Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2015·South Africa

Food gardening in Lavender Hill, Cape Town: using adoption rates to estimate the perceived benefit

Simon Hazell, Victoria Delbridge, Beatrice Conradie

UR UCT Undergraduate Research

Urban Farm DB summary

A study in Lavender Hill, Cape Town, South Africa, interviewed 50 participants in the Mothers Unite programme to assess the benefits and constraints of homestead-based urban agriculture. Despite the potential for food gardening to alleviate food insecurity and free up 11% of household income, two-thirds of the group had not tried it. Barriers to adoption included lack of space and limited cash flow, with respondents showing little concern for water or compost costs.