Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
4283 results(60 / 172)
Planning for green infrastructure using multiple urban ecosystem service models and multicriteria analysis
2022Karen Lourdes, Perrine Hamel, Chris Gibbins, Ruzana Sanusi, Badrul Azhar, Alex M. Lechner · Landscape and Urban Planning · Malaysia
This study characterized the spatial distribution of multiple urban ecosystem services (UES) in a rapidly urbanizing catchment in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and developed a systematic approach to integrate UES into green infrastructure (GI) planning. Using InVEST models to spatially quantify and map six UES (heat mitigation, runoff retention, sediment retention, scenic quality, urban recreation, and agricultural production), the assessment revealed that densely built areas generally had low UES provision. A multicriteria analysis identified locations for five GI strategies: conservation of headwaters, reforestation for biodiversity, development and conservation of urban parks, and greening of built infrastructure.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changePolicyA review on urban agriculture: technology, socio-economy, and policy
2022Grace Ning Yuan, Gian Powell B. Marquez, Haoran Deng, Anastasiia Iu, Melisa Fabella, Reginald B. Salonga, Fitrio Ashardiono, Joyce A. Cartagena · Heliyon · Global
This review examined urban agriculture (UA) across technology, socio-economy, and policy, noting that supporting UA expansion in cities is challenging due to its poor economic profitability. The study highlighted UA's value beyond profitability, including social, health and well-being, disaster risk reduction, and environmental benefits. It also presented advancements in UA technologies and plant biotechnology as potential solutions for increasing the future profitability of commercial UA.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyHealthClimate changeDigital agricultureThe loss of peri-urban agricultural land and the state-local tensions in managing its demise: The case of Greater Western Sydney, Australia
2022Amy Lawton, Nicky Morrison · Land Use Policy · Australia (Greater Western Sydney)
This study examines the drivers of peri-urban agricultural land loss in Greater Western Sydney, Australia, with a focus on the role of government agencies. It found that competing housing priorities and private market interests continue to take precedence over protecting agricultural land. The research indicates that this trend will persist unless the current pro-urbanization narrative and associated political priorities are altered.
Governance failurePeri-urban agriculturePolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageGreen City or Urban Countryside?; An Analytic Review of the Urban Sprawl Phenomenon in the Algerian City N’Gaous
2022Imen Bendjemila, Salah Chaouche · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Algeria
Urban sprawl in N'Gaous, Algeria, expanded its land area by over ten times (from 33.7 to 379.7 hectares) and its population by over six times (from 4,887 to 33,515 persons) over 60 years. This rapid growth creates significant issues, particularly for peri-urban orchards, which are the primary economic activity. The study used an analytical approach with Geographic Information Systems to assess the agronomic potential of soils and quantify agricultural land consumed by construction, aiming to achieve an optimal agri-urban balance rather than merely avoiding urban expansion.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agricultureUrban–rural linkageEconomicsPolicyMoveable Gardens: Itineraries and Sanctuaries of Memory ed. by Virginia D. Nazarea and Terese V. Gagnon
2022Pierrette Hondagneu‐Sotelo · Journal of Latin American geography · Global
This edited book explores how various displacements lead people to re-engage with plant life, creating meaning and sustaining biodiversity. It examines how gardening, seed saving, and cooking restore social and cultural continuity, connecting past and present. The volume, rooted in anthropology, discusses plant-human engagements in movement ("itineraries") and emplaced efforts of belonging ("sanctuaries").
CommunityHeirloom & landraceBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceOn eating’s pleasure of women of low-income socioeconomic status in Petare, Caracas, Venezuela
2022Marianella Herrera‐Cuenca · Anales Venezolanos de Nutrición · Venezuela (Caracas)
This study investigated preferred foods and dishes, willingness to grow ingredients, and ideal cooking choices among 18 pregnant and lactating women and community workers in low-income settings in Eastern Caracas, Venezuela, in June 2022. Focus group interviews revealed that traditional Venezuelan complex dishes were absent, replaced by basic or internationally referenced foods accessible to the community. The findings suggest a potential compromise to the culinary memories of future generations.
CommunityWelfareHealthThe extinction of experience and (re-)cultivating wellbeing and sustainability through garden-based learning
2022Donald Gray · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
A 2022 paper examined the role of school gardens in addressing children and young people's decreasing experiences with natural environments, increasing mental health concerns, and growing worries about global environmental problems. Drawing on three initiatives from an original pilot school garden program, the paper presents evidence that garden-based learning can positively contribute to improved health and wellbeing, learning, and environmental awareness.
Food educationHealthBiodiversityCommunityFarming on Top: Rooftop Agriculture for Healthy Cities
2022Elisa Appolloni, Giorgio Gianquinto · Frontiers for Young Minds · Global
Rooftop agriculture, a form of urban agriculture where food is grown on buildings, is presented as a solution to urban food insecurity and environmental protection. This practice offers benefits such as reducing urban heat, decreasing urban poverty, fostering socialization, and benefiting buildings. Rooftop agriculture is gaining global popularity due to these advantages.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeHealthCommunityThe Specter of Enclosure in School Gardens
2022Graham Slater, Robert G. Unzueta, Clayton Pierce · · Global
This chapter argues that much scholarly literature on school gardens is based on problematic assumptions or ignores histories of violence and dispossession. Without an ecocritical approach, school gardens risk replicating systems of domination, extraction, exploitation, and human supremacy. The authors propose integrating theoretical reflection into emancipatory action within a historical materialist framework to address colonization, land dispossession, labor exploitation, and anthropocentrism.
Equity & displacementFood educationCommunityPolicyGlobal Trends in Urban Agriculture Research: A Pathway toward Urban Resilience and Sustainability
2022Dan Yan, Litao Liu, Xiaojie Liu, Ming Zhang · Land · Global
A bibliometric analysis of 605 papers from the Web of Science database (2001–2021) tracked global research trends in urban agriculture. The study found a substantial increase in publications, with the US, Germany, UK, Italy, and China being the most influential countries. Research focuses include food production, various functions of urban agriculture, and emerging topics like sustainability and the water-energy-food nexus. The analysis also noted that urban agriculture does not necessarily equate to a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly food system, suggesting a need for technology-based transitions for sustainable development.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changePolicyEconomicsFrom small-scale agriculture to urban agriculture: women, subsistence economy, and the question of the commons
2022Elisabeth Meyer-Renschhausen · Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe · Global
This article provides a historical overview of small-scale, subsistence farming, primarily by women, spanning two centuries from the early 19th century to the 21st century. It traces the evolution from the loss of commons in Prussia to urban farming in contemporary cities across Europe, America, and Africa. The discussion includes subsistence farming in towns, garden cities, post-war initiatives, and the significant role of unacknowledged family production in Eastern Europe.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyUrban–rural linkageLand Tenure Security and Urban Agriculture: Focusing on the Vegetable Cultivation in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania
2022Betty Mntambo · Huria Journal of the Open University of Tanzania · Tanzania (Morogoro Municipality)
This study examined land tenure security in urban agriculture among 69 male and female vegetable farmers in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania, using snowball sampling and a cross-sectional design. Findings revealed that farmers access land informally by renting from legal landowners, with social relationships determining tenure security. Land tenure insecurity negatively affects vegetable cultivation and generates uncertainty and animosity between farmers and landlords.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCultivating inclusive public space with urban gardens
2022Melissa Anna Murphy, Peter E. Parker, Margot Hermus · Local Environment · Global
This article aims to unpack how urban settings, organizational forms, and municipal enabling affect urban gardening (UG) practices towards inclusion in public space. It draws on urban commons theory and research on inclusion in public space to understand multi-faceted UG governance and its exclusionary aspects. A comparative analysis of UG initiatives in three Northern European municipalities explores both municipal enabling and the co-production of inclusive public space.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyHealthTemporal Temperature Variation in Urban Gardens Is Mediated by Local and Landscape Land Cover and Is Linked to Environmental Justice
2022Alejandro Castillo Nolte, Sascha Buchholz, Nadja Pernat, Monika Egerer · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global
This study investigated diurnal and nocturnal temperature ranges, and daily maximum and minimum temperatures in 18 urban gardens during the peak summer agricultural growing season. It analyzed how temperatures correlated to local land cover factors within the garden, surrounding landscape imperviousness at various spatial scales, and environmental justice indicators of garden neighborhoods. Nocturnal temperature range was negatively correlated to landscape imperviousness, with the relationship decreasing in strength with increasing spatial scale.
Climate changeBiodiversityHealthCommunityImplementation of Urban Agriculture Plan (green garden) in Razi University of Kermanshah and its Effects on Sustainable Development
2022Hadi Ebadi, Zahra Mohebi · Journal of Sustainability Perspectives · Iran (Kermanshah)
This study investigated the implementation of an urban agriculture plan (green garden) at Razi University of Kermanshah, Iran, and its effects on sustainable development. The plan is expected to strengthen social interaction, economic and environmental aspects, and foster a culture aligned with urban agriculture development. The findings are intended for use in planning and agricultural policies.
CommunityEconomicsClimate changePolicyURBAN AGRICULTURE FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD OF LOW INCOME PEOPLE IN KHULNA CITY CORPORATION, SOUTHWEST BANGLADESH
2022Mosammat Rowshan Ara · Khulna University Studies · Bangladesh (Khulna City)
This study surveyed 361 household heads in Khulna City, Bangladesh, to assess the contribution of urban agriculture to the sustainable livelihoods of low-income people. Agricultural activities observed included vegetable cultivation, livestock rearing, aquaculture, crop cultivation, and innovative gardening. The Index of Agriculture for Sustainable Livelihood (IASL) showed that landowners engaged in more sustainable activities, with sustainability increasing by 0.218 units per decimal of land, and male respondents contributed more to agricultural activities than females. The findings suggest agriculture can help fulfill basic needs for low-income urban residents.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justice‘Spaces’ for restorative development: international case studies on restorative services
2022Jonathan Hobson, Brian K. Payne, Kabba Haroun Bangura, Richard Hester · Contemporary Justice Review · Sierra Leone
This paper examines the concept of "spaces" where restorative services develop, conceptualized as social, political, physical, and economic. In Kenema City, Sierra Leone, an urban agriculture scheme fills a post-conflict and post-Ebola "space" by diverting young people from harmful activities and reintegrating them into society. This is presented as one of three international case studies illustrating how these types of "spaces" influence the development, provision, and expansion capacities of restorative services.
WelfareCommunityHealthLow resource availability drives feeding niche partitioning between wild bees and honeybees in a European city
2022Joan Casanelles‐Abella, Simone Fontana, Bertrand Fournier, David Frey, Marco Moretti · Ecological Applications · Switzerland (Zurich)
This study in 23 urban gardens in Zurich, Switzerland, examined feeding niche partitioning between wild bees and honeybees. Researchers found that feeding niche partitioning increased with wild bee species richness and in sites with lower landscape-scale resource availability, which also had lower honeybee abundances. However, beekeeping intensity at local and landscape scales did not directly influence community feeding niche partitioning or wild bee species richness, suggesting direct competition for resources was not a main driver for the wild bee community.
Environmental trade-offsBiodiversityPollinatorsCommunityCommunity-Supported Agriculture Networks in Wales and Central Germany: Scaling Up, Out, and Deep through Local Collaboration
2022Bernd Bonfert · Sustainability · Wales
This paper investigated local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) networks in Wales and Germany using semi-structured interviews and observations. It found that local collaboration enables CSAs to integrate supply chains, engage communities, and participate in food councils. However, the study also revealed competitive tensions between neighboring CSAs, which presents a previously unknown challenge to CSA's potential scalability.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceAnalyser l’agriculture urbaine occidentale à travers la notion de capital environnemental
2022Carmen Cantuarias-Villessuzanne, Mathilde Vignau · Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales · Global
This paper aims to analyze urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) projects in France through the notion of environmental capital. Interest in UPA has grown in Western countries since the late 19th century, and this study seeks to clarify its economic models and ultimately formalize a new mapping of contemporary UPA projects in France.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceNarratives and Benefits of Agricultural Technology in Urban Buildings: A Review
2022Michael G. Parkes, Duarte Leal Azevedo, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira · Atmosphere · Global
This literature review, covering 28 articles from 2015–2022 on 68 active urban agriculture (UA) installations, systematizes narratives about the benefits of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and soil-less growing systems in urban buildings. The review found that data quantifying the claimed benefits are limited, and thus the exact environmental effects of CEA remain undetermined.
Digital agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity gardens as a response to the contradictions of sustainable urban policy: Insights from the Swiss cities of Zurich and Lausanne
2022Ingrid Jahrl, Olivier Ejderyan, Joëlle Salomon Cavin · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Switzerland
An analysis of policy documents in the Swiss cities of Lausanne and Zurich confirmed that community gardens better accommodate the tensions created by compact and green city discourses compared to other types of food gardening. Policies are oriented towards favoring community gardening through four frames, citing their modest, flexible, and multifunctional design, their role as a new benchmark, fostering diversity, and their cost-efficient management with active citizen participation.
CommunityPolicyUrban–rural linkageAvances de la Secretaría Distrital de Salud en la implementación de huertas agroecológicas en zonas urbanas y periurbanas de Bogotá, una estrategia que integra la salud ambiental y la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional. Bogotá 2021
2022Claudia Ortega Realpe, Edna Katalina Medina, Óscar Fernández · Boletín Epidemiológico Distrital - Bed · Colombia
Bogotá's District Health Secretariat implemented agroecological urban gardens from January to September 2021 to address COVID-19's social impacts. The community environment showed the highest healthy and sustainable food production, with Sumapaz, Usme, and Ciudad Bolívar having the largest planted areas. Vegetables and greens were the most relevant crops, while medicinal and aromatic plants were common in home gardens. The community showed good reception and acceptance, contributing to food security and environmental health.
Food sovereignty & justiceHealthCommunityPeri-urban agricultureBusiness Models for Urban Farming in and Around Urban Protected Areas
2022Vesna Popović, Branko Mihailović · IGI Global eBooks · Serbia (Belgrade)
This study analyzed the business model of EkoPark Belgrade, an organic farm within Serbia's Avala Protected Area, which combines certified organic production and direct sales with on-farm services. Using the Canvas Business Model, the authors identified key success factors to help farmers in and around urban protected areas choose viable development strategies.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageCommunitySunlight, Soil & Shit (De)Cycle - Exhibtion
2022Ionat; id_orcid 0000-0001-9080-2282 Zurr, Oron; id_orcid 0000-0002-2893-5364 Catts · UWA Profiles and Research Repository (University of Western Australia) · Australia
The "Sunlight, Soil & Shit (De)Cycle" project, presented by SymbioticA in February 2022, is a performative experiment exploring agricultural technology (AgTech) and its aim to remove natural elements like sunlight, soil, and organic waste from food production. This project considers whether the precursor to sustainable food systems will be the creation of a metabolic rift, where the means of production grow ever distant from nature. It highlights a critical environmental tradeoff by questioning the separation of humans from nature in technological farming.
Environmental trade-offsDigital agricultureCommunityOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justice