Research & reports

Mohamed Haythem Msaddek, Mohsen Ben Alaya, Lahcen Zouhri, Yahya Moumni, Bilel Abdelkarim · Water · Global

This study developed a Geo-AI ensemble modeling framework to assess groundwater contamination dynamics in peri-urban agricultural aquifers. Applied to the Manouba aquifer in Tunisia using 295 samples from 85 wells (2005-2025), the spatial analysis revealed severe contamination expanded from 7% of the study area in 2005 to 55% in 2025. Urban expansion and agricultural intensification were found to reduce recharge, increase pollutant loading, and accelerate contaminant accumulation.

Kadima Muamba Donatien, Kabaubabo Kalombo Jean- Jacques, Mavula Kikwe Alexis, Kako Gbolo Etienne · International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) · Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)

Peri-urban agriculture in the Democratic Republic of Congo heavily relies on natural rainfall, leading to yield decreases of up to 50% and a lengthening of the crop cycle from 21 to 45 days during the dry season. This study proposes the design and implementation of an autonomous IoT-based irrigation system to optimize water use at Green Village, Kinshasa. The proposed solution aims to enable real-time adaptive irrigation, reducing water loss and stabilizing production.

Ndiaye Awa, Diallo Ibrahima, Dieng Amadou, Ba Ibrahima, Sembene Mbacke · African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology · Senegal

This study in Dakar, Senegal, assessed Salmonella contamination in irrigation water and lettuce across three urban agricultural sites. Sites using wastewater (Pikine and Patte d’Oie) showed high Salmonella prevalence in water (70-90%) and vegetables (20-80%), while a tap water site (Lendeng) had no contamination. Market-sourced lettuce also tested positive (28.57%), indicating public health risks from untreated wastewater use.

Réné Kasende Disashi, Belloty Mundadi Ngeteke, Dorcas Sola Tabitha, Prescilia Mabubu Pembe, Fanny BAKOMBA KIKOBO, Denise OKITO WIKANU, Esther MPIANA MUKANIA, Sarah Kinsona Bombili, Esther Kimpala Karuna, Clément Munganga Kilingwa, Rosie Mubindukila Nzamba · European Scientific Journal ESJ · Congo (Kinshasa)

A study conducted from June 10 to July 20, 2025, in peri-urban market gardens of Kimwenza and Ndjili Cecomaf in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, surveyed 68 market gardeners on the use of prohibited and unauthorized pesticides. The findings revealed an alarming reliance on informal supply channels, with six out of 27 identified pesticides being formally prohibited. Despite 94.3% of gardeners acknowledging risks, only 9.6% used full protective equipment, and 32.7% took no precautions.

Nu Quy Linh Tran, Cordia Chu, Hai Phung, Son Nghiem, Han Le, Tuyet-Hanh Tran, Dung Phung · Urban Climate · Global

This global systematic review analyzed 97 studies from 27 countries on heat exposure and agricultural workers' health. The majority of studies (54.6%) were from North America, with Africa, South America, and Asia significantly underrepresented. Common health outcomes included self-reported heat-related illnesses (27.8%) and kidney issues (20.6%), but cardiovascular health, mortality, and mental well-being remain significantly understudied. In Southeast Asia, urbanization increases heat risk for peri-urban agricultural workers, as these zones often lack infrastructure, healthcare, and regulatory protections, exacerbating exposure to extreme heat, particularly from the urban heat island effect.

Nelson Joseph Msacky, Amelia Alfred, Oscar Punguti, Edson Protas, Iddi Mapande, Novatus, Shukrani Phillip, January G Msemakweli · Open MIND · Global

This systematic review aims to synthesize current scientific evidence on the effectiveness of fruit-waste-derived biochar in immobilizing potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in contaminated agricultural soils. It will evaluate how fruit-waste biochar reduces metal bioavailability, plant uptake, and associated human health risks from vegetable consumption. The review also seeks to identify which fruit wastes are used as biochar feedstocks and which biochar properties and production conditions influence immobilization performance, noting that existing research is fragmented.

Hajra Kanwal, Qudrat Ullah, Waqas Haider, Mujahid Farid, Zaki Ul Zaman Asam, Muhammad Zubair, Abdulrahman Alasmari, Sarah Owdah Alomrani, Muhammad Munir, Shafaqat Ali · Open MIND · Global

This study investigated the interactive effects of contaminated wastewater with cadmium, mercury, lead, and polyethylene microplastics from exfoliating personal care products on chili plants (Capsicum annuum). Plant growth parameters were reduced by 71–82% at high wastewater and microplastic levels, accompanied by significant losses in photosynthetic pigments and soluble proteins. Oxidative stress markers increased by 124–230%, and heavy metal uptake was significantly increased, facilitated by microplastics.

Thulisekari Prasanna, Guda Bhargavi, Murugesan Mohana Keerthi · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Global

This comprehensive review synthesizes literature on vertical and urban agriculture within sustainable food systems, identifying production models and technical advancements. Empirical evidence indicates these systems can improve water/land-use efficiency, yield stability, and reduce post-harvest losses. However, significant challenges persist, including high capital and energy prices, inadequate crop diversification, technical complexities, and regulatory constraints, impacting their economic viability.

Flamarion Dutra Alves, Juan David Delgado Rozo · Revista Campo-Território · Colombia (Bogotá)

The 5th Latin American Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Meeting (ELAUP) and the 1st Latin American Rural Geography Seminar (LAGRURAL) took place in Bogotá, Colombia, from November 25 to 28, 2025. The central theme of the event was 'Contemporary Ruralities and the Challenges of Food Security in Latin America'. The event was organized by the Geography Department of the National University of Colombia in partnership with the Federal University of Alfenas and the Network of Agrarian Studies.

Victoria M. Mwakalinga, Shafii S. Samli · City and Environment Interactions · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

This study quantified the socio-spatial determinants of household solid waste generation in Mbagala Kuu Ward, a peri-urban informal settlement in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Household survey data (n=115) were integrated with GIS-derived indicators and analyzed using a Spatial Lag Gamma Generalised Linear Model. Households generated an average of 5.94 kg day⁻¹ of waste, with only 47% formally collected. Commercial areas generated over 5 times more waste than residential areas, while urban agriculture and open spaces generated 40-50% less.

Kpade O. L. Hounkpatin, Amadou Keïta, Jérôme Tondoh, Djéneba Djamila Traoré, Nouroudine Morou Hamadou, Aymar Y. Bossa, Yacouba Yira, Jean Hounkpè, Traoré Hortense Kagambèga, Olayemi Ursula Gaba, Djigbo Félicien Badou, Sarah Konaré · Water · Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)

This study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, investigated factors leading to the abandonment of sprinkler irrigation systems and the impact of irrigation water variability on vegetable yields at two market gardening sites. Over 80% of 50 surveyed farmers stopped using sprinkler systems within two years due to equipment failures and lack of support. Variability in manual water application was linked to crop productivity variability, with uneven application identified as a major constraint at one site.

Carolina Rothen, Julián Gabriel Riso, Betina I. Stephan, Josefina Bompadre, Laura Fernández Bidondo · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Argentina (Buenos Aires)

This study analyzed arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in greenhouse soil from lettuce plants under agroecological, organic, and conventional management in Buenos Aires, Argentina. While agroecological management increased AM spore counts and infective propagules, effective mycorrhization of lettuce roots was low across all systems. Intensive greenhouse practices suppressed successful crop colonization, indicating a reduced AM inoculum infective potential.

Sylvie Ayimpam · · Congo (Kinshasa)

This chapter maps the multi-scalar supply chains feeding Kinshasa's markets, detailing how small retail functions as a nodal point. It traces historical and contemporary provisioning of local foodstuffs via road and river routes into urban wholesale hubs, examining peddlers, brokers, and 'ghost markets' that circumvent taxation. Distribution in Kinshasa is characterized by hybrid, shifting chains of intermediation combining logistical improvisation, social brokerage, and regulatory avoidance.

Guido Evangelista, Juan David Arosemena, Gaia Stringari, Joan Romanyà, Xavier Gabarrell, Francesco Orsini, Gara Villalba · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · Global

This study evaluated the application of 150 t ha-1 of ramial chipped wood (RCW) to degraded peri-urban agricultural soils, comparing its effects on yield, soil health, and greenhouse gas emissions for spinach and sweet potato. Spinach grown with RCW showed the lowest productivity (1.16 – 0.32 kg m-2) among treatments, while sweet potato achieved the highest yield (1.72 – 1.99 kg m-2). High RCW doses initially led to higher CO2 emissions but significantly reduced N2O emissions for spinach (from 0.36 kg ha-1 to 0.07 kg ha-1) and enhanced soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks for sweet potato, indicating agronomic and environmental trade-offs.

Jabulani Nyengere, Frank Tchuwa, Harineck Mayamiko Tholo, Allena Laura Njala, Chawanangwa Mwakisalu, Lucius Malalu, Chikondi Chisenga, Patson Nalivata, Weston Mwase, Msaiwale Kathewera, Brenda Matewere, Lackson Jamu, Jones Kanjira, Macdonald Chabwera, D. J. Kachamba, Andrew Jamali, Takudzwa Musekiwa, Clement Nyirenda, Henry Kadzuwa, Precious Masuku, Agnes Mwangwela · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Malawi (Lilongwe)

In Mpingu and Malingunde Extension Planning Areas of Lilongwe District, Malawi, the drivers of peri-urban land transformation were investigated using land use and land cover maps for 2004, 2014, and 2024, alongside household survey data from 279 farming households. Spatial analysis revealed substantial landscape transformation over two decades, with natural woodland declining by approximately 66%, cropland expanding by approximately 459%, and built-up settlement areas increasing by approximately 127%. A multinomial logit model analysis found that land markets, spatial accessibility, and institutional conditions were the primary drivers of land transformation.

Magdalena Dickson Mwimbe, Jonathan S. Mbwambo, Halima Omari Mangi · East African Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology · Tanzania

This study assessed factors influencing household food security among 90 urban vegetable producers in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam, using a cross-sectional design and structured questionnaires. Results showed 63.3% of households were food secure, with significant associations found between food security and land ownership, farming experience, and spinach production. Household size, market access, irrigation use, and farming experience were identified as significant predictors of food security.

Santanu Maiti, 2S. Aanand, 3Rajalakshmi Kalaivanan, 4V. Mahendra Varman, · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Global

A technical guide describing wicking bed aquaponics, a resource-efficient, home-scale food production system that combines aquaculture with soilless plant cultivation. Fish waste is biologically converted into nutrients for plants, while the wicking bed functions as a sub-irrigation unit that uses capillary action to move water from a reservoir to the plant root zone, providing consistent moisture while minimizing evaporation loss.

Brenda B. Lin, Shalene Jha, Heidi Liere, Stacy M. Philpott · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Global

Drawing on a long-term, multidisciplinary research program conducted since 2013 on urban community gardens in the California Central Coast, this paper uses that program as a lens to explore how community gardens may function as a form of green infrastructure within increasingly compact urban development, while grounded in a specific regional context.

Phạm Trung Kiên, Liliane Jean-Soro, Huong Le Thi Thu, Bernard De-Gouvello, Béatrice Bechet · Earth Environmental Sustainability · Global

Arguing that existing "Water-Energy-Food" nexus thinking fails to capture the complexity of urban nature-based solutions such as urban gardens, this perspective paper proposes a "Food-Water-Soil (FWS) nexus" framework analyzed through the dual lens of ecosystem services (ES) and ecosystem disservices (EDS), which arise together with ES rather than as mere byproducts. It positions ES and EDS as the core mediating functions that define a system's potential and limits, and conceptualizes soil as a "living infrastructure" whose management-driven dynamic properties govern the trade-offs and synergies between food production and water dynamics.

Daniel Etim Jacob, Imaobong Daniel Jacob, Koko Sunday Daniel, Pius Agaji Oko · Sustainable Food Connect · Global

A paper arguing that recreational planning in the Global South is constrained by Western models prioritizing ornamental aesthetics over local socio-ecological crises, producing metabolically inefficient and exclusionary landscapes, and proposing an "Agro-Blue Commons" (ABC) framework integrating food production, sustainable water management and communal leisure. The framework was tested through a qualitative meta-synthesis of four prototype cases in Lagos, Mumbai, Rajasthan and Nairobi, purposively sampled to represent diverse biomes and climate-vulnerable informal settlement types, evaluated with a Multi-Criteria Assessment focused on metabolic circularity, governance polycentricity and socio-spatial accessibility. Results show that integrating food, water and leisure together with polycentric stewardship increases urban resilience and reduces resource dependency, while the paper states that systemic change requires addressing institutional inertia and insecure land tenure to prevent speculative displacement of marginalized communities.

Abhijeet Das, Satchidananda Mishra · Green Technology Resilience and Sustainability · Global

This study develops a conceptual and analytical framework for embedding circular-economy and zero-waste principles into hydroponic agriculture systems worldwide, using system mapping, resource-flow analysis, and indicator structuring to compare linear, partial-recirculation, and near-zero-discharge configurations. The analysis found that continuous nutrient recirculation and controlled dosing improve resource retention, and that system stability increases when buffering capacities across water, nutrient, and energy subsystems are aligned; capacity balance and feedback control were identified as key determinants, though the work is conceptual, without empirical field validation.

Chaturangi Wickramaratne, Avinandan Taron, Mark Mulligan, Sophia Burke, Matthew McCartney · · Global

A valuation study of the Kalu Oya and Mudun Ela basins, peri-urban sub-catchments of the Kelani River Basin in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka (78 km², population 548,232, with 10.50 km² of wetlands providing services including flood mitigation, water purification, biodiversity support, carbon storage, and urban agriculture), used market-price and benefit-transfer methods to value 13 wetland services at a total economic value (TEV) of USD 25.1-27.6 million for 2025 (USD 12.98-14.45 million/year when excluding static carbon stock). A separate Co$tingNature model assessed 11 ecosystem services across the basin at 30 m resolution, estimating a 25-year TEV of USD 1.67 billion (USD 66.8 million/year); wetlands accounted for only 2.7% of basin-wide TEV but showed the highest per-hectare value (USD 6,807/ha/year). Conservation investment returns were estimated at 23-341% depending on which costs were included, and the study notes that different valuation methods produced varying results depending on their conceptual foundations and data sources.

Paul Emile Tchinda, Thi-Thanh-Hiên Pham · Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes 70(3) · Cameroon (one large and one medium-sized city)

Urban agriculture appears in many sustainability agendas yet has been ignored in the public policies of many African countries. Combining multi-scale mapping (city and neighbourhood) with semi-structured interviews in one large and one medium-sized Cameroonian city, this study tests how well those techniques characterise urban agriculture for local decision-making. Mapping from 5-metre SPOT satellite imagery gives a general grasp of the spatial distribution of practices, but crop types, emerging entrepreneurial practices and the temporality of crops are invisible to it and surface only through field mapping and interviews. Echoing critical remote-sensing scholarship, the authors propose a methodological framework for profiling urban agriculture and argue that the choice of research method shapes our understanding of it, so it should be made with each city's specific characteristics in mind.

· Wikipedia · Singapore

This Wikipedia article on Lim Chu Kang, a 17.3 km2 area in Singapore's North Region, describes it as the nation's main agricultural zone, housing a diverse range of farms engaged in food production, aquaculture, and agri-technology. Approximately 62 farms operated in the western part before being cleared progressively from April 2020 to December 2022 for military development. As of 2025 the area had a population of only 30, one of Singapore's least populated planning areas.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) · FAO · Global

An overview of FAO's 'City Region Food Systems' (CRFS) approach under its Food for the Cities Programme, which frames all actors, processes and relationships involved in producing, processing, distributing and consuming food as linking urban centres with their surrounding rural and peri-urban areas, aiming to improve economic, social and environmental sustainability with an emphasis on supporting local government policy shifts.