Research & reports

Mutia Devi Hidayati, Arief Rahmatulloh, Luchis Rubianto, Pritantina Yuni Lestari · Jurnal Abadimas Adi Buana · Indonesia

In the Mulyorejo sub-district of Sukun district, Malang, Indonesia (area 2.75 km²), residents actively use vacant land and underused resources under an urban farming concept, including cultivating butterfly pea flowers, though product diversification of the flowers into higher-value goods had not been thoroughly developed. This community service project delivered skills training in making batik using butterfly pea flowers as a natural dye — a technique noted for producing soft colors, commanding a high market value, and being environmentally friendly, aligned with the "clean water and sanitation" Sustainable Development Goal — and introduced ways of combining different natural dyes for color variation. Held on October 7, 2023 with 8 participants, the post-training questionnaire yielded a mean of 3.88 and a mode of 4.0 across questions, indicating participants understood, felt the benefits of, and were satisfied with the training; participants also received an electric canting (batik drawing tool) for independent production.

Pawana Nur Indah, Gung Risa, Endang Yektiningsih, Indra Tjahaja Amir · Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Agribisnis · Indonesia

In Gending Village, Kebomas District, Gresik Regency, Indonesia, 87 purposively sampled residents who had practiced urban farming and a healthy lifestyle for at least two years were surveyed by questionnaire interview, and Partial Least Square analysis tested how social capital dimensions affect community empowerment. Trust (T=0.786), social norms (T=0.511) and social network (T=0.810) all exceeded the 1.96 significance threshold, showing significant positive effects of each dimension on empowerment of the urban farming community.

Matthijs T. Wessels, Lisa‐Marie Hemerijckx · Development Southern Africa · Sub-Saharan Africa

More than 700 surveys with food vendors and consumers, combined with ethnographic research with farmers, quantified and mapped the contribution of urban and peri-urban producers to fresh leafy vegetable supply in the growing city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Seventy percent of all amaranth consumed in the city was found to be produced within it, with an average farm-to-fork distance of 11 km, indicating a strongly localised foodshed for leafy vegetables. The results point to the ongoing significance of urban areas in meeting their own food demand and the need to explicitly integrate food provisioning into the planning of growing African cities.

Górna, Ada · · Global

A book examines the position of urban agriculture within the spatial and functional structure of cities in the Global South through case studies of three cities: Havana, Singapore and Kigali. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in each city, it documents the diverse characteristics of urban agriculture across differing socio-economic, spatial, political and environmental conditions and identifies constraints on its development.

Zwelakhe Thulasizwe Mascot Maseko · Journal of Asian and African Studies · South Africa

In Esikhaleni Township, South Africa, structured interviews with local farmers and in-depth interviews with officials from uMhlathuze Municipality examined why residents use urban open spaces for subsistence agriculture and how it affects their livelihoods. Food insecurity, demand for accessible fresh produce, interest in farming, and rising food costs were identified as the main drivers, and open-space agriculture was found to contribute to livelihoods through improved access to fresh food, reduced food expenditure and supplementary income from produce sales, leading to a recommendation that urban planning set aside land for agriculture.

Madison Powers · · Global

This chapter surveys the food-security implications of agricultural land use, unsustainable features of widespread food production practices, and the debate over agricultural intensification versus extensification, then examines land use's consequences beyond the land itself for groundwater, surface water, oceans, ambient air quality, and planetary systems. It explains the causes of forest destruction and fragmentation driven by the global expansion of land used for "high-risk commodities," the linkage between deforestation and declining terrestrial biodiversity, and the global market dynamics driving both crises. It assesses socioeconomic and ecological shortcomings in some proposed nature-based solutions, showing that they perpetuate an unsustainable business-as-usual approach, and summarizes how these land-use issues are conceptualized as human-rights concerns and translated into policy proposals.

Ni’matul Istiqomah, Magistyo Purboyo Priambodo, Nur Anita Yunikawati, Wahjoedi Wahjoedi · International Journal of Community Service Learning · Indonesia

This report describes a hydroponic-farming training program for 35 women members of the PKK family-welfare movement in Kauman Kelurahan, Malang, Indonesia, aimed at upgrading skills in hydroponic cultivation on narrow land and reviving community activity that had stalled during the Covid-19 pandemic. The training combined socialization with hands-on demonstrations covering both standard hydroponic equipment (such as pipes) and methods using everyday household items, and it reports increased knowledge and skill in hydroponic cultivation among participants.

C. HAURESKO · · Brazil

The available abstract text is fragmentary, breaking off mid-sentence after stating that "society, democracy, and sustainable development are taking on new and inspiring forms of struggle and adaptation" and that academic research on Latin America allows for a deeper understanding of the transformations and challenges its societies face. It does not contain specific content—methods or findings—about urban agriculture itself despite the title.

Chernet Assefa, Addisu Getahun, Endale Mekonnen · Middle East Research Journal of Economics and Management · Ethiopia

A participatory demonstration conducted in three districts of the Akaki Kaliti sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 2021/22 production year, in which a total of 61 farming households (47 male-headed, 14 female-headed) benefited, covering 14 hectares of bread wheat and 30 hectares of teff. The demonstrated technologies produced an average grain yield of 56.66 quintals/hectare for bread wheat and 22.16 quintals/hectare for teff, both higher than the national average. The study concludes that boosting agricultural production requires stakeholder attention to disseminating and adopting improved crop varieties with full production packages, using cluster farming to reduce poverty and ensure food security.

Linda Weintraub · Nature-Based Solutions · Global

This essay examines five contemporary artists whose works address urban food insecurity through individually and community-scaled, nature-based approaches rather than large-scale production and distribution systems. Analyzing both the content of the artists' food-related concerns and the unconventional strategies used to convey them, the essay argues these works are relevant to nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban food, noting some approaches appear suited to scaling up while others point to a need to relax regulations that inhibit experimentation.

Tarek Ben Hassen, Hamid El Bilali · · Global

This book chapter combines bibliographical and topical analysis of scholarly and gray literature with case studies from Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries to examine the state of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) amid regional climate pressures — rising temperatures and frequent droughts damaging limited water resources and threatening agriculture and food security. The chapter reports that UPA in the region lacks adequate infrastructure and resources, including access to water, suitable land and equipment, and that in many MENA cities, the absence of government initiatives combined with land tenure problems and high land prices makes UPA less prevalent and less viable; it concludes that improved policy support and enabling regulations — including zoning rules and financial and technical support — are needed to expand UPA in the region.

Regita Fatya Azzahra, Muhammad Iqbal Nurulhaq, Leonard Dharmawan · JURNAL PENYULUHAN PEMBANGUNAN · Indonesia

A qualitative descriptive study with SWOT analysis of millennial farmers in Desa Cipayung, Indonesia, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture's young-farmer program. It aims to identify the potential and problems facing these farmers and to formulate a group-strengthening strategy and farm-development program. The study proposes strategies such as drawing on field agricultural extension officers to optimize use of available land and natural resources, applying best agricultural practices, and directing millennial farmer group members toward microgreens production to meet market demand.

Bambang Tri Kurnianto · West Science Nature and Technology · Global

A review article examining urban farming practices — including rooftop gardens, vertical farms and community gardens — as approaches to the land scarcity and food-security pressures of rapid urbanization. Drawing on case studies from cities worldwide, it discusses their reported role in improving food access, reducing carbon footprints and fostering social cohesion, and argues for integrating urban agriculture into urban planning together with supportive policy and community engagement. The article does not report original data, a defined study site, or quantified outcomes.

Pamela Eduarda Lopes dos Santos Rezena, Luciana Boemer Cesar Pereira, Mariana Ranchuka dos Santos, Anelize Queiroz Amaral, Geisiane dos Santos de Souza · Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental · Brazil

At a public elementary school (Foz do Chopim Municipal School) in the riverside community of Foz do Chopim, in the municipality of Cruzeiro do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil, a university extension workshop run jointly by the Sala +Verde and Hortas projects built a school garden to teach environmental education themes including care for the environment, the society-nature relationship, sustainable societies and food sovereignty. The workshop produced a sense of belonging and care for the garden space among participating students and gave them practical information to take home.

Reyes Tejada N., Kooy M., Zwarteveen M. · Water International · Mozambique (Maputo)

A study grounded in the Infulene Valley, Maputo's main green belt, showing that irrigated urban agriculture drawing on various water sources has been consistently present throughout the Mozambican capital's history. The authors trace how urban planning evolved from 1960 onwards and what those policies meant for urban farming and the livelihoods depending on it. Documenting the city's imaginaries across four eras of Maputo's development, they find that agriculture occupied a prominent place in the post-colonial city and remains significant despite its vague recognition within urban planning after the shift to neoliberalism, and argue for acknowledging urban irrigated agriculture as an intrinsic feature of the city.

· Corresponsables · Peru

Spanish-language CSR outlet Corresponsables reported on 1 November 2024 on the 20th anniversary of "Huertos en Línea" (Online Gardens), a project started in 2004 by neighborhood women under power transmission lines in Villa María del Triunfo, Lima, with support from transmission line operator ISA REP. Participating families harvest around 25,600 kilograms of vegetables per quarter, grow more than 40 agroecological vegetable varieties, and earn up to 350 soles a month from selling surplus produce.

Agência Senado · Agência Senado (Senado Federal) · Brazil

An Agência Senado article reporting that Law 14,935/2024, sanctioned on July 26, 2024 and published in the official gazette on July 29, 2024, created Brazil's National Policy on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (PNAUP). The law defines urban and peri-urban agriculture as farming and livestock activity integrated into the urban ecological and economic system, and lists seven objectives including expanding food security for vulnerable urban populations, occupying idle urban spaces, generating alternative income, linking production to public procurement, promoting family labor and cooperatives, encouraging agroecological production, and spreading organic-waste recycling.

Câmara dos Deputados (Agência Câmara de Notícias) · Agência Câmara de Notícias, Câmara dos Deputados (Brasil) · Brazil

A Brazilian Chamber of Deputies news article reporting that Law 14.935/24 — originating from Bill PL 906/15 introduced by federal deputy Padre João — was published on July 29, 2024, creating a National Policy on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture. Its stated objectives include expanding food security for vulnerable urban populations, putting unused urban and peri-urban land to use, generating alternative income for urban residents, linking food production to public procurement (schools, hospitals, prisons), supporting family farming and solidarity-economy organizations, promoting environmental education and organic farming, and encouraging reuse of organic waste and rainwater; implementation is to be decentralized across federal, state and municipal governments, civil society and educational institutions.

Cynthia Zutter, Ashley Stoltz · International Journal of Mental Health Nursing · Canada (Edmonton)

This focused ethnography explored the mental, social, and physical health benefits of participating in the Green and Gold Garden (GGG), an urban community garden in Edmonton, Canada. Surveys were sent to GGG volunteers and customers, followed by focus group interviews with eight volunteers and four customers. Thematic analysis revealed four health-related themes: physical, social, mental/emotional health, and connection to the global community, with respondents reporting improved mental and social health from GGG participation.

Annie Drottberger, Yizhi Zhang, Jean Wan Hong Yong, Marie-Claude Dubois · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · Global

This systematic literature review, based on 45 articles, examined the benefits and challenges of rooftop greenhouse technology. While benefits include optimized land use, increased profitability, good yields, and resource efficiency, the review identified significant challenges. These challenges include additional investment and operational costs, limited availability of flat roofs, and various regulations, which hinder the widespread adoption of rooftop greenhouses.

Jéssica Lorhanne Durães Martins, Domingo Sávio Coelho Negrão, Ana Maria Resende Junqueira, João Paulo Guimarães Soares · Concilium · Brazil

An exploratory and descriptive study characterized the trade of organic products from family farming in Brazil's Federal District, using data from August to December 2021. It found that fairs were the main acquisition points for organic products, but their number decreased by 35% due to Covid-19. Concurrently, new trade forms like CSAs and Delivery grew by about 40% due to the pandemic's impact.

Maurice Kesonga Nsele, Thomas Dogot, Kevin Maréchal · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Democratic Republic of Congo (Lubumbashi)

Survey data from 88 randomly chosen farmers in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, was analyzed to understand the role of informal mutual aid networks in maintaining urban farms. Results showed that 79.5% of surveyed farmers utilized mutual aid to ensure their vegetable production cycle, involving resource sharing (15.1 interactions per farmer) and agricultural know-how sharing (11.6 interactions per farmer). Gender, age, experience, religious affiliation, farmer status in the household, neighborhood relations, kinship, and religious affiliation were significant factors for mutual aid.

Bénédique Paul · Food systems · Haiti

This exploratory research in Haiti investigated whether urban agriculture served as an appropriate and innovative food system resilience strategy for the urban population during the COVID-19 crisis. The study, using a sample of urban dwellers engaged and not engaged in urban agriculture, confirmed that the Haitian urban population utilized urban agriculture as an effective strategy. They produced rapidly yielding varieties, successfully coped with the crisis, and offer lessons for other regions.

Artëm Lytovchenko, Oksana Nekhaienko · Baltic Journal of Legal and Social Sciences · Ukraine (Kharkiv)

A 2023 paper aimed to characterize the sociological potential of the military factor in the global food crisis through the lens of food security challenges in the Ukrainian frontline city of Kharkiv. Based on results from an original reconnaissance case study conducted in Kharkiv from May to August 2022, assumptions were formulated regarding the main directions of transformation of food practices among residents of a large city undergoing combat actions. The study also proposed methods and directions for possible sociological research to verify these assumptions.

Jérémie Forney, Julien Vuilleumier, Marion Fresia · · Switzerland

This study on the local contract farming (LCF) movement in Switzerland is based on an ethnography of three LCF networks. The research focuses on the contract that formalizes the "promise of difference" and the redefinition of food quality and value. It acknowledges both the potential for transformation of LCF ventures and their clear limitations, aiming to foster discussions beyond simple statements of success or failure.