Research & reports

Tamara García–Armisen, Josué Prats, Yociel Marrero, Pierre Servais · Water Science & Technology · Cuba (Havana)

The Almendares River in Havana, Cuba, receives wastewater from over 200,000 inhabitants, resulting in very poor microbiological water quality downstream due to high faecal bacterial indicators (FBIs). This water is used for urban agriculture and recreation, despite not meeting microbiological standards. This study compared FBI removal in three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): a conventional facility, a constructed wetland (CW), and a solar aquatic system (SAS). Natural systems (CW and SAS) showed approximately two log units higher FBI removal efficiency than the conventional plant. The large conventional WWTP was found to have a negative impact on the river's microbiological quality.

김종덕 · 환경사회학연구 ECO · South Korea

This paper points out that the current global food system, which has heavily relied on low-cost oil energy, faces problems in food production, processing, and transportation due to surging crude oil prices, leading to food export controls and riots, and escalating global food conflicts and instability. The global food system is vulnerable to oil energy crises and negatively impacts food safety, security, environment, local economies, and food culture. Therefore, the paper emphasizes the need for alternative food systems like organic farming, urban agriculture, and community-supported agriculture that reduce reliance on oil energy.

Ji WenHua, Cai Jianming, R. van Veenhuizen · · China (Beijing)

This paper describes the water balance between water resources and water use in Beijing, China, which faces severe water shortage. It discusses efforts by the Beijing government to relieve water pressure and identifies agriculture as the biggest water user. The paper suggests that finding alternative water sources like wastewater and rainwater is important for urban agriculture development.

곽동화, 이정미 · 한국디지털건축인테리어학회 논문집 · Global

This study clarified the concept of sustainable community in contemporary architecture and urban design, examining various application modes such as rural ecovillages and urban demonstration projects. It summarized design elements for sustainable communities, including symbiosis with nature, permaculture, and resource-saving technology. Design methods identified included strategic planning, visioning, and community action planning.

Fengrong Zhang · 资源科学 · China (Beijing)

Beijing faces water and land resource deficiencies while increasing its focus on environmental protection and ecological conservation. This paper proposes four agricultural development zones tailored to Beijing's urban spatial structure and socioeconomic development, aiming to leverage urban agriculture's sightseeing, landscape, and ecological functions. It notes that this spatial planning prioritizes public benefits over farmers' economic benefits, making market-based realization difficult and necessitating direct government subsidies to farmers.

Peng Yi-jun · Anhui nongye kexue · Global

This discussion examined the necessity and construction methods of rooftop gardens, along with the key considerations and challenges during their development. It also covered their developmental history, current status, and future prospects.

S. Karrie Reid, Lorence R. Oki · California Agriculture · United States (California)

In California, there is a growing need for landscape plants requiring fewer water and chemical inputs. A program at UC Davis screened ten unused or underused California native plants for low water tolerance in open-field conditions during summer 2006. No significant differences were found in summer growth or physical appearance across four irrigation levels. Six species maintained a favorable appearance throughout the season and are now undergoing further assessment in demonstration gardens across seven climate zones.

R. Machiridza, Emmanuel Manzungu · University of Zimbabwe Institutional Repository (University of Zimbabwe) · Zimbabwe (Harare)

Perceptions of urban agriculture in Harare, Zimbabwe, shifted from prohibition before 1980 due to environmental concerns to de facto government policy after independence due to increasing urban poverty. Land was initially allocated to co-operatives primarily for political support, creating tension between political patronage and environmental protection. Critics argue that authorities only accepted urban agriculture's reality two decades post-independence, driven by its potential for poverty reduction and economic development.

赵华甫, 张凤荣, 李佳, 唐衡 · Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni · China (Beijing)

A study on Beijing's urban agriculture cropping system, arguing that a rational choice of planting system is needed to overcome water resource constraints, realize agriculture's ecological service function of suppressing dust, and meet farmers' need for supplementary income, using a combination of literature research, experiments, and field surveys to examine the necessity of adjusting the planting system and the benefits of different systems. Comparing multiple benefits of a spring-maize single-cropping system against a winter-wheat/summer-maize double-cropping system, the spring-maize single-cropping system showed somewhat lower economic benefit than the double-cropping system, but better environmental benefit, lower water consumption, and greater potential for farmers' supplementary income. The study concludes that the spring-maize single-cropping system better matches the requirements of Beijing's urban agriculture development.

Rich Pirog, Rebecca Rasmussen · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · United States

This study determined which transportation option -- farmer delivery or customer pick-up -- consumed less fuel and emitted less CO2 for an Iowa community-supported agriculture (CSA) enterprise. The method used the CSA farmer's actual delivery route(s) including customer addresses, the type of delivery vehicle used, and a hypothetical central pick-up location and time, calculating mileage via Mapquest and fuel/emissions using Bureau of Transportation Statistics and EPA data across four vehicle categories: Ford Ranger, Dodge Caravan, Toyota Prius, and U.S. average passenger vehicle fuel economy. Delivery using a Toyota Prius resulted in 2.77 times lower fuel usage and CO2 emissions than customer pick-up using U.S. average fuel economy; however, even if all CSA customers used a Toyota Prius for pick-up, farmer delivery remained more fuel efficient, though only by a factor of 1.35.

Larry Harrington, E. M. L. Humphreys, Annette Huber‐Lee, Sophie Nguyen-Khoa, Simón Cook, Gichuki, Francis N., Nancy L. Johnson, Claudia Ringler, K. Geheb, Jonathan Woolley · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Global

A synthesis report summarizing activities and achievements of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) through the end of 2007, an initiative addressing global water scarcity and food security across nine benchmark river basins organized around five themes. Achievements in rainfed environments include advances in no-till conservation agriculture, "slash and mulch" replacing "slash and burn" in hillside farming, dryland water-harvesting systems, understanding of livelihood vulnerability and farmers' coping strategies, and distribution of drought-tolerant sorghum and wheat through participatory varietal selection and seed schemes. In irrigated and salt-affected environments, progress included development and testing of salt-tolerant rice germplasm, understanding of how wastewater can be used in irrigated peri-urban agriculture to grow safe, nutritious vegetables, and development of aerobic rice germplasm and management practices that use less water.

Philip E. Gates, Libby Gravatt, Tyler Mellos, Alex Miller, Dario Turjanski · Digital Commons - Trinity University (Trinity University) · United States

A rainwater collection system built for a small community garden in San Antonio, Texas, designed to operate as efficiently as possible for irrigation. The paper covers the original design problem and proposed solution, the construction process, and evaluation of the final design, including experiments run to determine specific building parameters. Once built, the system successfully distributed water through the garden plot using its component parts; drip hoses flowed at an average of 0.64 gallons per hour per foot, above the 0.45 GPH/ft minimum target, at a water height of 36 inches from the ground. The paper outlines the complete stepwise construction process and offers recommendations for future or similar systems.

Erisman, Jan Willem, Sutton, Mark A., Galloway, James, Klimont, Zbigniew, Winiwarter, Wilfried · Nature Geoscience · Global

On 13 October 1908, Fritz Haber filed his patent on the synthesis of ammonia from its elements, for which he was later awarded the 1918 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This Nature Geoscience piece examines how, a century on, the world has been transformed by and become highly dependent on Haber-Bosch nitrogen.

Michelle Melissa Althaus Ottmann, Áurea Portes Ferriani, Ricardo Serra Borsatto, Homero Cidade Júnior, Cláudio Ferraz Oliver, Eduardo Feniman, Lourival de Moraes Fidelis, Nilce Nazareno da Fonte · REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE AGROECOLOGIA · Brazil

Since August 2006, an urban agriculture, landscaping, and horticulture program has been developed with children attending the Casa da Videira NGO in Vila Fanny, Curitiba, Brazil. Weekly transdisciplinary sessions have shown preliminary results including increased children's interest in environmental topics, proposals for solutions, and changes in family attitudes. Qualitatively, the program has improved the visual appearance of the area and fostered team cohesion.

Anna Eklund, Camilla Björk · · Nicaragua (Managua)

This diploma work, a case study in Managua, Nicaragua, explored how urban agriculture can improve the life situation of urban populations. The study found evidence that urban agriculture can be a key strategy for the urban poor, securing food access, improving public health and the environment, increasing income possibilities, and strengthening social belonging.

Ma. Neftalí Rojas-Valencia, Ma. Teresa Orta de Velásquez, Víctor Franco · Linnaeus Eco-Tech · Mexico (Mexico City)

This study investigated the efficiency of applying organoponic techniques to urban crops in Mexico City, utilizing organic compounds, recyclable solid waste, homemade organic fertilizers, and treated wastewater. Three wastewater disinfection methods were tested: Ozone, APT, and a combination. Results showed that Ozone not only disinfected wastewater but also contributed oxygen and nutrients to the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. Ozone also reduced infection risk by eliminating pathogenic microorganisms and increased plant growth.

Hiroyuki Akagawa, Katsuyuki FUKUMI, Takayuki Kubota, Hideki Takebayashi, Masakazu Moriyama · Journal of Environmental Engineering (Transactions of AIJ) · Global

This study investigated the thermal environment and visitor behavior at a large rooftop garden on a commercial building during summer. Findings indicated that resting places in tree shade were "non-Hot" under high solar radiation, though SET* was higher than in shaded open spaces due to wind speeds around 1m/s. The rooftop garden featured well-shaded footpaths that provided "non-Hot" conditions for most of the afternoon. Tree shade was desirable on fine days, while open spaces were preferred on cloudy days. SET* was identified as the most appropriate index for evaluating the relationship between human behaviors and the thermal environment.

S Fjell · Rainwater and Urban Design · Global

This paper presents the concepts of "Cool Streets," "Green Streets," and "Water Wise Streets" to mitigate urban heat islands and create sustainable urban environments. Cool Streets reduce heat absorption, Green Streets promote improved air quality, stormwater management, and urban agriculture through vegetation. These multidisciplinary design approaches can achieve cost-effective Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) outcomes, and the concept has been implemented in Pentridge Village, Coburg, Victoria, Australia.

David W. Hughes, Daniel Eades, Kenneth L. Robinson, Carlos E. Carpio, Isengildina, Olga, Cheryl Brown, Hughes, David W., Eades, Daniel C., Robinson, Kenneth L., Carpio, Carlos E., Isengildina, Olga, Brown, Cheryl · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global

This paper critiques the current literature on local food systems, which are promoted for local economic growth and reduced environmental impact, but often lack rigorous analysis from a regional science perspective. Using the Porter Diamond framework, it discusses how regional science can analyze local food systems as an economic development tool and assesses their potential environmental benefits.

Viola Devasirvatham, P. S. Cornish · International Journal of Water · Australia

Peri-urban horticulture in Australia requires irrigation for year-round vegetable production. Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) offers higher water use efficiency and crop yields, with the potential to reduce environmental risks from drainage and runoff. However, SDI has potential disadvantages, including poor germination or crop establishment and uneven wetting patterns. Research is needed to solve these problems and enable environmentally acceptable vegetable production.

Mariama Diop, Toumani Sène · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Senegal (Dakar)

This study evaluated the impact of community gardens on food security and sustainable agricultural practices in urban Dakar. Participant surveys indicated a significant shift towards more sustainable agricultural practices, with over 70% of participants adopting at least one new gardening technique. The study highlights the potential for community gardens to improve food security and foster environmental stewardship among urban dwellers.

F Ortega Sastriques, Rosa Orellana Gallego · Revista ciencias técnicas agropecuarias · Global

In many cities, the high price and limited availability of potable water necessitate considering irrigation with poor quality water, such as saline or alkaline waters, in urban agriculture. This paper considers aspects of irrigation with poor quality water, including risks like contamination.

F Ortega Sastriques, Rosa Orellana Gallego · · Global

Due to high prices and limited availability of drinking water in many cities, urban agriculture will require the use of alternative water sources. Groundwater and surface currents near cities are typically polluted, and this paper points out aspects to consider for safe irrigation using sewage water.

Arjan van Timmeren, Daniel Sidler, Marleen Kaptein · Journal of Green Building · Europe

This paper is a case study of the integration of a combined wastewater/energy system into a semi-public building, the EVA Centre, within EVA Lanxmeer, a "deep green" district in Culemborg, the Netherlands, consisting of 250 houses, offices, and a City farm. The district lies in an ecologically sensitive drinking-water extraction and retention area, and the approach centres on closing nutrient, water, and carbon cycles and integrating energy generation with waste management using the concept of exergy. The core system is based on anaerobic digestion (treating black wastewater and garden/park waste) combined with Combined Heat and Power generation, alongside a four-storey double-skin-façade closed greenhouse with vertical "hanging gardens" that incorporates wastewater treatment based on the Living Machine concept for educational purposes, recovering surplus CO2 from the biogas plant and storing heat/cold in an underlying aquifer. This "Sustainable Implant" concept is described as connecting the residential district and the EVA Centre, and its inhabitants and visitors.

R. van Veenhuizen · Issue Lab (Candid) · Global

This publication defines urban agriculture as growing plants and raising animals for food within and around cities, along with related processing and marketing. It notes increased attention from development organizations and authorities in developing countries due to urban agriculture's role in poverty alleviation, food security, waste management, and greening. The work presents the "state of the art" of sustainable urban agriculture development, indicating progress since earlier major publications.