Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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11393 results(62 / 456)
Impact 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 educationEconomicsRethinking the potential of urban agriculture as a climate resilience strategy: Evidence from Accra, Ghana
2025Gideon Baffoe, Philip Antwi‐Agyei · City and Environment Interactions · Ghana (Accra)
This mixed-methods study analyzed the role of urban agriculture (UA) in climate resilience in Accra, Ghana, from the perspective of policymakers. While UA contributes to food security, water use efficiency, and ecological protection, its integration into policy frameworks was found to be limited due to challenges such as weak institutional coordination, competing economic priorities, and governance inefficiencies.
Governance failureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsGrowing Social Spaces: Farming and Food Growing as Part of the Urban Landscape
2025Chris Blythe, Veronica Barry · · United Kingdom
This chapter examines urban farming and growing in the United Kingdom, advocating for a broader definition beyond purely productive practices to include social, political, and environmental interpretations. It explores how physical spaces in four Birmingham examples foster social interaction, drawing on practitioner experience, literature, and user perspectives. The aim is to provide insights into the value of these spaces as social landscapes for urban policy.
CommunityUrban–rural linkagePolicy338 Feasibility of building a community-based gardening initiative
2025Sawsan Salah, Lori A. Francis · Journal of Clinical and Translational Science · United States
This project developed a community garden at a childcare center in Harrisburg, PA, serving a low-income community where 74.6% of residents identified as Black or Hispanic/Latino. A listening session with six community members provided positive feedback and ideas for the garden, which was then installed with four beds. Weekly gardening activities engaged 20-50 children (n=50 total in summer program) for nine weeks, resulting in positive responses from children and staff, demonstrating the feasibility of such an initiative.
CommunityFood educationHealthWelfareIdentifying priority control factors for heavy metal pollution in urban agricultural soils of the Chengdu Plain: An integrated multi-model approach
2025M. J. Ni, Shuai Yan, Ting Li, Zijun Zhou, Xiaojing Liu, Shirong Zhang, Guiyin Wang, Xiaoxun Xu, Yulin Pu, Yongxia Jia, Lan Li · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · China (Chengdu)
This study investigated heavy metal (HM) contamination in urban and peri-urban agricultural soils of the Chengdu Plain, China, using an integrated multi-model approach. Four major HM sources were identified, including natural (30.0%), mixed agricultural and transportation (29.5%), metal smelting (19.4%), and atmospheric deposition (21.1%). Risk assessments revealed that Cd and Hg posed the highest ecological risks, and human health risk assessment indicated unacceptable health risks for children, with non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk probabilities reaching 4% and 10% respectively.
Contamination & food safetyHealthUrban–rural linkageEffectiveness of Facebook groups in enhancing the capacity of rooftop gardeners
2025Khondokar H. Kabir, Jannatul Ferdows, Saifur Rahman, Ataharul Chowdhury, Md. Asaduzzaman Sarker, S.M. Asik Ullah, Mohammed Nasir Uddin, Mohammad Maruf Hasan · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Bangladesh
An online survey of 120 rooftop gardeners in Bangladesh investigated the extent to which Facebook groups support information needs and enhance capacity. Findings indicate that information sharing in Facebook groups assists in planning, acquiring and utilizing resources, carrying out intercultural operations, and determining optimal harvesting and storage practices. Facebook can play a significant role in bridging the information gap among rooftop gardeners and enhancing their skills.
DIYCommunityFood educationDigital agriculturePara além do rural: Hortas Urbanas e Periurbanas como políticas públicas de garantia de segurança alimentar no meio urbano
2025Garcia, Pedro Henrique Lundquist de Souza, Carvalho, Joelson Gonçalves de · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Brazil (São Paulo)
This research, presented at the 10th Conference on Studies of Rural Settlements in July 2025, analyzes the socioeconomic impacts and challenges of urban and peri-urban gardens in Brazil, focusing on a 35-year municipal program in Penápolis, São Paulo. Based on field research and secondary data, preliminary results suggest that production for self-consumption and collective labor strengthen community bonds and reduce food insecurity. The study aims to propose improvements for local public policies.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityEconomicsLand Use Changes and Implications for Food Production Planning in Peri-Urban Ruiru Sub-County, Kenya
2025Fuchaka Waswa, Duncan Gichabe, Ruth Kahuthıa-Gathu · Journal of the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO · Kenya (Ruiru)
This study investigated land use changes in Ruiru Sub-County, Kenya, from 1988 to 2024 using GIS. By 2024, agricultural land had decreased by 45.62%, while urban land use increased by 509%, and bare/rocky areas rose by 133% due to abandoned stone mining. The decline in agricultural land leads to reduced industrial crop areas and a shift to leafy vegetables, with an expected increase in agro-chemical use in intensive peri-urban farming.
Environmental trade-offsPeri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate change