Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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3623 results(31 / 145)
A sustainable livelihood pathway for urban carrot gardening in Ghana
2024Ebenezer Osei Jones, G. Henneh, Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum, Fred Ankuyi, Pascal Benson Atiglah, P.A. Abowen · SVU-International Journal of Agricultural Sciences · Ghana (Mampong)
This study investigated the adoption of carrot cultivation practices in urban areas and their impact on sustainable livelihoods, surveying 384 carrot farmers in the Mampong municipality, Ghana. Farmer training showed a significant positive influence on farmers' ability to obtain seeds from reliable sources and measure planting depth. Regression analysis revealed that post-harvest practices and distance to market significantly predict the sustainable livelihoods of the farmers.
EconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareTHE REQUALIFICATION OF THE URBAN SPACE OF DELLY IBRAHIM IN ALGIERS BY PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE
2024Bacha Nesrine, Hadj Mohamed Naima · International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science · Algeria (Algiers)
Algerian cities face uncontrolled urbanization, with Algiers experiencing a reduction in agricultural area per inhabitant from 0.82 hectares in 1962 to 0.18 hectares in 2010. This study, using historical analyses, interviews, and field observations, assessed the integration of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Delly Ibrahim to restore ecological and economic balance and enhance local food security. Findings indicate that UPA can play a crucial role in mitigating negative urbanization effects by preserving agricultural land, ensuring secure local food supplies, and promoting environmentally friendly development.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyCommunity building through collaborative food production and consumption: A case study of Grow Free in South Australia
2024Jungho Suh, A. W. Graham · Community Development · Australia (South Australia)
This study explores the agri-social characteristics of "Grow Free," a grassroots initiative in South Australia that promotes sharing free seeds, seedlings, fruits, and vegetables, which grew to approximately 230 participants by 2022. Based on 50 survey responses and 17 interviews, the research found that diverse non-governmental organizations and residential households participate, with many households also linked to other grassroots initiatives. Grow Free facilitates collaborative food production and consumption at a local scale, fostering community building and resilience through food sharing.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood lossSustainable nature‐based solutions require establishment and maintenance of keystone plant‐pollinator interactions
2024Nicole E. Rafferty, Christopher T. Cosma · Journal of Ecology · Global
A literature search on nature-based solutions (NBS), including urban greenspaces and agriculture, found that 0%–3% of papers considered pollinators or pollination, with 12.5% in agricultural NBS papers. The study emphasizes that NBS success depends on resilient pollinator communities and calls for identifying keystone plants and pollinators to promote NBS functioning under future climatic conditions. It advocates for phylogenetic trait-based analyses to understand keystoneness.
BiodiversityPollinatorsOrganic cycleThe Future of Urban Agriculture: Vertical Farming and its Potential
2024Dr. Nadeem Aslam · Frontiers in Agriculture · Global
This paper explores the future of urban agriculture, focusing on vertical farming as a promising innovation that uses controlled environments to grow crops in stacked layers. It examines the potential benefits, technological advancements, and challenges of vertical farming. The analysis suggests that vertical farming could reshape urban food systems, enhance sustainability, and contribute to urban resilience.
Digital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageThe Case for Agricultural Education in Urban Schools
2024Carina Rose Layfield · Teaching and Learning Anthropology · Global
This student essay examines a senior thesis project from Barnard College's urban studies program, advocating for the use of container farms to expand urban agricultural education in career and technical education settings. The author reviews their research process, results, and argument regarding the essential role of Perkins Act funding for such programs.
Food educationDIYPolicyUrban Agriculture and Food Security
2024Aashna Sinha, Kailash Bisht, Digvijay Singh · · Global
This article explores vertical hydroponic farming, noting its benefits like reduced space and water use, and enhanced robustness with Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms (PGPMs). However, it also demonstrated that the system's ecological impact is significantly affected by growing media, pots, electricity use, and transportation. The study suggests potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and abiotic resource decline by using fiber as growing medium and paper containers.
Environmental trade-offsDigital agricultureClimate changeEconomicsOrganic cycleImpact of zinc on arbuscular mycorrhizal-mediated nutrient acquisition in urban horticulture
2024Miles P.A. Bate-Weldon, Jill L. Edmondson, Katie J. Field · iScience · Global
This study investigated the effect of urban environmentally relevant concentrations of zinc in soils on nutrient exchange between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and pea plants using radio-isotope tracing. It found that at higher zinc concentrations, the transfer of phosphorus from fungi to plants and carbon from plants to fungi dramatically decreased. The results suggest that while urban horticulture has potential for food production, the unchecked presence of contaminants like zinc in urban soils may critically hinder its realization.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleClimate changeMultifunctional approach in ecosystem-centred urban planning and urban living labs in landscape conservation
2024Anna Ternell, Bosse Lagerqvist, Anders M. Nilsson, Mauricio Sagastuy Klie, Martin Berg, Martin Andre-Bae Pedersen, Maciej Lasocki, Márta Kreidlmayer, Csaba Oláh, Zoltán Szekér, Sándor Némethy · Ecocycles · Global
This study investigated the integration of ecosystem-centred urban planning and multifunctional land use into landscape conservation strategies to foster sustainable and resilient urban environments. A mixed-methods approach combined a comprehensive literature review, case study analysis from various European cities, and the development of a conceptual framework and a novel urban metabolism model. The results demonstrated how urban agriculture and ecosystem-centred planning can be effectively utilized to enhance landscape conservation and urban sustainability.
PolicyClimate changeOrganic cycleCommunityMapping wild food foraging locations reveals urban green space preferences and avenues for edible city solutions
2024Anjoulie Brandner, Karolina Taczanowska, Brenda Maria Zoderer, Christoph Schunko · Urban forestry & urban greening · Austria (Vienna)
A survey of 458 respondents in Vienna, Austria, analyzed urban wild food foraging locations and preferences for urban green spaces (UGS). 1239 foraging locations were identified across 9 UGS types, with forest and meadow landscapes, parks, and UGS mosaics being most utilized. Foragers' major concerns were contamination from traffic and dogs.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityBiodiversityHealthPolicyCreating and sustaining urban green spaces in Africa under phenomenal urbanisation: residents’ perspectives on home gardens in Wa, Ghana
2024Bernard Afiik Akanpabadai Akanbang, Millicent Awialie Akaateba, Prosper Issahaku Korah · Discover Cities · Ghana (Wa)
This exploratory cross-sectional survey in seven rapidly growing neighborhoods in Wa, Ghana, administered 285 questionnaires to residents to understand motivations, challenges, and constraints of home gardening. Results showed 56% of respondents had gardens, primarily motivated by beautification (56.1%) and food production (52.3%). Limited space (49%) and busy schedules (34%) were identified as main barriers. The study found that while garden ownership aligned with the autonomy need, the relationship need, which correlates with environmental motivations, was notably low among residents. This indicates a limited effect of environmental awareness on home gardening motivation in the surveyed population.
Limited or null effectCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageDeterminantes de la comercialización de productos de la agricultura urbana en Bogotá: estudio de caso del cabildo indígena Mhuysqa de Bosa
2024Diana Carolina Martínez Quiroga, Juan Carlos Barrientos Fuentes, Cristian Fernando Camargo Muñoz · Magazine Portal Bibliotech Digital (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) · Colombia (Bogotá)
This study identified and analyzed the determinants of urban agriculture product commercialization, using the Mhuysqa indigenous cabildo of Bosa in Bogotá, Colombia, as a case study. Data were collected through documentary research, garden observations, surveys of 33 gardeners, and interviews with four experts. Results showed that urban agriculture in the cabildo is multifunctional, with a low surplus for sale (< 30%). Key determinants of commercialization included objective setting and fulfillment, supply volume, quality, and frequency, specialized technical production capacities, product presentation and freshness, collection and transport costs, payment methods, and fixed buyers, with the cabildo's explicit intention to market surplus products being a crucial factor.
EconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceThe Agro-environmental Footprint on the Peri-urban Landscape
2024Letizia Pace, Jacopo Mughini Gras · River Publishers eBooks · Global
This chapter defines the peri-urban agricultural landscape as a "third territory" between urban and rural areas, characterized by traditional agriculture coexisting with emerging buildings. This landscape, located between urban borders and low-density rural areas, is fragmented with green patches surrounded by settlements, making it vulnerable to urban expansion and undermining a unique landscape image.
Peri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageVermicompost (Traditional Methods) is an Important Component of Agricultural Productivity and an Efficient Tool for Environmental and Economic Sustainability
2024Muniya Naik M, Chandra Mohan K, K Janardhana, C. Aruna, Rama Mohan M, R. Uday Kiran · International Journal of Biological and Environmental Investigations · Global
This paper investigates the production, economics, and sustainability of vermicompost, an organic fertilizer made by vermicomposting organic waste with earthworms. Vermicomposting is presented as a sustainable waste management and organic agriculture option that can be economically profitable, depending on consumer awareness, distribution, and production scale. It contributes to sustainability by reducing landfill waste and promoting soil health.
CompostOrganic cycleEconomicsClimate changeIdentificación de elementos transformadores en territorios de borde
2024Fabián Adolfo Aguilera-Martínez, Fabián Alonso Sarmiento-Valdés, Juan José Castiblanco-Prieto · Ediciones Comunicación Científica eBooks · Colombia (Bogotá)
This 2024 interdisciplinary study examined transformation dynamics in urban fringe territories, focusing on Bogotá, Colombia, with cases in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Using participatory methodologies, it identified community participation, environmental management, territorial planning, and social empowerment as key transformative elements. Community workshops and projects like "Nuestra Casa, Nuestra Huerta" demonstrated the importance of collaborative design, public space recovery, and urban agriculture for sustainable urban fringe transformation.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceThe big lettuce
2024Mariana Sanchez Salvador · · Portugal (Lisbon)
This paper examines the historical evolution and current state of Lisbon's foodscape. Historically, Lisbon possessed large agricultural spaces and a tight-knit food network, but nowadays, food has largely disappeared from the public realm. Mapping past and present urban food assets is key to providing a comprehensive portrait of Lisbon's foodscape and its potential for solutions.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageClimate changePolicyUrban Agriculture as Activism: Common Practices and Discourses in Different Contexts
2024Gustavo Nagib · Atlantis highlights in social sciences, education and humanities/Atlantis Highlights in Social Sciences, Education and Humanities · Global
This qualitative study, conducted between 2016 and 2022 in São Paulo, Paris, and Lausanne, explored the relationship between urban agriculture, activism, and the right to the city. It found a convergence between discourse and practice in intraurban horticulture, emphasizing public space reappropriation, social bond strengthening, urban biodiversity promotion, and a new city-nature relationship. Community gardens in all three cities serve as hubs of collective experience, offering a critique of contemporary cities and an alternative to urban life.
CommunityPolicyBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceIntegrating vertical farm into low-carbon high-rise building in high-density context: A design case study in Hong Kong
2024Yuxin Bao, M.K. Leung, Dicken Poon, Changying Xiang · Journal of Building Engineering · Hong Kong
This article discusses the technical feasibility and design strategies for integrating high-rise residential buildings with urban agriculture in Hong Kong, using the “Green Tower Hong Kong” architectural design competition as a case study. A resilient residential high-rise building integrated with shared gardens and greenhouses was proposed for the Kwun Tong Center site. The final design can provide apartments for 2500 individuals, produce 340,750 kg of vegetables with 156% self-sufficiency, and generate 1,080,000 kWh of electricity annually.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeDigital agricultureSoil properties and agronomic effects of repeated biochar amendment and fertilization in an urban horticultural system of Burkina Faso
2024Delphine Manka’abusi, Nongma Armel Zongo, Désiré Jean‐Pascal Lompo, Christoph Steiner, Bernd Marschner, Andreas Buerkert · European Journal of Agronomy · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
This four-year study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, investigated the medium-term effects of repeated biochar, ECOSAN, and inorganic fertilization on urban vegetable production. Repeated biochar application at 20 t ha−1 increased soil organic carbon (SOC) by 51% under farmers' practice, while mineral fertilization alone decreased SOC by 32% and caused soil acidification. Biochar increased cabbage yield by 32% four years after application but had no effect on amaranth, and repeated application only benefited the first crop after reapplication.
Organic cycleCompostPeri-urban agricultureCONNECTING NATURE AND CITY: STRATEGIES FOR RESILIENT URBAN LANDSCAPES
2024Ankur Jyoti Dutta · International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology · Global
This paper analyzes urban resilience by examining urban landscapes and nature-based strategies. It aims to understand how designers and policymakers can identify and assess urban environmental risks to reduce vulnerability and exposure. The study emphasizes integrating smart policies and frameworks to make urban landscapes part of an adaptive resilience strategy for future resilient cities.
BiodiversityClimate changeHealthCommunityEpilogue
2024Erin VanLaningham · · Global
This concluding chapter emphasizes an ecology of the common good, highlighting the interconnectedness required for flourishing campuses, communities, and thought systems. It discusses four key aspects: deep ecology, ecology and economy, the home place, and community gardens and gardening. The chapter suggests that stewarding resources and educating for vocation can help prioritize diversity, justice, and care for all.
CommunityBiodiversityEconomicsFood educationHow is urban agriculture practiced, institutionalized, implemented, and sustained? A literature review
2024Nour Alkhaja, Khaled Alawadi, Kholoud Almemari, Ghalya Alshehhi · Progress in Planning · Global
This literature review of 51 articles examines how urban agriculture (UA) is practiced, institutionalized, and sustained, focusing on governance. It identifies consistent challenges such as discord between civil and municipal actors, contextual factors hindering supportive policies, and urban densification encroaching on UA land. These issues lead to informal or constrained UA practices and tenure insecurity.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceEvaluate the Growth and Production of Celery in Different Substrate Systems
2024· Middle East Journal of Applied Sciences · Egypt (Giza)
An experiment in Giza, Egypt, during 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, evaluated celery growth and production in different substrate systems (pot vs. shallow beds) and planting densities (15, 18, 21 plants/m2). Celery grown in pots showed higher values for plant height, leaf number, root weights, head weight, and total yield per m2. For planting density, 15 plants/m2 resulted in the highest plant height, leaf number, root weights, and head weight, while 18 plants/m2 yielded a higher total yield per m2.
DIYOrganic cycleThe Urgent Role of Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Planning in the Global South
2024Lesli Hoey · Urban agriculture · Global
This paper highlights that urban agriculture (UA) serves as a vital lifeline for food and income security for many urban growers in the Global South. However, it notes that many governments in the Global South actively resist UA in the name of "modernization," and by promoting supermarkets and restricting informal food markets, they potentially undermine the positive impacts of UA on urban food security and poverty.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsCommunityGreen urban transition: interdisciplinary insights on green façades design in hot climates as one of crucial strategies for low-carbon development
2024Katarzyna Chojnacka, Barbara Widera, Marcel Macarulla, Anastasios Drougkas, Andreu Balastegui, Els Van de moortel, Cansu Iraz Seyrek Şık, Kajetan Sadowski, Joana Fernandes, Ricardo Gomes, Paulo Ferrão · Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy · Global
This study aimed to present interdisciplinary insights on vertical green systems (VGS) design in hot climate zones. Based on an in-depth study of green façade performance in hot climates, methods from various scientific fields were identified that, when combined, effectively protect plants from excessive solar radiation. The main finding was the identification of the most effective combination of methods supporting healthy VGS growth, including façade orientation correlated with appropriate plant selection, shading strategies like passive and kinetic shields, and organic fertilizers supporting plant resilience.
Climate changeOrganic cycleDIY