Research & reports

Ji-Hye Moon · · Korea

This report by Moon, Ji-Hye, published in 2006 by the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center, discusses newly developed technologies and innovations in urban and peri-urban agriculture in Korea.

Rainbow A. Vogt, Lucía Kaiser, Robert B. Rucker · The FASEB Journal · United States (California)

A study involving 28 school food service directors and 20 stakeholders in California explored interest in purchasing local produce. Directors were motivated by fresher food, supporting the local economy, and aiding California farms, but faced barriers such as lack of producers, seasonal availability, budget, convenience, facilities, and transportation. The study concluded that program expansion and long-term viability depend on a coordinated produce distribution network between farms and schools, and the integration of nutrition education and school gardens into the core curriculum.

Paule Moustier, George Danso · Agritrop (Cirad) · Global

This report discusses urban agriculture's role in addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges of rapid urban growth in developing countries. It notes that while urban agriculture attracts attention, its viability and need for political support remain debated. The report highlights arguments against targeting scarce public resources towards urban agriculture, citing high land costs in urban areas and insufficient evidence of its economic viability.

马卫光 · 宁波通讯 · China (Ningbo)

Since the Central Committee's strategic deployment for building new socialist rural areas, Zhenhai District in China has actively implemented policies, making new rural construction a priority for the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan." The district formulated guidelines, outlining key tasks such as developing urban agriculture, boosting village economies, increasing farmers' income, accelerating infrastructure, and expanding public services to rural areas. Zhenhai District has rapidly advanced the construction of new rural communities, emphasizing integrated urban-rural planning and coordinated development, resulting in well-planned, clean, well-serviced, culturally rich, democratically managed, and comfortable rural communities.

莉莉 木南, 章 木南, 美華 朱 · Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) · China (Shanghai)

This research aims to analyze the sustainability of urban agriculture in Shanghai, China, from the aspects of economic efficiency, sociality, and environmental conservation. These aspects will be evaluated using a questionnaire survey method targeting residents on urban agriculture.

Paola Branduini · Virtual Community of Pathological Anatomy (University of Castilla La Mancha) · Italy

Projects for the valorization of agriculture in Italian metropolitan areas have primarily originated from initiatives within peri-urban parks. The second national Conference on Protected Areas in 2002 confirmed the idea that peri-urban agricultural areas can bridge rural and urban cultures through new management models. Italy presents several plans already realized or in progress that are significant for their concept of peri-urban agriculture, ongoing actions, and the role played by stakeholders.

Samuel Martín, Nathalie Bertrand, Nicole Rousier · Géographie Économie Société · France (Rhône-Alpes)

This paper examines spatial planning documents in two Rhône-Alpes city regions, France, as a tool for regulating land use conflicts in peri-urban agricultural areas under urbanization pressure. The analysis highlights rising tensions between local actors and suggests that agriculture is instrumentalized by spatial planning policies at the inter-communal level. At the communal level, local plans manage neighborhood and land ownership conflicts.

Y. Arocha, B. Piñol, B. Picornell, R. Almeida, P. Jones, E. Boa · Plant Pathology · Cuba

A 2005 survey in the 'Alamar' organoponic in Havana province, Cuba, observed typical phytoplasma-symptoms of little leaf and witches' broom in all basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants. DNA analysis of leaf samples from 27 symptomatic plants confirmed an association with a 16SrI group phytoplasma (Aster Yellows; 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris'). This report from Cuba is the first record of this new disease, for which the name basil little leaf is proposed.

MA Jun-wei · Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment · Global

This theoretical study addresses the "rurban fringe," the transitional zone connecting city and countryside, discussing rural landscape ecological features and landscape functions before setting out the content of landscape ecological construction. It proposes six elements: (1) rural landscape planning based on landscape ecological principles aimed at protecting regional traditions; (2) seeking optimal patterns for coordinated development between city and countryside; (3) developing tourism agriculture and urban agriculture in place of low-efficiency agriculture; (4) developing local rural landscape resources to promote eco-rurban tourism; (5) green landscape construction; and (6) building landscape corridors and networks for biodiversity protection, concluding by identifying trends in rurban fringe development.

Myreide Marinez Da Silva, J. L. P. Araujo, Aryon de Almeida Barbosa, Ariana Ferreira da Silva, Leyla Menezes de Santana, C. R. R. S. França · · Brazil

This study assessed the economic viability of an agroecological system for growing vegetables in the Nova Descoberta community, in the interior of Petrolina, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) was the economically dominant crop, accounting for nearly 85% of the garden's total monetary income, followed by lettuce (Lactuca sativa) at over 13%, while all remaining crops together reached only 2.3% of total sales value, though the study notes their cultivation was expected to expand with the continuing agroecological conversion process to diversify species grown.

Olufunke 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.

Erin M. Tegtmeier, Michael Duffy · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States

A survey of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations across the Midwest United States characterized their operations and profitability. The study presented the characteristics and profitability of these CSA operations.

LDK. Awono, Sebastian Bernal Hernandez, J. Gockowski, T. Dongmo, Mbang à Moudon · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cameroon (Yaounde)

This study examines peri-urban agriculture in Yaounde, Cameroon, highlighting its importance for employment and food security due to rapid urbanization and underdeveloped systems. It supplies perishable goods like leafy vegetables and bulky items such as fresh cassava, and provides employment for over four thousand women in marketing. Major constraints include pests, diseases, lack of producer credit, and inadequate extension services.

R. Robles · Revista Agraria · Mexico (Mexico City)

This paper provides an overview of urban agriculture in Mexico City and its conurban area, contrasting production models in developing and developed countries. It reviews the main urban, suburban, and peri-urban production systems and discusses public policies for promoting urban agriculture. The study concludes that no specific policy has been designed to promote urban agriculture in Mexico.

Peter Houston · Geographical Research · Australia

This study used Agricultural Census data to calculate the economic value of agricultural production in Australia's peri-urban regions. The analysis suggests these regions in the five mainland States produce almost 25% of Australia's total gross value of agricultural production, though other evidence indicates this may be an underestimate. The study notes that peri-urban agriculture is poorly served by the Agricultural Census and often overlooked in public policy deliberations.

Cheng Xu · · China (Beijing)

This study examined environmental protection consciousness and willingness to pay (WTP) for agricultural non-point pollution in a suburban agricultural area in Beijing, China, using the contingent valuation method (CVM). Survey results showed that residents' environmental protection consciousness is rising, with a positive relationship between educated ages and family net income with WTP, but a negative relationship between interviewee age and WTP. The averaged WTP was 49.18 yuan RMB per capita, and the total WTP for Shunyi district was about 26.81 million yuan RMB in 2002.

Kerry Martens · ˜The œAgricultural education magazine · United States (Connecticut)

This paper recounts the author's personal experience in a regional suburban agricultural education program in Connecticut, detailing how it changed their career goals and led them to become an agriculture teacher. The author reports acquiring transferable skills, such as record-keeping and working within a budget through a portfolio-based SAE project. The experience concludes that large, suburban agricultural education programs offer great opportunities.

P. H. Bayemi, M. J. Bryant, David Puewoh Pingpoh, H Imele, Jean Claude Mbanya, Tanya Tanya, D. Cavestany, J Awoh, A Ngoucheme, D Sali, F Ekoue, H. NJAKOI, E.C. Webb · CentAUR (University of Reading) · Cameroon

A Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was conducted in dairy farms of the North West Province of Cameroon to understand prevailing dairy systems, identify problems, and set priorities for research and development to improve production. The research team visited farmers' groups and conducted farm and village walks, noting direct observations. Results showed five small-scale dairy production systems (transhumance, improved extensive, semi intensive, zero grazing, and peri-urban) exist in the region, with agriculture well integrated into dairying. Main constraints, in order of importance, included poor marketing opportunities, limited grazing land, poor reproductive management, inadequate knowledge in processing and milk preservation, and limited health control.

H. Chin, M.C. Palada · HortScience · Southeast Asia

A study developed a simple, rapid method for measuring nitrate-N accumulation against a backdrop of heavy nitrogen fertilizer use in intensive leafy vegetable production in peri-urban Southeast Asia. Five vegetables—amaranth, kangkong, Ethiopian kale, choysum, and leafy lettuce—were grown under eight N fertilizer levels from 0 to 350 kg/ha applied in three splits, with nitrate-N in leaf, petiole, and whole-plant sap measured using a Cardy nitrate meter and chlorophyll measured with a chlorophyll meter. Nitrate accumulation varied by species: at 200 kg/ha N, Ethiopian kale was highest (7,000 ppm), followed by kangkong (4,000 ppm), amaranth (3,500 ppm), and leafy lettuce (1,200 ppm), with significant correlations (P < 0.001) between fertilizer rate and nitrate content and between leaf chlorophyll and yield.

Maija Heimo · Social & Cultural Geography · Colombia (Bogotá)

This is a notice of a doctoral dissertation completed at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, titled "A Political Ecology of Conservation: Peri-urban Agriculture and Urban Water Needs in Mexico City." The dissertation examines the cultural politics of peri-urban agriculture and urban water needs in Mexico City.

PS van Heerden, Yali E. Woyessa, Etheresia Pretorius · Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir landbouvoorligting/South African journal of agricultural extension · South Africa

A study in the communal farming areas of the upper and middle Modder River Basin, South Africa, assessed the potential for adopting an infield rainwater harvesting (IRWH) technique developed by the Agricultural Research Council's Institute for Soil, Climate and Water. The technique significantly increased crop yield over conventional practice, and homestead-level adoption grew from six to more than 950 households. An estimated 80,667 hectares in the study area were suitable for IRWH, of which about 14,500 hectares lay in communal farming areas. A participatory field survey of 21 randomly selected villages found strong positive motivators, such as increased crop yield and household food availability, but also strong demotivators — high levels of poverty, limited family labor, lack of tools, and lack of fences around community gardens leading to theft and animal damage. These demotivators were judged strong enough to prevent significant expansion of IRWH beyond the homestead scale, and the expected impact on downstream water availability was therefore judged minimal.

Kenny Lynch · · United States

A 1992 survey by Bryant and Johnston in the US examined farming in the 'city's countryside'. The survey found that key concerns among farmers included changes in the local community, excessive traffic, issues of trespassing and vandalism, and complaints from non-farm neighbors. These findings indicate challenges in governance and community relations for peri-urban farmers.

Chhean Sokhen, Diep Kanika, Paule Moustier · Agritrop (Cirad) · Cambodia (Phnom Penh)

This study investigated vegetable market flows and chains in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, through rapid market surveys conducted on approximately one-fifth of traders in three major markets. Surveys were carried out three times in 2002 and four times in 2003, collecting data on supply origin, intermediary functions, supply calendar, and quantities sold for eight key vegetable commodities. The research aimed to quantify the origins and flows of vegetables available in the market.

沈永昌 · 上海农村经济 · China (Shanghai)

In Jinshan District, Shanghai, China, the development of facility agriculture has led to the rapid growth of urban agriculture, technology-driven agriculture, service agriculture, and ecological agriculture, significantly contributing to increased agricultural efficiency and farmer income. Last year, the district's average agricultural output per mu reached 2,870 yuan, a 19.1% increase year-on-year. Farmers' per capita income was 5,456 yuan, an 11.6% increase from the previous year, ranking among the highest growth rates in the city's suburbs.

Ademola K. Braimoh, Paul L. G. Vlek · Earth Interactions · Ghana

This study quantified land-cover changes in a 2400-ha area of northern Ghana using Landsat images from 1984, 1992, and 1999, and projected future distribution. Remote sensing showed built-up area expansion at 26 ha/year (1984-92) and 35 ha/year (1992-99), alongside peri-urban agriculture development at 24 ha/year (1992-99). Projections indicated built-up areas would cover 39% of the landscape by 2006, at the expense of cropland and natural vegetation.