Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
11393 results(429 / 456)
京郊“南果北种”的现状与发展思路
2007王敬中 · 北京农业 · China (Beijing)
A review discussing "southern fruit grown in the north" (nan guo bei zhong) - cultivating tropical and subtropical fruit trees from southern China in the Beijing area using protective facilities. It states that over the past decade, growth in China's urban agriculture has strengthened technical support and market demand for the practice, and that researcher-led experimentation has produced breakthroughs, without citing specific yield or economic figures.
Digital agricultureSOBRE LA EXISTENCIA DE MANEJOS GUARANÍES EN LOS HUERTOS HORGÁNICOS COMUNITARIOS DE LA CIUDAD DE ROSARIO EN EL SUR DE SANTA FE. ARGENTINA
2007Carla Ellen Lima Lemos, Eduardo Sevilla Guzmán · REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE AGROECOLOGIA · Argentina
A research note from Rosario, in southern Santa Fe province, Argentina, focused on migrant groups who moved to Rosario from Argentina's northern provinces over the past twenty years, some from the historical Guaraní cultural sphere, bringing agricultural work experience along with their language. Building on a history of resistance to industrial models of nature management through the Ligas Agrarias and, after repression under military dictatorship, work in traditional subsistence gardens within popular cooperativism, the paper sets out to open a line of research at CEPAR testing the hypothesis that Guaraní management forms exist in Rosario's community organic gardens. If supported, this could be termed a "Rosario agroecological gardening style"; the urban agriculture model that has taken shape is described as arising from the interaction between immigrant groups' knowledge and modern conventional agronomic technique.
CommunityOrganic cycleDIYFood educationThe Growing Phenomenon of School Gardens: Measuring Their Variation and Their Affect on Students' Sense of Responsibility and Attitudes Toward Science and the Environment
2007Sonja M. Skelly, Jennifer Bradley · Applied Environmental Education & Communication · United States
A study (Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 2007) summarizing a 2000 investigation of school garden program variation and its impact on 427 third-grade students, developed a typology of nine garden types from a survey of 28 third-grade teachers, classified by activity intensity (high, medium, low) and garden form (flower, vegetable, or combination). Analysis of covariance found significant differences among garden types in students' attitudes toward science and toward the usefulness of science study. No significant differences were found among garden types in students' sense of responsibility or environmental attitudes; scores on those measures were uniformly high with little variation regardless of garden type.
CommunityFood educationHealthToxicity of nitrogenous fertilizers to eggs of snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) in field and laboratory exposures
2007Shane R. de Solla, Pamela A. Martin · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry · United States
Because many reptiles oviposit in soil within agricultural landscapes, this study evaluated the toxicity of two commonly used nitrogenous fertilizers — urea and ammonium nitrate — to snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) egg survivorship. Eggs were incubated, unmanipulated and under ambient conditions, in a community garden plot treated with urea at realistic rates up to 200 kg/ha in 2004 and ammonium nitrate up to 2,000 kg/ha in 2005, and separately in covered laboratory bins designed to minimize nitrogen loss through volatilization or leaching. In the field, neither urea nor ammonium nitrate affected hatching success or development, despite ammonium nitrate showing overt toxicity to native plants. In the laboratory, however, both fertilizer exposures reduced hatching success, lowered body mass at hatching, and reduced post-hatching survival compared with controls. The authors attribute the field's lack of toxicity to leaching and atmospheric loss of nitrogen in soil, and conclude that nitrogenous fertilizers likely have little direct impact on turtle eggs deposited in agricultural landscapes.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityBiodiversityOrganic cycleSustainable Decentralized Energy Generation & Sanitation: Case EVA Lanxmeer, Culemborg, the Netherlands
2007Arjan van Timmeren, Daniel Sidler, Marleen Kaptein · Journal of Green Building · Europe
This paper is a case study of the integration of a combined wastewater/energy system into a semi-public building, the EVA Centre, within EVA Lanxmeer, a "deep green" district in Culemborg, the Netherlands, consisting of 250 houses, offices, and a City farm. The district lies in an ecologically sensitive drinking-water extraction and retention area, and the approach centres on closing nutrient, water, and carbon cycles and integrating energy generation with waste management using the concept of exergy. The core system is based on anaerobic digestion (treating black wastewater and garden/park waste) combined with Combined Heat and Power generation, alongside a four-storey double-skin-façade closed greenhouse with vertical "hanging gardens" that incorporates wastewater treatment based on the Living Machine concept for educational purposes, recovering surplus CO2 from the biogas plant and storing heat/cold in an underlying aquifer. This "Sustainable Implant" concept is described as connecting the residential district and the EVA Centre, and its inhabitants and visitors.
CommunityClimate changeOrganic cycleUrban Vegetable Crop Production and Production Efficiency
2007Mure Agbonlahor, S. Momoh, A. O. Dipeolu · International Journal of Vegetable Science · Africa
A sample survey of 242 urban vegetable farmers conducted through March 2006 examined production efficiency and its determinants in fadama agriculture — flood-plain cropping of short-duration crops on low-lying, seasonally flooded land — in urban southwestern Nigeria, using a stochastic frontier model. Mean farm size was 0.54 hectares and mean producer age was 42.6 years, while mean technical efficiency was only 74.36%, with the main sources of inefficiency identified as labor employment and the use of land and seed/cultivar resources; the most common crop combination was Telfaria occidentale, Amaranthus hybridus and Zea mays.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureTrust in markets: Economies of regard and spaces of contestation in alternative food networks
2007· · Global
A discussion piece describes the growth of new forms of food retailing in Europe and North America in which fresh, high-quality produce is sold directly by producers. The most visible example is the rise of farmers' markets in urban locations, alongside a revival of street and municipal markets and new arrangements such as farm shops, box schemes, community-supported agriculture and cooperative bulk purchasing. It characterizes the shared feature of these initiatives as reconnecting food producers and consumers directly, in relationships largely severed by the dominance of corporate multiple retailers, and notes that "alternative food networks" is the term commonly used to cover this range of forms. No empirical data is presented.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsAfrican Urban Economies: Viability, Vitality or Vitiation?
2006Bryceson, D.F., Potts, D. (eds.) · Palgrave Macmillan (ISBN 9780230523012) · Africa
Theorizes rural-urban linkages and livelihood diversification in African urban economies, showing how urban dwellers of rural origin maintain rural farmland as 'agricultural insurance' that builds resilience to poverty.
EconomicsThe Earthscan Reader in Rural-Urban Linkages / Rural-Urban Interaction in the Developing World
2006Tacoli, C. (ed.) · Routledge / IIED · Global
A landmark edited collection on rural-urban interaction in the developing world, analyzing—through many cases—the flows of people, goods, capital and information and the asymmetric power relations between countryside and city.
EconomicsPolicyWastewater use for urban and peri-urban agriculture.
2006Stephanie Buechler, Gayathri Devi Mekala, B. Keraita · Victoria University Research Repository (Victoria University) · Global
This 2006 global study from Victoria University discusses wastewater use in urban and peri-urban agriculture for crop production and aquaculture, noting its role in generating livelihoods and providing cheap produce. However, the study emphasizes that clear policy guidelines and careful research are needed to prevent potential negative impacts on human health and the environment from wastewater reuse.
Contamination & food safetyUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureHealthPolicyEconomics‘Dig In’ to Social Capital: Community Gardens as Mechanisms for Growing Urban Social Connectedness
2006Jonathan Kingsley, Mardie Townsend · Urban Policy and Research · Australia (Melbourne)
A small qualitative study of members of the 'Dig In' community garden in Melbourne, Australia, explored the social capital benefits of urban community gardens. The study found that garden membership offers benefits such as increased social cohesion, social support, and social connections. However, these benefits do not necessarily extend beyond the garden setting, especially in the early stages of development.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthCities farming for the future : urban agriculture for green and productive cities
2006R. van Veenhuizen · Issue Lab (Candid) · Global
This publication defines urban agriculture as growing plants and raising animals for food within and around cities, along with related processing and marketing. It notes increased attention from development organizations and authorities in developing countries due to urban agriculture's role in poverty alleviation, food security, waste management, and greening. The work presents the "state of the art" of sustainable urban agriculture development, indicating progress since earlier major publications.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyEconomicsClimate changeThe 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 changeURBAN FARMING AND MALARIA RISK FACTORS IN A MEDIUM-SIZED TOWN IN COTE D’IVOIRE
2006Barbara Matthys, Penelope Vounatsou, Giovanna Raso, Andres B. Tschannen, EMMANUEL GBEDE BECKET, Laura Gosoniu, Guéladio Cissé, Marcel Tanner, ELIÉZER K. N’GORAN, Jürg Utzinger · American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · Côte d'Ivoire
This study investigated malaria risk factors in urban farming communities in a medium-sized town in Côte d'Ivoire, conducting two cross-sectional surveys among 112 households across six agricultural zones. The overall prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum was 32.1%. Findings indicate that specific crop systems and agricultural practices may increase the risk of malaria in urban settings of tropical Africa.
Environmental trade-offsHealthUrban–rural linkageThe No. 1 Ladies' Poultry Farm: A feminist political ecology of urban agriculture in Botswana
2006Alice J. Hovorka · Gender Place & Culture · Botswana
This research draws on a feminist political ecology perspective to demonstrate that agrarian restructuring and rural-urban transformation in Botswana offer women opportunities to renegotiate their marginalized positionality within the commercial urban agricultural sector in Greater Gaborone. Men and women participate in equal numbers, and both perceive this sector as offering new and accessible avenues for economic and social advancement. Although there is continuity of women's social and economic disadvantage relative to men from rural to urban contexts, women are actively making claims on land and capitalizing on their traditional roles and responsibilities associated with poultry production.
CommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justice都市农业园区建设典型系列之一 生态农业典型——桐庐万强农庄
2006胡新光, 徐培培, 黄美英, 冯莉 · 杭州：生活品质 · China (Hangzhou)
In Hangzhou, China, urban agricultural parks have emerged, characterized by a strong emphasis on technological advancement and industry development. These parks prioritize the introduction of scientific talent, collaboration with experts, adoption of new varieties and technologies, and scientific management with technical training for farmers. This abstract introduces these common characteristics as part of a series on typical urban agricultural park constructions, without providing specific findings or data for Tonglu Wanqiang Farm.
Urban–rural linkageEconomicsFood educationPolicyReview of 'Food + the City'
2006Paul Knox Clarke · Ulster University Research Portal (Ulster University) · Global
This is a review of the AD special edition focusing on the relationship between food, the city, and urbanism. It discusses concepts such as markets, community gardens, Asian cities, food mapping, and historical precedents.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageEconomicsAgricultura urbana en Ciego de Ávila. El caso del municipio montañoso de Florencia
2006Ángela Borroto, Águeda C. Arencibia, J.L. López, Liliam J. Leyva, Carlos Mazorra, Gladys E. Dopico, R. Maurelo, A. Caraballoso · Pastos y forrajes · Cuba (Florencia)
This two-year study characterized animal production in urban agriculture in Florencia municipality, Cuba, by examining 32 randomly selected household backyards across two popular councils. Findings showed that 85% of households involved family members of all ages, with backyard animal rearing serving as a supplementary activity rather than a primary livelihood. Traditional management methods and local resources predominated in feeding practices, contributing 18% to the municipal family basket's protein needs and over 1 kg of protein per capita annually, thus potentially enhancing food security.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsGendering the Urban Agriculture Agenda 1
2006Alice J. Hovorka, Damell Smith, R. van Veenhuizen · · Global
This article argues that a gendered perspective on urban food security is essential to understand dynamics shaping food production and marketing in urban centers. It highlights that failing to explore women's distinct roles risks leaving gender inequities and food supply hindrances unaddressed, countering the invisibility of women's work often assumed as automatic domestic duties. The article emphasizes women's significant role in domestic food supply, even in societies with minimal household food production, citing examples like Latin American women organizing to address urban hunger.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareMalaria Prevention in Kigali Community Gardens: A Case Study of Community Health Volunteers
2006Kigumure Buhindwa · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Rwanda (Kigali)
This study investigated malaria prevention activities in Kigali community gardens, Rwanda, through Community Health Volunteers (CHVs). A mixed-method approach, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, collected data on CHV activities and health outcomes. CHVs conducted weekly health screenings, reaching approximately 80% of the targeted population, and malaria prevalence dropped by 25% after six months. However, challenges included limited resources and inadequate training for CHVs, indicating that sustained support and additional training are necessary for long-term impact.
Governance failureHealthCommunityUso 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 cycleHealthCommunityA Comparison of Urban Agriculture between Countries and its Development in China
2006Wang Lijuan · · Global
This paper examines urban agriculture (UA) as a phenomenon linked to urban development, noting significant differences between developed and less developed nations due to economic development stages. It classifies these differences into five aspects based on UA theory and practice. The paper concludes by proposing countermeasures for achieving sustainable UA, specifically considering the status of UA in China.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyEconomicsThe role of collaborative community supported agriculture: Lessons from Iowa
2006Corene M. Bregendahl, Cornelia Butler Flora · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States
In Iowa communities, collaborative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) serves as a business incubator for new growers and helps existing growers expand and diversify. This model offers various benefits to the communities it serves.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsNewly developed technologies and innovations on urban and peri-urban agriculture in Korea
2006Ji-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.
Digital agriculturePeri-urban agricultureVers 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 cyclePolicy