Research & reports

Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.

5 results

• Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) landraces in Mozambique and neighbouring Southern African countries harbour genetic loci with potential for climate adaptation

  2025

  Macharia M.W., Caproni L., Solemanegy M., Takele R., Chiulele R.M., Munisse P., Amane M., Pè M.E., Buizza R., Dell'Acqua M. · Communications Biology 8:834 · Africa

  Genotypes 389 cowpea accessions (mostly landraces) from Southern Africa and identifies 36 genomic loci linked to local climate adaptation, highlighting the breeding value of farmer-conserved resources.

  Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityHealth
  Read source →DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08227-0

• On-farm diversity, use pattern, and conservation of enset (Ensete ventricosum) genetic resources in southern Ethiopia

  2022

  Dilebo T., Feyissa T., Asfaw Z., Zewdu A. · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 18:74 · Ethiopia

  An ethnobotanical survey of 240 households across four zones of southern Ethiopia documenting on-farm landrace diversity, use patterns and farmer conservation of the staple crop enset.

  Heirloom & landraceBiodiversityFood educationCommunity
  Read source →DOI: 10.1186/s13002-022-00569-x

• Against the grain? A historical institutional analysis of access governance of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in Ethiopia

  2020

  Mulesa T.H. · The Journal of World Intellectual Property · Ethiopia

  A historical institutional analysis of the governance of access to plant genetic resources in Ethiopia, examining national policy evolution in relation to the ITPGRFA, benefit-sharing, and farmers' rights.

  Heirloom & landracePolicyBiodiversity
  Read source →DOI: 10.1111/jwip.12142

• Nutraceutical Uses of Traditional Leafy Vegetables and Transmission of Local Knowledge from Parents to Children in Southern Benin

  2019

  Akakpo D. B., Achigan-Dako E. G. · Agronomy · Benin

  Interviews with 360 respondents across three southern Benin villages on three traditional leafy vegetables, analyzing how use and knowledge transmission from parents to children vary by generation, gender, and village.

  Heirloom & landraceFood educationCommunityHealth
  Read source →DOI: 10.3390/agronomy9120805

• Recognizing Ethiopia's urban farmers.

  1993

  Lee M · PubMed · Ethiopia

  In Ethiopia, urban agriculture faces significant challenges due to government disapproval of public land use for farming and difficulty in obtaining credit. A 1983 survey in Addis Ababa found that 17% of 1352 households produced their own food on less than 25 sq. meters, with 90% of non-farmers citing lack of land. Despite urban agricultural cooperatives demonstrating 70% higher member income, their lack of government legalization prevents access to loans for productivity improvement.

  Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureFood educationBiodiversityCompostDIYElderlyFood lossHeirloom & landraceOrganic cyclePollinatorsFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiDigital agriculture
  Read source →