Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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855 results(8 / 35)
Huertos urbanos, infraestructura verde y urbanismo: una relación histórica con capacidad renovadora
2025Carmen Blasco Sánchez, Francisco Juan Martínez Pérez · Ciudad y territorio: Estudios territoriales · Global
This paper explores the historical relationship between urban gardens, green infrastructure, and urban planning. Urban gardens, with a long tradition, are recognized as a valuable resource for sustainable urban development, addressing not only environmental needs but also social cohesion, food security, health, and economic incentives. The evolution of rural-urban relationships in urban planning culture presents a new challenge with urban gardens, necessitating a re-examination of the disciplinary path to clarify their potential in new forms of urban planning.
CommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceHealthA bibliometric analysis of food security and urbanization: insights and implications
2025Yujun Wei, Xiaokun Wei, Zhonghua Ye, Jie Fan · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Global
This study conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the intersection between Food Security and Urbanization (FSU) research. Using statistical, co-word, and social network analysis, it mapped the intellectual landscape and global collaboration networks. Findings revealed dominant contributions from the United States and China, and a key observation was the disconnect between urbanization and food security studies, underscoring the need for a more integrated approach. The study also showed that urbanization's impact on food security differs across developed and developing countries.
Food sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeA comprehensive review on microgreens: Nutritional value, cultivation, health benefits, and future perspectives
2025Aditi Sagar, Deepak Lall, Unnati Singh · International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research · Global
This review explores the nutritional profile, cultivation techniques, health benefits, applications, challenges, and future directions of microgreens. It discusses their role in sustainable agriculture, urban farming, and the food industry, highlighting their potential in promoting human health due to compounds like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic substances. The paper also provides an overview of their nutritional properties, a comparison with sprouts, potential bioactive compounds, and aspects related to cultivation, harvesting, marketing, and prospects.
HealthUrban–rural linkageFood educationClimate changeSustainability through innovation and creativity in educational landscape: A systematic literature review analysis
2025Mohammad Sultan Ahmad Ansari · Sustainable Futures · Global
A systematic literature review investigated how innovation and creativity support sustainability in an educational landscape. The review found that sustainability through innovation and creativity can foster societal changes and enable learners to address social and ecological issues. It also identified challenges in integrating multicultural society for achieving sustainability.
CommunityFood educationClimate changePráticas agroecológicas em franjas urbanas do Sul Global
2025Victória Pansani Silveira Maia, Sílvia Aparecida Mikami Gonçalves Pina · Periódico Técnico e Científico Cidades Verdes · Global
This case study analyzed urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) experiences in India (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam) and an agroforestry system in Campinas, Brazil, using literature review, document analysis, and participant observation. The study identified common obstacles to agroecological practices, including land tenure insecurity, real estate pressures, lack of specific public policies, and uneven community engagement. It also highlighted potentialities such as care networks and food resilience, emphasizing the need for institutional support and public policies.
Governance failurePeri-urban agricultureCommunityPolicyClimate changeEconomicsExploring the design and contributions of urban agroecosystem living labs for sustainable city development
2025Diego Alejandro Riaño-Herrera, Felipe A. Perdomo, Juanita Quintero-Castro, Alejandra García-Sánchez, Leonardo Rodríguez-Urrego · Sustainable Futures · Global
A content analysis and qualitative assessment of 34 urban agroecosystem living labs (UALLs) from academic and grey literature explored their design and contributions to sustainable city development. UALLs were found to boost agricultural productivity, food security, and community cohesion, while also supporting climate mitigation and waste reduction. However, the study noted that UALLs need to better align their strategies with SDGs and improve the measurement of their contributions.
CommunityBiodiversityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceConservation Strategies for Enhancing Urban Biodiversity: A Comprehensive Review
2025R. B. Meshram, RP Dalavi · International Journal of Biology Sciences · Global
This review synthesizes contemporary approaches to urban biodiversity conservation, focusing on green corridors, urban rewilding, and green infrastructure like rooftop and vertical gardens. It assesses the effectiveness, scalability, and limitations of these strategies through a comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed literature. The review indicates that strategically connected green spaces serve as critical habitats and that urban rewilding and rooftop gardens enhance ecological functions and habitat diversity.
BiodiversityClimate changeEnvironmental ethics under commercialization of urban agriculture
2025K I Safitri, Oekan S. Abdoellah, Budhi Gunawan, P Parikesit · Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics · Global
This qualitative study investigated the commercialization of urban agriculture and its influence on agricultural practices and environmental ethics, engaging 43 participants through observation, interviews, and documentation. Findings showed that global commercialization promotes policies for environmental sustainability, leading to aligned production methods. However, in local contexts, farmers cultivating sloped land without perennial crops often use artificial inputs and contaminated irrigation water, facing constraints from intermediaries.
Contamination & food safetyEconomicsPolicyClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDesign and implementation of outdoor home smart farming based on raspberry pi for home assistant management
2025Mohd Nazmin Maslan, Izzat Rafaie Ramli, Muhammad Hafidz Fazli Md Fauadi, Mohd Erdi Ayob, Mohamad Faizal Baharom, Ihwan Ghazali, Tia Tanjung · Multidisciplinary Science Journal · Global
This study designed and implemented an outdoor home smart farming system using Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, ESP32, sensors, and Home Assistant software to address challenges like limited skills and resources. The system efficiently monitored and analyzed farming parameters, resulting in water usage of only 0.16% and energy consumption of 0.64% compared to daily household use. It also reduced water usage for watering by up to 82.45%, demonstrating its capability to optimize resource use and enhance crop productivity.
DIYDigital agricultureClimate changeBalcony Environmental Monitoring & Plant Recommendation System Using IoT and Machine Learning
2025Pratham Kawade -, Mrunal Karkar -, Ritisha Mittal -, Neha Sathe · International Journal on Science and Technology · Global
This system utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller connected to DHT11 and soil moisture sensors to capture real-time data on temperature, humidity, and soil wetness. Data transmitted via MQTT protocol to a Flask-based web server is processed by a RandomForestClassifier model, trained on twelve sequential readings per sensor, to suggest the top five crops and monitor plant health against predefined optimal thresholds. Alerts are generated when deviations are detected, and the system is deployed on cloud platforms like Render.
DIYDigital agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justicePsychological and Environmental Impacts of Climate Change in Villages around the Mutanda Mining Site (Lualaba Province, Democratic Republic of Congo)
2025Yvon Mwengwe Muhongo, Eric Nice Nshembe Chishungu · Journal of Advanced Psychology · Democratic Republic of Congo
This study investigated the psychological and environmental impacts of climate change and mining degradation in villages surrounding the Mutanda Mining site in Lualaba province, Democratic Republic of Congo, using a mixed-methods approach. Findings reveal that proximity to the mining site is a major determinant of ecological deterioration and psychological distress. Villages within 5 km of the site showed higher environmental degradation, stronger perceptions of climate change, and significantly elevated eco-anxiety and ecological stress levels. Community resilience mechanisms such as social support, community gardens, and local ecological restoration initiatives partially mitigate psychological impacts.
Environmental trade-offsCommunityHealthClimate changeOptimizing Artificial Soil Mixes for Urban Green Spaces: Plant Growth and Carbon Sequestration Balance
2025Minseo Kim, J. Cho, Hyo Min Kim · Journal of people, plants, and environment · Global
This study developed and assessed four artificial soil mixes (ASMs) using eight common materials to optimize plant growth and carbon reduction in urban green spaces. ASM_A showed comparable or superior plant growth to control soil, attributed to high organic matter and cation exchange capacity. ASM_D had the highest carbon content (27.60 wt%) for long-term sequestration but was limited in early plant growth due to lower nitrogen and phosphate.
Climate changeBiodiversityOrganic cycleIOT Enables Remote Control Smart Garden with Solar System
2025V. Lakshmi Srinija, M Raju, P. Srinu Vasarao · International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management (IRJAEM) · Global
This paper presents the design and implementation of an IoT-enabled remote control smart garden powered by a solar energy system. The system automates essential gardening tasks such as irrigation, soil moisture monitoring, temperature and humidity control, and real-time surveillance, operating independently of conventional power sources. Through sensors and a cloud platform, users can remotely monitor and control garden operations via a mobile or web application.
Digital agricultureDIYCommunityClimate changeQuiet right to the city: contributing to urban sustainability by converging allotment and community gardens
2025Michaela Pixová, Christina Plank · Environmental Sociology · Czechia (Prague, Brno)
This paper compared the roles of allotment and community gardens in urban sustainability, using Prague and Brno, Czechia, as case studies. It analyzed perceptions of both by municipal actors, gardeners, and activists across four dimensions: public access to urban greenery, community building, food cultivation, and environment/climate protection. The paper argues that governments' preference for gardens aligned with the status quo undermines citizens' right to the city, urban sustainability, and resilience against future threats.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeUrban Farming Towards Enhancing Food Security in Highly Urbanized Cities in the Philippines, A Community Sustainability Response
2025PhD HSG Eunice Mareth Querol Areola, Dacones Galit Dacones · Journal of Sustainable Community Development (JSCD) · Philippines
This study used comparative data to examine small and medium-scale urban farming, including community gardens, rooftop farms, and backyard gardens, in highly urbanized cities in the Philippines. It focused on the effects on food insecurity, daily spending, and environmental sustainability at the household level, without performing life-cycle analysis of agricultural systems. The study highlighted the short-term and local effects of urban farming on the selected cities' social and economic difficulties and the area's sustainability.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeImportance of Small-Scale Food Crop Models in Urban and Peri-Urban Contexts
2025Hernán José Hernández Durán · Asian Journal of Science Technology Engineering and Art · Global
This study points out that small-scale food production within urban and peri-urban environments can decrease dependence on external food sources, support environmental sustainability, bolster local economies, and improve urban residents’ quality of life. However, the implementation of urban agriculture faces considerable challenges, including limited access to cultivable land, inadequate infrastructure, and regulatory constraints. Focusing on San Miguel, El Salvador, this article explores the role and impact of urban agriculture in addressing food insecurity and provides strategic recommendations to enhance urban resilience and sustainability.
Food sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsHealthCommunityPeri-urban agricultureLow Carbon Adaptation through Community Composting
2025Wang, Junrong · Digital Commons - RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) · Global
This project uses landscape architecture to reduce carbon emissions from restaurants by implementing compost gardens that shorten compost transportation routes. These gardens, placed on roofs and at ground-level, create new local food sources to replace distant shipments and provide materials for organic pesticides, reducing carbon-intensive VOC emissions. The compost gardens are integrated into existing parking lots and vacant lots, forming a community garden network.
CompostCommunityClimate changeFood miles & supply chainLes sols agricoles urbains
2025Sophie Joimel, Tania DE ALMEIDA, Baptiste Grard · · Global
Urban soils are characterized by high heterogeneity and diverse source materials, leading to a wide range of physical, physicochemical, and biological properties. These soils support diverse forms of urban agriculture and can provide various ecosystem services beyond their productive function.
Organic cycleBiodiversityClimate changeUrban African food systems as sites of challenges and opportunities for household food equity and resilience
2025Corrie Hannah, Jordan Blekking, Julia Davies, Jane Battersby, Allan Chilenga, Dorcas Kabuya, Percy Toriro · Ecology and Society · Zambia
This empirical case study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected urban food systems (UFS) in 14 Zambian cities, using household survey data from 2019, 2020, and 2021. Descriptive and regression analyses assessed household food sourcing, including urban agriculture. Households from diverse socioeconomic quartiles faced similar food security challenges but coped differently based on capacities and resources, indicating a lack of equitable outcomes. Smaller and remote cities sourced food from open-air markets, vendors, and urban agriculture, while more connected cities used local shops.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomicsClimate changeCommunitySmart Farming: Enhancing Urban Agriculture Through Predictive Analytics and Resource Optimization
2025Eman Aldhahri, Abdulwahab Ali Almazroi, Monagi H. Alkinani, Nasir Ayub, Elham Alghamdi, Nourah Fahad Janbi · IEEE Access · Global
This study proposes ResXceNet-HBA, a novel classification model for crop health prediction and stress assessment in urban agriculture. The model integrates ResNet blocks, Xception modules, and HBA-optimized parameters, along with data handling techniques like WICL, LFS, and AFD. ResXceNet-HBA achieved 98.5% accuracy, 98.2% precision, 98.7% recall, and 98.4% F1-Score, outperforming ResNet, CNN, and Inception V2, and executed faster in 50.9 seconds.
Digital agricultureClimate changeUrban food forests: Seeing the fruit for the trees - A systematic quantitative literature review and emerging research gaps
2025H.J. Thwaites, Jungho Suh, G.M. Coote, Melissa Nursey‐Bray, Timothy R. Cavagnaro, M.J. Salomon · Journal of Cleaner Production · Global
This systematic quantitative literature review explores urban food forests, defined as woody food-producing species in urban landscapes, identifying their realized and potential impacts across ecosystem services, food security, health, society, and culture. The research found that urban food forests are highly valued for providing local foods and medicine, as well as regulating services, and contribute to biodiversity, economic and social inclusivity, and human well-being. The review highlights urban planning and design as a central research theme and identifies a need for more quantitative research and integration into local legislation.
BiodiversityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceHealthRedefining the nutrition paradigm for a sustainable future: the meating point for a harmonious coexistence
2025Daniel Borer, Daniel Fuller, Manjit Singh Sandhu, Duy‐Tung Bui · Social Responsibility Journal · Global
This conceptual paper introduces the Pancentric Nutrition Paradigm, an interdisciplinary framework integrating human nutrition, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, and societal considerations for global food systems. It identifies four strategies for sustainable food systems: implementing urban agriculture and agro-zoos, introducing a meat carbon tax (€0.10 per kg CO2e), promoting ostrich farming, and developing policy pathways. The study suggests the pancentric approach can harmonize competing interests in food systems.
HealthClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageSustainable cities: enhancing food systems with urban agriculture
2025Zafar Tabrez · Discover Food · Global
Urban agriculture contributes to urban sustainability by supporting food production, income generation, waste recycling, preventing urban sprawl, preserving biodiversity, and enhancing resilience and local economies. Achieving sustainable implementation requires integrating urban farming into urban planning processes and developing specific policies. Incorporating urban gardening into urban planning and strengthening it with policies enhances its sustainability, improves food security, raises awareness, reduces poverty, and improves food systems. Additionally, urban gardens mitigate urban heat islands, waste, and air pollution, improve health, and foster social connections, with organic agriculture boosting biodiversity and urban food production reducing CO2 emissions.
CommunityPolicyHealthClimate changeUrban Agriculture as a Catalyst for Food Security and Sustainability in Ghana's Rapidly Urbanizing Cities
2025Christian Kofi Sarpong, Romanus Dogkubong Dinye, Alex Donbeinaa, Vera Nyarko Amoako · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Ghana
This study assessed the role of urban agriculture in Ghanaian cities through a systematic literature review of publications from 2000 to 2024. Urban agriculture was found to significantly contribute to food security, nutrition, and income, and to bolster environmental sustainability. However, challenges such as land tenure insecurity, unsafe irrigation practices, weak institutional support, and limited policy integration persist.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsHealthOrganic cyclePolicyCommunityDemystifying the integration of hydroponics cultivation system reinforcing bioeconomy and sustainable agricultural growth
2025Anwesha Chatterjee, Proma Ghosh, Bastian Winkler, V Vijayaragavan, Sanjit Debnath, Jedrzej Cichocki, Marielle Trenkner, Bilitis Vanicela, Christoph Riethmueller, Monte Walz, Suhrid Chandra, Harshata Pal · Scientia Horticulturae · Global
This in-depth review explores the integration of hydroponics cultivation systems, reinforcing bioeconomy and sustainable agricultural growth. Hydroponics is a promising urban farming approach due to its high resource-use and land-use efficiency, enabling year-round production of high-quality fresh foods with less water, nutrients, and pesticides compared to soil-based methods. Recent studies focus on optimizing hydroponics for biofortification in indoor cultivation and integrating municipal wastewater treatment for nutrient and water recovery.
DIYUrban–rural linkageClimate change