Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
301 results(3 / 13)
Evaluation Methodologies for Circular Economy in Municipal Composting and Urban Agriculture: a Literature Review with Focus on Latin America
2025Sofía Aguado, Helena Cotler, Marta Astier, Alejandro Padilla‐Rivera · Circular Economy and Sustainability · Latin America
This literature review examined methodologies applicable to municipal composting systems linked to urban agricultural production, with a specific focus on the Latin American context. It revealed a lack of structured methodologies to assess the circularity of municipal organic waste management systems and their connection with urban agriculture, particularly in heterogeneous contexts like Latin American cities, despite numerous existing evaluation methods. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is commonly used but often prioritizes environmental impacts, neglecting social, economic, and circularity dimensions.
Methodological critiqueCompostOrganic cycleEconomicsClimate changeRooftop Garden, A Way for Food and Nutrition Security for The Semi-Urban City of Pabna, Bangladesh
2025Taslima Arzu, Md. Ariful Kabir Sujan, S.M. Symon Bappy, Rupam Mitra, Suparna Das Toma, Vulon Prosad · Plant Science Archives · Bangladesh
This study surveyed 62 household and rooftop garden owners in Pabna City, Bangladesh, to examine the benefits of rooftop gardening. Findings indicate that rooftop gardens reduced household waste by an average of 887.1g and met 41% of fertilizer demand by using biodegradable waste. Participants reported improved psychological well-being (83.9%) and increased vigor (77.4%), with anxiety and depression reduced or neutral. Rooftop gardening generated an average yearly income of 14,750 BDT, with a net income of 1293.5 BDT, and provided 387.5 kg of fruits and vegetables for household consumption, proving to be a profitable activity.
DIYCompostElderlyHealthDelmarva Power awards grant to support community sustainability initiatives.
2025· Corporate Philanthropy Report · United States (Delaware and Maryland)
Delmarva Power and the Delaware Nature Society awarded $40,000 in grants in 2024 through their Sustainable Community Grants program in Delaware and Maryland. These grants support projects in reforestation, sustainable transportation, affordable housing, and composting. Over the past four years, the program has provided more than $235,000 in total funding.
CommunityCompostExploring Digitalized Food Waste Management and Urban Farming Sustainability through the Sustainability Tracker 360 in Malaysian Vocational Colleges
2025Zi Jian Oh, Ainul Hayat Abdul Razak · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · Malaysia
An exploratory study in five Malaysian vocational colleges investigated the Sustainability Tracker 360, a digital dashboard for monitoring food waste management and urban farming. Composting systems converted 43.35 kg of food waste into 12.95 kg of organic fertilizer (29.9% conversion rate), supporting 150 potted plants. Digital monitoring strengthened accountability, fostered long-term engagement, and deepened sustainability awareness among participants.
CompostDigital agricultureFood educationOrganic cycleBiochar-based organic substrates enhance tomato growth by promoting specific microbial communities in rooftop farming
2025Miguel de Celis, Laura L. de Sosa, Giuseppe Picca, Noelia González‐Polo, Cristina Gómez Ruano, Luciano Beneduce, Claudio Zaccone, Marco Panettieri · Environmental Microbiome · Global
The influence of different organic substrates on tomato growth and its associated microbial community was studied in an open-air rooftop farming setup. Combinations of peat with compost derived from seaweed biomass or coffee byproducts (50% of volume), and how biochar-blending altered these compositions, were evaluated. Substrate properties were mainly defined by the compost feedstocks, and biochar blending had a minor influence on substrate composition, though it enhanced tomato yield. Compost feedstock had a greater impact on microbial communities, and the abundance of bacteria and fungi associated with composted seaweed biomass was positively associated with tomato yield.
CompostOrganic cycleBiodiversityImpact of waste from the municipal slaughterhouse in Nkongsamba on plant diversity (Littoral-Cameroon)
2025Yanick Borel Kamga Valerie Njitat Tsama* · Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES) · Cameroon (Nkongsamba)
This study assessed the impact of untreated waste from the municipal slaughterhouse in Nkongsamba, Cameroon, on vegetation by conducting floristic inventories at upstream, near, and downstream sites. Twenty-five 100 m2 plots were established at each site, revealing a total of 105 species from 79 genera and 41 families. The downstream site exhibited the highest species richness with 81 species, 70 genera, and 35 families, but these results showed a dominance of ruderal taxa and pollution bio-indicators like Commelina benghalensis and Tithonia diversifolia, reflecting ecological disturbance of the plant environment.
Environmental trade-offsCompostOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkageLow Carbon Adaptation through Community Composting
2025Wang, Junrong · Digital Commons - RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) · Global
This project uses landscape architecture to reduce carbon emissions from restaurants by implementing compost gardens that shorten compost transportation routes. These gardens, placed on roofs and at ground-level, create new local food sources to replace distant shipments and provide materials for organic pesticides, reducing carbon-intensive VOC emissions. The compost gardens are integrated into existing parking lots and vacant lots, forming a community garden network.
CompostCommunityClimate changeFood miles & supply chainLong-Term Manure Application in Urban Gardens: Impacts on Soil Fertility, Mineral Composition, and Variability
2025Rafael López Núñez, Paula Madejón, José Molina-Vega, Sabina Rossini-Oliva · Horticulturae · Global
This study investigated soil variability in two sections of an urban allotment garden subjected to long-term manure fertilization for 12 or 16 years, with application rates up to 10–12 kg m−2 yr−1. Prolonged manure incorporation enhanced soil fertility, increasing organic carbon, total-N, available-K, and total/available-P, and caused shifts in mineral composition with increases in Ca, inorganic C, Sr, and S. No accumulation of potentially toxic elements was observed, but pronounced spatial heterogeneity emerged among plots, with coefficients of variation up to 58% for S and 47% for Zn.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityEnhancing urban waste sustainability through community-driven composting in São Paulo megacity
2024Amato-Lourenço L.F., Franca G.C., Seckler M.M., Mauad T. · Environmental Challenges, 14:100864 · Brazil
An analysis of a resident-led, decentralized community composting initiative begun in 2018 in São Paulo, using thermophilic decomposition (the UFSC method) in public squares. It presents a civil-society-driven waste-management model with positive environmental and social outcomes.
CompostOrganic cycleCommunityPolicyLearning with compost: digging down into food waste, urban soils and community
2024Edwards F., Mercer H. · Local Environment (Taylor & Francis), 29(10) · Global
An ethnographic study of ShareWaste, an online community-composting platform in Sydney and Canberra that connects food-waste donors directly with households hosting compost heaps to divert waste from landfill. Drawing on environmental humanities and discard studies, it explores the relationships among people, soil, compost, and food waste and the community-building these practices foster.
CompostOrganic cycleFood lossCommunityTrace Metal Contamination in Community Garden Soils across the United States
2024Maeve Malone, Kabindra M. Shakya · Sustainability · United States
This paper reviews the state of heavy metal contamination (such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium) in community garden soils across the United States, noting that gardeners are exposed through pathways such as inhalation and ingestion. It states that contamination hot spots are higher in city areas with greater minority populations and lower incomes. The review outlines mitigation approaches including applying biochar and compost, using raised beds, and maintaining a natural pH.
HealthCommunityCompostSoil microbial activity profiles associated with organic compost fertilizers in an urban garden
2024Carolyn A. Zeiner, Maria N. Kisch, Ethan D. Lynch, Paliza Shrestha, Gaston E. Small · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Minnesota)
This study characterized soil microbial activity profiles—microbial abundance, soil respiration, extracellular enzyme activity, and crop yield—in an urban agriculture system in Minnesota, USA, using recycled organic compost (manure or municipal) at high or low rates. A high application rate of manure compost supported 6–10× higher basal respiration, and microbial biochemical function predicted 50% of the variability in bell pepper yield while community size alone was a poor predictor, indicating that "more is better" does not necessarily hold for soil microbial health.
CompostOrganic cycleMunicipal Solid Waste Management in a Decentralized Composting Scenario: Assessment of the Process Reproducibility and Quality of the Obtained Composts
2024· Agronomy · Global
Assesses the reproducibility of the composting process and the quality of composts obtained under a decentralized municipal solid waste composting scenario.
DIYCompostCommunitySelection and evaluation of optimal medium for Eisenia fetida in sustainable waste recycling
2024· Discover Animals · Global
Selects and evaluates the optimal medium for the earthworm Eisenia fetida in sustainable waste recycling.
DIYCompostUrban food waste for soil amendment? Analysis of waste-based compost for urban agriculture in Rosario, Argentina
2024· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · South America
Study examining the use of urban food waste compost in urban agriculture in Rosario, Argentina. Analyzes waste-to-resource conversion and organic cycling potential.
Organic cycleFood lossCompostDIYUrban food waste for soil amendment? Analysis and characterisation of waste-based compost for soil fertility management in agroecological horticultural production systems in the city of Rosario, Argentina
2024Terrile R., Martinez N., Brunotto F., Rizzi M., Scarpeci T., Tornaghi C. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Rosario, Argentina
Analyses and characterises urban waste-based composts used on two city farms in Rosario, evaluating their use for soil fertility management in agroecological horticultural production.
Food lossCompostOrganic cycleMunicipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA
2024Yang et al. · GeoHealth · United States (Massachusetts)
Decadal study of Boston's municipal composting program. Lead concentrations consistently exceeded EPA soil benchmarks. Program halted in 2012. Highlights importance of compost safety for urban agriculture.
CompostHealthOrganic cycleTackling Historical Inequities in Urban Organic Waste and Composting
2024Boston University School of Public Health · Boston University School of Public Health · United States
Examines historical inequities in urban organic waste and composting access. Highlights disparities in low-income and communities of color. Advocates for equitable policy design and implementation.
CompostPolicyHealthThe Extraction and Characterization of Microplastics of Biocompost and Water Samples Collected from the Different Semi-Urban Agronurseries
2024Roopika Sivaraman, Haritha Thulaseedharan Nair, Sharmila Krishnan, Perumal Siddhuraju · Soil and Sediment Contamination An International Journal · India (Coimbatore)
This study analyzed biocompost and water samples from four agricultural nurseries in semi-urban Coimbatore, India, for microplastic contamination using density separation and ATR-FTIR. While physicochemical properties met Indian standards, microplastic fragments (85%) and fibers (15%) were found in two biocompost samples (BC-B and BC-C), identifying PMMA, PP, and EVA polymers. No microplastics were detected in samples BC-A and BC-D, but the findings suggest semi-urban agricultural gardening may contribute to microplastic accumulation in terrestrial environments, potentially harming soil and plant health.
Contamination & food safetyCompostOrganic cycleHealthClosing the nutrient cycle in urban areas: The use of municipal solid waste in peri-urban and urban agriculture
2024Juan David Arosemena Polo, Susana Toboso‐Chavero, Biraj Adhikari, Gara Villalba · Waste Management · Spain (Barcelona)
This research determined the potential of organic municipal solid waste (OMSW) compost to supply nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) demand for urban agriculture (UA) and its environmental benefits in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain. Using spatial material flow analysis and life cycle assessment, it was found that the current waste management system could substitute 8% of total NPK demand with compost, reduce impacts by up to 39%, and yield 130% savings in global warming. A 2025 scenario could substitute 21% of NPK demand and reduce environmental impacts by up to 1,049%.
Organic cycleCompostPeri-urban agriculturePolicyClimate changePENERAPAN REAKTOR PENGADUK SEBAGAI TEKNOLOGI TEPAT GUNA UNTUK PENGOLAHAN AIR LIMBAH INDUSTRI RUMAH POTONG AYAM
2024Rositayanti Hadisoebroto, Sheilla Megagupita Putri Marendra, Olivia Seanders, Ahmad Rheza, Kendrick Kevin Kabe, Salsabila Azzahra Anjani Indradini · JUARA Jurnal Wahana Abdimas Sejahtera · Indonesia (Jakarta)
In Angke Village, West Jakarta, chicken slaughterhouse wastewater had BOD, COD, and TSS levels exceeding environmental standards. A community service program by Universitas Trisakti aimed to manage this wastewater and empower PKK mothers. The program included training on urban farming using treated wastewater as fertilizer, making biocoagulants from moringa seeds, and using a stirred reactor with biocoagulants to treat wastewater. The stirred reactor, using 100 mL of moringa seed biocoagulant, reduced BOD to 0.34 mg/L and TSS to 0.557 mg/L, but COD remained above the standard at 640 mg/L. The resulting sludge, with COD 320 mg/L and turbidity 475 NTU, can be used as fertilizer for vegetables and ornamental plants.
CommunityFood educationOrganic cycleCompostRénover 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 agricultureMunicipal solid waste management in Ethiopia – Physical and chemical compositions and generation rate: Systematic review
2024Tsegay Kahsay Gebrekidan, Gebremariam Gebrezgabher Gebremedhin, Abraha Kahsay Weldemariam, Meaza Kidane Teferi · Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association · Ethiopia
A systematic review of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in Ethiopia found a generation rate of 0.38 kg/ca/day, with waste predominantly composed of food waste, ash, dust, sand, and yard waste. Over 85% of this waste is reusable or recyclable, with 73.13% being organic matter. Despite suitability for composting and biogas, challenges include a lack of political will, weak municipal planning, and inadequate infrastructure, resulting in only 31.8% of MSW being legally collected.
CompostOrganic cycleEconomicsCombination of composted poultry manure and inorganic fertilizers enhance growth and yield of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in a rooftop growing system
2024Moomtahina Rahman, Md. Alauddin, G. M. Mohsin, Md. Amirul Alam, M. K. Rahman · The Journal of Phytology · Global
An experiment investigated the combined impacts of composted poultry manure (CPM) and inorganic fertilizers on tomato growth and yield under rooftop growing conditions. The experiment used a completely randomized design with eight treatments and three replications. NPK fertilizers alone and CPM combined with NPK fertilizers greatly improved tomato plant growth and fruit yield, with maximum yields (68 t ha-1) and economic benefits achieved with 4 t ha-1 CPM and 100% recommended doses of NPK fertilizers.
CompostOrganic cycleDIYPractising urban agriculture positively influences household organic waste management habits: A quantitative study from Florianópolis, Brazil
2024Gianluca Di Fiore, Kathrin Specht, Cesare Zanasi, Óscar José Rover · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Brazil (Florianópolis)
A study in Florianópolis, Brazil, surveyed 206 individuals (102 urban agriculture practitioners, 104 non-practitioners) to analyze the influence of urban agriculture on household organic waste management behaviors. The findings indicate that urban agriculture practitioners are more likely to separate and self-treat organic waste and use compost for gardening, regardless of housing conditions. Housing conditions, however, influenced the use of public facilities for organic waste management.
Organic cycleCompostDIYCommunity