Research & reports

Dea Widyaningsih, Ait Maryani, Achmad Musyadar · Jurnal Penyuluhan Pertanian · Indonesia

A survey of 40 youth farmers aged 15-35 across three sub-districts of Tarogong Kidul, Garut Regency, West Java, Indonesia, examined preferences toward urban farming between April and June 2020. Using descriptive analysis, multiple linear regression, and Kendall's W concordance analysis, the study found that 65% of respondents favored urban farming, with location type and market orientation identified as the influencing factors.

Silvia Septhiani, Diah Oga Nusantari, Ihwan Zulkarnain · PUNDIMAS Publikasi Kegiatan Abdimas · Indonesia

This report describes a community-service activity in Harapan Jaya, Cibinong District, Bogor Regency, Indonesia, aimed at improving residents' productivity and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the pandemic producing a lack of productive at-home leisure activity and a sense of stagnation among residents, urban farming is positioned as one pandemic-era activity offering economic, health, and environmental benefits, covering food crops, medicinal plants ("living pharmacy"/apotik hidup), and ornamental plants. The team provided residents of Harapan Jaya with information on family medicinal plants (TOGA). The activity is described as increasing residents' understanding of medicinal plants and fostering productive attitudes and a healthy, green environment.

Eka Masrifatus Anifah, Kartika Nugrahaeni, Winarni · J-Dinamika Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

In response to rising population and food demand in central Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia — where 2024 provincial demand for fish and water spinach (kangkung) is estimated at about 92,694 tons and 22,550 tons respectively — and consequent rising vegetable and fish prices, this community outreach activity introduced small-scale, self-sufficient aquaponic cultivation of catfish and water spinach in individual buckets, using underutilized vacant land in the RT.02 area of Graha Indah, Balikpapan, where fish-farming wastewater nutrients feed the plants. Respondents reported that the method requires minimal land, meets household vegetable needs, and reduces household food spending, and that the activity also fostered creativity among housewives and greater household self-sufficiency.

Hae Jong Yang, Tae‐Woo Kang, Byungwoong Choi, Soon Hong Hwang, Dongseok Shin, Won-Pyo Park · Sustainability · South Korea

This study verified heavy-metal pollution levels in sediments of an urban-agricultural watershed in the Yeongsan River basin, South Korea, through evaluation of Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs), a pollution load index (PLI), and a potential ecological risk index (PERI), and analyzed statistical relationships between pollution levels, land use, and potential pollution sources. Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Hg concentrations were highest at mid-upstream sites, while As, Cr, and Ni concentrations were similar across most sites. Sites showing potential toxicity to benthic organisms relative to SQGs were most frequently observed at mid-upstream, and PLI and PERI evaluations likewise confirmed high anthropogenic pollution and ecological risk there. Mid-upstream sites with high heavy-metal pollution correlated strongly with urban land use — the largest land-use category — indicating links to population density and industrial complexes; statistical analysis confirmed this relationship. The findings indicate that urban areas are highly likely to cause anthropogenic heavy-metal pollution of sediments via point and non-point sources such as domestic sewage and industrial wastewater.

Indri Ajeng Setyoningrum, Atika Indah Cahyani, Reza Gusmanti · KOLOKIUM Jurnal Pendidikan Luar Sekolah · Indonesia

A study of "Kampoeng Hidroponik," a social innovation run by the village youth group Rupa Desa in Sobontoro Village, Indonesia (2022), analyzes its business potential as a pioneering social enterprise aimed at improving slum-like settlement conditions. Using qualitative research with a PEST analysis of internal and external environmental conditions followed by a SWOT analysis, based on observation, interviews, and literature review, the study proposes product-management development strategies: product differentiation for customers, developing processed hydroponic vegetable products, building customer loyalty programs, marketing to upper-middle-class customers such as restaurants and hotels, joining hydroponics and business communities to disseminate information, and strengthening social-media promotional content. For strengthening community empowerment, it proposes increasing the capacity of Rupa Desa members as educational-tourism facilitators and managers, creating visit and training programs for students, universities, and homemaker groups, increasing urban-farming campaign activity, and raising awareness among surrounding community members who have not yet joined.

Andre Rachmat Scabra, Muhammad Marzuki, Bagus Dwi Hari Setyono, Laily Fitriani Mulyani · Jurnal Pengabdian Magister Pendidikan IPA · Indonesia

A community-service report (2022, Indonesia) on the Jangkar Ampenan youth group in the Tangsi area of South Ampenan district, Mataram City, describes a knowledge- and technical-guidance activity on "budikdamber" — cultivating fish in a bucket — as a model of sustainable urban farming. Activities proceeded through site survey, preparation of outreach and technical-guidance materials, construction of a technology model, implementation support, and evaluation, covering assembly of a cultivation setup using a 150-liter bucket, 5-7g catfish fry, commercial catfish feed, water spinach (kangkung) seedlings, pipes, wire, 200ml plastic cups, a drill and grinder, a net, and an aerator, along with feeding, water-quality, and harvest management. The report concludes that information, knowledge, and technical guidance on the budikdamber technology were successfully delivered to the partner group.

Herman Hamdani, Ibnu Bangkit Bioshina Suryadi, Zahidah Zahidah, Yuli Andriani, Lantun Paradhita Dewanti, Rioaldi Sugandhy · Jurnal Berdaya · Indonesia

This is a community service report on a water-saving "tidal aquaponics" system — combining fish farming with hydroponics, using rising and falling water levels in a gravel planting bed to recirculate water back to the fish pond as an oxygen source — implemented in Tanjungsari Village, Sumedang Regency, Indonesia. The village, an example of an urban fringe community, had already adopted this system for its advantages: it can be used on limited land, saves water, requires no fertilizer, and can add aesthetic value to marginal land if arranged well. The activity was conducted through demonstrations, technical meetings and field meetings, with the objective of meeting household-scale protein needs using limited resources; given the limited availability of clean water in densely populated areas, the report frames this as an example of water-efficient, environmentally conscious urban farming.

Trifenaus Prabu Hidayat, Christine Natalia, Agustinus Silalahi, Andre Sugioko, Marcellina Chyntia · Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Charitas · Indonesia

This report describes a community-service program by the Faculty of Engineering at Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, in partnership with Sampora Village's Nagrek hamlet, focused on Mom's Farm, an organic hydroponic and urban-farming vegetable business. The business faced unclear and inefficient distribution to consumers, which was seen as a cause of reduced income for its farmers, and the program provided online marketing assistance using digital marketing apps such as Grab and Tokopedia.

Bambang Gunawan, Husin Rayesh Mallaleng, Mahrus Ali, Sri Purwanti, Nurlina Nurlina, Fauziatun Nisak, Yeni Ika Pratiwi, Sri Hidayati · Indonesian Journal of Engagement Community Services Empowerment and Development · Indonesia

This report describes a community activity in RW 02, Kalirungkut Village, Rungkut District, Surabaya City, Indonesia, that implemented mass composting technology for urban organic waste as part of empowering urban agricultural land. It was carried out through two approaches: assistance to build expertise and skills in managing mass composting of urban organic waste, and efforts to mobilize community participation. The results showed increased community awareness and participation in waste management through practicing the 3R approach (reduce, reuse, recycle) -- sorting household waste into organic and inorganic at the source -- with the urban agriculture movement identified as an alternative for maintaining family food security and as a contributor to green open space.

Nitya Rao, Sheetal Patil, Maitreyi Koduganti, Chandni Singh, Ashwin Mahalingam, Prathijna Poonacha, Nishant Kumar Singh · · India

Despite growing interest in and recognition of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a nature-based solution, empirical evidence on its role in reconfiguring environmental functions (biodiversity, waste management, water recycling, micro-climate regulation) and social wellbeing (food and nutrition security, gender relations, work burdens, land tenure, community ties) in India was limited. This compendium, produced by the project "Urban and peri-urban agriculture as green infrastructures" (UPAGrI), which began in 2019 to address that gap, collects 29 innovative UPA practices from cities across India, loosely grouped into four themes: environment and sustainability; food, nutrition, and livelihood; gender and subjective wellbeing; and urban policy and planning. Written mostly by practitioners themselves, the case studies document UPA innovations and serve as a repository of lessons for peer-to-peer learning among practitioners.

Nurul Azizah, Dewi Ratih, U′ud Uda Marlina, Moch. Raihan Ramadhan · Jurnal Bisnis Indonesia · Indonesia (Surabaya)

In Wonorejo, Tegalsari district, Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest metropolitan city, where land conversion to housing and public buildings has made greening difficult, residents used vertikultur (vertical, tiered plant cultivation with repurposed plastic bottles mounted on house walls) as a greening approach for limited land. The program's success was indicated by residents' enthusiasm and by aesthetic, health, and economic benefits reported from the practice.

Dan Li, Wenjing Zhong, Yitao Chen · Sustainability · China

Using household-level survey data from metropolitan Guangzhou, China, and a property-rights-theory framework, this study empirically examined whether farmland titling as a formal institutional reform affects the resource allocation of urban farmer households (UFHs). The analysis found that farmland titling positively affects UFHs' willingness to hold farmland and their capital allocation, and the paper argues that reforming the farmland transaction market, strengthening talent cultivation, and increasing green agricultural investment would support the modernization, sustainability and resilience of urban agriculture.

Gianni Talamini, Qi Zhang, Paola Viganò · Environment and Urbanization · China

Focusing on Nanshan District in Shenzhen, a vast, rapidly urbanizing region of China, this study used a mixed-method approach combining spatial analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews to analyze the social and spatial characteristics of urban agriculture and its regulation in a Chinese global city. The results show diverse types of urban agriculture coexisting and interacting, forming a socio-biologically rich heterogeneity of precarious practices that are overlooked by local authorities yet contribute to stewardship, social development, community engagement, and the preservation of agricultural heritage. The article presents policy insights and advocates for government involvement in recognizing the social significance of urban agriculture.

Woro Harkandi Kencana, Meisyanti Meisyanti, Yunita Sari · Warta LPM · Indonesia (Jakarta)

A community service (PKM) program targeted the women farmers group KWT D'Shafa in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, Indonesia, which faced problems including a small membership, underused urban farming land, limited business management knowledge, manual record-keeping of members, harvests and sales, and limited marketing communication skills. Activities included outreach on the benefits of urban farming, installing hydroponic systems, business management training and assistance, moving member, harvest, and sales records to a web-based system using Google Sites, and digital marketing training covering Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. The program report states that these activities contributed to improved welfare for KWT D'Shafa member households.

Leslie Mabon, Wan-Yu Shih, Sue-Ching Jou · Sustainability Science · Taiwan

This paper examines how a science-policy-practice community formed around Taipei's Garden City urban farming initiative. It finds the community emerged through a dynamic top-down and bottom-up process, enabling long-term public-private partnership and the coexistence of different knowledges, while questioning the community's limited ability to influence the broader 'garden city' vision beyond discrete, time-bound sites. It reports that the number of urban farming sites grew from 292 in 2015 to 733 in 2020.

Cheng C., Aviso K.B., Tan R.R., Aviso K. · Sustainability (MDPI), 13(16):9042 · Asia

A study developing a system-dynamics model of a rooftop farm in Taipei City to analyze the socio-environmental benefits of rooftop agriculture (improved food access, community ties, energy savings, reduced flood risk). It frames rooftop farming as a practical solution for strengthening water-energy-food nexus synergies in greener cities.

Begum M.S., Bala S.K., Islam A.K.M.S., Roy D. · Sustainability (MDPI), 13(16):9053 · Asia

Compares an experimental agricultural rooftop with bare roofs, measuring microclimate parameters including air, surface, and indoor temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide. It shows that rooftop agriculture can mitigate urban microclimate change and supply fresh vegetables while delivering environmental and socioeconomic benefits to city dwellers.

Shao H., Hill R., Xue D., Yang J. · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 17: Article 56 · China

Documents how Wa ethnic homegardens in Yunnan harbor traditional vegetable germplasm diversity through local culture, traditional knowledge, and seed conservation and sharing systems that maintain in situ agrobiodiversity.

Ali M.S., Arifin H.S., Nurhayati N. · Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity · Indonesia (West Java)

This study finds that increasing urbanisation across West Java significantly reduces the area, species diversity, and ecological functions of traditional pekarangan homegardens, threatening both biodiversity and the cultural practice of subsistence home gardening. Sites across Bogor District, Bogor City, and Cianjur District were compared along an urban–rural gradient.

Bhuwan Thapa, Aniruddha Banerjee, Jeffrey Wilson, Samantha Hamlin · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Indianapolis)

The study developed a p-median spatial optimization model to identify new urban agriculture sites in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, weighting block groups by food access and obesity prevalence. Optimally selected locations were 52% more efficient than randomly chosen ones in average distance traveled, with no significant difference among the three policy scenarios.

· Sustainability · China (Chengdu)

Assesses how urban agriculture can inform evidence-based food planning in Chengdu, China. The staple-food self-sufficiency rate was 83.82% in 2019, suggesting potential food-security pressures.

· PeerJ · China (Beijing)

Compares the carbon footprint of conventional smallholder operations versus innovative large-scale urban farming in Beijing, China.

· Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · China (Nanjing)

Analyzes the spatial-planning dimensions of urban informal food systems in Nanjing's Qinhuai District, China.

· Land · China (Nanjing)

Discusses comprehensive food-system planning for urban food security in Nanjing, China, including expansion of peri-urban greenhouse vegetable production.

· Scientific Reports · China

A study assessing pollution levels of potentially toxic elements in urban vegetable gardens in southwest China, reporting relatively higher cadmium and lead in leafy vegetables.