Peri-urban agriculture and population growth : the case of Asmara, Eritrea

Urban Farm DB summary

A thesis examining peri-urban agriculture in Asmara, Eritrea, within an analytical framework of urban population growth encompassing natural population increase, rural-urban migration, and outward movement linked to urban expansion. It draws on primary field data collected with research assistants, secondary data from Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Public Works reports, and focus group discussions. Respondents in the context of natural population growth were found to make a viable living from peri-urban agriculture, but also to face considerable challenges. Three sub-groups of farmers were identified; poultry farmers were the most vulnerable, owing to high input costs, uncertainty from avian flu, and an undeveloped distribution network. Vegetable producers had a sophisticated marketing network but low levels of education, large households, and an impending shortage of land and water. The abstract's description of agriculturalists who migrated to Asmara is cut off before stating a conclusion.