Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
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PRODUÇÃO DE HORTALIÇAS ORGÂNICAS: PROTAGONISMO FEMININO E SUSTENTABILIDADE NA VILA GALVÃO, CASA NOVA - BA
2025Suzana Márcia Souza dos Santos, Clecia Simone Gonçalves Rosa Pacheco · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Brazil
This study analyzed the experience of the Vila Galvão Women Workers' Benevolent Association in Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil, which produces organic vegetables in urban and peri-urban contexts. The study aimed to characterize the productive, commercial, and sociocultural aspects related to organic vegetable production and commercialization, identifying main marketing channels and understanding difficulties faced by producers. It concluded that organic production, combined with collective organization and the strengthening of the solidarity economy, represents a viable alternative for a more just, sustainable, and female-led rural development model.
Economic viabilityCommunityPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleEconomicsPolicySpatial opportunities at the rural-urban fringe: balancing urban growth, food production and ecology
2025Marcus Robinson, Jacky Bowring, Shannon Davis, Sarah Edwards · Landscape Research · Global
This narrative review explored how urban expansion at the rural-urban fringe drives the loss of productive agricultural land, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. The review examined how these competing interests can be negotiated spatially, emphasizing the role of multifunctional green infrastructure to integrate both food production and ecological function across the urban-rural continuum.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageBiodiversityClimate changePolicyOptimizing Investments in Alternative Water Infrastructure for Urban Food Production in Water Stressed Cities
2025Qing Zhong, Daoqin Tong, Courtney Crosson, Yinan Zhang, Rashi Bhushan · Water Resources Research · United States
This study developed a spatial optimization model to identify investment strategies for deploying rainwater harvesting (RWH) and reclaimed water systems to expand urban food production in water-stressed cities. Applied to Tucson, Arizona, the model showed that 72%–96% of investment was allocated to rainwater tanks, though RWH contributed only 18%–27% of total food production. The results indicated that expanding the reclaimed water network was more effective and cost-efficient for urban food production compared to implementing rainwater tanks.
Climate changeEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceDesign and implementation of off-grid solar power system for rooftop farming in Tangerang, Indonesia
2025Henri P. Uranus, Reinhard Pinontoan, Dwi H. Yulian, Rianto Mangunsong · Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) · Indonesia
This paper presents the design and implementation of an off-grid solar power system for rooftop farming in Tangerang, Indonesia. The system, monitored via an IoT-based data logger, showed stable operation with an average daily energy production of 1.6 kWh, sufficient for 2 hydroponic and 1 aquaponic system's 0.9 kWh daily load during the rainy season. The system reduces carbon emissions by 313.7 kg per year compared to coal-based grid power.
Climate changeDigital agricultureTrädgårdar vid stadens rand
2025Mattias Öbrink, Maria Paring · META – Historiskarkeologisk tidskrift · Sweden (Gothenburg)
This text presents an excavated area in the southernmost part of Nya Lödöse, Sweden (Gothenburg), which existed between 1473 and 1624. Excavations conducted between 2022 and 2023 revealed an area with fewer houses and several gardens, contrasting with the densely built-up northern part of the town. The area may have served as both a food supply resource and a land reserve, and the text discusses possibilities and challenges in studying urban gardening, including cultivated soil and land division.
Urban–rural linkagePolicyProfile of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Rio de Janeiro State: Case Study
2025Letícia Englete de Mello, Dirlane de Fátima do Carmo, Daiane Cecchin, Leonardo da Silva Hamacher, Marcel Carvalho Abreu, R. M. Anjos, Mariana Vezzone · Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental · Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
This study investigated the profile of 159 urban and peri-urban agricultural producers across 29 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, using quantitative interviews and statistical analysis. Producers were predominantly men over 50 with limited education, cultivating small plots with organic methods but receiving little technical support. Key challenges identified were a lack of assistance and resources, and urban agriculture's potential is hindered by the absence of effective public policies.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyCommunityEconomicsGardens of the future unique visions for a changing world
2025Chivers, Ruth, Laing, Olivia 1977-, British Library · · Global
Ten award-winning designers present original garden designs for public and private spaces, extending up to 50 years into the future. These designs aim to mitigate the effects of climate change, encourage biodiversity, and address issues of legacy, land ownership, changing societal needs, and individual well-being. The paper emphasizes the power of gardening to nurture nature and adapt to change.
CommunityHealthClimate changeBiodiversityImpact of municipal wastewater use on urban and peri‑urban agricultural productivity: the endogenous treatment-effects approach
2025Mohammed Abdulai, Mohammed Tanko, Alhassan Andani · World Development Sustainability · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
This study empirically investigated the link between municipal wastewater (MWW) use and vegetable productivity among 416 vegetable farmers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, using survey data. It was found that MWW use alone is associated with a higher value of vegetable output, but regulation through contacts with extension agents reduces the agronomic and economic benefits of using MWW for irrigation.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsClimate changeEconomic and Environmental Tradeoffs in Cultivating Short Food Supply Chains With Urban Indoor Agriculture
2025Joseph Seong, H. Christopher Peterson, Simone Valle de Souza · Agribusiness · Global
This study evaluated the economic and environmental sustainability potential of urban indoor agriculture (IA) using a multi-objective optimization model (IA-MOO) integrating a bioeconomic model for lettuce production. Results indicated that earnings before taxes (EBT) and energy use efficiency (EUE) are generally not conflicting objectives, except for a short production schedule frame.
Economic viabilityEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureImpulsores e inhibidores de la agricultura urbana a partir de una aproximación diacrónica desde 1821 hasta 2023: el caso de Xalapa (Veracruz, México)
2025Juan Camilo Fontalvo-Buelvas, María Teresa Pulido Silva, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Raúl Romero Ramírez · Memorias · Mexico (Xalapa)
This diachronic study analyzed the drivers and inhibitors of urban agriculture in Xalapa, Mexico, through a historical tracing from 1821 to 2023. Drivers included rural immigration, academia, and government programs, while inhibitors were identified as diversification of trades, ejido laws, remittances, health policies, and food markets.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageOpen access article under the CC–BY-SA license. Copy right © 2025, Dharmawati et al., 3610 PENDAMPINGAN PENGOLAHAN KECAP BERBAHAN DASAR DAGING ITIK DI KELOMPOK WANITA TANI NUSA INDAH KELURAHAN SUNGAI TIUNG KECAMATAN CEMPAKA BANJARBARU
2025Siti Dharmawati, Aam Gunawan, Sugiarti Sugiarti · Jurnal Abdi Insani · Indonesia
A community service program in Banjarbaru City, Indonesia, aimed to empower 22 women farmers from the Nusa Indah Women Farmers Group to diversify duck meat products into duck soy sauce. The program, part of an urban farming initiative, involved technical guidance, outreach, and practical training. Participation was high, with 100% attendance and over 70% active engagement. While 68.19%-100% understood the material, only 27.27% expressed a strong desire to develop and market the product. Organoleptic tests showed positive feedback on the soy sauce's color, aroma, and taste.
CommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicyPerformance of different potato varieties in grow bags: An urban farming approach
2025Vidushi Dhaliwal, Deven Verma, Durlabh Durlabh, B. Sharma, Yaman Kumar, Vishal Thakur, Kunal Soga · Journal of Applied Horticulture · India
This study evaluated the growth and yield parameters of different potato varieties grown in grow bags suitable for the North Indian Plains. Cultivated in grow bags with a soil, vermicompost, and cocopeat mixture (4:3:1), Kufri Chandramukhi yielded the highest (1037.50 g/bag) under Punjab conditions, followed by Diamond (908.26 g/bag). Kufri Chandramukhi successfully adapted to the constrained environment without pests or diseases, and the soil mixture helped increase tuber yield and decrease irrigation intervals.
DIYUrban–rural linkageFood educationFrom Survival to Solidarity: Reclaiming Santiago’s Streets and Plazas Through Food, Care, and Collective Resistance in <i>Ollas Comunes</i>
2025Francisco García, Francisco Vergara‐Perucich · Urban Planning · Chile (Santiago)
This article examines how "ollas comunes" (community-led survival kitchens) in Santiago, Chile, contest the dominant logic of neoliberal governance and ownership within public space. Emerging during the 2019 social revolt and amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic to address food insecurity, these initiatives reclaim streets as arenas of collective care, mobility, and embodied everyday democracy by providing free communal meals. Based on qualitative data from interviews, focus groups, and participant observations, findings demonstrate that cooking and eating in the street transform physical streetscapes and mobility patterns, producing emergent publics, meanings, and solidarities.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePeningkatan Pengetahuan Smartfarming Hydropro berbasis Internet of Things untuk Kelompok Wanita Tani Melati Mangkukusuman Kota Tegal
2025Ida Afriliana, Abdul W. Basit, Safar Dwi Kurniawan, Ahmad Maulana · Jurnal SOLMA · Indonesia (Tegal)
This community service program aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of the Melati Women Farmers Group (KWT Melati) in Tegal City, Indonesia, regarding the application of Internet of Things (IoT)-based Smartfarming Hydropro technology. The program used socialization, demonstration, and simulation of automatic watering with the Hydropro tool, which monitors and controls water and nutrient delivery for tomato plants. The results showed that the program successfully imparted knowledge on IoT, smartfarming, hydroponic tomato cultivation, and harvesting methods to the KWT Melati members.
CommunityFood educationDigital agricultureUrban Planning Policies and Architectural Design for Sustainable Food Security: A Case Study of Smart Cities in Indonesia
2025Rafi Haikal, Thoriqi Firdaus, Herdis Herdiansyah, Rizqi Shafira Chairunnisa · Sustainability · Indonesia
This study investigated the relationship between urban planning policies and architectural design in fostering sustainable food systems in 75 smart cities in Indonesia, using a mixed-methods approach. Key findings revealed that food security is significantly undermined by the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), indicating distributional inequalities, high food expenditure, and a lack of clean water. Conversely, access to electricity improves resilience.
Equity & displacementPolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFramework SolAgro para una agricultura urbana escalable y soberana desde el desarrollo sostenible.
2025Rodríguez Taboada, Sanyi · Figshare · Cuba
The SolAgro Framework is an integrated agricultural engineering project by SolAgro SRL, designed for urban farms of 1 to 3 hectares in Cuba. It integrates functional agroecology, open technologies, renewable energy, and local manufacturing to create autonomous nodes of resilience. The project aims for economic returns within 12 months and social returns through youth training, consolidating technological and community sovereignty.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsDigital agricultureClimate changePemanfaatan Lahan Kosong melalui Urban Farming Budidaya Jamur Tiram di Kota Probolinggo
2025Tofan Tri Nugroho, Intan Rohma Nurmalasari · JIWAKERTA Jurnal Ilmiah Wawasan Kuliah Kerja Nyata · Indonesia (Probolinggo)
This Participatory Action Research (PAR) study in Mayangan District, Probolinggo City, Indonesia, aimed to optimize vacant land use through oyster mushroom cultivation training for Muhammadiyah community members. The project, conducted in four stages (observation, planning, action, evaluation), demonstrated that oyster mushroom cultivation can be effectively done in limited spaces using organic waste. Evaluation showed 90% of participants were interested in implementing urban farming, with oyster mushrooms identified as a promising commodity due to their high economic value and strong local market potential.
CommunityEconomicsFood educationNurturing resilient cities: a systematic literature review of community gardens’ contribution to sustainability, 1992–2021
2025Galia Oriya Cukierman, Demi Coenraads, Emmy Iwarsson, Tong Wu, Alon Shepon · npj Urban Sustainability · Global
This systematic review analyzed 363 community garden (CG) articles from 1992 to 2021, identified through a bibliometric analysis of 1534 urban agriculture (UA) and 470 CG studies. Findings indicate that UA research primarily focuses on food production, while CG studies emphasize social and urban dynamics, mainly in the Global North, with limited quantitative evidence of their impacts. The review concludes that CGs contribute to all SDGs, but their roles in urban resilience, food systems, and policymaking are underexplored, and their overall contribution to sustainability remains unclear due to the lack of a global estimate.
CommunityClimate changePolicyHealthGerakan GERAKAN TANAM CABAI UNTUK PENINGKATAN PRODUKSI PANGAN DI KELURAHAN BUMI NYIUR KECAMATAN WANEA KOTA MANADO
2025Citra Dusun, Magie M. Kapojos, Mervina Rondonuwu, Christine Lomo, Rinny Lontoh, Filan Mandang, Yuannita Aida · Jurnal Pengabdian Ibnu Sina · Indonesia (Manado)
A program in Manado, Indonesia, aimed to enhance food security and self-reliance by promoting chili cultivation in home gardens through socialization, counseling, and seed distribution. While it provided positive economic impacts, the program faced challenges including limited access to agricultural inputs and post-program plant maintenance. Further research and continued mentoring were recommended to evaluate its effectiveness and maximize impact.
Limited or null effectCommunityFood educationFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsMovimento dos quintais brincantes: relato de experiência no quintal Aroeira em Imbé-RS
2025Ana Caroline Ferreira Rodrigues Acosta, Álvaro Ribeiro Nicotti · Revista Educação e Saber – REdeS · Brazil
This paper presents the "Movimento dos Quintais Brincantes" (Playful Backyards Movement) in Brazil, focusing on an experience in 2023 at Quintal Aroeira in Imbé-RS. The project involved five families and children aged 2-6, offering free play, outdoor activities, organic food from a community garden, and family participation in space maintenance and activity planning. After one year, it was concluded that this space contributed to children's autonomy, creativity, health, cooperation, and the creation of bonds among families, educators, and the surrounding community.
CommunityFood educationHealthOrganic cycleLa dimensión urbana del patrimonio agrario: el paisaje de la huerta de Nerja, Málaga
2025Mar Loren-Méndez, Celia Chacón-Carretón, Pablo Manuel Millán Millán · ACE Arquitectura Ciudad y Entorno · Spain (Málaga)
This study examines the urban dimension of agricultural heritage, specifically urban orchards, in cities where agrarian activity is deeply intertwined with their origin and evolution. Using Nerja, Málaga, Spain, as a case study, the research highlights that accelerated urban transformation in recent decades has led to a rupture, undermining agrarian logic by abandoning historical growth practices. The study emphasizes the fundamental role of agrarian activity in built environments and advocates for the protection of urban orchards.
Governance failureUrban–rural linkagePolicyHeirloom & landraceExamining Disparities in Walkability, Recreational Places and Aesthetics in the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts
2025Sabounchi, Saina, Saheb, Anahita Javanmardi, Adhami, Sadaf, Minouei, Alan · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · United States (Cambridge)
A study using 2020 U.S. Census data across 87 block groups in Cambridge, Massachusetts, found that higher social vulnerability was positively associated with greater sidewalk presence. However, social vulnerability showed no significant associations with open space acreage, pedestrian ramps, community gardens, or public art landmarks.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareSustainable entrepreneurship: Insight from a case study of hydroponic business in Urban Indonesia
2025Glenn P Ardede, Rosdiana Sijabat, Rizaldi Parani, Jacob Donald Tan · International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies · Indonesia (Jakarta)
A multiple-case study examined sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) among hydroponic entrepreneurs in the Jakarta urban region of Indonesia (Jabodetabek). Data was collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, and documentation. Findings indicate that SE emerges from personally meaningful concerns and evolves through adaptive, relational practices shaped by local conditions, with sustainability represented as a contextual response rather than a premeditated strategy.
EconomicsDigital agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceUrban Gardening in Latin America and Panama: A New Strategy for Conservation
2025Belma Soto-Fernández, Lurys Bourdett-Stanziola · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Latin America
A documentary review on the importance of urban gardening in Latin America revealed that urban gardening, when approached through the lens of agrobiodiversity, has become a key strategy for safe food production and environmental sustainability. However, it was found that several Latin American countries lack clear and established laws to regulate this activity. Preliminary evidence of rotavirus was detected in fresh vegetables from an urban garden in Panama, indicating that urban gardens can become infection foci capable of causing diseases of public health and veterinary importance.
Governance failureCommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsPolicyLifelong learning in sustainability-led initiatives: Exploring their learning potential along the reworked four pillars of education
2025Lena Schmeiduch, Émile Thévenot · International Review of Education · Global
This study explored the potential for lifelong learning within sustainability-led initiatives, such as ecovillages and community-supported agriculture, through the theoretical lens of Noah Sobe's four pillars of lifelong education. While these initiatives offer opportunities to address sustainability-related challenges, their insular nature and limited accessibility have drawn criticism in the literature on sustainability transitions. The analysis suggests that these initiatives and lifelong learning agendas frequently converge in their framing of sustainability issues.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood educationEconomics