Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
9077 results(52 / 364)
The Role of Urban Farming in Enhancing Food Security and Sustainability in Lagos Metropolis: A Stakeholder Analysis
2025S Aliyu, Okhimamhe A. A, I. M. Sule · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science · Nigeria (Lagos)
This study explored the role of urban farming in enhancing food security and sustainability in the Lagos Metropolis through focus group discussions and quantitative surveys with various stakeholders, including policymakers, urban farmers, and community members. Findings suggest urban farming's potential to reduce food transportation distances, enhance local food production, and mitigate climate change impacts. However, challenges such as land demands and gender disparities persist, necessitating integrated policy approaches and targeted educational programs.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeCommunityPolicyExploring the design and contributions of urban agroecosystem living labs for sustainable city development
2025Diego Alejandro Riaño-Herrera, Felipe A. Perdomo, Juanita Quintero-Castro, Alejandra García-Sánchez, Leonardo Rodríguez-Urrego · Sustainable Futures · Global
A content analysis and qualitative assessment of 34 urban agroecosystem living labs (UALLs) from academic and grey literature explored their design and contributions to sustainable city development. UALLs were found to boost agricultural productivity, food security, and community cohesion, while also supporting climate mitigation and waste reduction. However, the study noted that UALLs need to better align their strategies with SDGs and improve the measurement of their contributions.
CommunityBiodiversityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceTypology of food aid in Australia
2025Rebecca Lindberg, Stephanie Godrich · · Australia
This chapter proposes a typology of Australian food charity, describing seven types of food aid provision in Australia. The typology includes large warehousing foodbanks, community food charity, emergency and disaster responses, networks, social enterprises, community gardens and farms, and school food charity programmes. These food assistance agencies play a vital role in Australia's food space and are involved in addressing hunger and food insecurity.
WelfareCommunityFood educationFactors influencing the economic sustainability and viability of soil-based urban and peri-urban agricultural enterprises in OECD countries: a scoping review
2025S. Pickles, Anita Stefoska‐Needham, Karen Charlton · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global
This scoping review was undertaken to identify factors affecting the economic sustainability and associated viability of soil-based commercial farms located in urban and peri-urban settings within OECD member countries. Following the PRISMA ScR methodology, 170 eligible articles were identified from four scientific databases. This review found that many soil-based urban farms in OECD countries struggle to achieve economic sustainability or organizational viability.
Economic viabilityEconomicsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureConservation Strategies for Enhancing Urban Biodiversity: A Comprehensive Review
2025R. B. Meshram, RP Dalavi · International Journal of Biology Sciences · Global
This review synthesizes contemporary approaches to urban biodiversity conservation, focusing on green corridors, urban rewilding, and green infrastructure like rooftop and vertical gardens. It assesses the effectiveness, scalability, and limitations of these strategies through a comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed literature. The review indicates that strategically connected green spaces serve as critical habitats and that urban rewilding and rooftop gardens enhance ecological functions and habitat diversity.
BiodiversityClimate changeWillingness to Pay for Smartphone-Based Plant Care Advisory Services: Evidence from Dang Xa Urban Area, Hanoi, Vietnam
2025Loan Le, Bui Phuong Nhung · Journal of Ecosystem Science and Eco-Governance · Vietnam (Hanoi)
This research assessed the willingness of 115 residents in Dang Xa Urban Area, Hanoi, Vietnam, to pay for smartphone-based plant care advisory services. Employing the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) combined with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study found that residents' awareness of these services is still quite limited. The average willingness to pay (WTP) was approximately 37.83 thousand VND/month, with service pricing, gender, household income, the number of people over 60 years old in the household, and occupation identified as influencing factors.
EconomicsDigital agricultureThe effect of urban climate shifts on land values in the Chesapeake Bay area
2025Junyi Hua, H. Allen Klaiber, Douglas H. Wrenn · Journal of Environmental Quality · United States (Chesapeake Bay)
This study developed a micro-level Ricardian model to assess how long-run climate patterns affect agricultural land values across the urban-rural gradient in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Analysis using an 8-km gridded dataset combining farmland prices, high-resolution climate data, and urban land cover showed that seasonal temperature and precipitation nonlinearly affect land values, and urbanization significantly moderates precipitation effects. A climate simulation suggested heterogeneous impacts across urban grids.
EconomicsClimate changeUrban–rural linkageHUERTOS ESCOLARES: APRENDIZAJES, VÍNCULOS Y SIGNIFICADOS
2025Nancy Domínguez González, Fernando Naranjo Chacón, A Solé, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, A. Medina · Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems · Mexico (Xalapa)
A descriptive study was conducted at Federal Secondary School No. 4 David Alfaro Siqueiros in Xalapa, Mexico, to evaluate the impact of a school garden on student learning, bonds, and intrinsic purposes. A qualitative Likert scale survey was applied to 80 actively participating students before and after the garden's implementation and related workshops. The intervention process failed to generate statistically significant changes in students' learning about school garden aspects (plant growth, planting, care, harvesting, processing), in the bonds developed through teamwork, or in the meaning they attributed to working in the school garden.
Food educationHealthCommunityStrategi Integratif Manajemen Kurikulum, Keterlibatan Masyarakat, dan Pembiayaan Berkelanjutan dalam Peningkatan Mutu Pendidikan Dasar
2025Mila Ulfiah Milenia, M. Mustaqhfirin Amin, Muslim Cahaya Indra · Jurnal Pendidikan Indonesia · Indonesia (Jawa Barat and Bali)
A qualitative multi-site study across five elementary schools in West Java and Bali investigated an integrative model to improve the quality of basic education. The integration of contextual curricula increased learning motivation by 28%, and community participation through the "Parents' School" program reduced dropout rates by 15%. Additionally, self-financing from urban farming contributed 22% of the operational budget.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsSustaining Urban Food Gardens for Community Resilience: A Case Study of the Langa Agrihub, Cape Town, South Africa
2025Kurt Ackermann, Tamsin Faragher · CABI climate change series. · South Africa (Cape Town)
A three-year case study of the Langa Agrihub in Cape Town, South Africa, supports a network of over 250 urban farmers comprising more than 30 food gardens. The Agrihub provides inputs, infrastructure, knowledge exchange, and market connections, serving as a platform for civic participation, social cohesion, and local agency. This chapter states that the primary value of community food gardens lies in enabling communities to mitigate and adapt to intersecting stresses, including economic marginalisation, environmental degradation, and infrastructure shortcomings like water scarcity.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsWelfare„Да засадиш (в) града“
2025Меглена Златкова · Семинар_BG · Bulgaria (Plovdiv)
This article analyzes urban gardening as a practice of inhabiting in the Bulgarian post-socialist city, based on long-term anthropological research in the Trakia residential district of Plovdiv. It examines how inter-block gardens and peripheral "ranch" gardens are maintained, transformed, and inherited amidst changing urban space management. Urban gardening is interpreted as a sustainable mechanism for rooting in the city and understanding post-socialist forms of inhabiting public space.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkagePeri-urbanization and smallholder farmers’ socio-economic marginality in peri-urban Addis Ababa
2025Girma Mulu Alemu, Sophie Schramm, Wilbard Kombe · Cogent Social Sciences · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
This qualitative study in peri-urban Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, explored the impacts of peri-urbanization on smallholder farmers' socio-economic conditions. The research found that peri-urbanization leads to the erosion of capital assets, with dwindling agricultural land causing tenure insecurity and disrupting livelihoods. This process exacerbates smallholder farmers' marginality by weakening social ties and mutual support systems.
Equity & displacementPeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomic Viability of Community Gardens in Semarang City
2025Rahoyo Rahoyo, Teti Susilowati, Sri Purwantini · Economics Development Analysis Journal · Indonesia (Semarang)
This research explored the economic viability of community gardens in Semarang City, Indonesia, using a qualitative approach with 24 participants. Findings indicate that most community gardens operate at a financial loss, showing weak economic viability. However, these gardens continue to function sustainably, driven not by profit but by government programs, social cohesion, and environmental concern.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceExploration and Practice of Collaborative Talent Cultivation Model for Urban Horticulture under the Background of Smart Agriculture
2025Zhen Peng, Yuerong Gao, Ziyan Liu, Liusheng Duan · Journal of Contemporary Educational Research · China (Beijing)
This paper discusses the development of urban horticulture under smart agriculture and the application of AI technology, analyzing the importance of skilled talents and their cultivation pathways. It proposes measures like multi-level practical teaching platforms and the "1234" applied talent training model. Practical cases from Beijing University of Agriculture are analyzed, showing the effects of an industry-education-research collaborative talent training model for urban horticulture.
Food educationDigital agricultureHorticultural Therapy: A Sustainable and Inclusive Approach to Supporting Older People in Brazil
2025Jacqueline de Almeida Barbosa Franco, Quintino Augusto Có de Seabra, Bruno Humberto da Silva, Adriano Alves Teixeira, Rosane Aparecida Gomes Battistelle, Bárbara Stolte Bezerra · Anthropology & Aging · Brazil (São Paulo)
This report examines an inclusive community vegetable garden project at Vila Vicentina, a long-term care facility in Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil, initiated through participatory action research. The project created a space for older adults to engage in leisure and horticultural activities. Findings suggest the initiative contributed to improvements in physical engagement, social interaction, and overall well-being among older adults.
CommunityHealthElderlyFood educationAn Inventory of Vascular Plants in the Elementary School Garden on Okinoerabujima Island.
2025基博 川西, 143997, Motohiro Kawanishi · Kagoshima University Repository · Japan (Okinoerabujima Island)
A survey of flora in seven elementary school gardens on Okinoerabujima Island, Japan, clarified the distribution of vascular plants and compiled a list for educational use. The survey identified a total of 480 species, comprising 211 native, 100 exotic, and 157 cultivated plants. The school gardens were characterized by a large number of native species, including rare and endangered herbaceous plants, indicating their high potential for nature education.
Food educationBiodiversityEnvironmental ethics under commercialization of urban agriculture
2025K I Safitri, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Budhi Gunawan, P Parikesit · Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics · Global
This qualitative study investigated the commercialization of urban agriculture and its influence on agricultural practices and environmental ethics, engaging 43 participants through observation, interviews, and documentation. Findings showed that global commercialization promotes policies for environmental sustainability, leading to aligned production methods. However, in local contexts, farmers cultivating sloped land without perennial crops often use artificial inputs and contaminated irrigation water, facing constraints from intermediaries.
Contamination & food safetyEconomicsPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceFamilias de personas con discapacidad: resaltando un saber ancestral para garantizar la seguridad alimentaria
2025Nina Madrigal Zuluaga, Sebastián Ardila Osorio, Diana Carolina Perez Torres · Revista de la Facultad de Trabajo Social · Colombia (Santander de Quilichao)
This article describes a 2020 research project in Santander de Quilichao, Colombia, focused on food security and community strengthening for families with children with disabilities. The project implemented community gardens and provided training to parents, benefiting 45 families and 150 individuals with 30 urban gardens and 2 home gardens. The research demonstrated positive results, showing how community development can be approached integrally by incorporating community elements to facilitate access and participation for people with disabilities.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareAnálisis de los factores limitantes en la producción de hortalizas: Un estudio del organopónico Pueblo Griffo Viejo en Cienfuegos
2025Odeimy Sarría-Crespo, Mayelin López-Roque, Wilfredo Sis-Sánchez · Revista Metropolitana de Ciencias Aplicadas · Cuba (Cienfuegos)
A ten-month non-experimental study at the "Pueblo Griffo Viejo" organic farm in Cienfuegos, Cuba, identified limiting factors in vegetable production through surveys, field observations, and documentary review. The research found low yields due to poor substrate quality, inadequate water management, limited organic matter, and insufficient training participation. Additionally, the workforce's low educational level hindered efficient agricultural practices.
Governance failureCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceFood educationPelatihan Urban Farming Hidroponik di Kecamatan Tembok Dukuh Surabaya
2025Theresa Widya Artika, Efendi Surahman · UNITY Journal of Community Service · Indonesia (Surabaya)
This three-week community service program in Tembok Dukuh District, Surabaya, aimed to enhance local residents' knowledge and skills in hydroponic urban farming. Participants, primarily women from the Family Welfare Movement (PKK), received training in hydroponic concepts, simple installation construction, and vegetable planting and maintenance techniques. The program resulted in a significant improvement in participants' understanding of hydroponic systems and their ability to apply these techniques at home.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsDIYA review of the role of nature-based solutions in mitigating food insecurity in Africa
2025Solomon Asamoah, Henry Mensah, Eric Kwame Simpeh, Eric Oduro-Ofori, Sandra Serwaa Boateng, Sarah Boateng, Listowel Koda Frimpong, Priscilla Okyere · Green Technologies and Sustainability · Africa
This scoping review examined the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in addressing food insecurity in Africa, using bibliometric and thematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature. The study identified agroforestry, urban agriculture, and wetland restoration as NbS components. However, it found that a comprehensive understanding of NbS efficacy, challenges, and implications for food insecurity in Africa remains limited, with existing research primarily focusing on localized interventions rather than broader trends.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeBiodiversityDesign and implementation of outdoor home smart farming based on raspberry pi for home assistant management
2025Mohd Nazmin Maslan, Izzat Rafaie Ramli, Muhammad Hafidz Fazli Md Fauadi, Mohd Erdi Ayob, Mohamad Faizal Baharom, Ihwan Ghazali, Tia Tanjung · Multidisciplinary Science Journal · Global
This study designed and implemented an outdoor home smart farming system using Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, ESP32, sensors, and Home Assistant software to address challenges like limited skills and resources. The system efficiently monitored and analyzed farming parameters, resulting in water usage of only 0.16% and energy consumption of 0.64% compared to daily household use. It also reduced water usage for watering by up to 82.45%, demonstrating its capability to optimize resource use and enhance crop productivity.
DIYDigital agricultureClimate changeBalcony Environmental Monitoring & Plant Recommendation System Using IoT and Machine Learning
2025Pratham Kawade -, Mrunal Karkar -, Ritisha Mittal -, Neha Sathe · International Journal on Science and Technology · Global
This system utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller connected to DHT11 and soil moisture sensors to capture real-time data on temperature, humidity, and soil wetness. Data transmitted via MQTT protocol to a Flask-based web server is processed by a RandomForestClassifier model, trained on twelve sequential readings per sensor, to suggest the top five crops and monitor plant health against predefined optimal thresholds. Alerts are generated when deviations are detected, and the system is deployed on cloud platforms like Render.
DIYDigital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceGaps, Overlaps, and the Political Ecology of Food Systems
2025Paul Β. Thompson · · Global
This chapter explores the potential for alliance around issues such as sustainability and the political interests of rural areas within food systems. While archetypes set different priorities, they generally do not involve irresolvable incompatibility, allowing for opportunities for alignment in support or opposition to policy initiatives or technological innovations. Sustainable intensification, rural resilience, and urban agriculture challenge the presumption that there is nothing morally unique in the production and distribution of food and fiber goods.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageCoproduction as a Causal Process
2025Gregg G. Van Ryzin · Policy Studies Journal · Global
This article argues that viewing the coproduction of public goods and services by government agencies and citizens as a causal process, using causal diagrams, can help describe and diagnose coproduction processes more precisely across various services and settings. The approach is demonstrated with examples such as roads, community gardens, traffic safety, education, and policing, and helps clarify the definition of coproduction and its relation to concepts like volunteering, participation, co-creation, and collaborative governance.
PolicyCommunity