Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3315 results(66 / 133)
Community-Supported Agriculture Marketing Performance: Results from Pilot Market Channel Assessments in Colorado
2019Becca B. R. Jablonski, Martha Sullins, Dawn Thilmany McFadden · Sustainability · United States (Colorado)
This pilot study assessed the marketing performance of community-supported agriculture (CSA) relative to other direct-market channels using data from 42 Colorado farms between 2016 and 2017. Farms incorporating CSA sales tended to be smaller in scale and to use more diverse markets, and while they had lower average weekly sales, they showed the highest average marketing profit margins among direct-market channels.
EconomicsTechnology-Driven Transition in Urban Food Production Practices: A Case Study of Shanghai
2019· Sustainability · China (Shanghai)
Examines the technology-driven transition of urban food production in Shanghai, including the Sunqiao modern agriculture zone.
PolicyEconomicsCity adjustments as the main factor of success of urban and peri-urban farms—empirical evidence from the Ruhr metropolis
2019· NJAS: Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences · Germany (Ruhr)
Empirical study of urban and peri-urban farms in Germany's Ruhr metropolis, finding that farms' adjustments to urban conditions—diversification and multifunctional business models—are the main factor in their economic success.
EconomicsPolicyUrban food policies in German city regions: An overview of key players and policy instruments
2019Doernberg A., Horn P., Zasada I., Piorr A. · Food Policy · Germany
Analyzes key actors and policy instruments in urban food policy across German city regions, finding integrated food strategies still rare and informational/procurement instruments most common.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsOyster Mushroom Cultivation as an Economic and Nutritive Alternative for Rural Low-Income Women in Villapinzón (Colombia)
2019· Springer (book chapter) · Villapinzón, Colombia
Examines low-cost oyster mushroom cultivation as an income- and nutrition-generating alternative for rural low-income women in Villapinzon, Colombia. Highlights mushroom growing as an accessible, low-capital livelihood option.
DIYWelfareEconomicsAffordable remote monitoring of plant growth in facilities using Raspberry Pi computers
2019· Applications in Plant Sciences · Global
GMpi, a low-cost growth-environment monitoring system built from a Raspberry Pi, open-source software, inexpensive environmental sensors and a camera that automates readings, imaging and out-of-range alerts, and is customizable and scalable.
DIYEconomicsDesign, construction, verification and testing of a low cost germinator
2019Hernández López A., Avila Alejandre A.X., Mendoza Francisco N., Hernández López H. · Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas · Mexico
Design, construction and testing of a low-cost seed germinator built from locally available materials that automatically controls temperature and photoperiod, with an Arduino Uno temperature verifier; total cost about US$58, competitive with commercial germinators.
DIYEconomicsSurplus Labor and Subjectivity in Urban Agriculture: Embodied Work, Contested Work
2019· Economic Geography · USA
Focuses on the unpaid 'surplus labor' that sustains urban agriculture sites, analyzing how it is appropriated and distributed. It shows these sites depend heavily on unpaid, contested embodied work central to workers' subject formation.
EconomicsCommunityNew scholarly pathways on green gentrification: What does the urban 'green turn' mean and where is it going?
2019Anguelovski I., Connolly J. J. T., Garcia-Lamarca M., Cole H., Pearsall H. · Progress in Human Geography · Global
A critical review synthesizing research on green gentrification, arguing that urban greening interventions can create elite enclaves of environmental privilege that exclude and displace lower-income and minority residents.
PolicyCommunityEconomicsFormal sector workers' participation in urban agriculture in Ghana: perspectives from the Wa Municipality
2019Peter Dery Bolang, Issaka Kanton Osumanu · Heliyon · Ghana (Wa)
A 2019 cross-sectional survey of 364 randomly selected formal-sector employees across four public institutions in Wa Municipality, north-west Ghana, analysed with logistic regression. Only 37.9% took part in urban farming; 62.1% did not. Participation was strongly gendered (44.1% of men versus 23.1% of women), and 78% of non-participants were under 35. Participants grew food crops (55.1%), kept animals (19.9%) or did both (25.0%), 68.1% at small scale. Annual earnings from the activity were GH¢101–200 (US$22–44) and monthly food-bill savings US$13–44, and 73.9% said they could feed their families from their own production — but against an average monthly salary of about US$289 the monetary contribution is modest. Significant predictors of participation were access to credit (+67.42%), being male (+20.9%), age and household size, while each additional year of education lowered the probability by 19.72%; household income, land access and access to agricultural information were not significant. The most cited barriers were production risk (90.3%) and weekend work duties (53.5%). The authors note the study covers one municipality and only non-essential-service formal workers, is cross-sectional, and that farmers could not reliably quantify yields.
EconomicsCommunityControlled Environment Food Production for Urban Agriculture
2019Celina Gómez, Christopher J. Currey, Ryan W. Dickson, Hye‐Ji Kim, Ricardo Hernández, Nadia Sabeh, Rosa E. Raudales, Robin G. Brumfield, Angela Shaw, Adam K. Wilke, Roberto G. López, Stephanie E. Burnett · HortScience · Global
This review discusses the application of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) techniques to urban agriculture (UA), driven by increased market demand for local produce. While CEA offers opportunities for year-round production and resource-use efficiency, significant challenges remain due to the high costs of production in urban settings. The review emphasizes that for urban growers to benefit, studies evaluating CEA for commercial food production must consider economic viability.
Economic viabilityDigital agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeDoes Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Contribute to Household Food Security? An Assessment of the Food Security Status of Households in Tongaat, eThekwini Municipality
2019Nolwazi Z. Khumalo, Melusi Sibanda · Sustainability · South Africa
This paper assessed the food security status of 208 households (109 urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) practicing, 99 non-UPA practicing) in Tongaat, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. While a greater proportion (54%) of UPA practicing households consumed more than six food groups compared to non-UPA households (40%), a Mann-Whitney U test (U = 5292, p = 0.808) found no significant difference in dietary diversity between the two groups. Employment status, access to arable land, land tenure, and household monthly income were significantly associated with food security status.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureUrban Agriculture as the Path to Sustainable City Development. Insights into Allotment Gardens in Andalusia
2019Barbara Maćkiewicz, Raúl Puente Asuero, Antonio Garrido Almonacid · Quaestiones Geographicae · Spain
This study investigated how urban allotment gardens in Baeza, Andalusia, Spain, affect the city’s sustainable development. The research showed that allotment gardens in Baeza endorsed all three pillars of sustainable city development: ecological, economic, and social. However, it was found that developing broader community relations on the city scale, reviving the declining local grocery market, and disseminating environmental initiatives that allotment gardens could promote and facilitate were missing.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageClimate changeEconomicsCommunityDrivers of on-farm diversification in the Italian peri-urban agriculture
2019Roberto Henke, Francesco Vanni · · Italy
This paper examines the multifunctional role of peri-urban agriculture in Italy through a comparative analysis of farms located within the main Italian urban poles. The analysis identifies both internal and external drivers influencing farmers' decisions to diversify income towards multifunctional activities. It shows that, within the post-productivist paradigm, peri-urban farms can play a pivotal role in sustainable land use and in enhancing entrepreneurs' provision of diverse social and economic services to the urban population.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunity“Urban Farming Is Going High Tech”
2019Michael Carolan · Journal of the American Planning Association · United States
This 2019 study, based on 82 interviews in Denver, New York, and San Francisco, investigated how traditional and digital urban agriculture converge and diverge regarding land use and gentrification. It found that both digital and traditional urban farming systems are linked to gentrification and inequitable land use patterns. Digital urban farming systems also operate in a regulatory gray area, with their "digital" aspects used to gain more zoning permission than traditional urban agriculture.
Equity & displacementDigital agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityEdible urbanism 5.0
2019Alessio Russo, Giuseppe T. Cirella · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · Global
This comment examines "edible urbanism 5.0," noting that urban and peri-urban agriculture can have negative effects on city ecosystems, which urbanists and planners have largely overlooked. It highlights the need for a concept that considers trade-offs between ecosystem services and disservices, especially given current unsustainable industrial intensive farming. Edible urbanism aims to integrate food security, resilience, and social inclusion through edible green infrastructure and modern food production.
Environmental trade-offsPolicyEconomicsClimate changeBiodiversityUrban agriculture: boon or bust?
2019Martin Stuchtey, Tilmann Vahle · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global
This paper discusses different types of urban agriculture (UA) to assess its potential for future food production. Conventional open-air farming is found to be rarely commercially viable for meaningful food production, though it offers community, educational, psychological, and environmental benefits. High-yielding Controlled Environment Farming (CEF), while potentially contributing substantially to food output, is highly capital and knowledge-intensive and likely to develop at city fringes due to economic considerations.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityFood educationClimate changePELATIHAN HIDROPONIK DI YAYASAN ASOFA AKSELERASI SODAQOH FIQRUL AKBAR, KAB. BEKASI
2019Annisa Nur Ichniarsyah, Heny Agustin, Maulidian Maulidian · Jurdimas (Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat) Royal · Indonesia (Bekasi)
The Asofa Foundation conducted hydroponic training for the community in Bekasi, Indonesia, covering seeding, transplanting, and mixing hydroponic fertilizers. Participants learned to cultivate plants using hydroponics, but seedlings died after transplanting due to poor local water conditions. The study suggests further training in fruit hydroponics or other cultivation methods suitable for the environmental conditions.
Limited or null effectFood educationCommunityEconomicsDigital agricultureSpatial Considerations for Implementing Two Direct-to-Consumer Food Models in Two States
2019Marilyn Sitaker, Jared T. McGuirt, Weiwei Wang, Jane Kolodinsky, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Sustainability · United States
This study compared sociodemographic and geospatial contexts with farmers' experiences for two direct-to-consumer (DTC) models: a cost-offset CSA for low-income families and food boxes distributed via rural convenience stores, across two U.S. states (Vermont and Washington). Addresses of thirteen farms and DTC pickup sites were geocoded, and road network distances to supermarkets, farmers' markets, and farms were calculated. Most pickup areas were heavily car-dependent with limited public transportation. Despite modest profitability, both models were considered worth pursuing as they expanded farmers' customer base.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsWelfarePerformance of Floating Raft Fertigation System on Water Spinach Plants (Ipomea reptans Poir.) Cultivation
2019Rizal Hadyan Fadhlillah, Sophia Dwiratna, Kharistya Amaru · Jurnal Pertanian Tropik/Jurnal Online Pertanian Tropik · Indonesia
This descriptive study, conducted on a rooftop at Padjadjaran University, investigated the performance of a floating raft fertigation system for water spinach cultivation over one growth period (16 days after transplanting). It measured water, nutrient, and electricity consumption, finding 300.63 liters of water, 3860 ml of nutrients, and 31.816 kW of electricity. The study reported good growth uniformity, 99.6 kg/m3 water use efficiency, and 72.8 kg/m2 plant productivity.
DIYClimate changeEconomicsMotivation and satisfaction of volunteers for community‐based urban agriculture programmes
2019Leelanayagi Ramalingam, Juwaidah Sharifuddin, Zainal Abidin Mohamed, Fazlin Ali · International Social Science Journal · Malaysia (Klang Valley)
This study analyzed data from 375 volunteers in Community-based Urban Agriculture Programmes in Klang Valley, Malaysia, to determine the relationship between motivation and satisfaction. It found that volunteer satisfaction was primarily influenced by external factors like campaigns, support groups, extension departments, community, and government policy, followed by love of farming, social referents, and values. The program faces problems in attracting and retaining enough volunteers, indicating a governance challenge for sustainability.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyEconomicsDoes participating in community gardens promote sustainable lifestyles in urban settings? Design and protocol of the JArDinS study
2019Marion Tharrey, Marlène Pérignon, Pascale Scheromm, Caroline Méjean, Nicole Darmon · BMC Public Health · France
The JArDinS study is a quasi-experimental protocol designed to assess the impact of community garden participation on the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles in Montpellier, France. It will recruit 80 new gardeners and 80 matched control volunteers, measuring lifestyle sustainability across social/health, environmental, and economic dimensions over one year using food supply diaries, accelerometers, and questionnaires. The study aims to compare outcome changes between the groups to evaluate causality.
CommunityHealthFood lossEconomicsAngier, The Last Frontier: Representation and Gentrification in the Alternative Food Movement
2019Giszell Dymond Weather · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · United States
A 7-month study of the Angier Avenue Neighborhood Farm in East Durham, a predominantly Black area, found that Black residents rarely participate in farm activities. This research, based on participant observation, interviews, and food systems research, theorizes the relationship between urban farming and gentrification, arguing that equitable community food projects must incorporate local Black residents' cultures and histories to be sustainable.
Equity & displacementCommunityEconomicsPolicyUrban Harvest
2019Tracy Hood · UNC Libraries · Global
This article cautions against professional planners dismissing community gardening projects as simplistic community development initiatives. Author Tracy Hood reminds planning and city officials of the value of small-scale, less costly community development options like community gardens. She lists and describes numerous economic, educational, and social benefits derived from planting and maintaining a garden.
CommunityEconomicsFood education도시농업에 대한 참여 동기와 태도, 장애요인으로 분석한 일자리 창출: 대구 청년농부를 중심으로
2019오익근, 서정아, 장승옥 · 한국지역개발학회지 · South Korea
A focus group interview with young urban farmers in Daegu, South Korea, explored job creation through urban farming. Participants perceived farming as physically demanding and unrewarding, despite seeing urban farming as a promising industry for job creation. They also noted a lack of national support policies and difficulties in participation. A contradiction was identified between the young farmers' desire to adopt labor-saving new technologies and the goal of creating jobs through traditional farming.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPolicyDigital agricultureCommunity