Research & reports

Glaros A., Newell R., Pizzirani S., Newman L. · Urban Transitions · カナダ・ブリティッシュコロンビア州ローワーメインランド（都市圏）

Using the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada as a case study, this paper defines and assesses the tradeoffs across six common scenarios for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) implementation. Land use considerations and operational priorities define the scenarios and weight the modelling criteria. Geospatial modelling estimates the share of the population within walking distance of potential CEA sites that could be supplied with their daily intake of leafy greens, alongside associated yields, energy use, water use and potential land sparing. Across all scenarios, between 4% and over 100% of nearby populations could be served, demonstrating both the promise of hyper-local food provisioning and how sharply outcomes swing with siting and operational goals.

Kanosvamhira T.P., Magidi M. · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · 南アフリカ・ケープタウン／ジンバブエ・ノートン

A qualitative case study comparing the motivations, operational dynamics, land access challenges and legislative contexts of urban agriculture in two contrasting cities — Cape Town (South Africa) and Norton (Zimbabwe) — through stakeholder interviews and policy analysis, guided by social capital theory. In Cape Town urban agriculture is semi-institutionalised, backed by governmental and civil society actors and framed within wider food justice and community development agendas, yet practitioners face significant constraints from land access, urban policy fragmentation and competition over space. In Norton it is largely informal, a survivalist response to persistent socio-economic hardship with minimal formal support but relatively flexible regulation, where land-tenure insecurity and the threat of eviction are the pressing concerns. The paper argues that context-specific legislative frameworks, secure land rights and inclusive urban planning are the enabling conditions, situating urban agriculture within debates on land governance and urban informality.

Coyne D., Nyambura E.I., Atandi J.G., Obebo F., Alam M.J., Kumar S., Arro E.A., Adimassu Z., Bihon W., Schreinemachers P. · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · エチオピア・アディスアベバ／ケニア・ナイロビ／バングラデシュ・ダッカ／フィリピン・メトロマニラ

A comparative multi-city case study of urban and peri-urban vegetable seedling systems — a neglected component of urban agriculture — in four rapidly growing cities: Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dhaka and Metro Manila. Data came from 154 stakeholders including urban farmers, nursery operators, seedling suppliers, agro-input dealers and government officers, complemented by secondary literature. Across all four cities urban vegetable production was dominated by small-scale intensive systems growing predominantly leafy vegetables, while seedling systems remained underdeveloped: informal nursery operations, weak quality assurance, open-field propagation, limited technical capacity and fragmented market linkages, driving widespread reliance on direct seeding and low-quality planting material despite strong demand for quality seedlings. Identified opportunities include improved propagation technologies, certification systems, digital marketing, commercialization of indigenous vegetable seedlings and stronger public-private partnerships. As one of the first cross-continental assessments of urban vegetable seedling systems in low- and middle-income countries, it positions seedling systems as a critical but overlooked part of resilient, nutrition-sensitive urban food systems.

Huq F.F., Deacon L. · Discover Sustainability (Springer), 6:696 · Global

A systematic review of 37 studies examining how community gardens affect food access, urban resilience, and community well-being, with research interest peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies inequitable access and weak policy integration as key barriers and calls for inclusive, interdisciplinary, long-term planning.

Neumann V., Schmid B., El Benni N., Finger R. · Land Use Policy · Switzerland

Survey of 500 members of community-supported agriculture and allotment gardens in Switzerland showing social capital has a significantly positive effect on members' perceived benefits, highlighting the social value of collective urban food production.

Zhang Y., Chen T., Gasparri E., Lucchi E. · Sustainability (MDPI), 17(2):666 · Australia (Sydney)

Proposes a modular agrivoltaics building envelope that physically integrates thin-film PV and hydroponic farming into the building skin itself, rather than treating solar and agriculture as separate systems. Using a circular design approach with multi-objective optimization of energy, light, water and structure (case study: Sydney), it extends food-plus-energy production from rooftops to walls and facades, highlighting space-utilization and system-integration gains for net-zero urban architecture.

Schreinemachers P., Kumar S.S., Uddin M.N. · Food Security · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

Panel data from 679 households across four Dhaka metropolitan city corporations shows that promoted urban home gardens significantly improved vegetable production and consumption, with 85% of participants being women.

Yapp E.H.T., Jamil N., Lee L.S.G., Chooi Y.T., Chen C.O. · Cogent Food & Agriculture, Vol. 11, Article 2448601 · Malaysia (Penang, Johor, Sabah)

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with urban farmers in Penang, Johor, and Sabah found that hydroponic and vertical farm operators face persistent challenges from government regulations, volatile markets, financial constraints, and environmental factors despite existing subsidy programs.

Xue Y., Yan J., Mohsin M., Mehak A. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global

Comprehensive analysis of economic vulnerabilities in agri-food supply chains and mitigation approaches through local food system strengthening, highlighting role of urban agriculture.

(Open Research Community) · ResearchGate, Discover Sustainability (Springer Nature) · Global

2025 review article examining urban agriculture's contribution to food security and mechanisms of achievement. Analyzes through empirical evidence the benefits and challenges, income generation effects, and improvements in fresh food access for low-income households.

· AgriEngineering · Global

Designs and implements a low-cost modular growth chamber as an accessible alternative to expensive commercial equipment. It integrates thermal insulation, LED lighting, forced ventilation, a recirculating irrigation system with double filtration, and Arduino UNO-based environmental monitoring.

· Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management · Global

Techno-economic evaluation of decentralized community composting as a model to valorize organic matter in small and medium-sized towns.

Tolazzi et al. · Earth's Future (Wiley), 2025 · Global

Demonstrates that strategic reallocation of urban spaces to agriculture improves nutrition security for residents; evaluates household nutrition gains and community economic development.

· Food and Energy Security · Ghana

Examines how integrating crop and livestock production within urban agriculture affects urban food security in Ghana.

Imam M., Glaros A. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global

A carbon assessment of building-integrated agriculture (vertical farms, rooftop greenhouses, soil-based urban farms) concluded that BIA does not consistently deliver climate benefits over conventional agriculture and can be less resource-efficient, with soil-based urban farms carrying the highest embodied carbon per kilogram.

Aborujilah A. · Sustainability · Global

A systematic review of 52 studies concluded that, despite efficiency advances, large-scale adoption of vertical farming remains impeded by high energy requirements and costs, leaving its energy-return sustainability in question.

Lovat S., Noor E., Milo R. · Plant Physiology · Global

The analysis shows vertical farming requires large amounts of energy and, under the recent average electricity mix, could substantially increase greenhouse gas emissions with limited land benefit; it is not cost-competitive with cereals or pulses and only marginally so for tomatoes and lettuce.

· npj Sustainable Agriculture · Global

A meta-analysis of 116 studies across 40 countries finds that controlled-environment agriculture has substantially higher capital and operating costs than open-field cultivation because of its energy use, translating into higher prices and substantial business risk.

Heine B., Gaspart F., Biot N. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Belgium

Analyzing 17 market-gardening farms in Belgium, the study finds low economic viability: many farms survive only because farmers pay themselves below minimum wage, rely on unpaid labor, or depend on off-farm income.

· Agronomy for Sustainable Development · Global

This review states that although vertical farming is claimed to use land, water, and nutrients efficiently, its high energy use lies behind several recent major bankruptcies and hinders large-scale uptake of the technology.

Heru Purwandari, Arabella Faiza Mardhiyah Husni Putri · Journal of Social Science and Human Ecology · Global

This research investigated the correlation between KWT (women farmer groups) participation and the sustainability of the KRL Katulampa waste management program, which incorporates urban farming using processed waste. A census of all KWT Berkah members was conducted using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The study found a correlation between KWT community participation and the program's sustainability, but noted that urban farming needs to be complemented by other activities to ensure significant economic benefits beyond social advantages.

Shanurasab K Nadaf, VR Yadahalli, Bebijan Nadaf · International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research · Global

This review explores the motivations and practical strategies for growing food in small urban spaces, addressing challenges like limited space and poor soil. It discusses techniques such as vertical gardening, container planting, hydroponics, and raised beds, along with crop selection and resource optimization. The article also examines challenges, success stories, and the role of technology in making urban gardening accessible.

Maria de Nazareth Oliveira Maciel, Luann Yago Oliveira Maciel · Aracê. · Global

This descriptive review study examined whether urban agriculture aligns with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) of Agenda 2030 and generates social benefits for producers, analyzing articles published from 2019 to 2022 from Scielo, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The results showed that urban agriculture aligns with SDG 12, generating ten main social benefits, including improved quality of life, social inclusion, food security, and promotion of mental and physical health.

Florien Misago, Isaac Nzayisenga, Henri Jacques Ngirinshuti, Leon De Pere Irakoze, Richard Mind’je · East African Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology · Rwanda (Kigali)

This study evaluated the potential of rooftop and wall-based urban agriculture to enhance food security in Gasabo District, Kigali, Rwanda. It used GIS and remote sensing to map suitable spaces and assessed 400 household heads using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Findings showed that 41.5% of households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, and approximately 32% of rooftops and walls were structurally appropriate for urban agriculture. While 57.8% of households expressed willingness to adopt rooftop or wall gardening, 67.4% cited structural and financial constraints.

Gokulakrishnan G, Navaneetha Krishnan T, Tamilselvan D, S Sanjeevkumar, Devaganesh A, Janani N, K. Arunadevi, Balaji Kannan · Madras Agricultural Journal · Global

This review explores vertical farming, a method that uses stacked layers in controlled environments for year-round crop production with reduced resource use. It assesses the environmental and economic advantages of vertical farming, while critically examining its limitations, including high energy demands and limited crop diversity. The study highlights that despite its potential, vertical farming faces challenges regarding economic viability due to high energy consumption.