Rapid urbanisation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) has driven the expansion of urban and peri-urban farming to enhance food security. However, these systems are highly vulnerable to contaminated irrigation waters, urban runoff, open defecation and inadequate sanitation, and anthropogenic pollution, such as plastic and microplastic waste. Here, we investigated the role of plastic debris as a reservoir and vector for multidrug-resistant (MDR) enteric bacterial pathogens in a real-world agronomic setting. Focusing on two peri-urban agricultural sites in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we analysed 140 environmental samples (soil, water, vegetation, and surface and buried plastic debris) for the presence of four key enteric pathogens: E. coli, Salmonella spp., V. cholerae, and K. pneumoniae. The concentration of total culturable pathogens was higher on plastic debris compared to soil, water and vegetation, with presumptive E. coli loads of ∼1×103CFU per individual piece of plastic debris. Importantly, plastic debris harboured a greater proportion of MDR strains; specifically, 69% of E. coli isolates were resistant to two or more antimicrobials, with plastics at one site accounting for over half of all MDR E. coli. While MDR E. coli were absent from soil, plastic debris supported strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae that were resistant to critically important antimicrobials (e.g., ciprofloxacin and cefixime).This study provides robust evidence that in a real-world setting, plastic waste can act as an ecological reservoir which concentrates and facilitates the survival of MDR pathogens. Therefore, the widespread presence of contaminated plastic in agricultural systems could pose significant occupational health risks for farmers, in addition to a potential environment-to-food risk for consumers.

Urban farms support cavity-nesting bees and DNA metabarcoding reveals weeds are key pollen resources

This paper presents a mathematical programming model to optimize the design and sustainability performance of the urban food–energy–water (FEW) nexus. The model incorporates a micro supply chain and addresses the supply-demand balance within existing and future FEW systems using performance indicators such as cost and carbon footprint. The problem allows for optimal discrete choices, such as investment in new assets, as well as continuous choices, including capacity of different units and produce exchange among urban farms. The model is applied to an urban agriculture network in South Florida that integrates renewable energy technologies (solar, wind, biomass), combined heat and power (CHP) units, reclaimed wastewater and stormwater for irrigation, and electric vehicles for produce transport. The optimization process identifies the most effective infrastructure investment decisions, resource allocation, and technology configurations to support circular economy practices and long-term sustainability objectives. The proposed framework enables reductions in carbon footprints, food waste, and improves food accessibility in food deserts and strengthens collaboration among urban farms. It supports the planning of resilient urban FEW systems by aligning resource use with social, economic and environmental sustainability objectives. The results provide a decision-support tool for urban planners and policymakers, offering practical insights to guide infrastructure investment and sustainability planning in other geographic regions.

Somalia, a developing country, is undergoing rapid urbanization with a significant rise in its urban population. Agricultural production in rural areas has declined due to irregular rainfall, inadequate irrigation systems, and poor farming practices, making it insufficient to meet the demands of the growing urban population. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) has emerged as an important strategy for enhancing productivity, resilience, and sustainable resource use in vulnerable environments. This study assessed the adoption of CSA practices and examined their impact on the livelihoods and resilience of urban farmers in Mogadishu, Somalia. The main objective was to determine how CSA practices influence productivity, income, and adaptive capacity among urban farming households. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used. Primary data were collected from 150 respondents selected through stratified random sampling from different districts of Mogadishu, along with key informant interviews involving extension officers, NGO staff, and agricultural experts. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in Microsoft Excel. The findings show that 73.33% of the farmers had adopted CSA practices, while 26.67% were non-adopters. Greenhouses and drip irrigation were the most frequently used practices, followed by drought-tolerant seeds, organic composting, and crop diversification. Low-adoption practices included mulching, rainwater harvesting, and integrated pest management. CSA adoption significantly improved crop yields, job opportunities, food availability, and household income. Farmers also reported moderate improvements in resilience indicators such as recovery from crop loss, food and nutrition security, and ability to maintain production during drought. Key factors influencing adoption included access to information, education level, input costs, extension support, group membership, and access to credit. Major challenges limiting sustained adoption were high input costs, limited technical knowledge, inadequate water access, and weak market linkages. The study concludes that CSA practices play a crucial role in enhancing productivity and climate resilience among urban farmers in Mogadishu. Expanding CSA adoption will require increased training, financial support, improved access to technologies, localized climate information, and stronger institutional support from government and NGOs.

Urban food insecurity in African cities reflects deep structural gaps in planning, governance, and service delivery. This review examines how guerrilla agro-urbanism, the (in)formal community-led socio-economic use of vacant urban land, can be strategically integrated into resilient urban planning in Harare, Zimbabwe. Its low-cost, adaptive practices outside formal regulation, guerrilla agrourbanism, is critical in enhancing food security, generating income, and delivering environmental benefits. However, it remains largely invisible in policy as it is seen as a threat to what is viewed as “modern cities” landscapes. The paper identifies both opportunities and constraints based on historical analysis, global and African case studies, and Zimbabwe’s legal and planning frameworks. Key barriers include insecure land tenure, inadequate legal recognition, and environmental risks. The review proposes reforms centred on formal policy recognition, secure and equitable land access, safe agricultural practices, and community participation, aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the SDGs, and devolved governance systems. By reframing informality as an asset rather than a threat, this study offers a pathway for transforming guerrilla agro-urbanism from a survival strategy into a pillar of inclusive, climate-resilient urban food systems. The findings intrigue further debates on sustainable urban planning, putting into perspective the realities of urban residents. It also provides actionable insights for policymakers, planners, and stakeholders committed to sustainable urban development in the Global South

Background Household hunger remains a major public health challenge globally and is particularly severe in Kinshasa. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of household hunger and identify its associated factors in the Mont Ngafula II health zone. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November and December 2024 among 583 households with at least one child aged 6–59 months, selected using multistage probability sampling. Household hunger was assessed using the Household Hunger Scale. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with household hunger. Results Overall, 32.4% of households experienced moderate hunger and 3.8% experienced severe hunger. After adjustment, children with inadequate dietary diversity were more likely to experience household hunger (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–2.44). Children from food-insecure households had a higher risk of wasting (aOR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.65–8.24) and were more likely to be underweight (aOR = 7.1; 95% CI: 2.4–22.0). Household hunger was also significantly associated with unemployment of the household head, poverty, food expenditure below US$1 per person per day, consumption of fewer than three meals per day, and larger household size. Conclusions Household hunger remains highly prevalent in this urban setting and is strongly associated with poor child nutritional outcomes and socioeconomic deprivation. The findings underscore the need for integrated policies addressing poverty reduction, social protection, equitable resource allocation, and nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, including urban agriculture and nutrition education.

Abstract Recently the increasing of urbanization larger number of flats, buildings apartment and hotels are establish rapidly. For that the heat is increase due to the roof of the buildings and tremendous use air condition, hot air relies to atmosphere. The temperature of the urban area gradually increase rapidly very year. As a matter of fact in temperature assessment study in urban areas cooling effect the building and their surrounding due to Urban Roof top Farming being reduces the temperature. Cooling effect in Building determines the micro-climate change and urban heat island effect. Solution of these aspects occurs by the dense of the plants grown on rooftop farming. Cultivations of worm- climatic plants on the rooftop farming provide co0oling benefits for urban inhabitance of the urban agriculture and impact of climate change in many building level. The monitoring the temperature larger the Rooftop farming reduce the temperature in the room of building and adjacent area for reducing cooling expenses of urban peoples. The measurement of temperature varies in different location of the buildings depending upon the different storied and direction of the buildings. Rooftop farming ruled out the reduction of temperature and involved in micro-climate change of the building. According to this concept the surrounding of the urban and peri-urban area directly influence by urban agriculture can be cooling effect and climate change if the urbanize. The building Converted in to land for cultivation rooftop garden, balcony garden, terrace garden. These gardens are covering the building and provide Shade which maintain cool to Building. Rooftop farming lower the temperature of room of the building .The study carried out in Bhubaneswar city of India. Measurement of temperature in different buildings with and without rooftop garden and compare the temperature which is increase or decrease.

ABSTRACT The dromedary is a desert animal that is most active during daylight and rests at night. In its natural habitat, it spends most of the day grazing, whereas in an intensive livestock farming system, food availability is programmed by humans. Temporal feeding exerts a strong influence on the circadian rhythms of numerous species. These aspects have become challenging in camel husbandry, which has recently faced important changes, moving from extensive management with free grazing in the desert to urban and peri-urban intensive farms with various feeding schedules. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of altering feeding schedules on the locomotor activity (LA), rumination rhythms and the sleep-wake cycle of dromedaries. The study involved four female camels that were housed under semi-natural environmental conditions mimicking an intensive livestock farming system. The study was conducted over three periods of 3 weeks each, with a fixed, non-counterbalanced feeding sequence, during which food was distributed either at 10 a.m. (stages 1 and 3) or at 10 p.m. (stage 2). Behaviour was recorded continuously, and polysomnography (PSG) was performed during the final 48 h of each stage. Shifting food access from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. induced an increase in the amount of nocturnal activity from 0.6 h (stage 1) and 0.8 h (stage 3) to 4.1 h (stage 2). Conversely, the daytime activity level decreased when food was available during the night. While diurnal rumination remained unchanged, shifting food access reduced the nocturnal duration of rumination from 4.3 h and 4.7 h (stages 1 and 3, respectively) to 2.8 h (Stage 2). Nocturnal feeding was associated with anticipatory bouts of locomotor activity (FAA), which continued for 3 d after switching back to diurnal feeding. Polysomnographic results revealed that nocturnal feeding decreased TST (Total sleep time) during the night, from 27.82% (Stage 1) and 27.04% (Stage 3) to 21.39% (Stage 2). Conversely, a sleep rebound was characterized by a daytime increase in TST from 1.7% and 1.3% to 7.6% when feeding was at 10 p.m. In conclusion, the findings indicate that in camels, nocturnal feeding was associated with marked changes in the temporal organization of LA, rumination, and sleep-wake cycle. While the overall daily amounts of these behaviours were largely maintained, their redistribution across the 24-h cycle suggests that feeding time can modulate circadian outputs. These results highlight the importance of taking into account the natural temporal organization of the species, when designing feeding schedules in camel husbandry, while acknowledging that further studies are needed to assess the long-term physiological and welfare implications.

ABSTRACT Homegardens represent one of the most common types of urban agriculture in countries of the Global South facing rapid urbanisation. Understanding the motivation for gardening will help to set up more sustainable principles for land use management and enhance the livelihood opportunities for urban households. This study identifies and assesses the self-reported motivations that drive urban homegardening in Bogota, Colombia, through thematic content analysis of 119 semi-structured interviews. The qualitative survey documented the perception of gardeners, and the results were subjected to a Pearson’s χ2 test of independence and Fisher’s exact test for quantitative assessment. Three major motivations for engaging in home gardening were identified: enjoyment, food self-provision and social connection. Motivations were found to be associated with gardeners’ socioeconomic strata and the location of the gardens. The motivation of enjoyment was identified as a significant factor in the decision to engage in homegardening by more than 70% of respondents in the central area and northern periphery. In contrast, the motivations of aesthetic appeal and economic constraints were mainly brought up by gardeners in the southern periphery of the city. Notably, only the respondents in the lower socioeconomic strata reported gardening for economic reasons. These findings have implications for public authorities in developing outreach programmes to address citizens’ needs and expectations towards the continuation of urban agriculture in the city.

Purpose Urban agriculture (UA) is a key strategy for fostering sustainable cities and university campuses offer ideal settings for innovative and demonstrative initiatives. This study investigates UA as regenerative infrastructure on a university campus in Brazil. It aims to provide a conceptual and methodological foundation for integrating UA into the campus, through assessing challenges and opportunities before the project’s implementation; and proposing design requirements to guide future projects. Design/methodology/approach Design Science Research is adopted, grounded in the university context. Data were collected through a questionnaire (n = 120) and interviews (n = 9), and analyzed using non-parametric statistics (SPSS). Findings Key challenges include maintenance, stakeholder engagement, risk of discontinuity and lack of institutional support. The academic setting presents opportunities through integration with teaching, research and outreach. Fourteen design requirements were developed, and an institutional UA policy is recommended. The campus community views UA positively, associating it with innovation. The results suggest that university campuses are strategic spaces for promoting UA as a regenerative infrastructure system. Research limitations/implications The proposed method for diagnosing challenges/opportunities and developing design requirements can be adapted to similar contexts. However, empirical results are not generalizable without additional studies in comparable settings. Originality/value This research offers theoretical insights for incorporating UA into regenerative infrastructure planning on university campuses, contributing to regenerative development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Urban agriculture plays a crucial role in food security in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The use of faecal sludge derived compost (FSDC) is known to aid sustainable and circular agriculture by reuse of valuable nutrients. Key to ensuring environmental and human health safety is by proper processing of FSDC to eliminate inorganic, organic and microbial contaminants embedded in the source materials without compromising nutrient content. However, the utilization of FSDC remains limited due to farmers’ prejudice and hesitance. This study investigates the factors influencing urban farmers’ acceptance of FSDC for agriculture. A cross-sectional survey of 76 urban farmers was conducted, with data analysed through descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis. Farmers’ awareness and experience in applying FSDC in agriculture are important factors that play a role in its acceptance. Results indicate the significant association among garden location in communal areas, income generation as the primary farming purpose, and accessibility of soil inputs are significantly associated with FSDC acceptance. The findings highlight the importance of ease availability and affordability of a compost product with the capacity of enhancing an increase in crop yields to foster acceptance. The study recommends frequent training sessions through workshops and demonstration plots to farmers for awareness-raising and ensuring the good quality of produce by FSDC to promote safe and sustainable reuse of FS in Dar es Salaam's urban agriculture sector.

Urban agriculture and the built environment: Possibilities and barriers in future scenarios

Urban and peri-urban agriculture as a climate-adaptive nature-based solution: A framework for implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean

Modelling nature? The digital twinning and untwinning of urban farms

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in urban environments, such as zero hunger and agriculture and food security, requires strategies that increase food and biofuel production without adding extra pressure on urban freshwater resources. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of rooftop and container agriculture in Mediterranean urban environments using two alternative water sources, including domestic greywater and atmospheric fog harvesting. Maize and sunflower are studied as strategic multipurpose crops due to their suitability for selected systems, adaptability to urban microclimates, and double applications in food and biofuel production. The analysis includes an assessment of urban cultivation areas, fog harvesting potential, greywater quality, and selected crop water requirements, besides the importance of simultaneous consideration of food and energy security. Moreover, the detection methods for suitable areas, the potential rooftop and garden agriculture in some case studies, and the feasibility analysis of urban farming in rooftop and container agriculture using fog and greywater has been explored. Results indicate that domestic greywater, produced continuously within households, can satisfy the full irrigation demand for both crops across the entire growing season, while fog harvesting can supply a maximum value of 28% for sunflowers and 34% for maize water requirements. Moreover, the analysis determined that fog water is suitable for direct irrigation, whereas greywater may be used directly for biofuel-oriented agriculture or applied to food crops following a pre-treatment. In conclusion, the investigation demonstrates that combining fog harvesting with greywater reuse provides a practical and decentralized approach to support urban agriculture for multipurpose crops, enhance local food and energy resilience, and reduce dependence on potable-water networks.

Urban smallholder pig production is one of the farming systems that dominate urban agriculture in South Africa. However, the challenges of urban smallholder pig farmers in adopting sustainable marketing practices have not been identified. Therefore, a survey was conducted amongst 160 pig farmers from five suburbs of the Cape Metropole District in South Africa to determine the impact of socio-economic factors on marketing practices and the accompanying challenges for urban smallholder farms. Data was collected using a convenience sampling technique and subjected to descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and binomial logistic regression. The main challenges experienced by farmers were a slow growth rate in pigs (54% of respondents), scarcity of production inputs (25%), and difficulty in finding marketing information (20%). The main sustainable marketing practices adopted by smallholder pig farmers included the use of a farmgate marketing channel (82% of respondents), the sale of live pigs (52%), and affiliation with marketing organisations (16%). Logistic regression marginal effects revealed that farmers who were women, older, African traditional religion adherents, and had less farming experience, education, training, and access to extension services, relied on paid labour and one source of income, farmed extensively and off-plot, and owned small farms, one livestock type, indigenous breeds and small pig herds, were more likely to face challenges and fail to adopt sustainable marketing practices (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the identified socioeconomic factors have a significant impact on farmers' decision-making and should be incorporated in devising sustainable marketing strategies and policies to enhance market access and pig sales on smallholder urban farms in developing countries.

This community service program aims to enhance the capacity of residents in Semanan Urban Village to implement Al-based urban farming as a strategy to strengthen food security, digital literacy, and community empowerment. The activities were carried out through stages of socialization, training, technology implementation, mentoring, and evaluation, grounded in development communication and participatory communication approaches. The results indicate that integrating urban farming with Al technologies- such as soil sensors, plant monitoring applications, and automated irrigation systems— successfully improved the community's knowledge and technical skills in managing urban agriculture. Training sessions utilizing instructional communication and hands-on learning effectively increased digital literacy and accelerated the adoption of technological innovations. Continuous mentoring and the establishment of an urban farming community strengthened program sustainability through information exchange, collaboration, and enhanced community ownership of the innovation. Additionally, the production of a short documentary served as an effective audio-visual medium to broaden information dissemination and highlight the role of visual communication in community empowerment. Overall, the program not only improved urban farming productivity but also strengthened communication capacity, social inclusion, and technological independence at the community level. The integration of Al into urban farming proved to be an effective, adaptive, and replicable innovation for other urban areas.

Abstract Urban political ecology has developed as a critique of capitalist urbanization. This article develops the concept of alter‐urban political ecology to define urban environments emerging not from capitalist urbanization but from efforts to transform it. Drawing on archival research and ethnographic fieldwork in five urban farms in socialist Cuba, I argue that a Marxist critique of colonial capitalism matters less as an analytical tool and more as a reference point within Cuban politics for understanding urban–rural restructuring since the 1960s. The article brings debates on socialist cities into conversation with urban political ecology to analyse two moments of radical transformation: first, the Cordón de La Habana—a project that in 1968 mobilized Havana's urban workforce in periurban agriculture to disrupt the uneven development of colonial capitalism. Second, the practices of ‘organopónico’ urban farmers in Pinar del Río, who in 2013 navigated a political economy blending socialized land ownership, state planning, market sales and moral incentives. These experiences of urban and periurban agriculture demonstrate how urban–rural relations have been reimagined and transformed within Cuban socialism, offering new directions for urban political ecology beyond its capitalist foundations.

Urban agriculture in urban areas requires digital downstreaming to increase the economic value of products. This study aims to empower the community of Kalisegoro Village through the integration of digital technology in agricultural innovation. Using a theoretical framework of digital-based community empowerment, the implementation methods include socialization, digital literacy, and packaging design workshops using the Canva platform. Involving 14 KKN students and 50 residents, the results of the activity showed a significant increase in technical cultivation skills and visual branding abilities. The use of Canva has been proven to democratize access to professional design, thereby increasing the competitiveness and selling value of local products through representative packaging. In conclusion, the synergy of digital technology and urban farming effectively encourages the transformation of local agricultural products into high-value commodities in the digital era.

Abstract Airflow design in compact cultivation systems is often overlooked despite its importance for microclimate and crop performance. This study aimed to determine whether growth‐stage‐aware ventilation strategies are necessary for effective airflow in small chambers. Using graphics processing unit accelerated, computer‐based airflow simulations, we evaluated five fan configurations across four growth stages in a compact platform. Airflow performance was assessed by pixel‐based segmentation of velocity fields and point‐based diagnostics under plant‐present conditions represented by simplified cylindrical models. Results showed that no single fan configuration satisfied airflow requirements across all stages. Case 1 (top‐inlet/bottom‐outlet) consistently maintained more than 85% active airflow regions across all planes (86.29%–92.90%), effectively minimizing stagnant zones. In contrast, Case 3 (lateral fans) increased mid‐canopy airflow activity to over 90% during mid‐growth, enhancing canopy penetration. Integrating both analyses, we identified a stage‐adaptive sequence (Case 1 → Case 1 → Case 3 → Case 1) that ensured physiologically relevant airflow throughout development. These findings provide actionable design guidance for growth‐stage‐adaptive ventilation strategies in compact cultivation systems, with relevance for closed‐loop and extraterrestrial agriculture. Core Ideas Stage‐adaptive ventilation enhances airflow in compact cultivation systems. Computational fluid dynamics identified Case 1 → Case 1 → Case 3 → Case 1 as optimal growth sequence. No single fan layout was optimal; airflow needs change across growth stages. Findings support urban, laboratory, and extraterrestrial agriculture design.