Research & reports

Jha Ritesh Kumar, Bhattarai Natasha, KC Suraj, Shrestha Arjun Kumar, Kadariya Manahar · Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Agricultural · Nepal

This research inspected existing practices and obstacles in rooftop farming in Nagdhungha and Birauta, Nepal. Two practitioners were interviewed and 60 non-practitioners were surveyed. Results show that rooftop farming can benefit the environment by reducing atmospheric carbon and assist urban areas by reducing stormwater management costs, with a high willingness to practice rooftop farming among urban dwellers.

Alessio Russo, Giuseppe T. Cirella · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · Global

This comment examines "edible urbanism 5.0," noting that urban and peri-urban agriculture can have negative effects on city ecosystems, which urbanists and planners have largely overlooked. It highlights the need for a concept that considers trade-offs between ecosystem services and disservices, especially given current unsustainable industrial intensive farming. Edible urbanism aims to integrate food security, resilience, and social inclusion through edible green infrastructure and modern food production.

Martin Stuchtey, Tilmann Vahle · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global

This paper discusses different types of urban agriculture (UA) to assess its potential for future food production. Conventional open-air farming is found to be rarely commercially viable for meaningful food production, though it offers community, educational, psychological, and environmental benefits. High-yielding Controlled Environment Farming (CEF), while potentially contributing substantially to food output, is highly capital and knowledge-intensive and likely to develop at city fringes due to economic considerations.

Youcan Feng · IntechOpen eBooks · Global

This chapter summarizes current research progress and challenges regarding the benefit, measurement, and simulation of evapotranspiration (ET) from green infrastructure (GI). ET is crucial for GI's hydrologic performance and related benefits, but classic ET equations struggle to represent variations due to urban spatial heterogeneity and GI's multi-layer designs. The underperformance of existing ET models is partly attributed to a lack of high-quality field observations for various GI types in urban settings.

Benz Kotzen · · Global

This paper argues that vertical cities, integrating biophilia, could address the challenges of increasing global and urban populations. It suggests that these megastructures, which can include green spaces and urban agriculture, offer a compact footprint that allows for increased nature and farming in adjacent areas. While individual megastructures exist, the concept of a full vertical city has not yet been realized.

Rizal Hadyan Fadhlillah, Sophia Dwiratna, Kharistya Amaru · Jurnal Pertanian Tropik/Jurnal Online Pertanian Tropik · Indonesia

This descriptive study, conducted on a rooftop at Padjadjaran University, investigated the performance of a floating raft fertigation system for water spinach cultivation over one growth period (16 days after transplanting). It measured water, nutrient, and electricity consumption, finding 300.63 liters of water, 3860 ml of nutrients, and 31.816 kW of electricity. The study reported good growth uniformity, 99.6 kg/m3 water use efficiency, and 72.8 kg/m2 plant productivity.

Christine Aubry, Nastaran Manouchehri · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · France (Paris)

Urban and peri-urban agriculture is exposed to various forms of pollution related to cultivation methods and urban air and soil quality, with different crop types exhibiting varied reactions to pollutants. The T4P and REFUGE programs on urban farms in the Paris region, and the ADURAA and QUALISANN programs studying vegetable-growing in Antananarivo, Madagascar, aim to assess health risks and oversee practices using methodological frameworks.

Loïc Couttelle · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global

Veolia is exploring new urban and peri-urban agricultural production systems to address regional challenges like soil sealing and climate change. Through an innovative experimental approach with partners, an intensive and high-quality agricultural model combining aquaponics and bio-intensive vegetable microfarming has been identified. These solutions, located on available land, aim to provide ecosystem services, efficient production, and respond to consumer demand for short supply chains and traceability.

Habtamu Abebe · International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources · Ethiopia

This cross-sectional study in Arbaminch town investigated community awareness of climate change and the perceived role of urban agriculture for climate resilience using a structured questionnaire. It found that 87.2% of respondents were aware of climate change, primarily through media (70.7%), family/friends (63.4%), and public meetings/seminars (28%). A significant association was observed between respondents' age, education level, and occupation with both climate change awareness and the perception of urban agriculture's importance for climate change intervention.

A. Pardini, Furio Massolino, Chiara Grassi · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

In urban agriculture in developing areas, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. is a promising strategic species due to its low water and soil fertility requirements and its edible entirety. This study conducted a trial comparing the initial productivity of cladodes multiplied in pots, car tires, and open fields. Results suggest that the prickly pear can be cropped better in large exhausted tires than in small plots, also saving money on materials.

· International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) · Global

Unplanned urban expansion leads to the conversion of farmland, causing urban environmental degradation and food security concerns. This paper analyzes the correlation between urban farming and supporting food demands in urban areas. It further discusses critical challenges and opportunities for promoting urban farming as a significant tool for encouraging balanced sustenance in urban areas.

Maurice Dasylva, Ngor Ndour, Bienvenu Sambou, Sara Danielle Dieng · European Scientific Journal ESJ · Senegal (Ziguinchor)

In Ziguinchor, Senegal, the peri-urban rice farming system contributes to food security but is ignored by decision-makers and suffers from urbanization and physicochemical changes in rice field soils. An agronomic diagnosis, based on 180 yield squares (1/4m side) installed in 4 peri-urban valleys, showed average yields of 4.79 ± 0.35 t.ha-1. However, urbanization, silting, acidification, and progressive salinization of soils are the main limiting factors for this production system.

Valerio Bini, Maria Bottiglieri, Egidio Dansero, Andrea Magarini, Yota Nicolarea, Roberto Sensi · · Africa

This paper explores urban food policies from a Global South perspective, focusing on African cities and their unique urbanization processes and city-food linkages. It describes an overview of initiatives in African cities, aligning with the New Urban Agenda and Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, to promote new forms of cooperation among cities, universities, research bodies, and civil society organizations. The paper aims to identify cross-cutting issues like land tenure, climate change, and urban agriculture to compare cases across different African perspectives.

Emmanuel Patroba Mhache, Elna Lyamuya · Huria Journal of the Open University of Tanzania · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

This review paper examined the role of urban agriculture in alleviating poverty for women in the Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania. It found that women's participation in urban agriculture contributes to food security, increases household income (average net income Tshs 58,356.2 per month), offers employment, and reduces poverty. However, numerous bottlenecks hinder women's involvement in urban agriculture, including poor markets, water shortage, land shortage, seed unavailability, lack of capital, lack of government support, crude working tools, lack of water pumping machines for irrigation, poor storage facilities, and lack of agricultural extension services.

Ana Cristina Teixeira Alves, Miguel Nenevé · International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science · Cuba

This study addresses the benefits of agroecology, using Havana, Cuba as an example. Following the 1989 socialist crisis and economic blockade, urban agriculture emerged as a social movement in Havana. Through sustainable practices, this movement demonstrates success in generating jobs and income, as well as enhancing food security and sovereignty. Production, technical assistance, and sales outlets are steadily growing, supported by the government through an ecological and efficient low-cost agricultural policy that combines traditional knowledge with cutting-edge technology.

Debbie Méndez, Julio Quintini · · Austria (Vienna)

This project proposes a simple 7-step methodology for urban agriculture, based on the experience of a Venezuelan family participating in a community garden in Vienna, Austria, for two years. The methodology aims to enable urban residents to create sustainable communities, improve nutrition with fresh produce, and generate economic gains and better quality of life. It draws on successful urban agriculture experiences globally and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 2, 11, and 13.

Llanos Roa, Juan Sebastián · · Colombia (La Guajira)

The Awarala Project in Albania, La Guajira, Colombia, aims to create a resilient region by reducing dependence on mining and gasoline smuggling. It seeks to benefit indigenous communities, urban populations, farmers, and Venezuelan immigrants by improving living conditions through eco-rancherias with community gardens and providing spaces for tourism and alternative energy production. The project includes 15 hectares of solar panels, 30 wind turbines, and biodigesters for organic waste.

Karto Wijaya, Heru Wibowo, Asep Yudi Permana · Jurnal Arsitektur ZONASI · Indonesia (Bandung)

This study investigates Eco Village models in Paralon Village, Bojongsoang, Bandung Regency, Indonesia, focusing on how architecture and urban farming can utilize limited land for productive agricultural use. The research aims to identify existing Eco-Architecture concepts in the area to support Sustainable City development by leveraging community land and space.

Dimitra Babalis · Florence Research (University of Florence) · Europe

This chapter uses a comparative analysis of European examples to define characteristics and typologies of pocket park design. It argues for establishing concrete concepts and guidelines for a new typology of pocket parks to improve spatial relationships and societal conditions.

Michael Peterek, Susana Restrepo Rico, Yaman Hebbo, Ulrike Reichhardt · Technical Transactions · Germany (Frankfurt am Main)

This paper showcases sectoral and trans-sectoral projects in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, focusing on sustainable urban infrastructure across energy, water, wastewater, solid waste, and urban agriculture. The city has developed a collaborative approach to infrastructure planning, increasing possibilities for trans-sectoral projects and reducing natural resource consumption. The showcased projects were selected from a study of 36 operational, programmatic, and educational initiatives implemented by the city.

Aila‐Leena Matthies, Ingo Stamm, Tuuli Hirvilammi, Kati Närhi · Sustainability · Europe

This article analyzed 50 examples of ecosocial innovations in Finland, Italy, Germany, Belgium, and the UK to investigate how they integrate ecological, economic, and social sustainability goals. Ecosocial innovations were shown to combine these goals through five integrative practices: diversity of activities, successful networking, addressing new livelihood, focus on food, and explicit conceptual work on sustainability. These practices often emerge as pragmatic solutions to local needs and are valuable as forerunners for sustainability transition.

Sumardjo, Aldrin Yusuf Firmansyah, Manikharda Manikharda · · Indonesia (Majalengka Regency)

In Majalengka Regency, threats to food security are worsened by the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural purposes. This research investigated how urban farming innovations could be a solution to food security threats and how the community adapts to ecological changes, specifically land conversion and urban farming innovation, using participatory action research. The study found four types of adaptation to urban farming innovation: apathetic, reactive, proactive, and anticipatory, with field assistance facilitating increased community adaptation.

Monika Egerer, Brenda B. Lin, Dave Kendal · Climate · Global

Habitat-scale temperatures were investigated in urban community gardens across the California Central Coast metropolitan region, USA, and the Melbourne metropolitan region, Australia. Despite very similar annual means, strong interregional differences in temperature variability were shown, likely due to differences in the scale and scope of temperature measurements and regional topography. The plants growing within these systems were largely the same, which may be due to gardeners' capacities to adapt their gardening behaviors to reduce adverse effects of local temperature variability.

M. W. Adidja, Julius Mwine, J. G. M. Majaliwa, Joseph Ssekandi · Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension Economics & Sociology · Global

This review synthesizes agro-ecology's contribution to sustainably solving global hunger. Agro-ecology increases food availability through augmented yields and urban agriculture, enhances accessibility by reducing poverty, and improves appropriateness with high-quality, healthy food. It also contributes to water and food security by lessening pressure on water resources, increasing resilience to climate change, and empowering peasants and women.

Tri Andika, Waryenti Deli, P.E.Suryaningsih P.E.Suryaningsih · University Of Bengkulu Law Journal · Indonesia

Residents in Lebong Regency, Indonesia, experienced anxiety due to a landslide at PT PGE's Hulu Lais cluster A site. This landslide resulted in 6 deaths, sinking fish ponds, rice fields, and community gardens, and crop failure. Additionally, residents' drinking water sources were polluted, and drilling caused loud sounds, ground vibrations, hot steam, and dried plants. The drilling also drastically reduced water discharge from the Mubai river, impacting residents who relied on it.