Research & reports

Ratih Hesty Utami Puspitasari · Moneta Journal of Economics and Finance · Indonesia

This study evaluates willingness to pay (WTP) for urban ecosystem services — particularly cultural and provisioning services delivered by urban agriculture (UA) — in rapidly urbanizing Indonesian cities, using a Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) structured survey and logistic regression to identify socioeconomic predictors of WTP, supplemented by a review of comparative case-study literature to contextualize the findings. The results show strong public support for UA, with higher WTP associated with cultural ecosystem services tied to heritage, aesthetics, and community identity. Key predictors of WTP were income, education, environmental concern, and prior exposure to UA, with regional differences reflecting cultural and policy context. The study notes methodological limitations of CVM in capturing intangible values and advocates mixed-methods approaches incorporating ethnographic and participatory tools.

Retno Wulandari, Alvira Indriani · Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) · Indonesia

A study of the "vegetable alley" system—cultivating food crops, ornamentals, and medicinal plants in narrow residential pathways—in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia (2025) surveyed 80 respondents selected by simple random sampling, using descriptive analysis and Spearman rank correlation. Vegetable alley management in Yogyakarta was rated "good" across planning, organizing, mobilizing, and controlling activities. Farming experience, the role of extension workers, the role of group leaders, member participation, and knowledge were significantly correlated with management quality, while education level showed no significant relationship. The study states that vegetable alley implementation contributes to climate change mitigation by increasing green cover, enhancing carbon sequestration, and reducing the carbon footprint from food transportation.

Chanatporn Limprapoowiwattana, Carl Middleton, Orapan Pratomlek, Marvin Joseph F. Montefrio · Journal of Urban Affairs · Asia

This paper examines the multiple urban imaginaries produced through five types of urban agriculture (UA) in Bangkok, Thailand, drawing on a co-production-of-urban-imaginaries lens to analyze how the material and immaterial dimensions of UA — through practices, knowledge production, networking and values — contribute to reimagining the future of a livable city. It identifies compatibilities and tensions among UA network imaginaries for a livable city and how these shape urban design and planning, arguing that addressing these tensions to advance equality and justice requires more ambitious, multilayered UA policy achieved through deepened participatory and critical anticipatory governance.

Ayu Amanda Sulistiana, Titik Akiriningsih, Made Prasta Yostitia Pradipta · JELAJAH Journal of Tourism and Hospitality · Indonesia

A descriptive qualitative study—based on observation, interviews, and documentation—examined community empowerment and environmental management practices in Kampung Glintung Go Green, a community-based tourism village in Malang City, Indonesia. It found organizing structures, training and education, active participation, cooperative and local-economy support, awareness campaigns, monitoring and evaluation systems, and partnership-building; environmental management incorporating urban farming promotion improved environmental quality and community awareness, but the study identified needs to strengthen education, partnerships, technology use, regular evaluation, and promotional efforts going forward.

Giyarsih S.R., Armansyah, Zaelany A.A., Latifa A., Setiawan B., Saputra D., Haqi M., Fathurohman A., Lamijo · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Indonesia (Bandung)

This study finds that Bandung's Buruan SAE urban farming programme meaningfully contributes to household food security, with diverse produce meeting community food needs, some participants achieving farming independence, and urban agriculture providing supplementary income. The research documents a transformation in citizen attitudes toward farming as a viable urban livelihood.

· Sustainability · China

Uses provincial panel data to analyze how urban–rural integration affects food security across China.

· Frontiers in Sustainability · China (Beijing)

Discusses urban agriculture as a landscape approach for sustainable urban planning, using Songzhuang in Beijing as a case study.

· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · China (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei)

Studies land-use optimization to accommodate nutritional transformation of food systems in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China.

· Agriculture · China (Shanghai)

Assesses the sustainability of urban agriculture across Shanghai's nine agriculture districts (2010–2020) using a triple-bottom-line framework, finding overall gains but declining economic sustainability.

· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · China (Shanghai)

Examines problems and countermeasures for Shanghai's food system under the COVID-19 lockdown.

· Sustainable Cities and Society · China (Xiamen)

Builds a framework to evaluate, diagnose, and optimize multi-functional urban agriculture in Xiamen, China, finding strong social but weak ecological functions.

· Landscape Ecology · China

An analysis of how urban green space expansion affected grain production through cropland loss in Chinese cities from 2000 to 2020, with implications for national urban greening schemes.

· Nature Cities · China

A study evaluating the potential of urban rooftops in China for both food production and energy generation.

Zhe Zhu, Faith Ka Shun Chan, Gang Li, Mengxia Xu, Meili Feng, Yong‐Guan Zhu · Soil & Environmental Health · China

This review examines urban agriculture in China, identifying three forms: small-scale, capital-intensive, and tourism-type, each with benefits and challenges shaped by local context and government policies. Despite benefits like improved community cohesion and environmental sustainability, urban agriculture in China faces significant limitations including land availability, capital shortage, market access, and insufficient governmental support. Strategies and four recommendations are proposed to address these challenges.

Sreejith Aravindakshan, Hage Aku, Michi Tani · · India

This study investigated factors inducing the emergence, sustenance, and sustainability of urban agriculture using primary data from urban farming households in Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh, India. The research indicates that urban agriculture has provided questionable environmental gains and has not significantly improved urban food security, especially among the poorer sections.

Sung–Ho Kil, Hye‐Mi Park, T. Kim · Journal of people, plants, and environment · South Korea (Seoul)

This study estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) and civic awareness for rooftop greenhouses (RGs) among residents of Seoul, South Korea, using the contingent valuation method (CVM). The per capita WTP for RGs among Seoul residents was 30,260 KRW, valuing RGs in Seoul at approximately 220 billion KRW. Most respondents preferred a combination of crop production and experiences, and suggested that customized education on building and managing rooftop greenhouses was the most necessary measure to promote RGs.

Ni Wayan Purnami Rusadi, I Gde Pitana, I Nyoman Sunarta, I Nyoman Sukma Arida · Jurnal Kajian Bali (Journal of Bali Studies) · Indonesia (Bali)

This qualitative study explored farmer perspectives on urban agriculture tourism within Bali's Subak Lestari program. Assessing 23 Subak Lestari management farmers on technical, socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects, the research found that farmers expressed confidence in Subak Lestari's potential to catalyze tourism-centric urban agriculture development and strongly supported its role in reshaping urban agriculture.

Armansyah Armansyah, Sri Rum Giyarsih, Apit Fathurohman, Ade Latifa Soetrisno, Andy Ahmad Zaelany, Bayu Setiawan, Dani Nur Saputra, Muamar Haqi, Lamijo Lamijo · Jurnal Kawistara · Indonesia

A qualitative study in Palembang City, Bandung City, and Denpasar City, Indonesia, explored the interconnection of urban farming and urbanization in realizing sustainable urban development. The research collected data through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation from 30 urban farming actors, 10 from each city, selected via purposive sampling. Analysis revealed a positive interrelation between urban farming and urbanization across nine dimensions: economy, social, environment, health, culture, food, education, tourism, and technology, indicating that urban farming's positive impacts can minimize urbanization's negative impacts.

Syarifuddin Syarifuddin, Mahir Pradana, Pablo Farías, Hanifah Putri Elisa, Adrianza Putra · WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on SYSTEMS archive · Indonesia

This study conducted a bibliometric analysis to chart the evolution of urban agricultural research trends and the links between scientific concepts in Indonesia from 2008 to 2022. Based on data collected from the Scopus database using the keyword "urban farming," 169 publications related to Indonesia were identified. The number of urban farming-related articles has fluctuated over the last 10 years, and the expansion of keyword-based research establishes a connection between agribusiness and social entrepreneurship as scientific notions.

Isna Rahmawati, Yuwanda Nila Ariyani, Aliyah Fitriani · Desa-Kota · Indonesia (Jakarta)

A study in Kampung Samtama, Central Jakarta, Indonesia, surveyed 58 residents to assess their participation level in an urban farming program. Participation was measured across planning, implementation, utilization of results, and evaluation stages. The findings indicated a high overall community participation level (78.25), with the utilization of results stage scoring highest and the evaluation stage scoring lowest among all stages.

R Mithun, S Roopadarshini · International Journal of Social Service and Research · India (Bengaluru)

This qualitative study in Bengaluru, India, investigated how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives can enhance urban agriculture's productivity, sustainability, and inclusivity. Data was collected through stakeholder interviews, extensive field observations, and a comprehensive review of pertinent literature. Findings indicated that ICT initiatives have transformative potential in addressing key challenges encountered in urban agriculture in Bengaluru, such as limited access to information, inadequate market linkages, and constrained financial resources. Specifically, ICT was found to optimize crop management practices, foster stronger market connections, facilitate financial access, and promote social inclusivity within urban agricultural systems.

Jie Ye, Renshan Xie, Xingwei Deng, Minling Lin, Yang Chen, Ketao Lin, Jianzhou Yang · Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika) · China (Fujian Province)

In Fujian Province, China, marginal agricultural abatement costs were estimated based on 2010–2020 data, and the potential for agricultural carbon emissions reduction was assessed using an index model considering equity and efficiency. Marginal abatement costs showed regional disparity, ranging from EUR 0.6526 × 10^8 to EUR 1.3771 × 10^8 per 10^4 tonnes, with general upward inter-annual trends. The assessment revealed four distinct developmental tiers for carbon emissions reduction potential.

Nazulah Mufarichah Rochim, Unggul Heriqbaldi · Agrisocionomics Jurnal Sosial Ekonomi Pertanian · Indonesia

This research investigated the profile of original scientific articles and reviews on urban farming in Indonesia from 1991 to 2023 using bibliometric analysis. A total of 81 journals from Scopus were analyzed, identifying 160 authors. The number of published articles continuously increased from 1991 to 2023, with the majority written in English. The most cited article was “Aquaculture Research” with a 10-year quotation. Visualization analysis based on the accuracy of connected words in titles and abstracts revealed several research groups.

Shunxiang Fan, Min Yan, Linfei Yu, Bowei Chen, Li Zhang · Ecological Indicators · China (Beijing)

A framework integrating ecosystem service supply-demand and landscape ecological risk assessment was developed for urban planning in Beijing, China's plain area. This study quantified the supply and demand of five ecosystem services (biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water conservation, food production, and landscape recreation) and identified landscape ecological risks. Findings revealed an imbalance in total ecosystem service supply-demand and a high level of landscape ecological risk in Beijing's plain area, with protection priority areas accounting for 10.39% and restoration priority areas for 19.94% of the total area. Land use, distance to settlements, and vegetation cover were identified as primary influencing factors.

Nur Muttaqien Zuhri, Ali Khamdi, Nun Maulida Suci Ayomi · ZIRAA AH MAJALAH ILMIAH PERTANIAN · Indonesia (Semarang)

This study assessed the technical efficiency of wet-rice farming in Semarang City, Indonesia, using cross-sectional data from 68 respondents. It found that land area, seeds, NPK, urea, and pesticides are key determinants of rice production, and paddy rice cultivation in the city is technically efficient at 0.73. Formal education and off-farm income sources influenced technical inefficiency.