Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
6 results
The entrepreneurial ecosystem and the performance of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Amhara region, Ethiopia: the political–legal perspective
2023Mulugeta Chane Wube, Heena Atwal · Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship · Ethiopia
This study, conducted in the Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia, examined the integrated effect of the entrepreneurial ecosystem's political-legal subsystem on the performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) and the mediating role of entrepreneurial competence. A sample of 499 MSE operators engaged in manufacturing, construction, and urban agriculture was selected. While the political-legal aspects significantly impacted both entrepreneurial competency and MSE performance, the relationship between entrepreneurial competencies and MSE performance was found to be insignificant. The mediating role of entrepreneurial competency in the relationships between policy and business performance and other business environments and business performance was also shown to be insignificant.
Limited or null effectPolicyEconomicsBarriers to urban agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa
2020Julia Davies, Corrie Hannah, Zack Guido, Andrew Zimmer, Laura E. McCann, Jane Battersby, Tom Evans · Food Policy · Sub-Saharan Africa
This study investigated the association between urban agriculture (UA) and household food security in smaller African cities and towns, using survey data from 2,687 low- and low-middle income households in 18 urban areas with populations of less than 200,000 across Zambia and Kenya. The analysis found that 33% of households in the sample engaged in UA, but there was limited statistical significance in the relationship between UA and household food security. Key barriers identified were settlement formality, property rights, and distance from food retailers.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageSPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE IN LAGOS METROPOLIS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR URBAN PLANNING
2020Dauda Rotimi Awoniran, Omotayo Ben Olugbamila, Emmanuel Olufemi Omisore · Analele Universităţii din Oradea Seria Geografie · Sub-Saharan Africa (Lagos)
This study examined urban agriculture practices and land use changes in Lagos Metropolis, Sub-Saharan Africa, over three decades using satellite imagery and primary data from four Local Government Areas. It found that cultivated lands decreased by 28.70% between 1986 and 2000, and by 19.25% between 2000 and 2016. Urban farmlands converted to other uses by 89.48% between 1986 and 2000, and by 75.64% between 2000 and 2016, indicating that food security is under threat as land for urban farmers shrinks.
Limited or null effectPolicyUrban–rural linkageEconomicsTaking a livelihood perspective to building urban water resilience: Potential and challenges in Addis Ababa
2018Liku Workalemahu Habtemariam, KetemaAbebe Tufa, Lise Byskov Herslund, Patience Mguni · Progress in Development Studies · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
This article explores water resource management in Addis Ababa's condominium housing and urban agriculture cooperatives to identify challenges and potentials for water-resilient livelihoods. Findings indicate both communities are heavily affected by water stress, with farming communities being vulnerable due to natural asset dependence but more flexible than condominium residents facing malfunctioning infrastructure. Potential for resilience exists if policy frameworks integrate local situations with landscape-based stormwater management.
Limited or null effectCommunityClimate changeEconomicsPolicyTemporal Dynamics and Motivations for Urban Community Food Gardens in Medium-Sized Towns of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
2018Sky Roberts, Charlie M. Shackleton · Land · South Africa
This study investigated urban community food gardens in four towns in South Africa, using surveys and GIS analysis over three decades. It found that common motivations included cash poverty (37%) and the need to grow food (34%), with reported benefits such as a healthy lifestyle (58%) and food consumption (54%). A significant challenge was theft of garden infrastructure or produce, and there were declines in the number and area of urban community gardens, with only 16% of gardens from the 1980s still operating in the 2000s.
Limited or null effectCommunityHealthEconomicsPolicyUrban agriculture, gender and empowerment: An alternative view
2001Rachel Slater · Development Southern Africa · South Africa
This study examined urban agriculture (UA) in Cape Town, South Africa, focusing on its contribution to low-income households. It found that UA's contribution to income generation and expenditure substitution is limited. However, UA is important to women in low-income households in ways less directly related to monetary gain, being used for empowerment, establishing social networks, symbolizing a sense of security, and encouraging community development.
Limited or null effectWelfareCommunityPolicyEconomics