Research & reports

Yuni Arianti, Ridlwan Muttaqin · Jurnal Dinamika Ekonomi Syariah · Global

This paper focuses on formulating development strategies for Kioschebibit, a micro-enterprise specializing in plant seedling supply, using the Business Model Canvas (BMC) approach alongside a SWOT analysis. A qualitative descriptive case study revealed Kioschebibit’s strengths in product variety, competitive pricing, and social media marketing, but noted challenges in distribution reach and digital marketing execution. External opportunities like gardening trends and green initiatives present substantial growth potential, though threats such as extreme weather and raw material fluctuations must be addressed. By integrating BMC and SWOT frameworks, this study proposes an adaptive and data-driven entrepreneurship strategy as a foundation for sustainable business development.

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.

Marie Claire Uwase, Jean de Dieu Uwimana · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Rwanda (Kigali)

This article develops a theoretical framework to analyze how digital land registries in Rwanda, specifically in Kigali's peri-urban areas, mediate women's access to formal agricultural credit. The framework posits that despite formal legal equality, digitization can paradoxically solidify existing patriarchal biases within credit assessment algorithms. It reveals that digital land governance is not a neutral solution for gendered credit gaps and can entrench barriers to women's financial inclusion in peri-urban agriculture by systematically undervaluing women's communal land use practices as collateral.

Vazoumana Koné · Uirtus · Côte d’Ivoire

In Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, market gardening is widespread, but the Master Plan of Greater Abidjan does not allocate specific spaces for these crops. This forces producers to use unsuitable areas like flood-prone lowlands. A study of 45 market gardeners found that they employ various social practices to legitimize their activities and maintain their presence in urban spaces despite the lack of official land allocation.

Anass El-Aabssi, Abdelhadi Assir · Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology) · Morocco

This study assessed the potential integration of Intelligent Irrigation Systems (IIS) across four agricultural categories in Morocco—protected agriculture, traditional open-field farming, urban agriculture, and natural ecosystems—for sustainable water management. The evaluation considered infrastructural readiness, technological compatibility, economic feasibility, environmental impact, and social consequences. Findings indicated that traditional open-field farming, which accounts for 85% of cultivated area and 70% of irrigation water, holds the greatest potential for water savings, up to 70%, through precision irrigation technology.

Guilherme Raj, Giuseppe Feola · Local Environment · Portugal

This study longitudinally examines labor in three Portuguese community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives to reconstruct the trajectory of labor diversification over several years. The analysis shows that the CSA setup led to labor diversification in all three case studies. Findings suggest that "community" is an emergent property rather than an inherent quality of CSA, and that empowerment and disempowerment dynamics are crucial in diversifying work relations.

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.

Noryana Ahmad Khusaini, Munifah Siti Amira Yusuf · Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository (Universiti Putra Malaysia) · Global

This review examines the significance of digital record-keeping in urban agriculture, focusing on its impact on efficiency, productivity, market access, economic benefits, sustainability, and environmental benefits. The review identifies challenges such as a lack of digital skills, high implementation costs, inadequate technological infrastructure, limited connectivity, data privacy, and security. These challenges hinder the adoption of digitalization in urban agriculture.

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.

Diego Roldán · Revista Kawsaypacha Sociedad y Medio Ambiente · Argentina (Rosario)

This article explores how urban agriculture in Rosario, Argentina, challenges hegemonic discourses on landscape and territory, offering insights to rethink green public spaces. The study uses critical interpretation of documents, key informant interviews, and direct observation of agroecological initiatives. It investigates the origins of urban agriculture and its links to economic crises and peripheries, analyzing the historical dissociation between aesthetic-recreational and production-environmental imaginaries in green public spaces. The article addresses the potential of agroecological fairs and park-gardens to integrate agroecology and public space, aiming to reassemble nature-city relationships.

Yosra Abduljalel Alajeli, Gunavathy Selvarajh · Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies · Global

This qualitative desk research investigated urban farming's economic, environmental, and societal impacts on sustainable economic development. Findings indicate urban farming enhances local economies, provides fresh produce, strengthens community engagement, and promotes green infrastructure. However, its broader adoption is hindered by limited land access, inadequate legislative support, and low public awareness.

Rosmiza Mohd Zainol, R. Zaimah, M.S. Sarmila, Aizan Sofia Amin, Lahvinnya Loganathan · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · Malaysia (Selangor)

This quantitative study surveyed 56 People with Disabilities (PWDs) in urban community gardens at a Community Rehabilitation Centre in Selangor to identify factors influencing their participation in urban regenerative agriculture. Using a Likert scale questionnaire, descriptive analysis showed high levels for individual, economic, and environmental factors. This suggests urban regenerative agriculture has potential as an economic and social empowerment platform for PWDs.

Ioana Florea · Environmental Sociology · Romania

This paper investigated three collective gardening projects in Bucharest that closed between 2019 and 2021, analyzing what remains of their sustainability capacities and commoning efforts after termination. Findings indicate that while essential commoning aspects like collectivity building and autonomy can endure and transfer to other spaces, cross-class aspects fade away with these transpositions. This reveals that what persists from closed gardening projects is strongly tied to structural historical contexts.

Ivana Blešić, Tamara Gajić, Татjana Pivac, Milka Bubalo Živković · Ekonomika poljoprivrede · Serbia

This study collected data from 473 residents in three cities in Vojvodina, Serbia, using a structured survey to examine factors influencing urban gardening intentions. It found that all motivational factors significantly predicted intention, with psychological well-being being the strongest predictor, followed by healthy food, physical well-being, community engagement, and economic benefits. Women showed higher intentions than men, while younger adults (18–24) were less motivated to engage in urban gardening.

Sara Ramezani, Mahin Nastaran, Homayoon Nooraie, Kei Otsuki · Journal of Landscape Ecology · Iran

A study investigating urban agriculture land use changes in Damavand, Iran, from 1995 to 2022 found a 109% increase in built-up land and declines of 14.34% in barren land and 22.44% in vegetation, including urban agriculture lands. Interviews with 15 participants identified land value changes, attraction to urban livelihoods, management and planning factors, physical-environmental factors, and urban infrastructure availability as primary reasons for these changes. The research highlights the urgent need for effective planning to mitigate threats from extensive urban agriculture transformations.

Elizabeth C. Ray, Patrick Merle · Journal of Applied Communications · Global

This study, an online between-subjects experiment, examined how consumers (n=182) respond to narrative versus non-narrative email messages from CSAs. Results indicated that consumers who read a short narrative were more likely to feel positive emotion, a communal connection to the farm, and support the farm than those who did not read a narrative. Additionally, a first-person perspective was viewed as less credible than a third-person perspective.

Diksha Pathania, Indu Kumari, Neha Salaria, Suresh Kumar, Rajesh Kumar · Waste Management · Global

This chapter provides an overview of vermicomposting, a sustainable and eco-friendly waste management practice that uses earthworms to convert organic waste into nutrient-rich compost. Vermicomposting has been gaining popularity as a way to reduce the environmental impact of waste disposal and promote sustainable agriculture. This method is suitable for various applications, including urban agriculture, landscaping, and horticulture, and can offer both environmental and economic benefits.

Johannes Bhanye, Abraham R. Matamanda, Ruvimbo Shayamunda · Discover Global Society · Zimbabwe

In Lydiate informal settlement in peri-urban Zimbabwe, Malawian migrants mobilize insurgent practices, including informal land seizures, spiritual claims, and communal strategies, to access land for farming. Access to land for urban and peri-urban farming remains a significant hurdle, especially for marginalized migrants. Migrants invoke divine ownership narratives, Nyau cult practices, and witchcraft deterrence as tactical tools for defending seized land.

Lyons, Jennifer, Davies, Anna, Gallagher, Daisy · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ireland (Dublin)

This report provides sustainability impact scenarios for Food Sharing Initiatives (FSIs) in Dublin city. Combining CULTIVATE’s Food Sharing Map and Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) data submitted by FSIs, it offers low, average, and high estimations of the sustainability impacts created by FSIs. The impact indicators presented are only a subset of total impacts, and estimations will become more accurate as more FSIs submit SIA data.

Temitope Ruth Adeyemi, A. Patrick Henry, David Adetayo Olorunjuwon, Olajide Isaac Oyedele · International journal of research and scientific innovation · Global

This paper defines urban agriculture as food production, processing, distribution, and sale within urban, suburban, and peri-urban areas for various purposes, and the food system as encompassing all related value-adding activities. It highlights that urban agriculture and food systems provide social, economic, community, and health benefits, addressing food security challenges. The paper concludes that urban agriculture is a tool for sustainable city development, encouraging policymakers to map initiatives for planning purposes.

Andreas Wesener, Shannon Davis, Guanyu Chen · Urban Planning · New Zealand (Christchurch)

This study explored strategic spatial opportunities for improving access to and distribution of locally produced food, using urban community gardens in Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, as a case study. GIS analysis was used to examine spatial accessibility to urban community gardens and associated socio-demographic factors, in comparison to commercial food outlets. The results indicated that the method is useful for examining spatial accessibility, and that urban community gardens in Christchurch are mainly located in more deprived areas, with walkable access provided to about one-fifth of the city’s total population.

Edwin Villagrán, John Javier Espitia, Jader Rodríguez, Linda Gomez, Gina Marcela Amado Saavedra, E.J. Baeza, Cruz Ernesto Aguilar-Rodríguez, Jorge Flores-Velázquez, Mohammad Akrami, Rodrigo Gil, Luis Alejandro Arias · Sustainability · Global

This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of artificial lighting technologies in greenhouses and protected agriculture, examining scientific publications from the Scopus database between 1974 and 2024. It found a significant increase in research over the last two decades, with the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and China leading in scientific output. Key trends include the use of specific light spectra (red and blue) and the integration of LED systems with digital sensors, though adoption in developing countries like Colombia remains in early stages.

Mokhdum Azam Mashrafi, Mokhdum Azam Mashrafi · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

This project aims to establish an integrated, eco-friendly system for fish culture, vegetable cultivation, fruit gardening, and animal farming within and around cities, towns, villages, highways, and agricultural zones. The system utilizes drain-type artificial lakes, fenced culture units, water recycling mechanisms, climate-control methods, and energy-efficient technologies to ensure high production even in challenging environments. The project emphasizes food security, urban sustainability, youth employment, environmental protection, and efficient land use.

Huihua Yang, Mohammed Mahdi Hussein, Roziya Binti Ibrahim, RAN LYU · Environmental Research Communications · Global

This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 3,089 publications from 2000 to 2024 from the Web of Science database, focusing on urban edible landscapes. Using tools like CiteSpace and R, the research identified hotspots, knowledge structures, and emerging trends in the field. The analysis highlights the multifaceted impacts of edible landscapes on urban ecosystems and residents' well-being, emphasizing their role in urban sustainability.