Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
940 results(36 / 38)
Assessment of heavy metal contamination and macro-nutrient content of compose for environmental pollution control in Ghana.
2008J.N. Hogard, Julius N. Fobil, Godfred K. Ofosu-Budu, D. Carboo, Nii‐Ayi Ankrah, Alexander K. Nyarko · · Ghana
This study in Ghana investigated the macro-nutrient content and heavy metal concentrations in solid waste composts to assess their potential for soil fertility amelioration and health implications in urban and peri-urban agriculture. Overall NPK concentration was low, with agricultural waste composts showing higher total N, K, and organic carbon than municipal solid waste (MSW) composts. Heavy metal concentrations for Ni, Zn, Cu, and Cd were generally low and within Australian standards. However, lead (Pb) concentration in mixed MSW composts was significantly high during the dry season, exceeding the Australian limit of 150 mg/kg Pb for unrestricted use. Seasons and composting processes were found to be important determinants of toxic metal concentrations in final compost products.
Contamination & food safetyCompostHealthOrganic cycleAprovechamiento de residuos sólidos en un sistema hidro-orgánico de agricultura urbana
2008Consuelo Montes Rojas, Víctor Felipe Terán Gómez, Diego Fernando Ortiz Tovar · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Colombia
This research aimed to design a hydro-organic vegetable production system for small areas in Popayán, Colombia, utilizing recycled materials and urban solid waste. The system was evaluated using three nutritional treatments (organic leachate, supplemented organic leachate, common nutrient solution) with cilantro as a biological indicator. The urban vegetable production system achieved yields of up to 627 g m-2, surpassing traditional agriculture (227 g), with the commercial nutrient solution identified as the best nutritional source.
Organic cycleCompostFood sovereignty & justiceDIYDeterminants Of Profitability And Willingness To Pay For Metropolitan Waste-Use In Urban Agriculture Of The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
2008CJ Arene, G.I.O. Mbata · Agro-Science · Nigeria (Abuja)
This study analyzed the profitability of urban agriculture using metropolitan organic waste in Abuja, Nigeria. The enterprise was found to be profitable, with output price being the most significant determinant of variable profit, while other price factors were not significant. Farmer's education level, age, per capita farm income, and household size were identified as important determinants for choosing urban agriculture and influencing willingness to pay for it.
EconomicsOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityRuralizar la ciudad. Metodología de introducción de la agricultura como vector de sostenibilidad en la planificación urbana
2008Graciela Arosemena Díaz · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Global
This thesis proposes a methodology for introducing urban agriculture into urban planning to achieve urban sustainability by closing nutrient cycles. It aims to integrate urban and agrarian systems by balancing urban waste production with vegetable needs and cultivated space output with nutrient restitution. The research develops formulas to define criteria for urban agriculture introduction, including required cultivated area and organic waste reuse, and analyzes historical and contemporary green systems in relation to agriculture.
Organic cyclePolicyUrban–rural linkagePengendalian Penyakit Sayuran Yang Ditanam Dengan Sistem Budidaya Mosaik Pada Pertanian Periurban
2008Euis Suryaningsih · Jurnal Hortikultura · Indonesia (Bandung)
From January to July 2001, a field experiment on vegetable disease control in a mosaic farming system in periurban agriculture was conducted at a farmer's field in Rancaekek, Bandung, Indonesia. Treatments included white plastic net cages, biorational pesticides, Bacillus subtilis, a mixture of Mancozeb and Bacillus subtilis, and an unsprayed control. All tested alternative control methods were very effective against major diseases of chili pepper, shallot, eggplant, beans, and cucumber, but the use of poisonous synthetic pesticides in periurban agriculture increases the likelihood of contaminating humans and the environment.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthOrganic cycleLeberecht Migge's "Green Manifesto": Envisioning a Revolution of Gardens
2007Haney D. H. · Landscape Journal, 26(2), 201-218 · Germany
Analyzes Migge's 1919 'Green Manifesto', one of the most overtly political tracts by a landscape architect, proposing that intensive vegetable gardens for everyone could solve Germany's social and economic problems through a technologically modern synthesis of garden and dwelling.
Organic cycleCommunityPolicyWastewater Agriculture in Kurunegala City, Sri Lanka
2007Jayakody P., Gunawardana I., Guneratne S., Clemett A., Dissanayake P. · IWMI Research Reports (WASPA Asia Project Report 8), International Water Management Institute · Sri Lanka (Kurunegala)
This IWMI report documents peri-urban paddy cultivation using diverted municipal wastewater around Kurunegala city, highlighting the practice as representative of urbanization impacts on Sri Lankan agriculture while identifying significant public health risks from untreated effluent irrigation.
EconomicsHealthOrganic cyclePolicyHelminth infections among people using wastewater and human excreta in peri‐urban agriculture and aquaculture in Hanoi, Vietnam
2007Do Thuy Trang, Kåre Mølbak, Phung Dac Cam, Anders Dalsgaard · Tropical Medicine & International Health · Vietnam (Hanoi)
A cross-sectional study in a peri-urban area of Hanoi, Vietnam, surveyed 400 agricultural households and examined 807 stool samples from 620 adults and 187 children for helminth infections. The study found that 39% of samples were infected with helminths, with Ascaris sp. at 21.6%, Trichuris sp. at 9.8%, and hookworm at 21.8%. Wastewater exposure was not a major risk, but lack of sanitation facilities and use of fresh or inadequately composted human excreta in agriculture were important risk factors for infection.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cyclePeri-urban agricultureÍndice e indicadores para el desarrollo sustentable: una contribución para el análisis de la viabilidad de emprendimientos comunitarios de producción agroecológica
2007Virginia Hamdan, Paula Natinzon · REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE AGROECOLOGIA · Argentina
This study quantified the organizational sustainability of 41 agroecological urban gardens within the UNMdP Food Autoproduction Program in Argentina. It developed a Socio-Organizational Sustainability Index (ISO) based on Group Potential, Capacity of Automanagement, and Organizational Practices. Most gardens showed a "Middle" degree of ISO, primarily due to Capacity of Automanagement and Organizational Practices.
CommunityOrganic cycleEconomicsSustainable practices that allow the recycling of solid waste and wastewater in urban marketgardening
2007Ma. Neftalí Rojas-Valencia, Ma. Teresa Orta de Velásquez, Víctor Franco · Linnaeus Eco-Tech · Mexico (Mexico City)
This study investigated the efficiency of applying organoponic techniques to urban crops in Mexico City, utilizing organic compounds, recyclable solid waste, homemade organic fertilizers, and treated wastewater. Three wastewater disinfection methods were tested: Ozone, APT, and a combination. Results showed that Ozone not only disinfected wastewater but also contributed oxygen and nutrients to the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. Ozone also reduced infection risk by eliminating pathogenic microorganisms and increased plant growth.
Organic cycleClimate changeDIYPrecision application of water for peri-urban horticulture
2007Viola Devasirvatham, P. S. Cornish · International Journal of Water · Australia
Peri-urban horticulture in Australia requires irrigation for year-round vegetable production. Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) offers higher water use efficiency and crop yields, with the potential to reduce environmental risks from drainage and runoff. However, SDI has potential disadvantages, including poor germination or crop establishment and uneven wetting patterns. Research is needed to solve these problems and enable environmentally acceptable vegetable production.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsClimate changeOrganic cycleEl riego con aguas de mala calidaden la agricultura urbana. Aspectosa considerar. II. Aguas residuales urbanas
2007F Ortega Sastriques, Rosa Orellana Gallego · Revista ciencias técnicas agropecuarias · Global
In many cities, potable water is expensive, and its availability is limited and will decrease in the future. Urban agriculture is an aspect to consider in this context.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleDoes community-supported agriculture support conservation?
2007Mark Anderson-Wilk · Journal of Soil and Water Conservation · Global
This abstract discusses the concept of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA), pioneered in Japan and Europe in the 1960s and introduced to the US in the mid-1980s. CSAs are described as a model where individuals become farm members, sharing the risks and benefits of food production and receiving shares of local produce. The abstract introduces the question of whether CSAs support natural resource conservation but does not present any specific findings or conclusions regarding this question.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityOrganic cycleEl riego con aguas de mala calidad en la agricultura urbana. Aspectos a considerar. II. Aguas residuales urbanas Irrigation with low quality in urban agriculture: points to regard. II. Urban waste water
2007F Ortega Sastriques, Rosa Orellana Gallego · · Global
Due to high prices and limited availability of drinking water in many cities, urban agriculture will require the use of alternative water sources. Groundwater and surface currents near cities are typically polluted, and this paper points out aspects to consider for safe irrigation using sewage water.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleClimate changeInventory of water management practices in Harare, Zimbabwe
2007Innocent Nhapi · Water and Environment Journal · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This paper investigated the sustainability of urban water cycle practices in relation to water quantity and quality management in the Chivero catchment, the main water supply for greater Harare, Zimbabwe. Data on population, water supply, water and wastewater treatment, and river flows were collected from urban councils and government departments to assess consumption, wastewater generation, treatment, disposal, river flow trends, raw water abstractions, and demand patterns. Results showed that the current situation is unsustainable, with water quantity soon to be a problem at current consumption levels and water quality already problematic, especially regarding nutrient levels.
Organic cyclePolicyThe Effect of Land Use on Soil Health Indicators in Peri‐Urban Agriculture in the Humid Forest Zone of Southern Cameroon
2006Adolphe Monkiédjé, Michael Spiteller, D. Fotio, Premasis Sukul · Journal of Environmental Quality · Cameroon (Yaounde)
This study evaluated the effect of different land uses on soil health indicators in peri-urban agricultural areas of Yaounde, Cameroon, by comparing five tilled sites with native forest land. While most cropped land showed higher levels of many soil health indicators, cultivation of crops like corn and sugarcane significantly impacted native soil quality. Specifically, phenol oxidase, microbial biomass C/organic C, and microbial biomass C/microbial biomass P were negatively affected, indicating negative management impacts on soil health.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleClimate changeUso de las aguas residuales para el riegode cultivos agrícolas, en la agricultura urbana
2006Astrid Mendez, Paulo Cseri Ricardo, P Jeny Pérez, Callejas Hernández, Osvaldo Campos · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cuba
This introductory study in Arroyo Naranjo municipality, Cuba, examined the use of Luyanó effluent wastewater for irrigation in urban agriculture. The wastewater was classified as low contamination based on BOD5 and COD values and posed no toxic contamination risk to soil or environment. However, it should not be used without prior treatment for direct consumption crops due to its microbial load. Experimental plots with carrot, radish, and marigold showed high agricultural yields, and radish harvests had no bacterial contamination.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthCommunityVers un assainissement urbain durable en Afrique subsaharienne : approche innovante de planification de la gestion des boues de vidange
2006Halidou Koanda · Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) · Sub-Saharan Africa
In Sub-Saharan Africa, faecal sludge management practices are often financially unviable due to widespread lack of municipal involvement, paucity of legal provisions, and absence of stakeholder coordination. This leads to indiscriminate dumping of faecal sludge in urban areas or its untreated use in urban agriculture. These practices pose permanent and serious health risks and contaminate scarce ground and surface water. This research aims to develop an innovative strategic planning approach for sustainable urban faecal sludge management to minimize public health and environmental risks.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cyclePolicyStudent and New Farmer Education to Support the Growth of Organic Farming
2006John A. Biernbaum · Crop Management · United States
This presentation was part of a USDA conference session exploring the expansion of education infrastructure in organic agriculture. The student-oriented presentation described target student audiences, outlined example curricular content for organic farming, identified K-12 education programs benefiting from organic farming content, listed sources of organic farming information, and detailed university student farming programs, specifically the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm (MSU-SOF) CSA program.
Food educationCSA & TeikeiCommunityOrganic cycleAGRICULTURA URBANA- EXPERIÊNCIA DA UFRRJ
2006Edilene Lagedo Teixeira, Janailton Coutinho, Adriano Costa da Silva, Andréa Soares, Camila Silva de Oliveira, Carla Gomes dos Santos, Beatriz Ribeiro Guimarães · REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE AGROECOLOGIA · Brazil
This study, conducted in 2003 by UNISOL REGIONAL and UFRRJ, aimed to develop an organic, condiment, and medicinal garden through social education activities. A socioeconomic survey of the community revealed urgent problems with water scarcity, mosquitoes, and rodents. While two garden beds and 12 planters were built to encourage self-sustaining urban agriculture, the abstract does not explicitly state the success or failure of achieving self-sustainability or addressing the identified community problems beyond the construction itself.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationOrganic cycleEconomicsAplicación de biofertilizantes como alternativa nutricional, ambiental y económica en la agricultura urbana
2006Ramón Liriano González · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Cuba (Matanzas)
This study evaluated the effect of organic matter and biofertilizers (Azospirillum sp and Mycorrhizae) on horticultural crops and their economic effectiveness in Matanzas, Cuba. Two experiments were conducted: one at the University of Matanzas and another at the 'La Dignidad' urban garden, both using 13 treatments including varying organic matter doses and biofertilizer combinations. The study details the application methods and experimental design, but the abstract does not state the findings.
Organic cycleEconomicsHealthThe use of human waste for peri-urban agriculture in Northern Ghana
2005Olufunke Cofie, Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic, Pay Drechsel · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Ghana
This study investigated the use of faecal sludge (FS) for crop production in Tamale and Bolgatanga, Ghana, involving 90 farmers and sanitation officials. 64% of farmers used FS to improve soil fertility and increase maize and sorghum yields. While perceived to reduce pathogens, 22% of farmers reported itching feet and foot rot after working with FS without protective footwear. Constraints included foul smell, transport issues, and public mockery, yet competition for FS existed due to its benefits.
Peri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleCompostSurvey Of Soil Micro-Arthropods In Selected Sites In Ogun State
2005O. A. Oke, C. O. Adejuyigbe, O.A. Ajede · · Nigeria
A survey of soil micro-arthropods was conducted at selected farm locations in Ogun State, Nigeria, including a university farm, a school garden, a farmland, and a rubber plantation. The study identified micro-arthropods from Class Arachnida (orders Acarina, suborders Oribatida, Actinedida, Gamasida) and Class Insecta (order Collembola). The rubber plantation had the highest population (x = 24.75), while the university farm had the least (x = 1.75, Oribatida only). Physico-chemical soil analysis indicated that soil properties and farm practices influenced micro-arthropod distribution.
BiodiversityOrganic cycleDetermination of chromium in soil of Lodz gardens
2005B. Jankiewicz, B. Ptaszyński · Polish Journal of Environmental Studies · Poland
This study determined the levels of bioavailable and total chromium (III) and chromium (VI) in the soil of an allotment garden located in the center of Łódź, Poland. Chromium was measured using the spectrophotometric method and atomic absorption spectrometry. The research also examined the effects of iron and copper ions on the determination results.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleOASIS: Organic Vegetable Production Teaching Endeavor and Community Supported Agriculture Venture
2004Constance L. Falk, Pauline Pao, Christopher S. Cramer · HortScience · United States (New Mexico)
In January 2002, the OASIS organic vegetable garden was initiated on the New Mexico State University campus as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) venture. The project aims to provide students with experiential education in organic production and business management, investigate the feasibility of small-scale organic drip irrigation in the Chihuahuan desert, and demonstrate the CSA model. In its first two years, the 2/3-acre project grew about 230 varieties and generated $32,000 in revenue, with 32 members in the first year and 69 in 2003.
Food educationCommunityCSA & TeikeiOrganic cycle