This project aimed to explore how urban food systems, in rapidly developing urban and peri-Urban areas can be envisaged as urban nature-based solutions (NbS) that provide ecosystem and societal benefits. In Bengaluru we examined two aspects of urban food systems: First, was a scoping study on the outcome of urban agriculture on ecosystem services (e.g. pollination services, biodiversity benefits) and societal wellbeing (especially food and nutritional security and livelihoods of the most marginalised citizens). Second, we experimented with co-production pathways across the science-policy-practice-citizen interface to scale up NbS around sustainable urban agricultural practices. 

• FUNDED BY:  Agence Francaise de Developpement 

• PROJECT DURATION:  2023 to 2025 

  KEY FINDINGS :

1) Even small-scale interventions, when designed ecologically and socially, can yield disproportionate benefits. Some schools observed increased biodiversity awareness among children, improved nutrition through kitchen garden produce, and greater teacher involvement in ecological literacy.

2) Ecological monitoring revealed a noticeable increase in pollinator activity, particularly solitary bees and butterflies, in sites where flowering plants and reduced pesticide use were prioritized.

3) Soil testing in food gardens showed a rise in organic carbon (up to 97%) and available nitrogen (up to 51%) within a year, demonstrating the regenerative potential of urban agroecology.

4) Working in a big city like Bengaluru with limited space and high density neighborhoods along with the need for long-term behavioural changes are among the various challenges faced.

5) Opportunities for scaling include embedding NbS into the Bengaluru Master Plan 2031, supporting school-level eco-clubs through the Karnataka State Education Policy, linking composting efforts to BBMP Solid Waste Management Bylaws (2020), and aligning urban biodiversity interventions with the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP) being developed for Bengaluru.

TEAM:

Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Sheetal Patil, Ravi Jambhekar, Indira Singh, Kadambari Deshpande, Gayatri Bakhale, Dilip Naidu, Swarnika Sharma, V Vaishnavi, and  Ryan Satish

PUBLICATIONS :

1) Abera, L.E., Jumani, S., van Rees, C.B., Krishnaswamy, J., Seigerman, C.K., Nelson, D.R., Hallemeier, J., Mulatu, D.W., Arora, R., Viscardo Sesma, M.P. and Asnake, K., 2025. Integrating Nature-based Solutions for urban water security in global south. PLOS Water, 4(6), p.e0000372.

2) Rege, A., Bhan, M., Krishnaswamy, J., Patil, S., Singh, I., Xu, W. and Zeng, S., 2024. Seeking a multi‐dimensional approach to understand agricultural commodity expansion in Asian tropics. Biotropica, 56(6), p.e13375.

3) Jambhekar, R., Naidu, D.G. and Krishnaswamy, J., 2025. Effects of heat stress and green cover on urban birds in the megacity of Bengaluru. Ecological Applications, 35(3), p.e70039.

4) Jambhekar, R., Satish, R., Sharma, S., Bakhale, G., Ranganathan, P., Naidu, D.G., Deshpande, K. and Krishnaswamy, J., 2026. Nature-based solutions and urban biodiversity conservation in the Global South. Ecological Indicators, 183, p.114627.

5) Policy Brief 2025 – Integrating Food Water and Ecology for Sustainable Bengaluru https://iihs.co.in/knowledge-gateway/integrating-food-water-and-ecology-for-a-sustainable-bengaluru/

6) Policy Brief 2025 – Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions for a Sustainable Bengaluru

https://iihs.co.in/knowledge-gateway/mainstreaming-nature-based-solutions-for-a-sustainable-bengaluru/

A field-based experimental study testing whether companion cropping (Ocimum sanctum – basil, and Amaranthus cruentus – red amaranthus) alters soil bacterial communities and improves growth, pest resistance and fruit quality of chilli (Capsicum frutescens). It combines baseline and post-crop soil 16S amplicon sequencing, nutrient profiling, pollinator/pest monitoring, plant growth measurements and capsaicin analysis to compare control vs two companion-crop treatments. The experiment is sited in IIHS’s Kengeri food garden and aims to produce a peer-reviewed article plus outreach/policy guidance.

• PROJECT DURATION –  2024-2025
• KEY FINDINGS – Ongoing
• TEAM- V Vaishnavi and Indira Singh 
• PUBLICATIONS – 

• Comparative Impacts of Organic and Inorganic Soil Amendments on Microbial Communities and One Health Indicators  

  This study addresses a critical gap at the intersection of soil fertility, waste valorization, and One Health by systematically comparing cow dung compost, urban wet waste compost, and conventional fertilization. By integrating nutrient profiling, microbial community assessment, and pathogen surveillance, it generates evidence on both agronomic benefits and public-health risks associated with each amendment. The outcomes will provide a science-driven decision framework for farmers and policymakers, enabling sustainable soil management while safeguarding ecosystem and food-system health.

• PROJECT DURATION –  2025-2026 
• KEY FINDINGS- Ongoing
• TEAM- Kanika Bansal, Indira Singh
• PUBLICATIONS –