-environment agriculture—controlled glasshouses and building-integrated plant factories—can be sustained in the desert southwest of the United States by evaluating their energy and water efficiency. It reports that roughly 50% of operational energy costs in controlled glasshouses go to cooling, while 25–30% of energy costs in building-integrated plant factories go to artificial lighting. It notes that aeroponic building-integrated plant factories showed superior water and energy efficiency, and that integrating photovoltaic solar energy can significantly reduce energy costs for urban farming.
EconomicsRacial equity and the USDA's Office of Urban Agriculture granting program and urban offices
2024Kristin Reynolds, Cédric Gottfried, Tamarra Thomas · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · United States
This policy brief reports findings from a study examining, through a racial-equity lens, the rollout of the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production established by the 2018 farm bill. Drawing on national surveys, interviews in New York City and Atlanta, GIS mapping, and policy review, it situates the provisions within the USDA's history of discrimination and offers policy recommendations for engaging socially disadvantaged urban farmers.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsScalability of Urban Agriculture
2024Kristin Jones · Enquiry The ARCC Journal for Architectural Research · United States (Chicago)
Taking Alfred Caldwell's mid-century vision of small-scale farming as social empowerment as its starting point, this study examines three distinct urban farming approaches in Chicago—spanning raised-bed farming, aquaponics, hydroponics, and permaculture across a nonprofit, a community group, and a private entrepreneur—to assess their scalability and broader societal and environmental impact. It identifies numerous opportunities for scaling up and concludes that a multi-faceted, multi-scalar framework is needed to grow urban agriculture within resilient cities.
EconomicsCommunityPolicySustainable agriculture impacts in urban settings make the case for federal investments [Policy brief]
2024Hagan Capnerhurst, Hannah Quigley, Jake Hawes · Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development · United States
This policy brief examines the challenges facing urban agriculture in U.S. cities—scant funding, insecure land tenure, and environmental pollution—and profiles the USDA's emerging Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production as a support apparatus. It calls for consistent, permanent federal funding outside the annual budget process to enable tailored technical assistance, reformed grant initiatives, and expanded data collection.
PolicyEconomicsStructural equations modelling applied to the study of Communities Supported Agriculture (CSAs) located in the Southeastern region of Brazil
2024Gustavo Alves de Melo, Luiz Gonzaga de Castro Júnior, Eduardo Gomes Carvalho, Maria Gabriela Mendonça Peixoto, Samuel Borges Barbosa, Patrícia Guarnieri dos Santos, André Luiz Marques Serrano, Lucas Oliveira Gomes Ferreira, José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra · DYNA · Brazil
This descriptive, quantitative study used structural equation modeling to investigate the relationship between various Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) variables in Southeastern Brazil. The study confirmed that socioeconomic characteristics positively influence CSA performance. Limitations included data collection methods and difficulties from the Covid-19 pandemic.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityA agricultura familiar na Região Metropolitana de Fortaleza (RMF), Ceará
2024Iara Rafaela Gomes · Sociedade & natureza · Brazil (Fortaleza)
This article aims to deepen the discussion about agricultural activity in metropolitan cities, focusing on the Fortaleza Metropolitan Area (FMA), Ceará, Brazil. Researchers reviewed primary and secondary data on producer profiles and agricultural and food processing establishments to understand family farming in the FMA. The study identified production strategies, challenges, and opportunities for family farmers, contributing to policy-making for the sustainability and resilience of metropolitan family farming.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceLa aplicación de MESMIS para el impulso de la agricultura urbana yperiurbana en la construcción de territorios sustentables en el Centro deMéxico
2024Silvia Iveth Moreno Gaytán, Héctor Ávila Sánchez · Regiones y Desarrollo Sustentable · Mexico
This research, part of the "Towards food sustainability: Urban and peri-urban agriculture networks in Central Mexico" project, examines rural-urban interrelationships for the sustainability of urban and peri-urban agriculture. The analysis used the MESMIS framework for two case studies of new agroecology-derived markets that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, along with cartographic tools. The results identify the basket of goods offered by peri-urban territories to guide regions and food systems towards sustainability, aiming to strengthen the preservation of social and natural resources in the Central Region of Mexico.
Food sovereignty & justicePeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsMulheres e Agroecologia no Município de São Paulo. Um estudo sobre agricultura em territórios periféricos
2024Clara Camargo · Revista Latino-americana de Geografia e Genero · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study investigates the socioeconomic profile and agroecological production strategies of female urban farmers in São Paulo's peripheral territories, using Feminist Economy Theory and Ecofeminism perspectives. It highlights that while these women are crucial for food security and green spaces, they remain largely invisible in economic theories and have limited access to public policies due to their non-generation of direct monetary income. The methodology included participant observation in RAPPA meetings, semi-structured interviews, and guided tours of women-led production units.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsRénover Cleveland : démolition, racisme et agriculture urbaine dans l’Amérique abandonnée
2024Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)
The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeBiodiversityFood educationElderlyFood lossOrganic cyclePollinatorsHeirloom & landraceFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureDIYCompostFood educationWelfareElderlyFood lossOrganic cycleCommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsPolicyHealthEconomicsHeirloom & landraceUrban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureESTUDO DE IMPLANTACAO DE AGRICULTURA URBANA EM EDIFICIOS COMERCIAIS DESOCUPADOS EM SAO PAULO
2024Carolina Ceci Moino Alves Theodoro · Arte 21 · Brazil (São Paulo)
This study evaluated São Paulo's current food supply system and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial property vacancies due to remote work. It presented national and international urban agriculture examples through bibliographic surveys. These examples can guide strategies for São Paulo to enhance food security and urban resilience, ensuring long-term supply during systemic stresses, natural disasters, and pandemics.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsPolicyMidwestern specialty crop impacts on the environment and health: a scoping review
2024Laura E. Balis, Emily Shaw, Whitney Fung Uy, Katie Nelson, Maryan Isack, Laura Flournoy, Daniele Vest, Jessie Deelo, Amy L. Yaroch · Agriculture & Food Security · United States
This scoping review examined the environmental and health impacts of locally distributed specialty crops in the Midwestern United States, analyzing 9 grey and 19 peer-reviewed sources. While specialty crops positively impacted nutritional intake for diverse populations, the effectiveness of production practices on soil and plant quality and greenhouse gas emissions was mixed. The review concluded that more rigorous study designs with long-term follow-up are needed.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityHealthEconomicsClimate changePromising Nature-Based Solutions to Support Climate Adaptation of Arizona’s Local Food Entrepreneurs and Optimize One Health
2024Yevheniia Varyvoda, Taylor Ann Foerster, Joona Mikkola, Matthew M. Mars · Sustainability · United States (Arizona)
This multi-method study in Southern Arizona, USA, explored the adoption of nature-based solutions (NbS) by local food entrepreneurs (LFEs) for climate adaptation. The findings revealed that existing NbS were primarily introduced through learning-by-doing practices, which were constrained by economic and technological resource limitations. Priority adaptation pathways identified for NbS included funding, financing, and knowledge co-creation, with LFEs likely to adopt NbS based on their ability to address climate issues and generate revenue.
Economic viabilityClimate changeEconomicsHealthCommunityPresencia y aportaciones de la pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.) en los huertos familiares de Oaxaca
2024Yolanda Donají Ortiz-Hernández, Marco Aurelio Acevedo-Ortiz, Fernando Elí Ortiz Hernández, María Elena Tavera Cortés · · Mexico (Oaxaca)
A study in Oaxaca, Mexico, documented the selection process of pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.) in family gardens. It was observed that women establish and care for pitahaya in family gardens, while both men and women are involved in commercial gardens. Women and/or producers select, exchange, propagate, and cultivate pitahaya stems to achieve better prices and profits. The findings suggest that pitahaya can be established alongside other agricultural crops to promote product diversification and provide economic benefits to families.
DIYCommunityEconomicsAS DINÂMICAS SOCIOESPACIAIS E AS REPRESENTAÇÕES DA RURALIDADE EM GOIATUBA (GO)
2024Amanda Silva Almeida, Antônio Ananias Nogueira Netto · Espaço em Revista · Brazil
This 2024 study in Goiatuba, Brazil, investigated the spatial configuration and manifestations of rurality, analyzing the implications of rural modernization. Using bibliographic research, secondary data analysis, field work with interviews, and participant observation, it found a high presence of rural elements in Goiatuba, including urban agriculture, traditional foods, and animal husbandry, which are important for local identity. The study also noted the municipality's economic importance in the agrarian sector, particularly sugar-energy, with a significant flow of workers between city and countryside.
Urban–rural linkageCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceUrbanización e industrialización en zonas periurbanas: el caso de una asociación de Carapongo (Lurigancho, Lima)
2024Cavani Guzmán, Pierina · Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences (University of Skopje) · Peru (Lima)
This article discusses the impact of urbanization and industrialization processes on peri-urban agricultural production in the Nuevo Horizonte de Carapongo association in Lurigancho, Lima, Peru. The research analyzes the development of these phenomena and their relationship with the changes generated in the agricultural production of the area, contributing to the academic discussion on the deagrarianization process of peri-urban spaces.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsWho's near the local food? A regional proximity analysis of short food supply chain types in southern New England
2024Shawn A. Trivette, Shannon McCarragher · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (New England)
This paper examined three types of locally oriented Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs) in southern New England and their spatial alignment with demographic factors. The findings indicate that pay-as-you-go operations are more prevalent in predominantly White areas and, to some extent, higher-income areas. Box share arrangements (community-supported agricultures) showed stronger associations with educational attainment. The study concludes that local food availability is a systematically uneven phenomenon, varying with both outlet type and social characteristics.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareCultivating Urban Agriculture Policies: Local Government Entrepreneurs’ Strategies in Three Brazilian Cities
2024Marcela Alonso Ferreira, Giselle Kristina Mendonça Abreu, Camila Nastari Fernandes, Vitória Oliveira Pereira de Souza Leão, Jaqueline da Luz Ferreira, Juliana Ramos Luiz · Urban Planning · Brazil
This study examined how local government actors pursue urban agriculture (UA) policies in the Brazilian cities of Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and Curitiba, using a comparative case study approach based on key informant interviews and documents. It found that certain municipal bureaucrats act as "policy entrepreneurs," playing pivotal roles in creating, maintaining, and adapting UA policies. They employ strategies such as collaborating with civil society, forging partnerships within and outside of government, and framing proposals within international policy guidelines.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsUrban farming and food supply: A comparative review of USA and African cities
2024Adekunle Stephen Toromade, Deborah Aanuoluwa Soyombo, Eseoghene Kupa, Tochukwu Ignatius Ijomah · International Journal of Advanced Economics · United States
This comparative review examines urban farming dynamics and its impact on food supply in the United States and African cities. It explores challenges and opportunities, considering factors such as infrastructure, socio-economic conditions, and agricultural practices in both regions. The review highlights policies and technological advancements in the USA, while discussing rapid urbanization and limited resources as challenges in African contexts.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityDigital agricultureCSA & TeikeiPlacing community supported agriculture in local food systems
2024Jairus Rossi, Tim Woods · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · United States
This study examined the perceived links between Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and local food systems (LFSs) among consumers in 13 communities in the Southeastern United States, using survey responses. It found that residents were more aware of CSA if they knew about other direct markets or were exposed to local food campaigns. Consumers also evaluated CSA performance more positively if they had similar evaluations of direct markets and experience with on-farm activities, with these patterns varying by location.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justice