Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Fermented plant juice for sustainable lettuce production in urban farming
2026Quirante Zandra Anciano · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Philippines (Zamboanga Peninsula)
An experimental study in the Zamboanga Peninsula investigated the economic feasibility of hydroponic lettuce production using Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ). Estrosa and Olmetie lettuce varieties showed optimal performance, with undetectable nitrate levels in Estrosa and Green Wave, and all varieties remaining within international safety limits for nitrate. Cadmium was not detected.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureOrganic cycleParticipatory Design Model for Community-Based Rooftop Urban Farming
2026Muhammad Mutammam Musthofa, Ronalmanto Ronalmanto, Listhia Dwi Orisavianti, Indrika Dwi Febianti · Jurnal Teknologi Terapan G-Tech · Global
This study proposes an optimized Participatory Design Model for community-based rooftop urban farming to enhance technical sustainability and community ownership. Using a qualitative approach within a Participatory Action Research framework, data from Focus Group Discussions informed a design model emphasizing reduced maintenance and enhanced social utility. Key strategies include selecting simple planting systems, specifically a combination of hydroponic and soil-based media, and incorporating design elements that facilitate community engagement.
CommunityPolicyUrban expansion and food security implications: A three-decade analysis of land use change in Kinondoni district, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1993-2023)
2026Adili Y. Zella · African Journal of Social Issues · Tanzania
This study analyzed land use and land cover (LULC) changes in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between 1993 and 2023 using multi-temporal Landsat satellite imagery. The analysis revealed that built-up areas expanded by 1,433%, from 124.20 ha in 1993 to 1,905.14 ha in 2023. Concurrently, cultivated land decreased by 96.6%, from 172.90 ha to 5.88 ha, representing a loss of 167.02 ha. The near-complete elimination of cultivated land in Kinondoni District indicates a critical threat to local food production capacity and urban food security.
Environmental trade-offsFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageClimate changePolicyـ- SUSTAINABLE FEATURES IN EDUCATION: Ecological Retrofitting Of Existing Campuses
2026Manal Emhemed Mu Chalgham, Halil Semih Eryıldız · Al-Farooq Journal of Sciences · Turkey (Istanbul)
This case study focuses on Okan University's Tuzla Campus in Istanbul, which already has sustainable features. The research proposes ecological retrofitting measures like edible landscaping, rainwater harvesting, and waste management to improve environmental performance and create an interactive learning environment. Analysis revealed major weaknesses in underutilized green spaces, inefficient natural ventilation, and lacking water/waste management systems, which the proposed retrofits aim to address.
Food educationCommunityOrganic cycleIoT-Enabled Smart Plant Ecosystem Integrating Real-Time Monitoring, Automated Irrigation, and Intelligent Growth Optimization Frameworks
2026Md. Safaet Hossain, Israt Jahan, Jawata Afnan, Israt Sultana Tanny, Nashid Sultana Mim, Kayes Mahmood · Techcomp Innovations · Global
This study presents Easy Grow Plants, an integrated web and Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem designed for urban plant care, addressing issues like inconsistent watering and insufficient care knowledge. The prototype, implemented with a React frontend, Django REST backend, SQLite database, and an Arduino UNO R4 WiFi smart pot, connects plant care guidance, soil-moisture monitoring, automated watering, and plant recommendations. Functional, interface, API, IoT connectivity, sensor calibration, watering control, and LAN deployment tests confirmed that the core modules operated together as an integrated academic prototype, providing a practical foundation for smart urban gardening.
Digital agricultureDIYCommunityThe Green Startup Revolution: A Secondary Analysis of Microgreen Entrepreneurship as a Sustainable Opportunity for Indian Youth in 2026
2026Alphina jose · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · India
This study examines the burgeoning microgreen industry in India, synthesizing secondary data from 2023-2026 to evaluate the shift from traditional farming to "Zero-Acre" urban agriculture. It explores how Indian startups can leverage global concepts like Subscription-Based CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and AI-monitored Hydroponics to overcome local shelf-life challenges. The paper points out that the largely untapped Indian microgreens sector presents a unique "Blue Ocean" opportunity for young entrepreneurs.
EconomicsCSA & TeikeiUrban–rural linkageCommunity-Based Urban Agriculture as a Strategy for Sustainable Food Security: Evidence of Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2026Retno Wulandari, F. LAYLAVOIX F., Dela Mustika · Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) · Indonesia (Yogyakarta)
This study in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia, examined the role of women farmer groups in optimizing urban home yard utilization for food security through a community-based urban farming approach. Using a quantitative descriptive analysis with 48 respondents, findings indicated that women farmer groups play a moderate role as learning hubs, cooperative platforms, and production units. Key factors influencing their role include age, farming experience, participation levels, leadership, agricultural extension support, and government involvement.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareUrban Modern Agriculture Development in Major Chinese Cities: A Multidimensional Evaluation and Contextual Typology
2026Yan Gao, Shaowen Zheng, Yating Cao, Zhengwei Cao · Land · China
This study developed a multidimensional evaluation framework to assess urban modern agriculture (UMA) development across 36 large- and medium-sized cities in China from 2019 to 2023. Findings indicate UMA development has a relatively stable hierarchical structure, with leading cities maintaining advantages while most remain in middle and lower tiers with limited upward mobility. Four contextual city types were identified: balanced development, economically efficient, resource-constrained, and agricultural-potential cities, reflecting differences in socioeconomic and environmental capacities.
PolicyEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageMigration, participation and the making of homes narrations from a "refugees welcome" community garden in Germany
2026Berliner, Susanne · · Germany
An ethnographic inquiry into a "refugees welcome" community garden in Germany offers power-critical reflections on social encounters, participation, inequalities, and the dynamics between 'the host' and 'the newcomer' in home-making. The study enhances understanding of how people with refugee biographies shape their surroundings and how communities navigate social heterogeneity. Specifically, it highlights inequalities and power dynamics within the context of home-making.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareBiodiversityFeeding the city: The role of rural–urban migrants in enhancing food security in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2026Agnes G. Kapinga, Baraka F. Lenga · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
A qualitative case study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, using semi-structured interviews with 31 migrant farmers and seven key informants, revealed that migrant farmers contribute to urban food security through diverse crop cultivation and livestock keeping, enhancing food production and income generation. However, migrant farmers face major constraints including insecure land tenure, flooding, water scarcity, high input costs, and limited institutional support. City authorities institutionalize the marginalization of migrant farmers by treating urban agriculture as an informal and temporary activity, despite their critical contributions.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicyFood security approach: community experience in urban agriculture, El Mirador community, Usme Locality (Bogotá, 2021)
2026Sonia Patricia Lizarazo Hernández, Lamprea Zona Martha, Cardona Castaño Juan Camilo · Huellas · Colombia (Bogotá)
This research aimed to document the community's experience with urban agriculture from a food security perspective in the El Mirador community, Usme locality, Bogotá, Colombia, in 2021. Workshops, field visits, and collaborative activities were conducted in community-created gardens, and information was analyzed using a participatory approach. Participants highlighted that food security offers economic and well-being opportunities for families, and urban agriculture has become a mechanism for integration and coexistence.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsWelfareHarvesting Hope
2026Mya O. Price · · United States
This chapter traces the historical dispossession of Black farmers from enslavement through Jim Crow, discriminatory federal policy, and contemporary land loss. It synthesizes historical analysis, policy critique, and community-based case studies to show how Black farmers are reclaiming land, rebuilding local food systems, and advancing food sovereignty through cooperatives, urban agriculture, and advocacy.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageThe impact of school activities carried out in vegetable gardens on the eating habits of elementary school students: an integrative review
2026Joana Baier, Karla P. Machado, Luiz Ernesto Costa‐Schmidt · Figshare · Global
This study analyzed the impacts of activities developed in school gardens on the eating habits of children in the early years of Elementary School through an integrative literature review. Searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and Virtual Health Library databases for articles published from 2015 onward identified 24 eligible studies. The studies showed positive effects of garden-based interventions on consumption, acceptance, preference, nutritional knowledge, and attitudes toward fruits and vegetables, with some also reporting positive effects on anthropometric and metabolic parameters. Recurrent limitations included short intervention durations, low caregiver involvement, and high demand for human, structural, and material resources.
Food educationHealthTillage-Induced Changes in Soil Structure and Pore Space Distribution.
2026Durga Bastola · Murray State's Digital Commons (Murray State University) · United States (Kentucky)
This study evaluated the effects of contrasting tillage intensities on soil structural characteristics and pore space distribution across six agricultural systems at Pullen Farm in Murray, Kentucky. Soil samples were collected from low-disturbance no-till systems and high-disturbance conventional tillage systems to determine bulk density, total porosity, and soil water-holding capacity. Results showed that no-till systems maintained significantly lower bulk density and greater total porosity, while conventionally tilled systems exhibited increased bulk density and reduced pore space. This indicates that tillage-induced disturbance directly modifies soil structure and pore continuity, leading to reduced pore space and impaired water dynamics.
CommunityOrganic cyclePenguatan Kemandirian Pangan Rumah Tangga Melalui Hidroponik Vertikal Dan Pemasaran Digital Berbasis E-Commerce
2026Fitri Ayu, Benriwati Maharmi, Desi Yasri, Jesaja Ginting, Ermawati, Jean Riko Kurniawan Putra, Nurhasnah · Jurdimas (Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat) Royal · Indonesia
A community service program in Berkah Family Village Housing, Kubang Jaya Village, Indonesia, used a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach to enhance urban household food self-sufficiency. The program provided training in vertical hydroponics, organic waste processing, and e-commerce, increasing participants' knowledge and skills in these areas significantly. A single hydroponic tower yielded 7.2–14 kg per cycle with substantial income potential, and 20 households learned to process kitchen waste into liquid fertilizer.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityDigital agricultureCompostThe Role of Urban Gardening in the Maintenance of Rural Landscape Heritage in a Large City: Case Study of Brno Metropolitan Area, Czech Republic
2026Jaromír Kolejka, Eva Novakova, Jana Zapletalova · Land · Czech Republic (Brno)
This study identified remnants of ancient rural agricultural landscapes within Brno, Czech Republic, and attempted to explain their location, state, and the role of natural factors, land ownership, and residents' personal and recreational interests. By comparing current aerial photographs with cadastral maps from the 1820s–1830s, 34 such segments were identified, with half (17 cases) still preserving traditional small-scale land division. These remnants were generally preserved in locations unsuitable for construction due to slope, unsuitable building subsoil, and poor soil. Urban gardening contributes to their preservation but also to their destruction, with 17 cases showing complete re-division, construction of recreational facilities, and overgrowth due to poor care.
CommunityUrban–rural linkageA scoping review of the impact of urbanization on food security in Sub-Saharan Africa
2026Alemseged Gerezgiher Hailu, daniel girmay, samuel ataklti · Discover Food · Sub-Saharan Africa
This scoping review analyzed 155 sources (2009–2024) on urbanization's impact on food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Findings showed rapid urban expansion converted 30% of peri-urban agricultural land in some regions, increasing dependence on imported staples, and low-income households spend 60–80% of income on food. A policy gap was identified, with only 12% of countries having supportive policies and 19% of cities designating land for farming.
Environmental trade-offsFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeHealthExtraction of Open Spaces and Identification of Suitable Rooftops for Urban Agriculture: Contribution of Geospatial Technologies for Sustainable Planning
2026Asmaa Moussaoui, Ouijdane Lahyan, Hajar Sbiki, Imane Sebari, Kenza Ait El Kadi · The international archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences/International archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences · Global
This project aimed to extract vacant spaces and rooftops suitable for urban agriculture using geospatial technologies. For vacant space extraction, three classifiers were tested, with the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier achieving the highest accuracy at 75% precision. For rooftop extraction, object-based classification using SVM, the Footprint Building Extraction-USA deep learning model, and Mapflow's building model were tested, with the latter two achieving F-Factor values above 77%.
PolicyUrban–rural linkageDigital agricultureTemperature Assessment of Urban Rooftop Farming for Cooling Effect to Buildings Significant Determinant of Micro-Climate Change and Urban Heat Island Effects.
2026K. C. Sahu · International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research · Global
This study, conducted in Bhubaneswar city, India, assessed the cooling effect of urban rooftop farming on buildings and their surroundings. By comparing temperatures in buildings with and without rooftop gardens, the research found that rooftop farming reduces the temperature in building rooms and adjacent areas. This cooling effect contributes to mitigating micro-climate change and urban heat island effects, thereby lowering cooling expenses for urban inhabitants.
Climate changeUrban–rural linkageCommunityUrban Agriculture: Setting the Agenda on Plant-pollinator Interactions Among Food Plants, Research Funding, and Policy Actions
2026Willams Oliveira, Marcelo Tabarelli, Leonardo Galetto, Carlos A. Peres, Ariadna Valentina Lopes · Human Ecology · Global
This review provides an overview of published research on plant-pollinator interactions among food plants in urban agriculture worldwide, offering a critical summary of the spatiotemporal distribution of knowledge, urban plant-pollinator profiles, and research funding for urban agriculture and ecosystem services. It highlights the potential of urban agriculture to create pollinator-friendly spaces that support local pollinator conservation and concludes that pollination services are a promising nature-based solution to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
BiodiversityPollinatorsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeModelo de Emprendimiento Colaborativo para Adultos Mayores en el Ecuador
2026Wilmer Gustavo Gualotuña Pachacama, Viviana Alexandra Brito Moya, Xiomara Gabriela Zambrano Quimbiulco, Patricia Estefania Aguaiza Loja · Revista Conectividad · Ecuador
This study proposes and validates a collaborative entrepreneurship model to promote social inclusion and integral well-being for older adults in Pichincha province, Ecuador. Through a survey of 2,941 older adults and a pilot experience with 40 participants in Cutuglagua, activities for developing and marketing urban garden kits were implemented. Results showed visible improvements in strengthening social networks, increasing self-esteem, developing entrepreneurial competencies, and a greater perception of older adults regarding social activities.
ElderlyCommunityWelfareEconomicsConhecimento sobre plantas alimentícias não convencionais e produção da farinha de cansanção (Urera baccifera)
2026Maísa Aparecida da Costa · Brazilian Journal of Development · Brazil (Sete Lagoas)
This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of unconventional food plants (PANC) among high school students' families in a private school in Sete Lagoas, Brazil, and to prepare flour from cansanção (Urera baccifera) leaves and assess its nutritional potential. While 54.1% of participants claimed to know the term PANC, consumption was low, with 62.2% reporting rare intake. Analysis of cansanção flour revealed high levels of protein (25.58 g/100 g), fiber (9.14 g/100 g), and calcium (5185 mg/100 g), highlighting its nutritional value.
Food educationCommunityHealthTransforming the capitalist food regime: A historical materialist perspective on community-supported agriculture
2026Bernd Bonfert · Capital & Class · Global
This article analyzes the transformative potential of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) through a historical materialist lens. CSA is found to be potentially capable of decommodifying and democratizing food production, de-alienating labor and socio-ecological relations, enhancing environmental sustainability, addressing social inequalities, and scaling effectively. However, these potential achievements face significant limitations and mutual trade-offs that individual CSAs likely cannot resolve, requiring collaboration at scale.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsFarm
2026Catherine Dee · · Global
The sylvan spatial pattern "Farm" describes a place where food, trees, and shrubs are cultivated, often supporting annual and perennial crops within and under tree canopies. These farms can range from small street corner groves to extensive orchards or parklands within or around urban areas. Sylvan city farms integrate health, educational, cultural, and economic functions for city dwellers, serving as schools, commons, cooperatives, and places of employment.
CommunityHealthEconomicsBiodiversityA study on the utilization characteristics of agricultural activity spaces developed in urban parks
2026Guolin XU, Shigeto YANAI · Japanese Journal of Landscape Architecture · Japan (Yokohama City)
This study investigated the utilization characteristics of agricultural activity spaces in urban parks, focusing on parks with allotment gardens in Yokohama City, Japan. Using the line transect method for behavioral observation, the study identified user characteristics and types of use. The results indicated that establishing agricultural activity spaces within urban parks promotes park use among older adults, may contribute to functional specialization by providing targeted health promotion and recreational functions for the elderly, and increases visitors’ length of stay.
CommunityElderlyHealth