Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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4283 results(68 / 172)
Vindication of Linking Social Capital Capacity to Urban Agriculture: A Paradigm of Participation Based on Social Empowerment in Klang Valley, Malaysia
2022Nur Shuhamin Nazuri, Mohd Roslan Rosnon, Nobaya Ahmad, Siti Shazwani Ahmad Suhaimi, Juwaidah Sharifuddin, Rusitha Wijekoon · Sustainability · Malaysia
This 2022 study surveyed 180 participants of urban agriculture (UA) community programs authorized by the Department of Agriculture in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze how UA participation generates value contributing to community social empowerment. The findings showed that participation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages plays an important role in program success, and that such participation should be understood through the roles of government agencies, NGOs, and communities in building the strong networks needed to enhance participants' social empowerment.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareThe Place of Urban Food Forests in Cities of the 21st Century
2022Paloma Cariñanos, S. Borelli, Michela Conigliaro, Alessio Fini · Urban Planning · Global
This review traces urban food forests (UFFs) from ancient practices of incorporating edible species into wild forests to their spread into ornamental urban landscapes since the mid-20th century. It argues UFFs face the same challenges as urban forests generally — land tenure, governance, technical capacity, pollution and global change — which must be addressed to balance their productive, environmental and socio-economic functions.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceIntegration of Light and Auxin Signaling in Shade Plants: From Mechanisms to Opportunities in Urban Agriculture
2022Xiulan Xie, Hao Cheng, Chenyang Hou, Maozhi Ren · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · Global
This review synthesizes the molecular mechanisms of shade avoidance and shade tolerance in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, focusing on how plants integrate light and auxin signaling to regulate their response to shade. It discusses biotechnological strategies for enhancing shade tolerance in crops, framing dense planting, vertical production and indoor cultivation as approaches for making full use of limited urban space to raise crop yield.
CommunityDigital agricultureWhat benefits are the most important to you, your community, and society? Perception of ecosystem services provided by nature‐based solutions
2022Marek Hekrle · Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Water · Global
A systematic review of 153 scientific publications examined data collection techniques and well-being perspectives used to elicit preferences toward multiple ecosystem services (ES) provided by nature-based solutions (NBS). Ecosystem services from urban parks, urban trees and community gardens were the most commonly examined, with questionnaire surveys the dominant data collection technique followed by semi-structured interviews and workshops, while only a limited number of studies used revealed- or stated-preference methods such as choice experiments or contingent valuation; the review defines three distinct well-being perspectives — individual, community and society — that it finds are rarely discussed explicitly in existing NBS literature.
CommunityHealthBiodiversityPollinatorsThe Exploration of Empowerment: Participation of Urban Agriculture Communities with Presence of Social Capital
2022Nur Shuhamin Nazuri, Nobaya Ahmad, Mohd Roslan Rosnon, Mohd Harifadilah Rosidi, Siti Nur Shuhada Nazuri, Sara Shakilla Mohd Salim, Razif Sazali, Mohamad Firdaus Ahmad, Siti Shazwani Ahmad Suhaimi · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · Malaysia
Among participants in a Malaysian urban agriculture (UA) program, the study examined how dimensions of participation (planning, implementation, evaluation) relate to economic and social empowerment, moderated by social capital (bonding, bridging, linking). Most respondents were male, aged 41-60, married, with secondary/vocational education, and 5 to 12 family members. The relationship between participation, social capital, and empowerment was found to be insignificant, and social capital (bonding, bridging, linking) did not function as a moderator between participation and empowerment.
CommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceExploring the co-occurrence of antibiotic, metal, and biocide resistance genes in the urban agricultural environment
2022Nirosha Ruwani Amarasekara, Abdullah Ibn Mafiz, Xun Qian, James M. Tiedje, Weilong Hao, Yifan Zhang · Journal of Agriculture and Food Research · Global
Metagenomic analysis of total soil DNA from urban vegetable garden soils examined the co-occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) with resistance genes to other compounds, including heavy metals and biocides. Relative abundance was 2.00-2.90 x 10^-1 copies per 16S rRNA gene for ARGs and 4.22-6.00 x 10^-2 for metal resistance genes (MRGs), with the most abundant ARGs conferring multidrug, vancomycin, bacitracin, fosmidomycin, and macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin (MLS) resistance, alongside MRGs for copper, arsenic, multiple metals, iron, and chromium, biocide resistance genes (BRGs) for multi-biocide, peroxide, and phenolic compounds, and multi-compound resistance genes (MCRGs) combining biocide-metal, drug-biocide-metal, and drug-biocide resistance. Multidrug resistance genes (including mexF, mexW), the MLS gene macB, and the MCRG ruvB showed the strongest correlations with other resistance genes, demonstrating extensive co-occurrence of ARGs, MRGs, BRGs, and MCRGs in urban agricultural environments and suggesting that soil contaminants have potential as co-selection agents for antibiotic resistance.
Contamination & food safetyHealthRecent Trends in Urban Agriculture to Improve Bioactive Content of Plant Foods
2022Jin-Hee Ju, Yong-Han Yoon, So-Hui Shin, Se-Young Ju, Kyung‐Jin Yeum · Horticulturae · Global
A review covers up-to-date information on the mechanisms producing bioactive compounds in plant foods grown through urban agriculture and the main factors influencing their levels, organized into four categories: ground-based uncontrolled agriculture, ground-based controlled agriculture, and building-integrated uncontrolled and controlled agriculture. In ground-based urban agriculture, applying short-term abiotic or biotic stress through agronomic management practices was shown to significantly affect bioactive compound levels in fruits and vegetables, while in building-integrated urban agriculture, artificial lighting, cultivation medium, and water use efficiency were identified as factors of interest for improving the level and composition of functional plant components.
HealthCommunitySmart Garden Planning and Design Based on the Agricultural Internet of Things
2022Yi Xun, Guangpei Ren · Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience · Global
A study building a smart garden planning and design system for urban agricultural landscapes using agricultural Internet of Things technology. The researchers applied the LEACH protocol for long-term monitoring and used the grey wolf swarm-intelligence algorithm to improve cluster-head selection, in-cluster data transmission, and route maintenance, then ran simulation experiments. The improved algorithm showed clear advantages in these areas, and evaluation of a constructed garden simulation system confirmed the agricultural IoT approach performed well for smart garden planning and design.
Digital agricultureCommunityMarket participation of urban agriculture producers and its impact on poverty: Evidence from Ghana
2022Richard Kwasi Bannor, Helena Oppong-Kyeremeh, Samuel Kwabena Chaa Kyire, Humphrey Nii Ayi Aryee, Helen Amponsah · Sustainable Futures · Ghana
A study examining the impact of urban agriculture commercialization on poverty in Ghana and the determinants of urban farmers' choice of market outlet, based on 480 urban farmers. It used the Household Commercialisation Index (HCI) and Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) model to analyze poverty, Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) and heteroskedastic linear regression to assess commercialization's effect on poverty, and Probit and Bivariate Probit models for market-outlet choice. Age, gender, education, experience, household size, household food security and commercialisation significantly influenced urban poverty, while education, postharvest losses, commercialisation, storage ability, grading and sorting, distance to the nearest market, extension contacts and road quality influenced outlet choice. The study recommends that government, traditional leaders and other stakeholders integrate urban farming into urban development policy for sustainable poverty reduction.
EconomicsCommunityEffects of stakeholders’ perception of urban agriculture on the governance of urban agriculture in the wards of Daraja Mbili and Lemala in Arusha City, Tanzania
2022Pastory Salvatory Thomas, Wilbard Kombe, Aldo Lupala · International Journal of Social Science Research and Review · Tanzania
In-depth interviews with 60 purposefully selected respondents in the Daraja Mbili and Lemala wards of Arusha City, Tanzania, examined how diverse stakeholder perceptions of urban agriculture affect its governance. Farmers and agricultural officers viewed urban agriculture positively because their livelihoods and professional interests were tied to it, while urban planners and environmental officers were skeptical, citing a lack of evidence for its value, and implementation and enforcement of related policies and bylaws had not succeeded. Farming in environmentally sensitive areas violated bylaws, yet encroachment by farmers with no alternative land continued. The study concludes that urban agriculture cannot be effectively governed, even where policy and bylaws exist, as long as the actors involved perceive it negatively.
Governance failurePolicyCommunityProspects for Mainstreaming Urban Agriculture in Kosovo in support of sustainable urban development
2022Fjollë Caka · International Journal of Environmental Impacts · Global
This paper reviews the policy environment for urban agriculture in Kosovo, examining agricultural and spatial-planning legal frameworks, strategies, and official reports and data. It notes that urban land in Kosovo continues to be lost to construction, degraded and contaminated, that the actual extent of urban agriculture there is unknown, and identifies barriers to its expansion before proposing policy interventions aimed at fresh food supply, urban poverty alleviation and improved environmental performance.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceExamination of the Playgrounds and Their Qualifications in Primary School Gardens: The Case of Adana
2022Lalehan DOĞAN, Akın Efendioğlu · Çukurova Araştırmaları Dergisi · Global
A study observed the outdoor play areas of 40 primary schools across four central districts of Adana Province, Turkey, selected by quota sampling during the 2021–2022 school year, using a primary school garden play area observation form. Play area per student was found to be insufficient. Hopscotch was the most commonly present game. Swings, slides and seesaws belonged to the preschool classes attached to the primary schools and were used by preschool children. Painted line games had faded in most schools. Football goalposts, basketball hoops and volleyball posts needed repainting in some schools, and basketball hoops were found to be too high for students' developmental stage. Most sports areas were shared with ceremonies and other play uses. Primary school garden play areas were generally clean but dominated by hard surfaces such as concrete, stone and asphalt, with insufficient provision of natural areas.
Food educationCommunityUrban Domestic Gardens: Characteristics and Contributions to Urban Green Sustainability
2022Irina PANȚIRU, Erzsébet Buta, Dănuţ Maniutiu, Alexandru I. APAHIDEAN, N. Sima, Alex Dregan, Rodica Sima · Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca Horticulture · Global
A 2022 literature review assessed the overall role and benefits of urban allotments and home gardens for urban green infrastructure (GI) in Global North countries, drawing on published evidence from 2000 onward and using narrative synthesis to interpret the research on domestic gardens and identify areas needing further study. The review found key differences in both the nature and management of urban domestic gardens with major implications for their contribution to GI sustainability, alongside heterogeneous social, cultural, ecological and economic contexts shaping that impact. It also noted that domestic gardens act as a source of food security and provide additional ecosystem services. The review concludes that home and allotment gardens are important contributors to urban GI sustainability and should be incorporated into the planning, design and management of urban infrastructure.
CommunityBiodiversityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthThe Value and Development Modes of Vernacular Aesthetic Education of Urban Agricultural Landscape
2022Hongya Tang · Journal of Architectural Research and Development · Global
A conceptual paper examining the aesthetic education function of urban agricultural landscape. It argues that urban agricultural landscape carries a distinct local aesthetic value expressed mainly through the beauty of traditional agricultural skills, agricultural landscapes, and agricultural activities, and classifies its vernacular aesthetic education development into three modes based on differing ways people interact with the environment: a viewing mode, short-time contact, and long-time immersion.
CommunityFood educationAnálisis ambiental de la transferencia de tecnología en espacios demostrativos de agricultura urbana
2022Luz Andrea Táutiva-Merchán, Tomás Enrique León-Sicard, María Fernanda Garrido Rubiano · Agricultura Sociedad y Desarrollo · Colombia
A study of three existing urban agriculture demonstration spaces run by the Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (AGROSAVIA) in the departments of Córdoba, Cundinamarca and Nariño, Colombia, characterized their economic, social, institutional and technological features and analyzed participants' perceptions of training workshops held between 2015 and 2016. Based on 17 semi-structured interviews, 64 online surveys and the systematization of two collaborative-construction workshops with external actors, the study developed a proposal centered on experience exchange directed mainly at women (66%) and students aged 18-28 (30%), and suggested community activities in "satellite" spaces focused on recovering knowledge and collaborative research, supported by four lines of action: knowledge exchange, co-innovation, dissemination, and training.
Food educationCommunityEffect of Compost on Root Rot Disease Management to Increase Tomato Plants Productivity
2022Mamdouh M. Arafa Arafa, Sabry M. Shaheen, A.M.K Mansour, M. F. A. Ahmed · International journal of Environmental Studies and Researches · Egypt
Over the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons at Sadat City farms (Cairo–Alexandria Desert Road, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt), this study tested the effect of compost application on root-rot disease management and tomato productivity. Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii were isolated from rotted tomato plants as the main pathogens causing root rot and damping-off, which reduced yield. Adding plant residue, cow manure, or compost (plant residue plus cow manure) to soil before transplanting, at a rate of 1.2 kg/m², significantly reduced disease incidence and raised plant survival compared with untreated controls in both seasons. Compost — a tomato-rich organic fertilizer — applied at 1.2 kg/m² produced the largest reduction in disease incidence and the largest increases in vegetative growth (plant height, branches per plant, leaves per branch), yield parameters, flavonoid content, and total phenol content across both seasons; no clear significant differences were found between the plant-residue and cow-manure treatments in plant growth characteristics.
CompostOrganic cycleSOME MODELS OF URBAN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THAI NGUYEN IN THE CONTEXT OF URBANIZATION
2022Diep, Vu Bach, Dinh Hong Linh, Mai Viet Anh, Điep, Vu Bach · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global
Against a backdrop of continuously shrinking agricultural land as it gives way to urban and industrial development, this article analyzes models of urban agriculture development in Thai Nguyen, a province in Vietnam's northern midland and mountainous region with strengths in urban agriculture, using descriptive, comparative, and analytical statistical methods over the period 2015–2020.
Peri-urban agricultureCommunityEffectiveness of an Intervention Programme on Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in a Preschool Child: A Randomised Controlled Trial
2022María Martíncrespo-Blanco, David Varillas‐Delgado, Saray Blanco-Abril, María‐Gema Cid‐Expósito, Juana Robledo‐Martín · Nutrients · Global
In a randomised, parallel-group controlled trial of children aged 3–5, this study evaluated the medium-term effect of an intervention programme on adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The experimental group took part in a school garden, while the control group received the usual lessons on the human body and health; adherence was assessed with the KIDMED questionnaire, controlling for weight, height, BMI, and socio-demographic variables. BMI was reduced in the experimental group after one year and at the end of follow-up. For the overall KIDMED score, a statistical trend between the two groups was observed but did not reach significance (p = 0.076). In multivariate analysis, eating pulses more than once a week predicted improved diet quality, with an odds ratio of 1.382 in the experimental group (95% CI 1.126–1.695; p = 0.009). The study concludes that the intervention improved participants' diet quality via increased consumption of plant-based protein.
Food educationHealthUrban horticulture for sustainable food systems
2022Kate A. Congreves · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems ·
An opinion article published in the Urban Agriculture section of Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems on 19 August 2022. The available abstract contains only bibliographic information, with no stated study details or findings on urban horticulture.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeA comprehensive conceptualisation framework for assessing metropolitan peri-urban agriculture
2022Ana Spataru, Robert Faggian, Victor A Sposito · International Journal of Agricultural Resources Governance and Ecology · Global
A paper proposing a comprehensive conceptual framework for assessing metropolitan peri-urban agriculture. It argues that peri-urban agriculture provides non-commodity benefits — food security, farm viability, environmental stewardship, and landscape and socio-cultural preservation — that free markets under-recognize, and that the double vulnerability created by urban pressure and systemic agricultural change has led to myopic policy interventions. The proposed framework integrates the concepts of multifunctional agriculture, resilience, climate-smart agriculture and alternative food networks into 21 enabling features across five dimensions.
Peri-urban agriculturePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityCommunity Readiness of Urban Farming Practices in Malaysia
2022Nur Bahiah Mohamed Haris, Nur Amanina Yunus, Jasmin Arif Shah · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · Malaysia
A structured questionnaire (via Google Form) using simple random sampling surveyed 353 participants across Peninsular Malaysia, applying the Community Readiness Model (CRM) framework and analyzing the data in IBM SPSS (version 26) to assess levels of the independent variables knowledge, attitude, and leadership alongside community readiness for urban farming practices. Levels of all three independent variables and of community readiness were high, and knowledge, attitude, and leadership each contributed significantly to community readiness.
CommunityPolicyFood educationProposing a Pedagogical Framework for Integrating Urban Agriculture as a Tool to Achieve Social Sustainability within the Interior Design Studio
2022Sarvenaz Pakravan, Shahin Keynoush, Ehsan Daneshyar · Sustainability · Global
An essay noting the global population is increasing while agricultural land per capita is declining, and that feeding a projected 9.1 billion people by 2050 would require global agricultural output to grow by roughly 60% to 110%, positioning urban agriculture as an alternative that could reduce this future burden. In response, interior architecture design studio-V (INT 401) proposes a futuristic vision built on urban agriculture and defines a pedagogical framework around three notions: (1) residential urban agriculture, (2) a context- and culture-based design approach, and (3) social sustainability, itself structured as development, bridge and maintenance sustainability. This is a proposed teaching framework rather than an empirical study.
Food educationCommunityEnhancing urban nature and place-making in social housing through community gardening
2022Son Truong, Tonia Gray, Kumara Ward · Urban forestry & urban greening · Australia
A study examining the Community Greening program run by the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Australia, for the past two decades, at six new community gardens built in social housing communities in New South Wales. It used focus group interviews with residents and questionnaires with program staff. Participant narratives showed the gardens function as sites for knowledge generation and connection to nature, for building a sense of community, and for improving residents' sense of pride and public perceptions of public housing. The findings suggest community gardens enhance green infrastructure and support place-making in social housing estates and their surrounding areas, and the study concludes with recommendations for policies and practices addressing social and environmental sustainability priorities in social housing.
CommunityHealthPolicySistema IoT para el monitoreo de variables climatológicas en cultivos de agricultura urbana
2022Gabriel Elías Chanchí Golondrino, Manuel Alejandro Ospina Alarcón, Manuel Saba · Revista Científica · Global
Motivated by the growing trend of urban agriculture, this study built an IoT system for monitoring and analyzing climatological variables relevant to urban agriculture crops. Development followed four phases: selection of tools and technologies, IoT system architecture design, prototype construction, and a case study on a lettuce crop. The resulting system used open-source hardware and software tools within the conventional four-layer IoT architecture (capture, storage, analysis, visualization). Its stated advantage over existing solutions is the use of portable single-board-computer (SBC) platforms and the inclusion of machine-learning models in the analysis layer. The case study, carried out on a home lettuce crop, concluded that the chosen tools adequately captured, monitored, and analyzed climatological variables of interest, and that the analysis models can be customized to a crop's agroclimatic characteristics, making them useful for decisions related to crop physiology.
Digital agricultureCommunityFood educationRural-Urban Road Transportation Challenges on Food Security in Maroua, Far North Region of Cameroon
2022Tama Bawack Ako, Clarkson Mvo Wanie · Current Urban Studies · Cameroon
This study examined challenges in rural-urban road transportation and coping mechanisms for food security in Maroua municipality, Far North Region, Cameroon. Primary data came from field observation, interviews and 261 administered questionnaires, supplemented by published and unpublished secondary sources, with descriptive analysis conducted in SPSS version 20 and Microsoft Excel 2013. Results showed that rural-urban roads in Maroua are dilapidated and inadequate, making movement difficult especially during the rainy season, which negatively affects multiple dimensions of food security. Adaptation mechanisms identified included urban agriculture and rehabilitation of rural-urban road infrastructure, and the study concluded there is an urgent need for stakeholders to improve this infrastructure.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityPolicy