Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
122 results(1 / 5)
Urban community gardening for food security and climate resilience: Perspectives from gardeners in Johannesburg, South Africa
2026Johannesburg urban agriculture research collective · AIMS Press Urban Ecology & Sustainability Series · South Africa
Empirical study of household and shared community gardens in Johannesburg's underserved urban neighborhoods; demonstrates food security, nutrition, income, and climate resilience benefits of citizen-led urban farming.
CommunityWelfareUrban Agriculture as a Survival Strategy: Food Security, Inequality, and Community Development in Enugu State, Nigeria
2026Oshaba Patience Chizoba, Chinedu Augustine Igwenagu · Path of Science · Nigeria
A survey of 222 households and interviews in Enugu State, Nigeria, showed that urban agriculture (UA) is a critical coping strategy for food availability. However, UA perpetuates gendered inequalities as a "patriarchal bargain," where women's expanded reproductive labor does not necessarily lead to improved economic empowerment. Furthermore, UA strongly promotes bonding social capital but does not foster bridging social capital with formal institutions, thereby undermining its transformative potential.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareEconomicsClimate change impact on urban food gardens: implications for adaptation strategies and food and nutrition security in townships in Pietermaritzburg Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
2026Nthabeleng Tamako, Joyce Chitja · Agriculture & Food Security · South Africa
This study examined the impact of climate change on urban food gardens in Sobantu and Mpophomeni townships in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Face-to-face interviews with 103 randomly selected participants revealed that climate change disproportionately affects resource-limited urban farmers, leading to erratic rainfall, pests, and natural disasters. Elevated temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and new pests and diseases significantly impact food gardens, affecting seed and crop selection and contributing to food insecurity.
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareUrban–rural linkageA Green(er) Roof over the Head: Reflecting on Strategies Targeting Homelessness with Urban Agriculture for Cape Town, South Africa
2026Louis Lategan, Charné Erasmus · REAL CORP Repository (University of Southampton) · South Africa (Cape Town)
This qualitative study, using semi-systematic literature reviews, explored strategies targeting homelessness with urban agriculture (UA) in Cape Town, South Africa. The research found that very few published case studies link UA and homelessness in developing contexts, and information on such strategies in Cape Town remains limited despite its substantial homeless population. In the global South, UA approaches largely prioritize food security, poverty alleviation, and entrepreneurship.
Equity & displacementWelfareCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceNurturing Resilient Urban Animal Agriculture for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Triad Approach to Social, Economic, and Environmental Sustainability
2026Never Assan, Justice Sibanda, Betty Mukuwapasi, Reason Rumbidzai Charachimwe, Edmore Masama · Journal of Frontiers in Multidisciplinary Research · Sub-Saharan Africa
Urban animal agriculture (UAA) in Sub-Saharan Africa is presented as a solution for food security but faces challenges including gender inequality, climate change, inadequate legislation, and environmental degradation. While UAA aims to enhance household food security and alleviate poverty, it also encounters environmental issues such as resource competition, water resource strain, improper manure management, greenhouse gas emissions, noise, and nuisance. Sustainable UAA requires semi-intensive silvopastoral and mixed crop and livestock systems to reduce environmental impact and enhance local food production.
Environmental trade-offsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareClimate changePolicyThe impact of urban vegetable production on household poverty reduction during the Tigray War (2020–2022): Evidence from Mekelle City, Ethiopia
2026Azeb Gebreegziabher Zeru, Aregawi Beyene Bsrat, Zenebe Abraha Kahsay, Tsahaynesh Hagos, Yahansu Girmay, Guesh Endrias, Gebremedhin Mamoy Hadush, Abrhaley Redae, Abrhaley Gebrehiwot, Wolie Gebremicheal · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Ethiopia (Mekelle)
In Mekelle City, Ethiopia, 264 households adopted urban vegetable production as a survival strategy during the Tigray War (2020–2022). Household survey data analyzed using propensity score matching showed that participation in urban vegetable production was strongly associated with poverty reduction. Vegetable producers exhibited relatively low poverty incidence, depth, and severity, suggesting that urban vegetables served as a critical resilience mechanism for households.
WelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justicePolicySocio-economic Factors Influencing Marketing Practices and Opportunities for the Smallholder Pig Farming Enterprise in the Cape Metropole District, South Africa
2026R.M. MATHOBELA, O.C. Chikwanha, C.L.F. Katiyatiya, A.H. Molotsi, M.C. Marufu, P.E. Strydom, C. Mapiye · Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir landbouvoorligting/South African journal of agricultural extension · South Africa
A survey of 160 pig farmers in five suburbs of the Cape Metropole District, South Africa, analyzed the impact of socio-economic factors on marketing practices and challenges. Key challenges included slow pig growth rates (54% of respondents), scarcity of production inputs (25%), and difficulty finding marketing information (20%). The study found that women, older farmers, and those with less experience or education were more likely to face challenges and fail to adopt sustainable marketing practices.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCommunityWelfareWomen in urban and peri-agriculture: sustaining livelihoods in the Cape metropolitan area
2026Human Sciences Research Council · Human Science Research Council SA · South Africa
This article explores how urban women participate in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA), the constraints they face, and the policy support they need, using evidence from a sample of farming projects around the Cape Metropolitan Area. Urban women farmers primarily access land through social networking and work collectively. Almost all projects engage in in-kind donations to schools and HIV/AIDS patients, with women-only projects distributing 25% of their output as social responsibility.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsPolicyPeri-urban agricultureThe roles of urban agriculture to household food security: a case study in Kirkos sub-city, Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia
2025Alene F.D., Aga M.A. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 9:1444320 · Ethiopia
This case study in Addis Ababa's Kirkos sub-city examines urban agriculture's role in household food security, finding 48.2% of respondents food secure and about a third reporting urban agriculture helped meet their daily food needs.
WelfareEconomicsGreening African Cities for Sustainability: A Systematic Review of Urban Gardening's Role in Biodiversity and Socio-Economic Resilience
2025African Urban Gardening Research Network · National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI/PMC) · Sub-Saharan Africa
Systematic review of 47 peer-reviewed studies across sub-Saharan Africa (2000–2025) showing urban gardens support ecological functions including pollination, soil fertility, and microclimate regulation.
BiodiversityCommunityWelfareFood educationDo urban safety net programs affect the financial inclusion and food security of households, primarily women participating in urban agriculture? A triangulative exploration of Ethiopia
2025Kassa Moges Tareke · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
This study examined the impact of conditional cash transfers (CTs) from a safety net program on financial inclusion, urban agriculture participation, and food security among 278 women beneficiaries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, since 2017. After receiving CTs, 94% of respondents owned bank accounts and participated in urban agriculture as an additional income source, improving access to savings, credit, mobile banking, financial advice, and farm incomes. However, 61.5% (171) of women households were food insecure, indicating that while the program moderately improved financial inclusion and slightly increased food-secured women, its overall contribution to food security remains inadequate.
WelfareEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceArchitecture for Spatially Just Food System Planning with and for Urban Youth South Sudanese Refugees in Kenya
2025Katie Schofield, Jacqueline Fanta, William Kolong Pioth, Alissa Cook, Samuel Owuor, Cherie Enns · Youth · Kenya
This youth-led study, involving 40 South Sudanese urban refugees (aged 19-32) in Kenya, mapped food supply chains and identified barriers to procuring, growing, and selling food. Findings indicate that improving the quality of life and food security for refugee youth is complex. Without education and improved livelihoods, including urban agricultural opportunities, their health and wellbeing will continue to be negatively affected.
Equity & displacementWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityGendered access to e-logistics platforms in urban agriculture: micro-level evidence from Nigeria
2025Abdulrazaq Kamal Daudu, S. A. Aderinoye-Abdulwahab, Oyedola Waheed Kareem, Alhassan Abdul‐Wakeel Karakara, Latifat Kehinde Olatinwo, Halimah Olayinka Egbewole · Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship · Nigeria (Southwest Nigeria)
This study surveyed 420 urban farming households in Southwest Nigeria to explore how gender influences access to e-logistics platforms and their impact on farm sales. Findings revealed significant gender gaps, with male-headed households more likely to use and benefit from e-logistics than female-headed households. Women faced additional constraints like limited credit and mobility, and while e-logistics improved overall farm sales and benefited poorer farmers relatively more, gains for women remained smaller than for men.
Equity & displacementDigital agricultureEconomicsWelfareThe Impact of Agricultural Extension Agents on Urban Gardening Practices in Confined Spaces and Focusing on Vegetable Crop Cultivation in Growth Media in Delta State, Nigeria
2025M. Elusaiwe, K. Atusa, Kanya Hilary · Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research · Nigeria
This study investigated the efficiency of agricultural extension agents in promoting urban gardening among 250 respondents in 10 urban areas across two local government areas in Delta State, Nigeria. Findings revealed that most urban farmers, predominantly female civil servants, married women, or widows, were not visited by extension agents, nor were they encouraged to use growth media or form agricultural societies.
Governance failureWelfareCommunityFood educationDIYUrban Household Food Security and Coping Strategies Adopted Under Rising Food Prices in Osun State, Nigeria
2025Abiola Adebunmi Olarinre · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science · Nigeria
This research surveyed 240 households in Osogbo, Ile-Ife, and Ilesa cities in Osun State, Nigeria, to analyze urban household food security and coping mechanisms. Findings showed that only 17.9% of households achieved food security, with 39.6% experiencing moderate and 16.3% severe food insecurity. Household income, education, household size, credit access, and food expenditure share significantly influenced food security.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareFood educationImpacts of rising food prices on the food security of different socio-economic groups in Abuja, Nigeria
2025Katuka, Stephen Agire, Magaji, Sule, Ismail, Yahaya · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Nigeria (Abuja)
This study analyzed the impact of rising food prices on the food security of different socio-economic groups in Abuja, Nigeria, using a cross-sectional survey of 400 households. Findings revealed that only 18% of households were food secure, while 56% experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Food price inflation had a significant negative effect on food security, particularly among low-income households. Rising food prices were shown to increase the likelihood of mild, moderate, and severe food insecurity by 53%, 88%, and 132%, respectively.
Economic viabilityEconomicsHealthWelfareSustaining Urban Food Gardens for Community Resilience: A Case Study of the Langa Agrihub, Cape Town, South Africa
2025Kurt Ackermann, Tamsin Faragher · CABI climate change series. · South Africa (Cape Town)
A three-year case study of the Langa Agrihub in Cape Town, South Africa, supports a network of over 250 urban farmers comprising more than 30 food gardens. The Agrihub provides inputs, infrastructure, knowledge exchange, and market connections, serving as a platform for civic participation, social cohesion, and local agency. This chapter states that the primary value of community food gardens lies in enabling communities to mitigate and adapt to intersecting stresses, including economic marginalisation, environmental degradation, and infrastructure shortcomings like water scarcity.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeEconomicsWelfareEffect of Forced Eviction and Land Grabs on Household Economic Capital Security of Displaced Pre-Urban Farmers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2025Kejela Gnamura, Michael Akwasi Antwi, A Belete · Land · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
This mixed-methods study investigated the effects of urbanization-induced displacement on economic capital security by comparing 223 evicted and 223 non-evicted peri-urban farming households in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Logistic regression and thematic content analysis revealed that evicted households are approximately 72.7% less likely to achieve economic security compared to non-evicted households. The study concluded significant differences in household economic capital security between the two groups.
Equity & displacementPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsPolicyCommunityWelfareFactors Influencing the Adoption of Urban Agriculture and Its Effects on Household Food Security in Southwestern Nigeria
2024· International Journal of Agricultural Economics · Nigeria (Southwestern)
Analyzes the factors driving adoption of urban agriculture among households in southwestern Nigeria and its effect on household food security.
EconomicsWelfareWomen's Empowerment Through Agricultural Extension in Sub-Saharan Africa
2024Adeyemi, F., Mwangi, L., Okafor, B., Mutua, S. · World Development · Africa
Study of 1,200 women farmers across 6 Sub-Saharan countries. Women completing extension training increase productivity 40-60% and earn 35-50% higher incomes.
WelfareEconomicsFinancial inclusion of urban agro-processors: effect of credit on poverty status of roasted plantain vendors in Calabar, Nigeria
2024E. A. Ajah, EB Etowa, EB Effa, UI Ofem, HE Iso, OI Ettah, IA Asuquo · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Nigeria (Calabar)
This study analyzed the effect of credit on the poverty status of 110 randomly sampled roasted plantain vendors in Calabar, Nigeria. Findings showed that 60% of vendors were female, with an average age of 35 and an average household size of four. Poverty incidence was lower among credit recipients (64.5% of vendors) at 0.268, compared to non-recipients at 0.487. Credit access and household size were found to have statistically significant associations with the poverty index.
EconomicsWelfareUrban agriculture and women's empowerment: an analysis based on female producers in the Talangaï market gardening belt in Brazzaville (Republic of Congo)
2024Abdias Rodias Paul Ngalekoua · Advanced Research in Economics and Business Strategy Journal · Africa
This study investigated the impact of urban agriculture on the empowerment of female vegetable growers in Talangaï's 6th district, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. A qualitative and quantitative survey was conducted with 105 selected households through semi-structured interviews. The findings confirmed that vegetable growing acts as a vector for empowerment and improves producers' living conditions, contributing to poverty and unemployment reduction, and positively impacting their social and economic spheres.
WelfareEconomicsCommunityExploring the Association of Urban Agricultural Practices with Farmers’ Psychosocial Well-Being in Dar es Salaam and Greater Lomé: A Perceptual Study
2024Akuto Akpedze Konou, Kossiwa Zinsou-Klassou, Victoria M. Mwakalinga, Jean-Claude Baraka Munyaka, Armel Firmin Kemajou Mbianda, Jérôme Chenal · Sustainability · Africa
This perceptual study surveyed 733 urban farmers in Dar es Salaam and Greater Lomé to explore the psychosocial effects of urban agriculture on their well-being. Using the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form and bespoke questionnaires, the research found significant variations in urban agriculture-related happiness across city zones, with peripheral farmers reporting greater satisfaction than urban counterparts. Female farmers also reported higher levels of happiness.
HealthWelfareCommunityPolicyCan Agroecology Close the Health Disparities Gap for Urban Vulnerable Communities in South Africa?
2024Michael Rudolph, Evans Muchesa · Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir landbouvoorligting/South African journal of agricultural extension · South Africa (Johannesburg)
This article explores the potential of agroecology to address health disparities in urban communities in South Africa, where approximately 34% of Johannesburg households face food insecurity. A transdisciplinary literature review, using secondary data from the University of Johannesburg and Siyakhana Growth and Development, posits that an agroecological approach can effectively address food and nutrition insecurity. The study emphasizes the importance of localized food production, personalized training, and a supportive policy framework for urban farming and agroecology.
HealthFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunityEffects of Urban Agriculture on the Socio-Economic Status of Farmers in Cities of Sub-Sahara Africa. A case of Zambia, South Africa, and Nigeria: A Review
2024Leonard Ninsheka, Edward Ssemakula, Christopher Ewaechabo Tiyo, Rebecca Kalibwani, Ronald Kityo, Wilson Mugizi, Willbroad Byamukama · East African Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology · Sub-Saharan Africa
This review paper examines existing literature on the effects of urban agriculture on the socio-economic status of urban farmers in Sub-Saharan African cities, specifically focusing on Zambia, South Africa, and Nigeria. The review found scanty information regarding how urban agriculture affects farmers' socio-economic status, how farmers derive social and economic status from it, and the types and motivations of farmers. It concludes that understanding crucial factors for food security, income, and related benefits in urban agriculture is essential for policy and technology development.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareCommunity