Research & reports

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) · Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) · United Kingdom

A technical note describing how the UK's MHCLG compiles official statistics on green belt land in England, collecting area figures as of 31 March each year from local authorities via the Annual Green Belt (AGB) return. The 2024-25 response rate was 99% across 177 local authorities, and prior-year area figures are subject to scheduled revisions.

European Environment Agency (EEA) · European Environment Agency (EEA) · Europe

According to this EEA indicator, water scarcity affected 28% of EU territory during at least one season in 2023. Although water abstraction fell 14% across the EU between 2000 and 2023, the area affected by water scarcity has not shrunk overall. Southern Europe experiences water scarcity year-round, with about 30% of the population in areas of permanent water stress and up to 70% in areas of seasonal summer stress; Cyprus and Malta are the most severely affected (seasonal WEI+ above 40%), with Greece, Romania, Portugal, Italy and Spain also notably affected in spring and summer.

· Viquipèdia (català) · Spain

According to Catalan Wikipedia, the irrigated farmland (horta) of Valencia took shape in the Middle Ages under Islamic rule through the construction of séquies (irrigation channels) and assuts (weirs). The main séquies of the Túria river have been governed since Islamic times by the Tribunal de les Aigües, inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2009. Eight séquies in the Vega de València draw water from the Túria and have historically supported orange, vegetable and rice cultivation, but many now run beneath houses and streets, with rice farming described as being in crisis as farmland is converted to housing.

Consell de la Generalitat Valenciana · Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV) / BOE · Spain

A decree-law issued by the Consell (Valencian regional government) on 4 February 2025, published 5 February 2025, amending the 2018 Huerta law and its implementing plan (Decreto 219/2018) to simplify administrative procedures for reconstruction following the 29 October 2024 DANA flooding. It abolishes the Huerta Council and chapters on agrarian development planning and farm inventories, and relaxes urban-planning parameters for agricultural buildings.

· Wikipedia (italiano) · Italy

An Italian Wikipedia article on marcite, a traditional Lombard irrigated-meadow technique combining supply and drainage channels on gently and evenly sloped land to keep grass growing through winter under a thin flowing water layer. While ordinary meadows are cut 4-5 times a year, marcite could be harvested 7 or more times, often 9, with the third cutting in late May (maggengo) alone accounting for roughly 25% of annual yield. Origins are uncertain, though Cistercian monks from France are credited with spreading the technique in northern Italy; it was largely replaced by maize cultivation in the 20th century, and today 41 marcite are protected within Parco Agricolo Sud Milano.

· Wikipedia (Italian) · Italy

Parco Nord Milano is a roughly 640-hectare regional park spanning seven municipalities north of Milan, recognized as a regional park by the Lombardy Region in 1975. It contains over 350 hectares of green space with more than 100 tree species and diverse wildlife, managed by a consortium of the participating municipalities. It serves as an example of large-scale peri-urban green infrastructure.

European Environment Agency · European Environment Agency (EEA) · Europe

This EEA indicator page defines water scarcity as river sub-basins where the water exploitation index plus (WEI+) exceeds 20% for at least a quarter of the year, tracking conditions across the EU27 from 2000 to 2023. The data combines EEA water quality monitoring, Eurostat abstraction and population statistics, and JRC river flow and climate data.

Kipelo A., Atibu E., Sivalingam P., Poté J. · Environmental Challenges · Democratic Republic of the Congo

The study sampled domestic and irrigation water at Kinshasa's main gardening sites and measured faecal indicator bacteria alongside toxic metal concentrations — addressing head-on the sanitary risk sitting under the city's market gardening, in the water that irrigates its vegetables. The publisher does not make the abstract openly available, so only the study's scope is recorded here.

Ricard Segura, Johannes Langemeyer, Alba Badía, Sergi Ventura, Jaime Vila-Traver, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Spain (Barcelona)

A study in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain, investigated the impacts of peri-urban agricultural expansion on the food-water-climate nexus using urban metabolism and atmospheric-biosphere models across four land-use scenarios. While expansion increased food production and irrigation water requirements, replacing natural non-forested and forest areas for peri-urban agriculture was predicted to reduce net ecosystem productivity by up to 18.5% and total carbon stocks by 3.3%. Irrigated peri-urban agriculture potentially reduced near-surface temperatures by 0.7°C, though reductions in the densest urban areas were minimal.

Ana Luisa Santos Rocha, Luly Rodrigues da Cunha Fischer · Revista de Direito Urbanístico Cidade e Alteridade · Brazil (Pará)

This action-research article, based on documentary sources, reports on legal solutions for land and urban issues in the Amazon, specifically for institutionalizing urban and peri-urban agriculture initiatives in Pará municipalities. It describes challenges for implementing the 2023 National Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Program in the Amazon and discusses municipal competence for territorial planning and land titling. The study concludes that agroforestry hubs and backyards can serve as land instruments for municipalities in Pará.

José Luis Chaves, Alexandre Boleira Lopo, G. M. OLIVEIRA, J. F. ARAÚJO, Luciano Sérgio Ventin Bomfim, J. A. CASTRO · Editora Científica Digital eBooks · Global

This systematic review investigated the viability of animal production in urban and peri-urban agriculture as a tool for food security, using the PRISMA methodology. The review found that while this practice offers benefits like domestic food security and income generation, it also presents negative aspects such as odors, noise, and the transmission of zoonoses. Public policies are needed to regulate the activity and minimize health risks.

Juan David Arosemena Polo, Susana Toboso‐Chavero, Biraj Adhikari, Gara Villalba · Waste Management · Spain (Barcelona)

This research determined the potential of organic municipal solid waste (OMSW) compost to supply nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) demand for urban agriculture (UA) and its environmental benefits in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain. Using spatial material flow analysis and life cycle assessment, it was found that the current waste management system could substitute 8% of total NPK demand with compost, reduce impacts by up to 39%, and yield 130% savings in global warming. A 2025 scenario could substitute 21% of NPK demand and reduce environmental impacts by up to 1,049%.

Adriana de Paula Cavalcante Fraga, Ana Moraes Coelho, Jéssica Castro Chryssafidis, José Geraldo Barreto Monteiro de Andrade, Maíra Bombachini Silva, Maria Luiza Sevilha Seraphico de Assis Carvalho, Mariana Nicolletti, Nathan Debortoli, Samuel Santos de Souza Pinto · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Brazil (Manaus)

A case study of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Manaus, Brazil, aimed to identify and characterize the benefits these agricultural initiatives provide to the territory. Using a hybrid methodology that combined biophysical modeling with listening to the voices of experienced protagonists, the study identified the significant potential of urban and peri-urban agriculture to contribute to city development. This research revealed the potential for urban agriculture to mitigate or solve typical urban problems.

Ashagrie Gibtan, Wondwosen Abera, Mekuria Delelegn, Molla Maru, Adamu Emiru · Ochrana prírody Slovenska/Ekológia · Ethiopia

Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) dynamics were analyzed in four Ethiopian cities—Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, and Adama—over 17 years from 2006 to 2022. SPOT 5 and Sentinel satellite imagery, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations were used. Findings revealed a rapid expansion of urban built-up areas, primarily at the expense of peri-urban horticultural lands, which has an adverse impact on the sustainability of urban agriculture.

Iara Rafaela Gomes · Sociedade & natureza · Brazil (Fortaleza)

This article aims to deepen the discussion about agricultural activity in metropolitan cities, focusing on the Fortaleza Metropolitan Area (FMA), Ceará, Brazil. Researchers reviewed primary and secondary data on producer profiles and agricultural and food processing establishments to understand family farming in the FMA. The study identified production strategies, challenges, and opportunities for family farmers, contributing to policy-making for the sustainability and resilience of metropolitan family farming.

Silvia Iveth Moreno Gaytán, Héctor Ávila Sánchez · Regiones y Desarrollo Sustentable · Mexico

This research, part of the "Towards food sustainability: Urban and peri-urban agriculture networks in Central Mexico" project, examines rural-urban interrelationships for the sustainability of urban and peri-urban agriculture. The analysis used the MESMIS framework for two case studies of new agroecology-derived markets that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, along with cartographic tools. The results identify the basket of goods offered by peri-urban territories to guide regions and food systems towards sustainability, aiming to strengthen the preservation of social and natural resources in the Central Region of Mexico.

Thayná da Cruz Ferreira, Gleiciane Rodrigues dos Santos, Alessandra Jackeline Guedes de Moraes, Fernando de Souza Santos, Danielle Pereira Mendonça, Matheus Yan Freitas Silva, Gledson Luiz Salgado de Castro, Telma Fátima Vieira Batista · Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental · Brazil

This study in Ananindeua, Brazil, evaluated the growth of Acmella oleracea (jambu) under protected and unprotected cultivation systems, applying entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae) and the growth promoter Trichoderma asperellum. All three microorganisms promoted jambu growth in both cultivation systems and seasons. Metarhizium anisopliae notably enhanced all growth variables, particularly in protected cultivation during the rainy season, and A. oleracea generally performed better in protected systems across all treatments.

Anila Kausar, Viola Vambol, Sergij Vambol, Saima Sultana Sharfi · International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology · Pakistan (Karachi)

This study conducted a Land Use Land Cover (LULC) analysis of Murad Memon Goth, a peri-urban area of Karachi, Pakistan, comparing data from 2013 and 2021. The results revealed a 9.6% increase in settlement sprawl, indicating significant encroachment on agricultural lands. Cropland area decreased from 38.86% in 2013 to 26.11% in 2021, highlighting a negative trend for peri-urban agriculture in the region.

Pierric Calenge, Maie Gérardot · Métropolitiques · United States (Cleveland)

The work by Max Rousseau and Vincent Béal illuminates the ambiguities of a policy that organizes urban decline and racial segregation in Cleveland. This policy promotes urban degrowth and racial segregation, balancing algorithmic management and urban greening. The study focuses on the Rust Belt region, which experiences de-urbanization marked by the subprime crisis, racism, and segregation.

María Amparo Gaona Flores, Martín Videla, Gerardo Serra, Luis Narmona, Jorge Gabriel Barbero, Milene Rocío Barcenilla, Evangelina Beatriz Argüello · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Argentina

This study evaluated botanical insecticides as a technological device for synthetic input substitution in peri-urban horticultural systems of central Argentina. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework was used to assess the performance of garlic extracts (GE) for pest and natural enemy regulation in lettuce crops in conventional and agroecological contexts. Through three PAR cycles, GE effectiveness on aphids, thrips, and natural enemies was observed, and context-specific adaptations were noted: GE was useful near harvest in conventional systems and highlighted biodiversity's relevance for system redesign in agroecological systems.

Myung‐Bok Lee, Daojian Chen, Fangyuan Liu, Fasheng Zou · Basic and Applied Ecology · China (Guangzhou)

This study investigated how spatial and temporal crop changes relate to bird diversity and traits in small peri-urban agricultural lands in Guangzhou, a sub-tropical city in China. Bird and crop data were collected approximately bimonthly from December 2021 to October 2022. Both overall crop diversity (alpha diversity) and seasonal crop changes (beta diversity) were positively associated with bird Shannon-Wiener diversity. Woody vegetation cover positively affected all three bird diversity indices, while plant/seed-eating bird abundance was negatively associated with alpha crop diversity, and ground-foraging bird abundance was positively associated with beta crop diversity.

Bacha Nesrine, Hadj Mohamed Naima · International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science · Algeria (Algiers)

Algerian cities face uncontrolled urbanization, with Algiers experiencing a reduction in agricultural area per inhabitant from 0.82 hectares in 1962 to 0.18 hectares in 2010. This study, using historical analyses, interviews, and field observations, assessed the integration of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Delly Ibrahim to restore ecological and economic balance and enhance local food security. Findings indicate that UPA can play a crucial role in mitigating negative urbanization effects by preserving agricultural land, ensuring secure local food supplies, and promoting environmentally friendly development.

Sanjay S. Waghmode, P M Mandavkar, Anand Suryavanshi, D D Sawant, S. S. Gitaje · Asian Research Journal of Agriculture · India (Raigad)

A study in the peri-urban area of Raigad District, India, surveyed 100 farmers using an ex-post facto research design and personal interviews. Findings showed that 62% of farmers were aged 40-58, 36% had secondary education, and 78% had a medium family size. Additionally, 60% had medium farming experience, 33% had marginal land holdings, and 36% were engaged in agriculture.

Letizia Pace, Jacopo Mughini Gras · River Publishers eBooks · Global

This chapter defines the peri-urban agricultural landscape as a "third territory" between urban and rural areas, characterized by traditional agriculture coexisting with emerging buildings. This landscape, located between urban borders and low-density rural areas, is fragmented with green patches surrounded by settlements, making it vulnerable to urban expansion and undermining a unique landscape image.

Fabián Adolfo Aguilera-Martínez, Fabián Alonso Sarmiento-Valdés, Juan José Castiblanco-Prieto · Ediciones Comunicación Científica eBooks · Colombia (Bogotá)

This 2024 interdisciplinary study examined transformation dynamics in urban fringe territories, focusing on Bogotá, Colombia, with cases in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Using participatory methodologies, it identified community participation, environmental management, territorial planning, and social empowerment as key transformative elements. Community workshops and projects like "Nuestra Casa, Nuestra Huerta" demonstrated the importance of collaborative design, public space recovery, and urban agriculture for sustainable urban fringe transformation.