Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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9077 results(42 / 364)
El Aprendizaje Servicio a través de los ecohuertos escolares de la Universidad de Salamanca: una herramienta innovadora del siglo XXI al alcance de la Agenda 2030
2025David Caballero Franco, Judith Martín Lucas, Parra Nieto, Gabriel · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Spain (Salamanca)
This work describes the Community School Gardens Network (HecoUSAL) project, a Service-Learning program launched in 2013 at the University of Salamanca, Spain. The program aims to improve university education quality, strengthen social commitment, expand sustainability culture, and develop sustainability skills among students. It proposes new teaching-learning models that integrate sustainability skills through multi-sensory, nature-based educational experiences within school environments.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeThe urban food question in a (neo)colonial perspective: Response to Elza D’Cruz (2024), ‘Urban agriculture and urban planning: a case of Bangalore between the 1950s and the 1970s’
2025Koenraad Danneels · Landscape Research · India (Bangalore)
This paper responds to a critique regarding urban agriculture (UA) and urban planning in Bangalore, India, between the 1950s and 1970s. While urban agriculture is recognized as an emancipatory driver with economic, social, and physical benefits for urban dwellers, the abstract indicates a critical perspective on its promotion.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEducação ambiental e Extensão popular como movimentos para a construção da primeira horta comunitária de Araranguá-SC
2025Eduardo Fernandes Martinello, Wanderley de Jesus Souza, José Virtuoso · REMEA - Revista Eletrônica do Mestrado em Educação Ambiental · Brazil
This article presents a successful experience in Araranguá, Santa Catarina, Brazil, where environmental education and popular extension movements facilitated the conversion of an underutilized urban space into a community garden. The garden produces food for people experiencing food vulnerability, and the experience demonstrated community engagement and knowledge construction by learners.
CommunityFood educationWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceConclusion: Cultivating Middle Ground
2025· The MIT Press eBooks · Global
This book examines community farms in Latin America, Australia, and China, highlighting tensions between local identities and global transformation. It finds that while industrial expansion in export agribusiness generates macroeconomic benefits, it incurs micro-level costs such as the replacement of peri-urban farms by plantations, loss of biodiversity, and groundwater contamination from pesticides and fertilizers. The study suggests that food system intermediaries are crucial in connecting rural migrants with urban farms and resources.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityClimate change30+ Innovations in Urban Agriculture
2025University of Liège, Reframe.food, ASTREDHOR · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Europe
This catalogue presents over 30 innovative Urban Agriculture initiatives from across Europe. These projects were selected for their originality, relevance, maturity, and potential to address urban challenges, demonstrating several years of successful operation. It provides an comprehensive overview of diverse urban farming systems and their potential to transform cities into more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient places.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageClimate changeEntre saberes e práticas: reflexões sobre vivências na EJA
2025Andrade, Roseleide Dantas · A Revista Agroambiente On-line (Universidade Federal de Roraima, UFRR) · Brazil (Fortaleza)
This experience report reflects on visits to the EMEIEF Paulo Sarasate School in Fortaleza, Brazil, as part of the Youth and Adult Education (EJA) discipline at the State University of Ceará. Observations included a community garden and projects like an antiracist initiative and the Florescer Project for women. Discussions with pedagogical coordination highlighted challenges such as dropout and resource scarcity, but also recognized EJA's role in inclusion, self-esteem, and social transformation.
CommunityFood educationWelfareIntegration of Digital Innovation in Urban Farming: A Review towards Advancing Sustainable Food Security in South and Southeast Asian Cities
2025Ghana Shyam Yurembam, Malay Pramanik, Ranjana Devi Yengkhom, L. Hemochandra, Bivek Chakma, Deepak Jhajharia, G. T. Patle · Journal of Agricultural Engineering (India) · Asia
This systematic review examined urban farming systems in South and Southeast Asian countries to address research gaps in technology adoption, costs, environmental benefits, and policy. Using the PRISMA method and Scopus/Web of Science databases, the review found that urban farming contributes to sustainability by reducing environmental impacts, improving water usage, and managing waste. It also noted that energy-efficient technologies and automation can decrease carbon emissions and optimize land use for increased yields, fostering self-reliant food systems.
Digital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyIntegrating Intelligent Irrigation Systems Across Morocco’s Cultivated Spaces: A Strategic Assessment for Sustainable Water Management
2025Anass El-Aabssi, Abdelhadi Assir · Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) · Morocco
This study assessed the potential integration of Intelligent Irrigation Systems (IIS) across four agricultural categories in Morocco—protected agriculture, traditional open-field farming, urban agriculture, and natural ecosystems—for sustainable water management. The evaluation considered infrastructural readiness, technological compatibility, economic feasibility, environmental impact, and social consequences. Findings indicated that traditional open-field farming, which accounts for 85% of cultivated area and 70% of irrigation water, holds the greatest potential for water savings, up to 70%, through precision irrigation technology.
Digital agricultureClimate changeEconomicsPEMBENTUKAN KOMUNITAS PERTANIAN PERKOTAAN SEBAGAI SALAH SATU BENTUK MENGHIDUPKAN KEMBALI INTERAKSI SOSIAL MASYARAKAT KOTA
2025T. I. (Teungku) Darwis, R. (Renny) Nurhasana, C. (Chotib) Chotib, E. P. (Eurika) Andita · Neliti · Indonesia (Jakarta)
Unplanned urban growth in Jakarta has hindered social interaction and fostered individualism due to an imbalance in facilities, distance, and population. This paper proposes urban agriculture as an effective means to create new spaces for social interaction. By establishing an urban agricultural plot at TPA Ikhlasul Machfudz in South Jakarta and conducting community service and empowerment activities, the project successfully created a new interaction space for local residents, allowing participants to engage in productive activities and social interaction.
CommunityFood educationWelfareBecoming community economy: how community-supported agriculture diversifies farm labour
2025Guilherme Raj, Giuseppe Feola · Local Environment · Portugal
This study longitudinally examines labor in three Portuguese community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives to reconstruct the trajectory of labor diversification over several years. The analysis shows that the CSA setup led to labor diversification in all three case studies. Findings suggest that "community" is an emergent property rather than an inherent quality of CSA, and that empowerment and disempowerment dynamics are crucial in diversifying work relations.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageA Tale of Soft Spaces and Seeds Under the Snow
2025Francesca Gotti, Yona Catrina Schreyer · field · Italy (Bergamo)
This essay describes two alternative spatial practices implemented in Bergamo, Italy: "Software-ing Spaces," a living-designing-building residency in a former monastery, and "Seeds Under the Snow," an experimental laboratory for knowledge exchange and innovative methods within Bergamo's social gardens. Both projects aim to challenge systemic procedures in the construction sector and develop spatial ideas based on empathy, synchronizing place, resources, users, and builders.
CommunityDigital agricultureFood educationUrban farming as a form of the future food security in the Czech Republic
2025Jan Szturc, Tomáš Mašíček, Adéla Navrátilová, Jana Kozlovský Dufková · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Europe
This study explored the production potential of urban farming in Olomouc, Czech Republic, using spatial analysis to identify suitable spaces. Results indicated that 408.04 hectares of currently unused land could be repurposed for urban farming, yielding 7,099.9 tons of vegetables. This production could meet 42.68% of the city's total vegetable demand, though detailed analysis is always necessary for specific areas due to varying potential.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyPeri-urban agricultureSikkim's Organic Revolution: A Sustainable Agricultural Model for Rural and Urban Resilience
2025Supriya Chandrakant Gaikwad · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · India (Sikkim)
This paper synthesizes six studies to examine Sikkim's organic farming model, evaluating farmer perceptions, productivity, policy gaps, and urban innovations like rooftop farming. While organic farming in Sikkim boosted yields, lowered input expenses, and improved environmental conditions, marketing and scalability remain significant obstacles, and short-term transition costs and limited market infrastructure are economic constraints. Rooftop agriculture in Gangtok was identified as a valuable addition for urban food security.
Economic viabilityOrganic cyclePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceVegetable microgreens: A superfood with potential health benefits
2025Parul Mehra, Shriram Mahadev Mhaske, Shubham Singh Patel, Shikha Jain · International Journal of Research in Agronomy · Global
Microgreens are a horticultural product cultivated from various vegetable, herb, and wild herb seeds, grown in diverse conditions including urban agricultural settings. They are noted for higher concentrations of bioactive elements compared to mature plants, but their health benefits are still under dispute. A major concern is their rapid deterioration and short shelf life, which can be partially resolved by methods like controlling storage temperature and atmospheric conditions.
HealthDigital agricultureFood educationLeveraging community agroecological values across scales for food system transformation in Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation, Northwest Territories
2025Jennifer Temmer, Alison Blay‐Palmer, Andrew Spring · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · Canada (Northwest Territories)
A Participatory Action Research study in Kakisa, Northwest Territories, applied the Community Agroecological Values Framework to food system planning. While the community successfully leveraged extra-regional resources by building relationships with organizations outside the territory, findings indicated that unstable relationships and conflicting perspectives regarding land use and agriculture constrained access to critical regional supports, including gardening knowledge networks, funding, and training opportunities. This study highlights the necessity of both short-term regional support and long-term local capacity building for sustainable food production.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyDesign of a Prototype IoT-Based Monitoring and Control System for Urban Aquaculture Support Equipment Utilizing Renewable Energy
2025Tranggono Tranggono, Isna Nugraha, Yekti Condro Winursito, Sinta Dewi, Mega Cattleya P. A. I., Hafid Syaifullah, Gilang Ramadhan, Friska Aryanti · Nusantara Science and Technology Proceedings · Indonesia
This research aims to design a system integrating IoT technology and solar energy to support urban aquaculture. Urban aquaculture, defined as fish farming in limited spaces, requires a stable electricity supply. Utilizing Indonesia's abundant sunlight, the system considers solar cell-based electricity generation to help urban residents sustainably meet food needs and enhance food security.
DIYCommunityDigital agriculturePengembangan Model Random Forest Regressor untuk Prediksi Kelembaban pada Pertanian Perkotaan Berkelanjutan
2025Miftah Farid Adiwisastra, Saeful Bahri, H. Syahwani Umar · Jutisi Jurnal Ilmiah Teknik Informatika dan Sistem Informasi · Global
This study aims to develop an IoT and AI-integrated smart farming system operating via edge computing. The prototype system collects real-time environmental data using pH, TDS, temperature, humidity, and water level sensors, processing it with the Random Forest Regressor algorithm to determine optimal conditions. Test results showed the model has very high accuracy in predicting humidity (R² = 0.99; RMSE = 0.65) and temperature (R² = 0.99; RMSE = 0.17), though discrepancies were noted under extreme conditions.
Digital agricultureClimate changeCultura Alimenticia Ancestral y Hábitos de Consumo en Estudiantes de 6.º–7.º de la Institución Educativa Agrícola de Argelia, Cauca
2025Hoyos Zuñiga, Elder Arnubio, Mena Gómez, Ana Cecilia · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Colombia
This study examined the presence, transmission, and perceived relevance of ancestral culinary practices among 6th–7th grade students at the Agricultural Educational Institution of Argelia, Cauca, Colombia, and their influence on eating habits. A qualitative, descriptive design using semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documentary review was employed. Findings indicated that students recognize traditional staples but reported low frequency of home preparation and limited availability at school kiosks.
Food educationHealthCommunityComposting behavior in Japan: an application of the theory of consumption values
2025Ana Catarina Morais, Akira Ishida · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Japan
This research investigated factors encouraging Japanese households to engage in composting, applying the theory of consumption values (TCV) and evaluating hypotheses using ordinal partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings indicate that household composting in Japan is influenced by social approval, behavior visibility, composting knowledge, convenience, interest in gardening/farming, and individual availability. Factors like emotions, gender, housing type, and household size did not significantly impact composting practice.
CompostOrganic cycleFood lossDIYUrbanization, Climate Change, and Food Insecurity: A Triple Threat to Kiambu Sub-County, Kenya
2025Stella Kasiva Mbiti, Micah Makworo, Brenda Waruinu Githinji, Christine Sabwa · · Kenya
This study explored the inter-linkages of urbanization, climate change, and food insecurity in Kiambu Sub-County, Kenya. Findings show urbanization leads to dramatic land use changes, diminishing agricultural land, and exacerbated climate risks and food insecurity. The study identified institutional weaknesses, poor planning, limited regulatory frameworks, and political interference as key drivers of unsustainable urban growth and reduced food production.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyUrban–rural linkageCommunity connectedness and sustainable eating
2025Michela Lenzi, Andrea Scatolon, Luciana Carraro, Margherita Guidetti, Valentina Carfora · Current Opinion in Psychology · Global
This review explored how community connectedness influences sustainable eating, particularly meat consumption. It found that while community ties can encourage pro-environmental behaviors and support plant-based diet initiatives, a strong connection to one's community may also hinder the adoption of environmentally friendly diets by reinforcing meat-heavy culinary traditions. The potential for community connectedness to promote sustainable eating depends on factors like environmental awareness.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeRoots of wellbeing: cultivating community wellness through urban farming in Malaysia
2025Jasmin Arif Shah · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Malaysia
The practice of urban farming in Malaysia is recognized for promoting the well-being of urban dwellers and smallholder farmers, and for achieving sustainable food production. Urban farming is viewed as a catalyst for achieving the well-being of urban dwellers and the natural environment, with social and health benefits being among the highest motivating factors for urban communities. The development of urban farming communities and the emphasis on sustainable food production through these initiatives are considered important steps towards empowering locals and creating food-independent communities.
CommunityHealthFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsImpacto del cambio climático en la seguridad alimentaria en regiones urbanas de Colombia
2025Piedad Margarita Montero Castillo, Diofanor Acevedo Correa, Yesid Alejandro Marrugo Ligardo · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Colombia
This study examines the impacts of climate change on food security for vulnerable social groups in urban areas of Colombia. Using documentary analysis and hermeneutic valuation, it considers the negative impacts of climate change on food production. Sustainable urban agriculture is analyzed as a contribution to providing access to nutritious and healthy food for vulnerable groups, fostering adaptability and resilience.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareHealthThe importance of digital record-keeping among urban agriculture communities: a review
2025Noryana Ahmad Khusaini, Munifah Siti Amira Yusuf · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Global
This review examines the significance of digital record-keeping in urban agriculture, focusing on its impact on efficiency, productivity, market access, economic benefits, sustainability, and environmental benefits. The review identifies challenges such as a lack of digital skills, high implementation costs, inadequate technological infrastructure, limited connectivity, data privacy, and security. These challenges hinder the adoption of digitalization in urban agriculture.
Governance failureDigital agricultureEconomicsCommunityClimate changePemberdayaan Ibu-Ibu PKK Melalui Program Urban Farming di Kelurahan Rejosari Kota Semarang
2025Riska Oktavia, Ahmad Faqih, Agus Riyadi · Jurnal SOLMA · Indonesia (Semarang)
This program aimed to empower PKK women through urban farming in RT/RW 01/05, Rejosari Village, Semarang. The method involved socialization, training, direct assistance, and monitoring of urban farming practices. Participants cultivated various plants, including chili, eggplant, sweet potato, and melon, utilizing the produce for communal gardens and their homes. The program proved effective in improving family welfare in Rejosari Village.
CommunityWelfareFood educationDIY