Research & reports

Caren Freitas de Lima, Silvia Regina Nunes Baptista, Susana Arruda, Cristhiane Oliveira da Graça Amâncio · Revista Campo-Território · Brazil

This article analyzes Henri Lefebvre's concept of the "right to the city" in the context of Rio de Janeiro, a Latin American city, combining Lefebvre's framework with a historical bibliographical review of urban requalification and removals in Rio, analysis of official institutional data, and field research. In the 2000s, neighborhoods with a history of agricultural activity in Rio's West Zone — mainly Planning Area 4 (AP4), covering the Vargens region (Vargem Grande, Vargem Pequena, Camorim, and parts of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Barra da Tijuca, and Jacarepaguá) — became targets of real estate expansion. The State enabled this expansion through urbanistic instruments such as the Vargens Urban Structuring Plan (PEU das Vargens) and the Land Use and Occupation Law (LUOS), which reduce agricultural areas. Although generally neglected in debates over urban struggles, the agroecology-based Carioca Urban Agriculture Network (Rede CAU), acting through the Articulação Plano Popular (APP Vargens), takes up the struggle for the right to the city and for urban planning, asserting that the right to the city is also the right to plant.

Jennifer A. Nicklay, Kirsten Valentine Cadieux, Mary Rogers, Nicolas A. Jelinski, Kat LaBine, Gaston E. Small · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · United States

This paper examines collaboration among growers, policymakers, scholars, and community members around urban farms, community gardens, and home gardens in the Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), Minnesota metropolitan area, proposing a "learning framework" that emerged from a five-year community-university partnership. In fall 2019 the partnership conducted its first formal evaluation of its participatory processes, examining (1) what facilitated or barred authentic collaboration and (2) the role of relationships within those processes, through qualitative surveys and interviews with researchers, partners, and students. The analysis found that urban agroecology research created a space for shared learning, facilitated through co-creation of research, embodied processes, and relationships with people, cohorts, and place.

Dorothée Boccanfuso, Marie-Ève Yergeau · Cahiers de recherche · Africa

This study presents a diagnostic assessment of the urban and peri-urban agriculture (AUP) sector in Mali, based on a literature review and individual interviews with stakeholders in Bamako, forming the first stage of a research project intended to measure AUP's impact on poverty and food security. The literature review found that few studies measure AUP's impact, that existing results are mixed and inconsistent, and that there is a lack of solid evidence on the topic. The Bamako interviews surfaced the sector's economic, social, and environmental issues in the Malian context and confirmed, from key stakeholders, the relevance and necessity of the planned research project.

Lily Edelman-Gold, Meredith Melendy · · United States

A report on Lewiston and Auburn, Maine (2020) compared urban agriculture ordinances and performance standards from cities including Chicago, Illinois; Austin, Texas; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and analyzed interviews with stakeholders in those cities, finding examples of standards that allow more freedom and equitable urban agriculture practice than currently exists in Lewiston and Auburn. The report's recommendations for Lewiston/Auburn include: combined restrictions for fowl, livestock, and composting (e.g., permitting a set number of chickens on smaller lots with conditional allowances on larger ones); reduced setback requirements for bees with flyway barriers where needed; increased maximum square footage for community gardens, introduction of a "market garden" designation into city code, and allowance of on-site or farm-stand sales; and explicit guidelines on what can and cannot be composted.

Graciela Arosemena Díaz · · Spain

Focused on Spain, this text situates the current urban food supply system — reliant on agrochemicals, crop and animal production, processing, storage, and complex global transport networks with serious environmental impacts from fossil fuel use — as context for arguing that urban and peri-urban agriculture can reduce the food system's environmental impact and fossil fuel dependence while improving food security against economic and climatic vulnerability (2020). It notes that environmental justice is socially and politically complex, with groups of lower socio-economic status typically bearing a greater burden of environmental impacts, and cites as an example a city Council for the Protection of Nature that preserves the agricultural area along the Llobregat River and its agro-economic activity through an agricultural park.

Janete Webler Cancelier, César De David, Janete Facco · Geosul · Brazil

A paper on Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil (2020) examines vegetable cultivation practice in the city's peri-urban area, arguing that agriculture aimed at food production within urban/peri-urban areas is redefining the use of space, bringing changes to social, environmental, and economic relations and transforming landscapes and production dynamics. Growing demand for quality food has enabled agricultural activity to persist in urban spaces, and a way of life built around a distinctive mode of production with local specificity has gained value; in Santa Maria's peri-urban areas, horticultural production takes place with products sold weekly at fairs, markets, and on producers' properties, and is regarded as a source of household income.

Thalita Barbalho, Rita de Castro Engler · Design e Tecnologia · Brazil

A study examining design's contribution to social innovation and sustainability, aimed at showing how the design field can help improve and expand the practice of urban gardens in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Using service design tools, the study designed a service for the collective "Agroecologia na Periferia" (Agroecology in the Periphery), seeking to understand its current activities and how they could be strengthened. The methodology was a qualitative, applied approach with exploratory and descriptive aims, carried out in two stages: (1) a systematic literature review covering social innovation, service design, relational services, sustainable development, and urban agriculture; and (2) a case study following a four-stage method of exploration, reflection, ideation, and prototyping. The study concludes that service design for social innovation proved to be an approach capable of helping resolve the stated objective and build viable futures, fostering and guiding social innovations toward gradual, meaningful change toward sustainability.

Valentina Cattivelli · Sustainability · Italy

Urban gardens have attracted considerable academic attention in recent years, with studies emphasizing their positive contribution to social integration, community health, urban regeneration, and food security, as well as exploring individual gardeners' motivations. While these topics are well documented for metropolitan urban areas, few studies have examined mountain areas, an interest gap likely due to lower urbanization in such areas, a preference for other forms of horticulture (essentially home gardens), or the use of different approaches to mitigate negative social effects. The recent proliferation of urban gardens in South Tyrol, Italy, makes this mountain province an interesting setting for studying the practices and narratives associated with socially innovative urban gardening. The paper characterizes all urban gardening initiatives in South Tyrol through cartographic representation and explains gardeners' and public institutions' motivations as well as non-gardeners' perceptions, based on semi-structured interviews conducted in the South Tyrolean municipalities where urban gardening projects have been undertaken. The results suggest that the social and environmental aspects of urban gardens are of great importance, and that there is interest in reconnecting with food practices even when food access is not a priority.

Alex Dias da-Silva · Revista Geográfica de América Central · Brazil

A qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study investigating public policies that promote urban agriculture as an instrument of urban sustainability in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. Because urban agriculture promotion is a recent phenomenon locally, the study examines whether a specific legislative framework exists for it. It finds that the municipal government has fostered public policies supporting urban agriculture management and improvement since 1993.

Ana Poças Ribeiro, Robert Harmsen, Giuseppe Feola, Jesús Rosales Carreón, Ernst Worrell · Sociologia Ruralis · Europe

A study of 17 alternative food networks (AFNs) across Poland, Portugal, and the Netherlands, drawn from interviews with AFN organizers, examined the factors that constrain and facilitate the emergence and consolidation of different AFN types. Using a multi-actor perspective framework, the researchers categorized six AFN types: consumer-led, producer-led, third-sector led, community supported agriculture, public-led, and business platforms. Key challenges and facilitating conditions varied by AFN type and country; unlike in the Netherlands, low social capital was commonly cited as a challenge in Portugal and Poland. AFN organizers exercised innovative power in creating new forms of food provision, but the study concludes that a wide scope of actions by both governmental and non-governmental actors is needed to support the emergence of more AFNs.

Helena Kahiluoto · Food Security · Global

An essay written during the pandemic argues for food system resilience, proposing that co-designing contrasting future narratives and developing tools to build adaptive capacity strengthens preparedness for shocks. It contends that supplier-buyer diversity matters most in market-led global food chains, while farm and crop diversity matters more in publicly protected regions, in responding to variability in weather, price and policy. During events such as international conflict or a pandemic, diverse food sourcing -- from local producer-consumer cooperatives to community-supported and urban agriculture -- could help secure food for citizens. The piece presents no empirical data or case analysis.

Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore · Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore · Singapore

In a written reply to a 4 November 2020 parliamentary question, Minister Grace Fu stated that SFA and HDB awarded the first tender for nine multi-storey carpark rooftop sites in September 2020 to operators proposing high-productivity systems, projected to collectively produce up to 1,600 tonnes of vegetables annually. She noted local produce travels shorter distances and lasts longer, and cited community benefits such as employment and increased awareness of local produce.

Mothership.SG · Mothership.SG · Singapore

This article reports that a tender for rooftop space on nine HDB multi-storey carparks in Singapore opened on 12 May 2020, closed on 16 June 2020, and results were announced on 30 September 2020. Nine sites (five standalone plus two clusters of two) were awarded to six operators; the article states the nine farming systems can potentially produce around 1,600 tonnes (1,600,000kg) of vegetables per year. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Housing Development Board (HDB) were involved, and the project is framed as part of the '30 by 30' strategy to produce 30 per cent of Singapore's food locally by 2030.

Presidencia de la Nación (Argentina) · Argentina.gob.ar (Presidencia de la Nación / INTA) · Argentina

An official Argentine government article on ProHuerta, a self-provisioning garden program. Launched on August 3, 1990 by resolution of INTA's governing board, it has since reached more than 4 million beneficiaries and supported 637,847 gardens (97% household gardens, 1,826 community gardens, and 13,000 school gardens). It reports 9,192 volunteer promoters (67% women), and cites a nutritional evaluation finding a typical household garden covers about 72% of recommended overall consumption.

World Future Council · World Future Council / futurepolicy.org · Brazil

A World Future Council policy profile explaining how the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte guaranteed the right to food through Municipal Law 6,352 of 1993, establishing a food and supply secretariat (now SUSAN) coordinating 20 interlinked programmes with a 20-member advisory council, funded by 2% of the city's annual budget. It reports that the infant mortality rate fell from 34.4 to 3 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1993 and 2006, that the 2019 Emergency Food and Nutrition Assistance Programme (PAAN, Law 11.193/2019) serves 1,000 families a month, and notes the (as-yet-unmet) national requirement that 30% of school-meal funding go to family-farm purchases.

Celina 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.

Mysha Clarke, Melissa Davidson, Monika Egerer, Elsa C. Anderson, Nakisha Fouch · People Place and Policy Online · United States

This paper argues that community gardens should be a prioritized element of green infrastructure to improve cities' adaptation to climate change. Community gardens can reduce urban heat islands, provide ecosystem services, and increase stormwater retention. However, a qualitative analysis of 18 policy documents for Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City, U.S.A., found that green infrastructure for climate change adaptation prioritizes rain gardens, bioswales, and green roofs, but seldom acknowledges the role of community gardens.

Nolwazi 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.

Mariana Peixoto Espósito, Bruna Caroline Lima de Souza, Dirceu Pereira Siqueira · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Maringá)

This article analyzes the fundamental right to food within national and international legal frameworks, focusing on its implementation in Brazil through public policies. It specifically examines the Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Program and the Community Gardens Program in Maringá/PR, concluding that the Community Gardens Program is an effective public policy for realizing the right to food. The methodology included a bibliographic review and field research based on interviews.

Loïc Couttelle · OpenEdition (OpenEdition) · Global

Veolia is exploring new urban and peri-urban agricultural production systems to address regional challenges like soil sealing and climate change. Through an innovative experimental approach with partners, an intensive and high-quality agricultural model combining aquaponics and bio-intensive vegetable microfarming has been identified. These solutions, located on available land, aim to provide ecosystem services, efficient production, and respond to consumer demand for short supply chains and traceability.

Montserrat Delpino-Chamy, María Arquero de Alarcón, Sandra Calduch Fernández, José R. Soto · International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics · Chile (Concepción)

This research focused on developing and applying a methodology to identify and assess agroecological practices in the metropolitan area of Concepción, Chile. A methodology based on production forms, sociopolitical organization, and metropolitan sustainability was proposed. Strengths identified include their location in rururban interstices and small scale, contributing to metropolitan sustainability. However, weaknesses include a lack of appropriate planning policies and regulations, threatening their existence under urban development pressures.

Thulasizwe Mkhabela · · Southern Africa

This chapter examines trends in large and urban agricultural markets in Africa, focusing on Southern Africa and using South Africa as an example. It notes the increasing importance of urban agriculture markets due to growing urban populations, purchasing power, and changing consumer preferences. The chapter analyzes the evolution of these markets, including the rise of alternative marketing channels like farmers' markets, and discusses the linkages between rural and urban areas in food marketing, suggesting policy interventions to enhance urban agricultural markets.

A. Pardini, Furio Massolino, Chiara Grassi · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global

In urban agriculture in developing areas, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. is a promising strategic species due to its low water and soil fertility requirements and its edible entirety. This study conducted a trial comparing the initial productivity of cladodes multiplied in pots, car tires, and open fields. Results suggest that the prickly pear can be cropped better in large exhausted tires than in small plots, also saving money on materials.

· International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) · Global

Unplanned urban expansion leads to the conversion of farmland, causing urban environmental degradation and food security concerns. This paper analyzes the correlation between urban farming and supporting food demands in urban areas. It further discusses critical challenges and opportunities for promoting urban farming as a significant tool for encouraging balanced sustenance in urban areas.

Alison Blay‐Palmer, Laine Young · · Global

This abstract discusses how initiatives like the Habitat III New Urban Agenda and the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact can complement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at municipal and regional scales. It explores the complexities of SDG 2 (food and hunger) when considering SDG 5 (gender equality), suggesting that urban agriculture and agroecology offer potential for transformative opportunities and policy coherence.