Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
132 results(1 / 6)
Florida–Friendly Edible Landscaping Educational Campaign
2026Tiare Silvasy · Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society · United States (Florida)
An educational campaign was conducted in Florida to teach people how to grow food in an environmentally friendly way, specifically tailored for edible crops. The campaign covered topics such as efficient irrigation, planting the right variety at the right time, advanced soil building techniques, and integrated pest management strategies. Science-based information was made available online through multiple formats, including EDIS publications, an infographic, blogs, PowerPoint presentations, and YouTube webinar recordings. This campaign reached thousands of people and provided information to encourage environmentally friendly decisions in edible landscapes.
DIYFood educationOrganic cycleClimate changeFORMAL MATHEMATICS AND ETHNOMATHEMATICS IN THE PRODUCTION OF URBAN COMMUNITY GARDENS
2026João Paulo Moreira dos Santos, Luis Carlos Rodrigues da Mata, Maria Clara da Cunha Carvalho, Gabrielly Rodrigues de Araújo, Robério Soares dos Santos, Maria Eduarda Santiago de Araujo, Iraneide Da Cunha Santiago, Edinalva Pereira Campos, José Gustavo Santiago Santos · Journal of Interdisciplinary Debates · Brazil (José de Freitas)
This qualitative case study in José de Freitas, Brazil, analyzed mathematical rationalities in urban community gardens, using participant observation, interviews, and field notes. It found that farmers use ethnomathematical knowledge for spatial organization, soil management, and commercialization. However, these practices showed limitations when confronted with institutional demands for standardization, highlighting a need for critical articulation with formal mathematics.
Methodological critiqueCommunityDIYEconomicsEntre mãos e mutirões: o caso da Horta Comunitária Zeferina Beiru em Salvador - BA
2025Joeli Silva de Souza, Lucas Barbosa Lima · Humanas Sociais & Aplicadas · Brazil (Salvador)
This qualitative case study investigated collective work parties ("mutirões") as an intervention strategy at the Zeferina Beiru Community Garden in Salvador, Brazil, from 2016 to 2022. The study found that mutirões were a positive strategy for the garden's creation, maintenance (2015-2019), and reactivation (2022). These collective efforts involved children, youth, and neighbors from the community and surrounding areas.
CommunityDIYHORTAS DOMÉSTICAS: BENEFÍCIOS, DESAFIOS E MOTIVAÇÃO NO CULTIVO URBANO EM DOM PEDRITO/RS
2025Lucas Velasques, Janaína Wohlenberg, Osmar Manoel Nunes, D. Friedrich, Norton Víctor Sampaio · Revista Científica Agropampa · Brazil (Dom Pedrito/RS)
This field study, involving 20 residents of Dom Pedrito/RS, Brazil, who practice home gardening, aimed to identify motivational factors, difficulties, and benefits. The main difficulties reported were the time required for cultivation and the presence of pests and insects. While benefits included consuming healthy food, health improvements, and supermarket savings, the significant challenges of time commitment and pest management indicate limitations to the widespread positive impact of home gardening.
Limited or null effectDIYCommunityHealthOrganic cycleDesigning and Building a Tomato Storage Shed for SLO City Farm
2025Thielmann, Mark D, Walther, Ryan T · DigitalCommons - CalPoly (California State Polytechnic University) · United States (California)
This paper details the design, budgeting, and construction of a practical, affordable, and long-lasting tomato storage shed built by a student team for City Farm SLO during Spring 2025. The project involved multiple design iterations, material sourcing, and modifications to balance functionality and simplicity within a tight budget. The completed shed provided hands-on experience in project-based construction and community engagement.
DIYCommunityEconomicsPenerapan Prinsip Permakultur Desain Melalui Elemen Arsitektural pada Bangunan Vertical Harvest Farms, USA
2025Aprilia Shyntia Dewi, Muchlisiniyati Safeyah · Sinektika Jurnal Arsitektur · United States
This qualitative descriptive study analyzed the application of permaculture design principles through architectural elements at Vertical Harvest Farms, USA, using secondary data. The research found that Vertical Harvest Farms largely incorporates permaculture design principles through architectural elements, such as greenhouse-based materials adapted to local climate and optimal spatial arrangement. However, regarding mass typology, the farm was found to be less compliant with the permaculture design principle of "Design from Pattern to Detail."
Environmental trade-offsClimate changeDIYDigital agricultureUrban–rural linkagePlant facilitation in rooftop agriculture: disentangling plant interactions for sustainable crop production on extensive green roofs
2025Adriano N. Roberto, Andrés G. Rolhauser, J. Scott MacIvor, Marney E. Isaac · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Canada (Toronto)
This study investigated plant facilitation in rooftop agriculture in Toronto, Canada, testing whether live Sedum could improve bush bean performance on 48 extensive green roof (EGR) modules under high and low watering regimes. Water availability had a greater influence on bean performance than planting design, with beans grown with artificial Sedum under high watering showing the highest yield, while performance declined significantly under low water, particularly with live Sedum. Contrary to hypotheses, live Sedum did not consistently facilitate bean performance, suggesting potential competitive interactions may have outweighed any stress-ameliorating effects. These findings indicate water management is the main management variable for crops on EGRs.
DIYCommunityBiodiversityClimate changeLead Contamination Propagation into Plants of a Metro Atlanta Home
2025Carithers, Jaci, Gowen, Samantha, Jenney, Francis · Digital Commons - PCOM (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) · United States (Atlanta)
A study in a Metro Atlanta residence, United States, analyzed lead contamination in soil and plant samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The research found substantial lead contamination, particularly in areas where crops were grown. Results demonstrated the propagation of lead from contaminated soil into local vegetation over time, with an average level of 143.9 mg/kg, ranging from 5.1 mg/kg to 499.5 mg/kg.
Contamination & food safetyHealthDIYUrban agriculture in Baltimore, Maryland: Documenting current irrigation practices and rainwater harvesting
2024Abriana Segal, Niya Khanjar, Julie Yang, Kelsey Brooks, Marcus Williams, Neith Little, Andrew Lazar, Rachel E. Rosenberg Goldstein · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · United States (Baltimore)
This study surveyed urban farms and community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland, to document irrigation practices, water sources, and interest in rainwater harvesting. Most sites were concerned about water availability yet all had access to city water; 27% were already harvesting rainwater and 54% were interested, and the authors suggest rainwater harvesting, food safety, and education programs could increase safe use of this water source.
CommunityDIYFood educationCan Aquaponics Be Utilized to Reach Zero Hunger at a Local Level?
2024Flores-Aguilar P.S., Sánchez-Velázquez J., Aguirre-Becerra H., Peña-Herrejón G.A., Zamora-Castro S.A., Soto-Zarazúa G.M. · Sustainability · Mexico
The paper examines, in light of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), how aquaponics can contribute to food security through the production of high-quality protein and decentralized local production.
DIYCommunityPolicyUrban food waste for soil amendment? Analysis of waste-based compost for urban agriculture in Rosario, Argentina
2024· Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · South America
Study examining the use of urban food waste compost in urban agriculture in Rosario, Argentina. Analyzes waste-to-resource conversion and organic cycling potential.
Organic cycleFood lossCompostDIYRénover Cleveland : démolition, racisme et agriculture urbaine dans l’Amérique abandonnée
2024Pierric 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.
Equity & displacementCommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceHealthWelfareClimate changeBiodiversityFood educationElderlyFood lossOrganic cyclePollinatorsHeirloom & landraceFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureDigital agricultureDIYCompostFood educationWelfareElderlyFood lossOrganic cycleCommunityBiodiversityPollinatorsPolicyHealthEconomicsHeirloom & landraceUrban–rural linkageFood miles & supply chainCSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDigital agricultureABORDAGEM BIODINÂMICA PARA O CULTIVO SUSTENTÁVEL: UM ESTUDO DE CASOS DE HORTAS URBANAS
2024Letícia Pereira Cardoso, Luyane Castro de Sousa, Millena de Oliveira Martins, Sarah Luíza Ribeiro Avelino, Wédila Souza Aires Jácome, Otávio Cabral Neto · Revista Multidisciplinar do Nordeste Mineiro · Brazil (Palmas-Tocantins)
This study focused on biodynamic strategies applied in urban gardens in Palmas-Tocantins, Brazil. In addition to a literature review, practical methods included technical visits and an exclusive interview with a producer-researcher, investigating cultivation methods, organic composting, water efficiency, natural pest control, the use of beneficial fungi, and organic fertilizers. The study aims to contribute to sustainable development and innovation in organic food production in small urban spaces.
DIYOrganic cycleHealthBiodiversityPractising urban agriculture positively influences household organic waste management habits: A quantitative study from Florianópolis, Brazil
2024Gianluca Di Fiore, Kathrin Specht, Cesare Zanasi, Óscar José Rover · Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy · Brazil (Florianópolis)
A study in Florianópolis, Brazil, surveyed 206 individuals (102 urban agriculture practitioners, 104 non-practitioners) to analyze the influence of urban agriculture on household organic waste management behaviors. The findings indicate that urban agriculture practitioners are more likely to separate and self-treat organic waste and use compost for gardening, regardless of housing conditions. Housing conditions, however, influenced the use of public facilities for organic waste management.
Organic cycleCompostDIYCommunityExperiencia familiar de agricultura urbana y manejo de residuos sólidos en el municipio de Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, México
2024Marycruz Abato Zárate, Noel Reyes Pérez, Miguel Ángel Escalona Aguilar, Doris Guadalupe Castillo Rocha, Reyna Ruth Hernández Pérez · Revista Científica Estelí · Mexico
This qualitative study described a family's experience with urban agriculture and solid waste management in Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, Mexico, through an open interview with a four-member family. The experience, spanning from 2001, included solid waste separation, composting, vermicomposting, rainwater harvesting (24 m3/year), and cultivating over 40 species of medicinal plants. The study found that urban gardens offer multidimensional benefits, including biodiversity protection, biocultural memory preservation, and spaces for learning and social participation.
DIYCompostOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePresencia y aportaciones de la pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.) en los huertos familiares de Oaxaca
2024Yolanda Donají Ortiz-Hernández, Marco Aurelio Acevedo-Ortiz, Fernando Elí Ortiz Hernández, María Elena Tavera Cortés · · Mexico (Oaxaca)
A study in Oaxaca, Mexico, documented the selection process of pitahaya (Hylocereus spp.) in family gardens. It was observed that women establish and care for pitahaya in family gardens, while both men and women are involved in commercial gardens. Women and/or producers select, exchange, propagate, and cultivate pitahaya stems to achieve better prices and profits. The findings suggest that pitahaya can be established alongside other agricultural crops to promote product diversification and provide economic benefits to families.
DIYCommunityEconomicsOrganic amendments alter urban soil microbiomes and improve crop quality
2024Joshua Garcia, Mariel Mondragon-Becerra, I. Rojas Martínez, Mallika Nocco, Cristina Lazcano · Applied Soil Ecology · United States (California)
A greenhouse trial was conducted in urban agricultural soil from the San Francisco Bay Area, USA, to investigate the effects of organic amendments derived from local municipal waste products on the soil microbiome, tomato productivity, and quality. Liquid food waste hydrolysate and mixed herbivore waste compost increased microbial abundance in the soil compared to mineral fertilizer. While mineral-fertilized tomato plants generally had higher productivity and yields, plants treated with the hydrolysate and mixed herbivore waste compost showed enhanced fruit soluble sugar content (°Brix).
Organic cycleCompostBiodiversityDIYAssessing the Feasibility of Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting for Food Production in Northwestern Arizona on the Hualapai Indian Reservation
2023· Sustainability · Arizona, USA
Assesses the feasibility of rooftop rainwater harvesting for food production on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, discussing its potential to alleviate community water stress.
DIYCommunityDiversidade de produtos da agricultura familiar e urbana em Trindade-GO: um estudo de caso
2023Magda Beatriz de Almeida Matteucci · · Brazil (Trindade)
This case study characterized the diversity of agricultural products from family urban agriculture in Trindade-GO, Brazil, by applying 20 questionnaires to urban properties. Producers in Trindade adopt diverse production practices, notably cultivating lettuce, cilantro, kale, and chives. They primarily use simple, ecological techniques for fertilization and pest/disease control, including organic fertilizers, to avoid harmful and costly agrochemicals.
DIYOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceRunoff Water Quality from Different Urban Agricultural Systems Using Common Nutrient Management Practices
2023Leigh Whittinghill, Major Ballard, Anju Chaudhary, Smriti Kandel, Caitlin Mullins, Pradip Poudel · HortScience · United States
This study analyzed runoff water quality from four different nutrient management treatments (conventional fertilizer, organic fertilizer, low-compost + organic fertilizer, and high compost) in raised beds and small plastic pool container plots in the United States. Water samples, collected monthly, were analyzed for pH, conductivity, color, turbidity, nitrate-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, total phosphorus, and potassium. While significant differences existed between raised beds and container plots, these did not translate to meaningful water quality differences for most variables, except for nitrate-nitrogen. The conventional fertilizer treatment showed greater or more variable nutrient leaching than other treatments.
Environmental trade-offsOrganic cycleClimate changeDIYGuerrilla Gardening: At the Intersection of Birnam Wood and Minneapolis
2023Sarah Dimick · Critique Studies in Contemporary Fiction · United States (Minneapolis)
This study reflects on guerrilla gardening and its narratives by intersecting Eleanor Catton’s novel Birnam Wood with descriptions of gardens at police killing sites in the greater Minneapolis metro area. It argues that guerrilla garden infrastructures sprout in the soil of highly unequal power, often in the wake of the fatal exercise of state power, and in the shadow of a foreshortened environmental future. These are DIY infrastructures constructed by people weathering entwined environmental, political, and economic crises in the 21st century.
Equity & displacementDIYCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeJardim de Sequeiro: a rainfed garden technique, innovative in aesthetics and environmental quality, inspired by the Cerrado
2023Júlio Barêa Pastore, Paulo Henrique Honorato · Ornamental Horticulture · Brazil (Brasília)
The "Jardim de Sequeiro" is a naturalistic, seasonal rainfed gardening technique developed at the University of Brasilia, Brazil. The first experimental garden, over 5,000 square meters of rooftop gardens, was planted at the Instituto Central de Ciências. It relies entirely on rainfall and withers during winter drought, functioning as a temporary installation redesigned annually. Its first cycle ran from December 2020 to May 2021, yielding promising results despite pandemic difficulties.
DIYClimate changeBiodiversityRendimientos y eficiencia en el uso del agua de lechuga y tomate cherry en jardines urbanos
2023Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, Hugo Antonio Fernández, R. Salazar, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, E. Fitz-Rodríguez, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, I.L. López-Cruz, Posgrado en Ingeniería Agrícola y Uso Integral del Agua, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de México, México, Uwe Schmidt, Dennis Dannehl · Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua · Mexico (Mexico City)
Yields and water productivity of romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes were investigated in 13 urban gardens in Mexico City. Lettuce yields ranged from 0.10 to 1.20 kg m-2 with water use efficiency from 0.21 to 2.93 kg m-3, while cherry tomato yields ranged from 0.25 to 3.40 kg m-2 with water use efficiency from 0.32 to 5.52 kg m-3. Irrigation in these gardens is empirically done using potable water, showing an excess water supply of 0.27 to 0.4 m3 m-2 for a complete cycle of lettuce and cherry tomatoes.
Environmental trade-offsDIYEconomicsClimate changeVIVEIRO AÇAILÂNDIA: CATÁLOGO DE INFORMAÇÕES SOBRE AS PLANTAS DO VIVEIRO DE AÇAILÂNDIA
2023Anthony Silva Ferraz, Raick Silva Sousa, Maria Cristina da Silva de Carvalho, Valter dos Santos Mendonça Neto, Carlos Costa Cardoso · Revista Eletrônica Multidisciplinar de Investigação Científica · Brazil
This study presents the development of a mobile application providing information on seedlings cultivated and made available by the Municipal Nursery of Açailândia, Maranhão, Brazil. The software was built using the Kodular tool, and seedling information was extracted from a survey conducted at the nursery and complemented with data from specialized websites. Evaluations were conducted with 52 people aged 12 to 27 who installed and tested the application, with results showing good public acceptance regarding the software's utility and applications.
DIYDigital agricultureFood educationRooftop Garden Ecosystem
2023Andrew Jones, Joel Hockin, Max Longhurst · The Science Teacher · United States
This abstract does not describe specific research content or findings regarding rooftop garden ecosystems. Instead, it only provides information about the affiliations and roles of the authors: Andrew Jones, Joel Hockin, and Max Longhurst.
Food educationDIY