Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
3701 results(84 / 149)
The plurality of urban agriculture models
2019Mathilde Martin-Moreau, David Ménascé · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Global
The global resurgence of urban agriculture since the early 2000s manifests in diverse forms, ranging from high-tech controlled environments to low-tech intensive organic micro-market farming. These models are implemented in both developed and emerging economies, adapting to various local contexts like community gardens, rooftops, and vertical farms.
CommunityDIYAquaponics: a positive impact circular economy approach TO feeding cities
2019Steven Beckers · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Belgium (Brussels)
The Abattoir Farm in Brussels, Belgium, established in 2015 on the roof of Foodmet, is BIGH's first full-scale production site. This project utilizes an aquaponic production system, linking fish-farming tanks to greenhouses for growing plants, recreating a natural ecosystem in an artificial environment. The system produces minimal waste, requires limited energy inputs, and delivers positive environmental impacts, while providing city consumers with year-round access to quality, locally sourced products such as tomatoes, fish, herbs, and berries.
EconomicsCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceTHE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND URBAN AGRICULTURE
2019Cvijetin Živanović, Miroslav Nedeljković · AKADEMSKI PREGLED · Global
This paper focuses on agricultural urbanism, using urban agriculture as a sustainable approach to food production, preparation, processing, and distribution in cities. Analytical methods like analysis, abstraction, and specialization, along with synthetic methods including synthesis, concretization, and generalization, were employed. The results indicate that, in most cases, industrialization and its growing social problems are the primary causes of disturbed human behavior, broken community ties, disrupted traditions, and increased crime and fear among people.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageClimate changeUsing Edible Plant and Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA) to Strengthen the Thermal Performance of Extensive Green Roofs in Subtropical Urban Areas
2019Yi-Yu Huang, Tien-Jih Ma · Energies · Global
This study conducted a four-stage field experiment on a dormitory's flat rooftop in a subtropical climate during summer to measure the surface temperature and heat amplitude reduction of extensive green roofs using edible plants (Ipomoea batata) and lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA). Roofs with Ipomoea batata showed a significantly higher passive-cooling effect than those without, and roofs with 10%–40% LECA exhibited a slightly higher cooling effect than those with conventional garden soil. The combined effects of LECA and Ipomoea batata significantly reduced the bare rooftop's average temperature by an additional 10.19 °C.
Climate changeHealthSustainable Urban Design in Singapore
2019· International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) · Singapore
Singapore has achieved significant progress in sustainable urban design, contributing less than 0.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions and being recognized as Asia's greenest metropolis. The country has applied 21st-century technological innovations to enhance sustainability in areas such as transportation, energy, building, water, and urban farming.
PolicyClimate changeUrban–rural linkageSmarthoods: Aquaponics Integrated Microgrids
2019Florijn de Graaf, Simon Goddek · · Global
This research proposes integrating a neighborhood microgrid with a decoupled multi-loop aquaponics facility to enhance self-sufficiency and flexibility. This "Smarthood" concept, connecting Food–Water–Energy flows, significantly improves microgrid performance. The integration achieved 95.38% power and 100% heat self-sufficiency due to the flexibility of thermal mass, pumps, and lighting systems.
Digital agricultureClimate changeEconomicsAgricultura Urbana y Periurbana. Reconfiguraciones territoriales y potencialidades en torno a los sistemas alimentarios urbanos
2019Héctor Ávila Sánchez · Investigaciones Geográficas Boletín del Instituto de Geografía · Global
This study analyzed the impact and potential of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) on urban food systems, focusing on cities in Western Europe, North America, and Latin America. It concluded that while UPA practices have increased, their presence in urban food systems remains limited, and their consideration in territorial public policies is still marginal. In developed countries, its impact has been primarily therapeutic, landscape-related, and for heritage preservation, while in poorer countries, it has contributed to self-sufficiency for low-income urban populations, public space recovery, social fabric strengthening, and community development.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicyEconomicsDiseño de un modelo de agricultura urbana para el desarrollo de huertos familiares
2019Cindy Carolina Ortiz Franco, kleber Bajaña Avarado · · Ecuador
A study was conducted in the Atahualpa parish, Santa Elena province, Ecuador, on the design of an urban agriculture model for family garden development. The investigation was carried out through documentary research, comprising stages of diagnosis via surveys and interviews with council managers, approach, theoretical proposal based on survey results, methodological procedure, analysis, and conclusions on project viability. The diagnosis determined that farmers are interested in participating in the implementation of the urban agriculture proposal designed for the Atahualpa parish to improve food security and nutrition in families.
DIYFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsOrganic cycleBuilding on the inherent strengths of green space environments: Promoting trust, democracy, and resilience among ethnically diverse groups
2019August John Hoffman · Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community · Global
This quasi-experimental study examined the psychosocial and ecological impact of community service activities utilizing green space environments, such as community gardens, labyrinths, and urban forestry programs, on individual perceptions of community service learning programs and associated democratic processes. Sixteen volunteers subjectively reported their experiences, including appreciating living things, experiencing kinship with plants and animals, and a sense of belonging to nature, through engagement with various green spaces. Participants were interviewed on how these experiences shaped their views on the importance of nature and green spaces in urban settings and influenced their personal perceptions of belongingness and connectedness to both their communities and nature.
CommunityHealthWarranting the Need for Community Gardens: Improving Food Security and Community Health in Urban Areas
2019Rachel Helling · · Global
This study is a Teaching and Learning Department capstone project that warrants the need for community gardens in low-income communities.
CommunityHealthWelfareDiversidad de especies arbóreas en escenarios de la agricultura urbana en el municipio de Pinar del Río
2019Lisandra Hernández Guanche, Yoerlandy Santana Baños, Armando Acosta Hernández, Armando del Busto Concepción · Revista Cubana de Ciencias Forestales: CFORES · Cuba
A study was conducted in the Vial Colon organoponics system in Pinar del Rio municipality, Cuba, to determine the diversity of arboreal species. Inventories were performed in each organoponics system to count individuals per species, followed by taxonomic identification and calculations of absolute frequency and abundance. The research identified 37 arboreal species belonging to 26 botanical families, with Fabaceae being the most represented and Persea americana Mill. and Moringa oleifera Lam. being the most abundant.
BiodiversityCommunityGrowing Food in the City: Urban Agriculture in Quito, Ecuador, through a Feminist Lens
2019Laine Young · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Ecuador (Quito)
This preliminary research brief explores the potential of using intersectional experiences and feminist political ecology to assess urban agriculture (UA) programming in Quito, Ecuador. It suggests this approach can influence increased access to nutritious food for marginalized people, promote equality and inclusion, and improve urban environments.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justicePolicyDevelopment of Smart Farming Technologies in Malaysia
2019Gabriel Wei En Wee, Haritharan Devanthran · TEST Engineering & Management · Malaysia
This paper explored the development and adoption of smart farming technologies in Malaysia through a meta-analysis of worldwide scientific literature and perspectives from experienced farmers. Research on smart farming in Malaysia began in 1999, with "Internet of Things" identified as the most researched technology. The development trend points towards urban farming solutions and sustainable agriculture.
Digital agricultureClimate changeUrban–rural linkageModelo de agricultura familiar urbano como estrategia de integración social y desarrollo sustentable en la institución agrícola Guacavia
2019Nury Katherine Da Graca Vega, Jessica Johana Roman Torres · · Colombia
This work was carried out within the framework of a research project focused on developing an urban family agriculture model as a strategy for social integration and economic development for less favored strata in Cumaral municipality, Colombia. Urban family agriculture is presented as a social development proposal that links individual needs with the use of urban spaces, fostering sustainable ecological, economic, cultural, and social activities.
CommunityWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsINTERACTIVE EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS ON GROWTH AND YIE LD OF HYBRID CAPSICUM (Capsicum annuum L.) IN ROOF TOP GARDEN
2019Md. Khalid Mahmud, Md. Forhad Hossain, Sk Monirul Islam, Asraf Ali, Md. Taslim Hossain · Big Data In Agriculture · Bangladesh (Dhaka)
An experiment conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from October 2017 to March 2018, investigated the interactive effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on hybrid capsicum growth and yield in a rooftop garden. Three nitrogen levels (0, 100, 130 kg N ha-1) and three phosphorus levels (0, 50, 80 kg P2O5 ha-1) were applied. The combination of 130 kg N ha-1 and 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 significantly increased plant height, fruit diameter, fruit length, and fruit yield, suggesting optimal fertilizer application for enhanced growth and yield.
DIYOrganic cycleA Case Study on the Farming Experience to Spread the Value of Urban Agriculture
2019Kim Gokmi, Ahn Jia · The International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology · Global
This study aimed to analyze the significance and types of urban agriculture, examine domestic and foreign cases, and seek development directions for urban agriculture. It notes that urban agriculture is taking hold in the West due to concerns over global warming, food safety, and urbanites seeking health and relaxation. The research plans to present development measures and conduct follow-up research for safe food.
Food educationCommunityClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEl cubio como una alternativa productiva sostenible en condiciones de agricultura urbana de Bogotá
2019Santiago Manuel Sáenz Torres, Alfredo López, Lena Prieto, Tulio Rodríguez · Equidad y Desarrollo · Colombia (Bogotá)
The production potential of cubio (Tropaeolum tuberosum), an Andean native root vegetable, was investigated under urban agricultural conditions in Bogotá. Cubio was found to be highly nutritious, exhibit good performance under adverse edaphoclimatic conditions, show tolerance to pests and diseases, and yield excellent quality and productivity. Production was higher with organic fertilization compared to conventional chemical fertilizers.
DIYOrganic cycleEconomicsEstrategia educomunicativa para la visibilidad de los procesos de agricultura urbana de la Huerta Guerreros y Guerreras Unidos en acción de la Localidad de Suba - Bogotá
2019Rubén Darío Peña Chacón, Viviana Alejandra Vergel Rojas · · Colombia (Bogotá)
This project implemented an educommunicative strategy through a communication piece to promote the visibility and recognition of the "Guerreros y Guerreras Unidos en Acción" urban garden in Fontanar del Río, Suba, Bogotá. The garden strengthens social fabric, offers cultivation activities and urban agriculture training, and aims to share knowledge on good practices for organic food cultivation for self-consumption and as a business option. The goal is to make the garden's urban agriculture processes and organic products visible in Bogotá, demonstrating how environmental actions can foster social cohesion, good food practices, business opportunities, and coexistence.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceThe second green revolution: Innovative urban agriculture's contribution to food security and sustainability – A review
2019Dian Triastari Armanda, Jeroen B. Guinée, Arnold Tukker · Global Food Security · Global
This review examined emerging innovative urban agriculture (IUA) practices, revitalized since 2010 by scientific knowledge and agricultural technology. It assessed IUA's potential contribution to food security and environmental sustainability by comparing scientific literature and actual data from eighteen practitioners worldwide. The most productive IUA practice can yield up to 140 kg of vegetables per m2/year, indicating IUA's potential to support local food supply, strengthen the food value chain, and apply more sustainable practices for global food security.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeDigital agricultureCollections of botanical gardens - a modern practice of conserving and studying the diversity of the plant world
2019К. Г. Ткаченко · HORTUS BOTANICUS · Global
Botanical institutions should create and maintain diverse plant collections, including local flora, ethnobotanical knowledge, and carpological collections, for research and education. These collections can inform urban gardening and floristics, but it is crucial to evaluate the invasive potential of introduced species to prevent their spread in the region's flora.
Food educationBiodiversityHeirloom & landraceDESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SMART VERTICAL GARDEN SYSTEM FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE INITIATIVE IN MALAYSIA
2019Munirah Hayati Hamidon, Samsuzana Abd Aziz, Tofael Ahamed, MUHAMMAD RAZIF MAHADI · Jurnal Teknologi · Malaysia
This research designed a compact smart vertical garden system for urban agriculture in Malaysia and analyzed the growth performance of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) within it, comparing it to a commercial conventional hydroponic system. The bottom stack of lettuce in the vertical garden showed maximum height, highest leaf count, and width, though only height had a significant difference across stacks (P < 0.0001). No significant difference was found between the smart vertical garden system and the conventional hydroponic system for lettuce height, number of leaves, or leaf width.
Digital agricultureDIYEconomicsThe School-Plus-Home Gardens Project in the Philippines: A Participatory and Inclusive Model for Sustainable Development
2019Bessie M. Burgos, Henry Custodio, Shun-Nan Chiang, Anna Gale C. Vallez, Elson Ian Nyl Ebreo Galang, Maria Katrina R. Punto, Leila S. Africa, Blesilda M. Calub · · Philippines
The School-Plus-Home Gardens Project (S+HGP) was implemented in six pilot schools in Laguna province, Philippines, through a collaboration of SEARCA, UPLB, and DepEd. This project focused on nutrition, education, and economic well-being by providing school garden harvests for school feeding programs and establishing food gardens in children's homes. The S+HGP demonstrated the multi-functionality of school gardens as learning laboratories for sustainability, food and nutrition, organic agriculture, climate change, and solid waste management.
Food educationCommunityHealthWelfareEfeito de três bioestimulantes no comportamento morfológico e produtivo da cultura do rabanete (Raphanus sativus L.)
2019Alexander Calero Hurtado, Yanery Pérez Díaz, Kolima Peña Calzada, Elieni Quintero Rodríguez, Dilier Olivera Viciedo · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Cuba (Sancti Spíritus)
An experiment in Sancti Spíritus, Cuba, from February to April 2016, evaluated the effect of three bio-stimulants (ME-50, vermicomposting humus lixiviate, Biobras-16) on radish crops, with 45 plants observed per treatment. The bio-stimulants positively affected radish production, increasing average leaf production per plant, root diameter, biomass production, and yields to over 1.05 kg.m-2. Specifically, the ME-50 treatment reduced the percentage of damaged tuberous roots by 50% compared to the control.
DIYOrganic cyclePolitics and the contested terrain of urban gardening in the neoliberal city
2019Chiara Certomà, Chiara Tornaghi · Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) · Global
This book is a collection of chapters unpacking the forms, functioning, and meanings of urban gardening in the context of the neoliberal transformation of cities. It offers an overview of diverse claims in the micro-politics of garden activism and discusses how these projects are fraught with social solidarities and divisions, empowerment and learning processes, conflicts and negotiations. The collection aims to contribute to a critical discussion of the “politics of urban space” and enrich the emerging debate on radical, critical, and political gardening.
Governance failureCommunityPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceDIYPara comprender la práctica de la agricultura urbana
2019Edgar Alfredo Portilla-Flores · DU & P: revista de diseño urbano y paisaje · Global
This article discusses urban agriculture as a contemporary practice that requires understanding across multiple dimensions. It states that urban and peri-urban food production encompasses not only agronomic aspects but also relates to food security, public policies, urban planning, entrepreneurship, recycling culture, environmental education, and recreational and therapeutic activities.
Food sovereignty & justicePolicyFood educationCommunity