Research & reports

Acharya, Sumit, Nayak, Priti Smita, Pramanik, Kartik · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

This article highlights microgreen cultivation as a solution for sustainable urban and peri-urban horticulture, addressing challenges from urbanization and demand for nutrient-dense foods. Microgreens are young seedlings harvested within 7–21 days, offering high concentrations of nutrients. They are suitable for urban environments due to minimal resource requirements, rapid growth, low water usage, and high yield, contributing to food security, reduced carbon footprints, and ecological balance by minimizing chemical inputs.

· International Journal of Business and Technology Management · Malaysia

This systematic literature review explored behavioral determinants affecting the B40 income group's participation in Smart Urban Farming (SUF) in Malaysia. The review found that B40 farmers face difficulties sustaining SUF projects due to limited financial literacy, poor management, and dependence on external support. A conceptual framework was developed, identifying key behavioral determinants across perceived support and incentives, internal factors, and external factors.

Maryam Noor, Liaqat Ali Waseem, Khadija Ashraf, Aqeel Haider, Komal Farhat · International Journal of Innovations in Science and Technology · Pakistan (Faisalabad)

This study assessed the impact of peri-urban agriculture on food self-sufficiency in Faisalabad, Pakistan, by collecting data from 100 peri-urban farming households and analyzing land use changes from 2018 to 2023 using GIS. Households allocated an average of 12.9 Kanals for seasonal vegetables, consuming nearly half domestically and selling the rest locally. A significant association was found between positive nutritional perceptions and regular access to fresh produce. However, limited government support, weak stakeholder coordination, and inadequate market access were identified as key barriers limiting its broader impact.

Belghachi Mohammed · Advances in environmental engineering and green technologies book series · Global

Smart irrigation systems, integrating AI, machine learning, sensors, and IoT, aim to revolutionize agricultural water management by optimizing water usage tailored to crop needs and environmental conditions. While these systems offer benefits such as water conservation and improved yields, their implementation faces significant challenges including high costs, the need for technical expertise, data management complexities, and connectivity issues. Future prospects focus on advanced AI models, better sensors, renewable energy, and policy support to enhance the effectiveness and accessibility of these systems.

Akuto Akpedze Konou, Kossiwa Zinsou-Klassou, Pablo De Roulet, Armel Firmin Kemajou Mbianda, Jérôme Chenal · Land · Togo

This study in Greater Lomé, Togo, interviewed 11 experts and surveyed urban farmers to compare their perceptions of urban agriculture and health. The findings reveal a disconnect: urban farmers identify various challenges, including health-related difficulties, while experts tend to assume different health concerns, highlighting a misalignment between the perspectives of planning and design experts and urban farmers.

Margarethe Karpe, Jeremías Lachman, Lili Wang, L.F.M. Marcelis, E. Heuvelink · Sustainable Production and Consumption · Global

A Delphi survey with 108 experts explored urban agriculture's potential contributions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under a scenario of 30% urban food self-sufficiency. Experts identified SDG 7.2 (renewable energies) as a key challenge due to high energy use, and agreed that none of the evaluated SDG targets for urban agriculture will be met by 2030. They also noted a lack of regulations and public policies for innovative agricultural systems.

Cindy Vong · Journal of Food Law & Policy · Global

This Note argues that municipalities in the United States should permit on-site slaughter of backyard chickens on private residential property. Historically, local governments codified the separation of residential and agricultural uses, leading to bans and restrictions on urban agriculture. The current regulatory vacuum for urban agriculture creates conflicts and uncertainties, and allowing backyard slaughter could strengthen local food systems and regulate a growing urban practice.

Ylva Wallinder, Maria Langa · Environmental Sociology · Sweden

A study investigated the consequences of institutional policy change on urban gardening practices in Swedish municipalities over the last decade. Local sustainability policies have led to an increasingly business-centered model, which clashes even with entrepreneurial gardens. This shift caused associational gardening to give way to an extended focus on entrepreneurship and food production, representing a "green rationalization" of gardening practices in urban sustainability policies that hinders their sustainability potential.

Yanxin Liu, Victoria Chanse, Fabricio Chicca · Land · New Zealand (Wellington)

This study evaluated the role of urban agriculture (UA) in enhancing post-disaster food security in Wellington, New Zealand, a region highly prone to earthquakes. It calculated vegetable self-sufficiency by mapping potential productive land, estimating vegetable yields, and assessing post-disaster food demands across multiple scenarios. Potential productive land accounted for 0.3% to 1.5% of the total area, primarily distributed in the eastern part of the city. Results indicate that Wellington's vegetable self-sufficient rates through UA range from 3% to 75%, with higher rates for displaced and vulnerable populations. Realizing this potential will require stronger policy support and integration with urban planning and disaster preparedness.

Evelyn Lizeth Ilbay-Guaña · Impact Research Journal · Global

This qualitative documentary study analyzed suitable culinary spice species for sustainable and diversified cultivation in home urban gardens, assessing their impact on food autonomy and self-care for informal primary caregivers in urban contexts. The review of scientific literature found that spice production in urban gardens contributes to food security and biodiversity, with successful experiences in high-value species like saffron. However, gaps persist in systematically integrating spices under sustainability criteria and in applied research on less conventional species. The study concludes that promoting sustainable urban spice gardens is a strategic tool for improving urban quality of life and recommends strengthening technical training and interdisciplinary research.

Peng Gao, Shuochen Xiao, Fara Diva Mustapa · Climate Risk Management · Global

This comprehensive review synthesized research on urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) globally, specifically within the context of its advantages, challenges, and climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, including technological innovations and policy frameworks. The review demonstrated UPA’s ability to advance social interactions, improve urban microclimates, mitigate the urban heat island phenomenon, and provide essential ecosystem services. However, UPA is limited by scarce land resources and soil contamination, along with water management challenges and regulatory frameworks.

Claudia Rochael Oliveira · Terra Livre · Global

This article argues that while vertical farms (VFs) are often presented as indispensable for sustainable cities, their purported sustainability is difficult to achieve without structural changes to reduce social inequalities. Critiques of urban agriculture, including VFs, point to their contribution to gentrification, racialization of space, and vulnerability to real estate capital, indicating a critical finding regarding equity. The article advocates for VFs to be appropriated by social movements to foster critical stances against conventional agriculture and catalyze urban utopias.

Zahra Nobar, Akbar Rahimi · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

This study explores the revitalization of urban agricultural lands and the creation of edible parks as nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development. It highlights urban agriculture's role in addressing food demands and its social and environmental implications. Edible parks, utilizing public and private spaces, are presented as a strategy to build sustainable urban infrastructure, promote social interaction, and strengthen community bonds.

Monica Dutta, Deepali Gupta, Sumegh Tharewal, Deepam Goyal, Jasminder Kaur Sandhu, Manjit Kaur, Ahmad Ali AlZubi, Jazem Mutared Alanazi · IEEE Access · Global

This comprehensive study, utilizing bibliometric and comparative analysis, explored the opportunities and challenges of IoT-based soilless agriculture for global food security. While these advanced farming methods offer benefits like increased productivity and resource conservation, they also face significant challenges including high initial investment, technological dependency, and energy consumption. The research highlights current trends and research gaps in this field.

Ebenezer Boahen · Discover Agriculture · Ghana

This study assessed the awareness and practices of 50 purposively selected vegetable farmers along the Accra-Tema Motorway, Ghana, regarding heavy metal contamination from vehicular emissions and its potential health implications. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and one-on-one interviews. Results showed that 96% of the farmers were unaware of heavy metal contamination, though 80% expressed a willingness to discontinue farming near the motorway if they were informed of the risks. Farmers face challenges such as limited access to clean irrigation water and dependence on informal agricultural knowledge. The study highlights the urgent need for targeted educational interventions to raise awareness about the risks of heavy metal exposure and to encourage safer farming practices.

Jeffery W Bentley, Paul Van Mele · CABI eBooks · Global

Supermarkets dominate the food market, resulting in lower prices for farmers and the decline of smaller shops, impacting local sourcing and quality. The abstract states that consumers and local governments can support family businesses, farm shops, and farmer markets, with examples from France to Ecuador. Allotment gardens and innovations like the Belgian ‘Juice Mobile’ are also noted for providing fresh food, social interaction, exercise, and a connection to nature.

Chiara Tornaghi · · Global

This chapter, based on 15 years of research, identifies key shortcomings in urban planning policy that prevent urban agriculture from reaching its full potential for human and non-human health. These include the failure to recognize urban agriculture as food production, the invisibility of soil and its role, and the neglect of soil care and food production specialists in public land design and soil management. The chapter suggests that agroecological considerations can enhance urban agriculture's ambition in public spaces.

Jannat Bahanni, Katia Sakihama Ventura, Emine Fidan, Ashlyn Anderson, Sara Mulville, Jie Zhuang · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Global

This study examines the benefits, barriers, and solutions for urban food ecosystem sustainability through a food-energy-water (FEW) nexus lens. A review of recent literature and case studies identified cross-sector barriers, including post-harvest losses, weak cold-chain infrastructure, and fragmented governance. FEW-efficient strategies, such as integrating precision technologies and renewable energy-powered urban agriculture, are proposed to enhance cost-effective production and renewability of urban food ecosystems.

Mukhamad Kasendra, Dendy K Pramudito, Dedi Afandi · Jurnal Informasi dan Teknologi · Global

Urban farming faces technical obstacles like monitoring soil conditions and time limitations. This paper proposes using the Internet of Things (IoT) to address these issues. IoT can be utilized for real-time soil humidity monitoring via smartphones, thereby resolving current challenges and offering potential for future technological development in urban agriculture.

· The MIT Press eBooks · Global

This book examines community farms in Latin America, Australia, and China, highlighting tensions between local identities and global transformation. It finds that while industrial expansion in export agribusiness generates macroeconomic benefits, it incurs micro-level costs such as the replacement of peri-urban farms by plantations, loss of biodiversity, and groundwater contamination from pesticides and fertilizers. The study suggests that food system intermediaries are crucial in connecting rural migrants with urban farms and resources.

Michela Lenzi, Andrea Scatolon, Luciana Carraro, Margherita Guidetti, Valentina Carfora · Current Opinion in Psychology · Global

This review explored how community connectedness influences sustainable eating, particularly meat consumption. It found that while community ties can encourage pro-environmental behaviors and support plant-based diet initiatives, a strong connection to one's community may also hinder the adoption of environmentally friendly diets by reinforcing meat-heavy culinary traditions. The potential for community connectedness to promote sustainable eating depends on factors like environmental awareness.

Jasmin Arif Shah · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Malaysia

The practice of urban farming in Malaysia is recognized for promoting the well-being of urban dwellers and smallholder farmers, and for achieving sustainable food production. Urban farming is viewed as a catalyst for achieving the well-being of urban dwellers and the natural environment, with social and health benefits being among the highest motivating factors for urban communities. The development of urban farming communities and the emphasis on sustainable food production through these initiatives are considered important steps towards empowering locals and creating food-independent communities.

Piedad Margarita Montero Castillo, Diofanor Acevedo Correa, Yesid Alejandro Marrugo Ligardo · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Colombia

This study examines the impacts of climate change on food security for vulnerable social groups in urban areas of Colombia. Using documentary analysis and hermeneutic valuation, it considers the negative impacts of climate change on food production. Sustainable urban agriculture is analyzed as a contribution to providing access to nutritious and healthy food for vulnerable groups, fostering adaptability and resilience.

R Mohammadzadeh · Proceedings of International Structural Engineering and Construction · Global

This qualitative secondary study, based on a structured literature review, examined the role of green infrastructure (GI) integrated into buildings for urban sustainability. Findings indicate that GI supports climate change adaptation, improves air quality, promotes urban biodiversity, and enables energy-efficient design. However, the paper also recognizes limitations related to cost, maintenance, and structural requirements for implementing building-based GI.

Matt Boyd, Nick Wilson · PLoS ONE · Global

This study estimates the contribution of urban and near-urban agriculture to resilience against abrupt global catastrophic risks (GCRs) in a globally median-sized city. Using mathematical optimization and Google Earth image analysis, researchers determined optimal crops and land area for food production. Findings indicate that urban agriculture could feed 20% of the population, with an additional 1140 hectares of near-urban cultivation and 110 hectares for biofuel feedstock needed to cover the shortfall, though more land is required in nuclear winter scenarios.