Research & reports

Daniela Guitart, Jason Byrne, Catherine Marina Pickering · Journal of Environmental Planning and Management · Australia (South East Queensland)

This study investigated gardening practices in 50 community gardens in Brisbane and Gold Coast cities, Australia, aiming to understand how these practices affect the ecological viability of community gardens. Factors examined included garden bio-physical characteristics, operators’ motivations, gardeners’ socio-demographic backgrounds, garden facilities, and types of plants grown. Two broad types were identified: permaculture (21 gardens) and non-permaculture (29 gardens), with permaculture gardens utilizing lower-impact gardening practices.

Messay Mulugeta · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Ethiopia

This study assessed the need for a policy framework for urban/peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Ethiopia. It was based on a desk review of other countries' experiences and policy frameworks, supplemented by primary and secondary data from Ethiopia and interviews with legislators, experts, urban farmers, and urban planners. The study's synthesis indicates that formulating a policy framework and by-laws for UPA in Ethiopia is imperative for the country to fully utilize the sector's potential.

Benito Rodríguez Haros, Enriqueta Tello García, Salvador Aguilar Californias · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Mexico

This paper describes "Un pasito en grande," an agroenvironmental vegetable garden established five years ago at Colegio Ateneo nursery school in Tezoyuca, Mexico, where agrochemicals are forbidden. The garden, involving children and parents, aims to address the erosion of knowledge related to food production and safety. It has become a space for ecological and environmental awareness, spreading to other educational settings and operating on principles of ethics and permaculture.

Esteban Sinde Stompel · Navarra forestal: revista de la Asociación Forestal de Navarra · Global

Mushroom cultivation is being introduced into urban garden design and as a real silvicultural alternative to be implemented on forest land. In the latter case, the production of saprophytic fungi on valueless wood waste offers a notable environmental advantage by recycling biomass and providing a highly nutritious ecological food.

Jaap Evers · · Vietnam (Hanoi)

This paper discusses the transfer of international commitments on green sustainable growth to local levels, focusing on integrated urban wastewater management in Hanoi, Vietnam. It highlights the substantial potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture to reuse urban wastewater for nutrient recovery and to serve as environmental service providers within urban sanitation systems. However, it notes that many local policymakers are unaware of the significance and opportunities of this practice.

Juan Miguel Moreno Alvarez · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Cuba (Ciudad de La Habana)

This doctoral thesis aimed to establish a system of urban soil quality indicators for Havana, Cuba, under different land-use scenarios (agricultural, parks/gardens, wooded areas, idle/underutilized spaces). Researchers selected 35 urban soils in Havana, described their morphological profiles, and determined physical, chemical, and biological properties. Eight variables were selected as soil quality indicators using principal component analysis, and a soil quality index, including one for heavy metals, was defined and evaluated for different uses. The studied soils, heavily affected by human activity, were classified as Urbic or Garbic Technosols and showed high heterogeneity in properties.

Marlene Wurfel · Earth Common Journal · Canada (Edmonton)

This article presents a case study of the Parkallen Community Garden in Edmonton, Canada, which began its first growing season in Spring 2012. The garden transformed an unused strip of lawn into a communal "edible food forest" and won the City of Edmonton's top community gardening award in its first year. The study details how the permaculture design was implemented and interpreted within the gardening community.

Shogo Mlozi · International NGO Journal · Tanzania

This paper assesses the knowledge of livestock keepers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, regarding the climate change effects of their activities. Over two-thirds of respondents did not believe solid waste, liquid waste, and pollution from livestock would affect future climate risks. However, they did perceive chemical pollution and land degradation from urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) livestock keeping as having climate change effects.

Ivan Sarjanović · Geoadria · Croatia

An online questionnaire was administered to 46 group members and 5 farmers to investigate the functioning of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups in Croatia and the socio-economic characteristics of their members and collaborating farmers. The survey confirmed that CSA group members are younger, highly educated individuals living in large cities or urbanized regions (Zagreb, Kvarner, Istria), driven by eco-social motives such as ecological consciousness, healthy food, and cooperation. Farmers collaborating with CSA groups practice ecological agriculture on farms smaller than the Croatian average, and they cooperate due to easier product sales and the positive effect on their income and local community involvement.

Diana Lee-Smith · City · Africa

This paper reviews a synthesis from late 2010 on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) data from East and Central Africa, identifying major issues such as UPA's relationship to food security and poverty, its waste recycling effectiveness, and policy responses. The analysis is updated with data from Southern Africa, suggesting UPA's capacity to recycle nutrients, particularly on efficient crop-livestock backyard farms, signifies its potential role in making cities sustainable.

André Ganzarolli Martins, Ana Paula Tridapalli de Almeira · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil

A report on nearly two years of small-scale agroecological seed production through a community garden project on the central campus of the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florianópolis, Brazil. Seeds were cultivated within small agroecological and agroforestry systems, producing carrots, lettuce, sunflower, beans, green manure crops and others; harvest and storage details are described as crucial steps requiring special attention. The report states that seed production was fundamental to sustaining the plantings and, through donations, supported other urban agriculture and agroecology initiatives.

Nicholas A. Read · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · United States

A field-trial study conducted in the United States, where small-scale urban agriculture has become more prevalent due to the availability of abandoned property and demand for locally grown produce. Weed suppression is described as a major concern for urban growers, with mulch valued as an inexpensive, readily available control method. Black plastic mulch, the industry standard, is impermeable and difficult to remove and dispose of; newspaper end-rolls (unprinted remains from newspaper printing) are proposed as an alternative that is permeable and biodegradable but have a high C:N ratio that can reduce soil fertility and crop growth. Because plant residue alone requires large quantities for adequate weed suppression, combining newspaper with plant residues is proposed as a way to achieve adequate suppression with less material and a lower C:N ratio. The study's objective was to compare two continuous sheet mulches — newspaper and black plastic — with and without an underlying particulate mulch of killed cover crop, in field trials conducted in 2011 and 2012 measuring soil moisture, soil temperature, weed growth, weed removal cost, and collard (Brassica oleracea) performance in a low-input production system. The abstract does not report specific results.

Jill L. Edmondson, Zoe G. Davies, Sarah A. McCormack, Kevin J. Gaston, Jonathan R. Leake · The Science of The Total Environment · Europe

A study of Leicester, a mid-sized city in the United Kingdom (73 km², 56% greenspace), analyzing how land-cover type (herbaceous, shrub or tree cover) affects soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Topsoil SOC was measured in domestic gardens and non-domestic greenspaces and compared with surrounding extra-urban agricultural land, then mapped citywide. Average SOC storage across the city's greenspace was 9.9 kg/m² to 21 cm depth; SOC under trees and shrubs in domestic gardens exceeded all other land-cover types, with median total storage of 13.5 kg/m² to 21 cm depth — more than 3 kg/m² higher than any other land-cover class in domestic or non-domestic greenspace, and 5 kg/m² higher than arable land. Land-cover did not significantly affect SOC in non-domestic greenspace overall, though values under trees were higher than under pasture and arable land, while shrub and herbaceous cover were higher only than arable land. The study concludes that greenspace management affects SOC stocks, that trees only marginally increase stocks in non-domestic greenspaces but may enhance them in domestic gardens, and that greenspace topsoils hold substantial SOC stores requiring protection from further expansion of artificial surfaces such as patios and driveways.

I‐Jin Choi, Hyuk-Hyun Kwon, Hanho Lee, Hyoung-Gi Son, Sang-Kil Hong, Jong-Woon Kang, Yu-Soon Park · 한국자원식물학회지 · South Korea

In a South Korean laboratory and field study, ethanol and water extracts of eight plant species were tested for insecticidal activity against diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) larvae on Korean radish and Korean cabbage using a leaf-disc spray method. Capsicum annuum (chili seed) extract gave the highest activity, 83.3% at 1500 mg/L after 48 hours; in field trials with twelve applications before harvest, Coptis japonica (goldthread) and C. annuum extracts reached control efficacies of 87.4% and 83.7% on Korean radish, and 74.3% and 69.3% (with Chelidonium majus) on Korean cabbage, with no phytotoxic effect on seed germination or seedling growth observed.

D.G. Williams · Journal of Agricultural & Food Information · Global

A book review of Michael Phillips' "The Holistic Orchard." The reviewer states they grow stone fruit, pears, and small fruit in an urban orchard and have used techniques from the book. The available abstract consists only of this introductory framing; it does not include a substantive assessment of the book's content.

Manuel Ângelo Rodrigues, Diana Peixinho, Sílvia Nobre, Paula Sara Teixeira de Oliveira, Margarida Arrobas · · Europe

Noting that, in developing countries and in developed countries during periods of economic depression, creating land for urban agriculture has served as a politically significant instrument to strengthen food security and ease poverty and unemployment, and that more recent urban agriculture projects in developed-country cities aim to enhance social activity and quality of life, this paper reports on the "social gardens" project run by the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB), Portugal, since 2011. It reports on some practices with high agroecological significance adopted by the gardeners, namely organic fertilization, composting, mulching, intercropping, and shelter systems.

Giovanni Allegretti, Stefania Barca, Lúcia Fernandes · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Global

This article reviews contemporary experiences in small-scale sustainable agriculture worldwide, framing urban and peri-urban farming as a form of "popular art/craft" practiced in response to the modern agricultural dilemma's alienation of most people, particularly urban residents, from the natural world. It surveys the variety of forms, spaces and social actors involved, focusing on the rise of agricultural gardens in urban areas and the neo-rural transition movement, and discusses the frequent involvement of artists and designers in urban gardening initiatives before closing with critical observations on the state of research on urban agricultural practices.

Vesna Popović, Jelena Živanović Miljković · Institute of Agricultural Economics eBooks · Europe

A study analyzing trends in community gardening in Europe, with particular focus on Belgrade, Serbia, in relation to permaculture design principles. It notes that while intensive urban agriculture carries ecological risks related to soil, water, air, climate, biodiversity, and landscape, citizens seeking healthy food and closer contact with nature are turning toward extensive, often organic, forms of urban agriculture such as community gardening based on permaculture design, and it discusses the role of such gardening in smart-city development and its establishment potential in Belgrade.

Vanessa Aparecida Camargo, Maria Christina de Mello Amorozo, Marcos Aparecido Pizano · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (São Paulo)

A study of urban agriculture in Charqueada, São Paulo state, Brazil, georeferenced all 97 cultivated vacant lots in the urban area; 77 were selected for farmer questionnaires characterizing the population and the lots, and a subsample of 30 lots was surveyed in detail for all crops via a guided walkthrough. Results showed 80% of farmers were men over age 50 with low income, though the activity was not essential to their subsistence. Among 75 types of food plants cultivated, cassava (mandioca) was present in over 90% of lots, with a preference for crops requiring little investment. The activity was practiced informally, motivated by a desire to grow plants, without any public or private support.

Danfeng Huang · Journal of Changjiang Vegetables · China

This paper analyzed the requirements of China's urban development and vegetable quality and safety, expounding on the important roles of organic vegetable production and marketing in urban agriculture development. After a full analysis of the quality and safety, ecological function of organic vegetables, and the relationships between price and organic product price, the paper provided suggestions for promoting the development of urban organic vegetable production, including production mode, key technology, and marketing strategy.

· · Global

This paper discusses the unsustainable uni-directional flow of food and nutrients from rural areas to cities, which are then discharged as waste, causing pollution and nutrient depletion. Citing historical examples from Rome and London, and contemporary observations of sewage plumes in coastal cities worldwide, it highlights how valuable nutrients are lost to the sea. The paper argues that creating sustainable cities requires re-evaluating nutrient flows between urban and rural areas and understanding urban metabolism.

Aubin Ondo, Pascale Prudent, C. Massiani, Menye Biyogo, Mariane Domeizel, Jacques Rabier, François Eba · Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society · Gabon (Libreville)

An assessment of urban agriculture's impact on soil properties and metal uptake by leafy vegetables in Libreville, Gabon, found strong soil acidification and decreased nutrient/metal concentrations due to agricultural practices. Metal transfer to plants was significant, with amaranth accumulating more metals than other vegetables, though cadmium and lead were not detectable in plant tissues. Amaranth and roselle preferentially concentrated metals in their leaves.

Carmenza Ochoa Ochoa · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja) · Colombia

Applied research based on Participatory Action Research (IAP) was conducted in Soacha municipality, Cundinamarca, Colombia, with vulnerable populations participating in an urban agriculture program. The study aimed to develop local and simple alternatives for environmental management and landscape improvement, focusing on the reuse and proper management of wastewater for crop irrigation. The project was carried out as stipulated and evolved during its implementation due to its IAP methodology, with observations, conclusions, and notes presented.

Germano Laurentino da Cunha, Adriana Celi Alves Martins, Maria José Araújo Wanderley, Raunira da Costa Araújo, Terezinha Domiciano Dantas Martins, Francisca Alexandre de Lima · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil (Solânea)

This project aimed to establish organic vegetable gardens in public elementary and high schools in Solânea, Paraíba, Brazil. Funded by CNPq, the initiative involved installing 14 garden beds with various vegetables in each participating school. Students received mini-courses on organic vegetable production, and participated in making compost and biofertilizers. The target audience demonstrated receptiveness and support for the work.

Raul Alberto Marino Zamudio · · Global

Global cities are major consumers of resources, and their uncontrolled expansion blurs rural-urban boundaries, impacting agricultural production essential for food security. This article examines the causes of the global food crisis and proposes strategies for cities and communities to achieve food security and environmental sustainability. These strategies involve urban agriculture in various forms and scales, and the management of urban solid waste for fertilizer and renewable energy production.