Research & reports

Delphine 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.

Dragana Šunjka, Sanja Lazić, Slavica Vuković, Siniša Berjan, Hamid El Bilali · · Serbia

This chapter examines the food safety of urban agriculture systems in the Republic of Serbia through selected case studies. It highlights that agricultural products from urban production may be contaminated by polluted soil, water, and air, as well as by pesticides, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, nitrate and nitrite, and mycotoxins. The study emphasizes the need for strict control and reduction of synthetic pesticides and other agrochemicals in urban agriculture.

Ronald O. Muchelo, Thomas F. A. Bishop, Sabastine U. Ugbaje, Stephen Akpa · Land · Uganda (Kampala)

This study examined urban growth and agricultural land loss in Kampala (1989-2015) and Mbarara (2002-2016), Uganda, using multi-temporal Landsat imagery. Kampala's urban area surged from 7.14% to 55.10%, and Mbarara's from 6.37% to 30.95%, while agricultural land decreased significantly in both cities. A substantial portion of urban growth encroached upon agricultural land (66.7% in Kampala, 57.8% in Mbarara), and unsustainable practices also converted wetlands and forests to agricultural land.

Ngo Anh Dao Ho, C.P. Leo, Anh Tuan Ta, Thanh Q. Nguyen · Water Practice & Technology · Global

This paper presents a study on a low-cost system for greywater treatment for household irrigation. The system used physical filtration and UV disinfection, and three greywater samples from the kitchen, washing basins, and bathroom were investigated. High removal efficiency (>60%) was obtained for turbidity, coliform, BOD5, and COD. Greywater from washing basins showed the highest potential for reuse, as its treated quality met water reuse standards for household irrigation.

M. P. PADOVAN, A. FEIDEN, O. M. KOMORI, E. A. Guimarães Costa, R. da S. CAMPOS · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Global

At the Agroecol 2024 event, nine proposals were developed to strengthen agroecology and sustainable development in the face of the climate emergency. These proposals include strengthening agroecology in family farming, indigenous peoples, traditional communities, urban and peri-urban agriculture, promoting diversified production and short commercialization circuits, training processes in biodiverse agroecological systems, strengthening public research, and providing qualified technical assistance and credit tailored to farmers' needs.

Kalpana Waiba, Alina Maharjan, R Shakya · Journal of Environment Sciences · Nepal

This study investigated the status and impact of urban agriculture on the population in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A structured questionnaire survey of 230 families showed that 51% of respondents had access to growing areas and 76% chose kitchen gardening. The main motivations were economic considerations (50%) and personal satisfaction (20%). Participants reported cultivating 55% of their diet, contributing to good health, though challenges such as plant diseases (40%) were present.

Kelvin Haule, Bupe Kabigi · Ghana Journal of Geography · Tanzania

This study analyzed land markets and their influence on peri-urban agriculture and livelihood strategies in Tanzania. It found that widespread monetary land markets, including formal, informal, speculative, entrepreneurial, and land grabbing forms, are transforming peri-urban agriculture into non-farm activities. These informal changes are causing a “sendoff” of peri-urban agriculture, and if unmanaged, land markets are suggested to become a blight for indigenous people selling land.

Almou Abdoulaye Alio, Alio Sanda Abdel-Kader, Alio Fody Mahamadou, Chaibou Yaou, Rabiou Mamane Moustapha, Hamidou Djelifa, SOUMANA SOUROUNDA Idé, Mahamane Idi Issa Abdoulahi, Lewamy Mamadou, Haoua Sabo Seini, Hassimi Sadou · Asian Journal of Biology · Niger (Niamey)

This study assessed the impact of irrigation water on the bacteriological quality of lettuce in three market garden sites in Niamey, Niger. Analysis of 18 lettuce and 29 irrigation water samples revealed high contamination across all sites with various bacteria, including total coliforms, fecal coliforms, enterobacteria, and E. coli. The irrigation water quality was found unsuitable for irrigation, significantly contaminating the lettuce and posing potential health risks to consumers.

Lee D. Bryant, Roy Maconachie, Bastian Schnabel, Abubakarr Swaray, Howard Gigi, Solomon Gbanie, Kabba Haroun Bangura, Anthony Kamara, Prince Antwi-Agyei · Water Science & Technology Water Supply · Sierra Leone (Freetown)

This paper examined the environmental health status of three urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) sites in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Qualitative and quantitative data revealed heavy metal concentrations significantly exceeding regulatory limits in sweet potato leaves and arable soil. Additionally, soaring levels of faecal coliform bacteria were found in irrigation water, and crops were identified as hyperaccumulators for environmental contaminants.

Lubna Taj, Tahira Yasmeen, Waqas Haidar, Qasim Ali, Muhammad Arif · Soil & Environment · Pakistan

A two-year study (2016-2017) in Pakistan's peri-urban agricultural areas investigated the impact of seasonal variations in wastewater irrigation on sugarcane. Sugarcane irrigated with wastewater showed increased antioxidant activities compared to freshwater-irrigated plants, suggesting biochemical adjustments to contaminants. Significant seasonal differences in plant mineral content were also observed, indicating that wastewater irrigation can alter plant physiology and affect agricultural output.

Xiu-li LUO, Xiaobin Jin, Xiaojie Liu, Su-shu ZHANG, Su-chen YING, Yinkang Zhou · 自然资源学报 · Global

This study, based on symbiosis theory, proposes a mechanism and model of comprehensive land consolidation to promote integrated urban and rural development in peri-urban areas. It showed that main obstacles to symbiotic peri-urban systems are non-equilibrium development in symbiotic units, unequal mobility of elements in the symbiotic environment, and asymmetry and non-reciprocity of symbiotic models. Comprehensive land consolidation reshapes the symbiotic environment through element flow, reconstructs symbiotic units through spatial reconstruction, and drives the symbiotic model through functional promotion, leading to symmetric and reciprocal benefits in urban-rural systems.

Richard Morris, Shannon Davis, Gwen‐Aëlle Grelet, Pablo Gregorini · Land · Global

Applying a GIS-based model (ESMAX), this study tests a spatial method called "Agroecology for the City," aimed at maximizing ecosystem services (ES) in outwardly expanding peri-urban development. Agroecological farm system (AFS) parcels of 1 ha and 4 ha were configured within a real-world 200 ha peri-urban residential development to identify arrangements maximizing the supply of three regulating ecosystem services the local community identified as critical, plus multifunctional performance across them. Configurations with AFS parcels interspersed evenly among built-up areas provided the best multifunctionality across the four ecosystem services tested.

Assyifa Fauzia · Trend and Future of Agribusiness · Global

A descriptive literature review (2015-2023) and comparative analysis of urban farming management in Thailand's Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) and Indonesia's Jakarta. Since 2010 the BMR has pursued food self-sufficiency using canals for irrigation and transport, but urban farmers remain poorly connected to traditional markets. In Jakarta, high population density and conversion of agricultural land are serious problems; after the 1998 economic crisis residents expanded urban farming on available land, but industrialization has increased uncertainty over land rights. Both countries share a lack of coordination in urban agriculture regulation and infrastructure, which the paper suggests addressing through better communication among farmers, retailers and non-farming households.

Suhardi Suhardi, Bambang Marhaenanto, Bayu Taruna Widjaja Putra · Pertanika journal of science & technology · Malaysia

Aimed at making urban water-resource management more efficient, this Malaysian study applied and evaluated a soil-moisture-sensor and IoT-based drip irrigation system for urban agriculture. The results showed fair distribution uniformity, with a Coefficient of Uniformity (CU) of 90.15% and 86.58% respectively. An IoT-assisted drip irrigation system that used a Deep Neural Network (DNN) model to meet water requirements produced higher peanut yields than a control irrigation system based on soil moisture alone.

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.

Setyardi Pratika Mulya, Heru Purboyo Hidayat Putro, Delik Hudalah · Geography and sustainability · Global

This 2023 global systematic literature review examined peri-urban agriculture (PUA) as an ecosystem service, focusing on urbanization pressures and governance. The review found that PUA is crucial for urban areas in terms of food supply, ecology, biodiversity preservation, disaster mitigation, and recreation. However, massive urban expansion is a primary cause of PUA loss, and sociocultural biases have led to institutional constraints on peri-urban management within existing political and regulatory frameworks.

Institut de Gestion des Techniques Urbaines, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi, MERIEM BENLAHRECHE, Saïd Mazouz, Département d’architecture, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi · Revue Roumaine de Géographie / Romanian Journal of Geography · Algeria

This article aims to explain urban phenomena in Hamma Bouziane, Algeria, a city known for its fertile land. The study indicates that the peri-urban agriculture of Hamma Bouziane is suffering negative repercussions due to unbridled urban expansion and socio-economic changes.

Ana María Bertolini, Patrícia Constante Jaime, Gabriela Marques Di Giulio · Saúde e Sociedade · Global

This article discusses the evolution of the concept of food and nutritional security (FNS) internationally, from post-World War II to the COVID-19 crisis, and the contributions of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) to this agenda. Based on a critical literature review, the study notes that institutional responses to FNS often focus on crises and prioritize unsustainable globalized food systems. UPA practices have seen periods of rise and decline, evolving alongside the FNS agenda, and the article concludes by discussing the need to incorporate concepts of justice, global health, and a multidimensional view of sustainability into FNS and UPA discussions.

Fabèkourè Cédric Kambiré, Sheick Sangaré, Rayangnéwendé Adèle Ouédraogo, Adama Zanga Ouattara · Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment · Burkina Faso (Bobo-Dioulasso)

This study investigated the chemical quality of soils across six market gardening sites in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, considering the impact of fertilizer use and site location. Soil samples from 30 farms in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas were analyzed for carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and pH, revealing that soil chemical parameters, except for available K, were affected by site location. Urban farm soils were less acidic, and long-term organic matter application improved soil chemical quality, though soil quality tended to decrease with area expansion.

David Barkin · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · Global

This study contributes to the significance of a growing global movement where millions of people are taking control of their environments, creating "Territories of Life" to strengthen autonomy and produce food using traditional techniques enhanced by agroecology. Indigenous and peasant communities, who inhabit over one-quarter of the world's land and produce about 70% of global food, are restructuring their organizations and governance to control their ancestral territories. This movement has the potential to influence other communities and expand local and regional networks and markets worldwide.

Neville N. Suh, Richard A. Nyiawung, Ernest L. Molua, Rossella Bottone, Canan Abay · World Development Sustainability · Cameroon

This study in Cameroon explored the association between farming households' resilience and food/nutrition insecurity during COVID-19 lockdowns. Focus group discussions identified shocks and response strategies, followed by an in-depth study of 249 farming households. Econometric modeling revealed that COVID-19 shocks adversely affected food and nutrition security and reduced resilience capacity. However, existing adaptive capacity and access to basic services significantly contributed to resilience, with female-headed and semi-urban households showing greater resilience.

Shannon Davis, Guanyu Chen, Naomi Darvill · Land · New Zealand

In Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand, surveys explored perceptions of peri-urban residents and food producers regarding food growing in the peri-urban zone. Over 90% of residents expressed positive views towards local food production, though they raised concerns about environmental and health impacts, particularly water quality, and limited access to local food. Conversely, food producers reported less positive experiences due to various operational issues in the peri-urban zone.

Ernst‐August Nuppenau · PLoS ONE · Global

This article proposes an ecological economics orientation for peri-urban development, focusing on land use planning, local food, and entropy. Based on a mathematical model and control theory, it presents an operational concept to minimize negative externalities within a given population, aiming to assure space for urban agriculture and enable organic matter recycling. It notes that current unhealthy developments and market-oriented city expansions have limited the scope for peri-urban farming, advocating for regional planning based on organic matter recycling.

Benjamin Felix Richardson · · New Zealand (Auckland)

Auckland's urban sprawl threatens to significantly raise the price of fresh fruits and vegetables across the country, worsening chronic food security issues. Food production has become detached from the food security and food sovereignty of Aotearoa's people. The severity of this issue is driving calls for reform, and a conflict exists between humanity's agricultural subsistence and the destabilizing demands of financial extraction, where crucial productive hubs can be lost permanently.

Mansi I. Bhati and R.K. Dubey · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

Urban horticulture, a new concept for growing family-sufficient food in urban and peri-urban areas, is gaining importance. However, environmental challenges for urban farming in urban environments include soil contamination, micro-climate alteration and air pollution, and contaminated water resources. Appropriate guidelines for urban and peri-urban agricultural practices are required.