Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
1140 results(43 / 46)
Wastewater Use in Cauliflower Production and Farmer’s Health: An Economic Analysis
2009Shahzad Kouser, Mr. Abedullah, Abdus Samie · The Pakistan Development Review · Pakistan (Faisalabad)
This study, conducted in 2006 with 200 farmers in two peri-urban villages of Faisalabad, Pakistan, estimated the economic values of negative health externalities from wastewater use in cauliflower production. While wastewater use appeared profitable without considering externalities, factoring in health costs strongly discouraged its use. The health externalities for a three-month cauliflower crop on 741 acres amounted to Rs 3.2 million, and for 5,283 acres of vegetables cultivated with wastewater in Faisalabad, the annual total was Rs 90.7 million. The findings indicate a significant economic loss due to wastewater use, suggesting that installing a water treatment plant is a viable option to minimize these external effects.
Contamination & food safetyHealthEconomicsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunity Gardens in Urban Ghana: Impacts on Food Security, Public Health, and Community Cohesion
2009Abena Boampongwa, Esi Amagatso, Efua Asarekwai · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana
This study in urban Ghana used a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, focus groups, and observational studies over one year, to assess the impact of community gardens. It found that community gardens significantly increased (p<0.05) the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables among community members, improving dietary diversity and reducing reliance on processed foods. The findings suggest community gardens can enhance food security and public health outcomes in urban settings, especially with integrated educational programs.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthFood educationPolicySmart growth ; can there be an African version?
2008Sue Wells · Western CEDAR (Western Washington University) · Tanzania
This paper examines the transferability of six Smart Growth concepts to Tanzanian cities (Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Dodoma, Zanzibar) given their extreme poverty and agrarian base. Primary research conducted in May-June 2007 and related publications were used. The study suggests that Smart Growth strategies from the Global North may be unsuitable for the Global South, indicating that urban agriculture in this context presents both a promise and a problem.
Economic viabilityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageThe URBANET Trade Justice Campaign in Ghana: A Case Study of Efforts to Involve Indigenous Farmers in Advocacy
2008Masud Aziz Rauf · School for International Training Digital Collections (School for International Training) · Ghana (Tamale)
This research, conducted in the Tamale metropolitan area of Ghana's northern region, investigated the efforts of URBANET, a local NGO, to educate and involve indigenous farmers in advocacy as part of Ghana's broader trade justice movement. URBANET advocated for farmers facing challenges like falling prices due to imported products under unfair trade policies, providing workshops, radio programs, and mobilizing farmers. The advocacy raised awareness among indigenous farmers and contributed to policy changes, such as the Ghanaian government's 2005 statement requiring state institutions to buy Ghanaian rice.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityRECUPERACIÓN DE ESPACIOS URBANOS Y PERIURBANOS MEDIANTE LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE PARQUES-HUERTAS EN LA CIUDAD DE BAHIA BLANCA
2008María Amalia Lorda, Jezabel Franza, María Belén Kraser, Daniel Paoloni, Silvina Raitzin, Gabriel Oscar Reiter · Revista de Lengua y Literatura (National University of Comahue) · Argentina (Bahia Blanca)
This communication provides the foundations for implementing "Park-Gardens" in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, to recover urban and peri-urban spaces. Park-Gardens are described as multifunctional public spaces, participatively managed by the state and civil society using ecological cultivation techniques. They contribute to local development, strategic planning, improved sanitary conditions, strengthened biodiversity, and sustainable resource management, while enabling agrochemical-free food production.
CommunityEconomicsOrganic cyclePolicyInteraction Mechanism Between Sustainable Development of Urban Agriculture and Increase of Peasants' Income
2008Wei Xu · Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment · Global
This study examines the interaction between the sustainable development of urban agriculture and the increase in peasants' income, treating them as a combined system. It identifies a synergistic relationship between increased peasant income and urban agriculture development, but also a competitive relationship between maximizing short-term income and ecological sustainable development. The research suggests that a sustainable urban agricultural resource allocation mechanism can foster coordination and positive interaction, with urban circular agriculture economy being a basic strategy for this coordination.
Economic viabilityEconomicsOrganic cyclePolicyUrban–rural linkageThe Application of ANP in Evaluation Index System of Urban Agriculture
2008Rui Chen · Chinese Agricultural Mechanization · Global
Urban agriculture is based on a combination of manufacture, life, and ecology, emphasizing urban and rural development in step, and the co-prosperity of economy, ecology, and society. This study adopted the analytic network process (ANP) to construct an evaluation index system of urban agriculture, based on domestic and international research. Theoretical foundations of ANP were discussed, and dependence and feedback among indexes were analyzed. The result of the ANP model for the index system was obtained with SD software.
EconomicsOrganic cycleUrban–rural linkagePolicyInformation seeking and use among urban farmers in Kampala District, Uganda
2008Helen M. Byamugisha, Robert Ikoja-Odongo, George William Nasinyama, Shuaib Lwasa · · Uganda
In Kampala, Uganda, urban farmers lack access to adequate information on innovative agricultural technologies, inputs, and balancing productivity with environmental requirements. This information deficit results in low urban farming production despite supportive legal frameworks. This paper presents preliminary findings on information search and acquisition mechanisms among urban farmers in Kampala District, exploring their contribution to reducing or exacerbating urban food insecurity, and plans to design an information seeking and use model for them.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunityRuralizar la ciudad. Metodología de introducción de la agricultura como vector de sostenibilidad en la planificación urbana
2008Graciela Arosemena Díaz · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Global
This thesis proposes a methodology for introducing urban agriculture into urban planning to achieve urban sustainability by closing nutrient cycles. It aims to integrate urban and agrarian systems by balancing urban waste production with vegetable needs and cultivated space output with nutrient restitution. The research develops formulas to define criteria for urban agriculture introduction, including required cultivated area and organic waste reuse, and analyzes historical and contemporary green systems in relation to agriculture.
Organic cyclePolicyUrban–rural linkageEcological scales and social network structure in urban landscapes: management and governance of urban ecosystem services in Stockholm, Sweden
2008Henrik Ernstson, Stephan Barthel, Erik Andersson, Sara Borgström · · Sweden (Stockholm)
This thesis investigates social-ecological features shaping the generation of ecosystem services (ES) in the urban landscape of Stockholm, Sweden. Through interdisciplinary case studies, it showed that informally managed allotment gardens have a higher abundance of pollinators, and voluntary actor groups motivated by a sense-of-place support ES generation. Social-ecological memory among allotment gardeners retains and transmits practices linked to ES, suggesting that sustaining urban ES requires considering historical property rights, diverse actor groups, and local communities of ecosystem practice.
BiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityPolicyRussia's Unknown Agriculture: Household Production in Post-Socialist Rural Russia
2007Pallot J., Nefedova T. · Oxford University Press (Oxford Geographical and Environmental Studies Series) · Russia
A monograph based on four years of fieldwork across European Russia examining the scale, geography, and socioeconomic significance of household plot production in post-socialist rural Russia.
EconomicsPolicyCommunityWastewater Agriculture in Kurunegala City, Sri Lanka
2007Jayakody P., Gunawardana I., Guneratne S., Clemett A., Dissanayake P. · IWMI Research Reports (WASPA Asia Project Report 8), International Water Management Institute · Sri Lanka (Kurunegala)
This IWMI report documents peri-urban paddy cultivation using diverted municipal wastewater around Kurunegala city, highlighting the practice as representative of urbanization impacts on Sri Lankan agriculture while identifying significant public health risks from untreated effluent irrigation.
EconomicsHealthOrganic cyclePolicyOn Development of Urban Gardening from Perspective of Sociology
2007Xiaolan Tang · Nanjing Linye Daxue xuebao · Global
This paper examines the sociological implications of urban gardens from an urban sociology perspective. It discusses traditional gardens as collective memory, modern gardens as urban development symbols, and new gardens as shared social spaces. The paper also explores the future urbanization trend of natural ecology and offers suggestions for addressing challenges in urban gardening development.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageChallenges and key success factors to integrating learning and change in monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
2007Bertha Camacho Tuckermann · Knowledge Management for Development Journal · Cuba
An action-research study within an Urban Agriculture project in Cuba identified challenges in integrating learning and change into the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of development projects. The main challenge was that the project team did not recognize M&E as a learning tool, believing results could be used against their work. A lack of time for learning and knowledge sharing was another observed challenge. To address these, resistance was overcome through dialogue, reflection, and action, leading to team empowerment, and the role of an external facilitator proved key in steering the learning process.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityComparison of Origin and Function on Urban Agriculture In Different Countries
2007Huang Ying · · Global
This paper compares the origins and functions of urban agriculture (UA) in various countries. It notes that UA is flourishing globally, with its origins, evolution, and modalities differing across nations due to diverse natural, economic, and social conditions. The study aims to better develop UA by examining these characteristics in typical countries.
CommunityEconomicsPolicyThe Role of Community Gardens in Sustaining Healthy Communities
2007Susan Thompson, Linda Corkery, Bruce Judd · · Australia (Sydney)
This research investigated a community garden scheme within a large high-rise public housing estate in Sydney's inner west, Australia, as part of an urban renewal program. The study found that the project yielded a broad range of positive physical and psychological well-being outcomes for tenants, including opportunities for relaxation, physical activity, socialization, cultural exchange, learning horticulture, and access to low-cost fresh produce. The findings confirm that community gardens can significantly enhance physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, contributing to healthy and socially sustainable communities.
CommunityHealthPolicyChampioning urban farmers in Kampala. Influences on local policy change in Uganda. Process and partnership for pro-poor policy change
2007N. Hooton, Diana Lee-Smith, Nasinyama, G., D.L. Romney, Gertrude Atukunda, Margaret Azuba, Maria Kaweesa, A. Lubowa, Muwanga, J., Mary Njenga, Young, J. · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Uganda
This working paper analyzes the actors, events, and influences affecting policy changes on urban agriculture in Kampala, Uganda, from 1990 to 2006. It reviews how and why these policy and institutional changes occurred, utilizing a combined methodology of episode studies, case study analysis, and outcome mapping.
PolicyCommunityWelfareKampala Urban Agriculture Team networks, tours project sites during WUF3 [Third World Urban Forum]
2007Alfred Geresom Musamali · · Uganda (Kampala)
The Kampala Urban Agriculture Team networked and toured various project sites during the Third World Urban Forum (WUF3).
CommunityPolicyRevisiting Urban Food Security Systems in Dakar: A Study of Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture Adoption Over Three Years
2007Toure Sylla Mamadou, Mamoudou Diop · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Senegal (Dakar)
This three-year study in Dakar, Senegal, investigated urban food security systems through surveys and interviews with community garden participants. It found that 75% of participants reported increased engagement in urban agriculture, driven by government subsidies for materials and equipment. The study validates previous findings on community garden participation, noting a significant increase due to subsidized resources, and highlights the effectiveness of targeted interventions.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsAmbivalent landscapes—wilderness in the urban interstices
2007Anna Jørgensen, Marian Tylecote · Landscape Research · Global
This paper explores the origins of ambivalent responses to contemporary urban landscapes, proposing that post-modern wilderness can be found in urban interstices. These include woodlands, abandoned allotments, river corridors, and derelict sites where spontaneous vegetation growth occurs. Such interstitial wilderness landscapes are identified as having important functions and being rich in meaning, with implications for understanding nature-human relationships and for urban landscape planning.
CommunityBiodiversityUrban–rural linkagePolicyInventory of water management practices in Harare, Zimbabwe
2007Innocent Nhapi · Water and Environment Journal · Zimbabwe (Harare)
This paper investigated the sustainability of urban water cycle practices in relation to water quantity and quality management in the Chivero catchment, the main water supply for greater Harare, Zimbabwe. Data on population, water supply, water and wastewater treatment, and river flows were collected from urban councils and government departments to assess consumption, wastewater generation, treatment, disposal, river flow trends, raw water abstractions, and demand patterns. Results showed that the current situation is unsustainable, with water quantity soon to be a problem at current consumption levels and water quality already problematic, especially regarding nutrient levels.
Organic cyclePolicyThe 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 agricultureHealthPolicyEconomicsCities 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 changeA 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 linkagePolicyEconomics