Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
8 results
Impacts of climate variability on the vegetable production of urban farmers in the Addis Ababa metropolitan area: Nexus of climate-smart agricultural technologies
2023Mekonnen Amberber Degefu, Fantu Kifle · Climate Services · Ethiopia
This study examined the impacts of climate variability on vegetable production among 156 randomly selected vegetable farmers along the little Akaki River in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Climate data from 1996 to 2020 and farmer perceptions revealed high coefficients of variation for monthly and annual precipitation. Farmers perceived increased floods/rainfall (44.9%), drought frequency (13.5%), temperature (89.7%), and decreased vegetable productivity (86.5%). High precipitation and temperature variability negatively affect vegetable productivity, with nonadaptation (36.5%) also reported as an adaptation option.
Limited or null effectClimate changeUrban–rural linkageEconomicsProduction of Edibles and Use of Garden Waste in Domestic Gardens of a Middle-Class Suburb in Cape Town, South Africa
2021Anjali Mistry, Manfred Spocter · · South Africa (Cape Town)
A study in a middle-class suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, investigated edible cultivation and garden waste management in domestic gardens. While potential gardening space averaged two-thirds of residential plots, 129 respondents primarily cultivated lawns, not food, with minimal vegetable production. Residents often used private gardening services for waste disposal, and on-site garden waste disposal techniques need promotion.
Limited or null effectDIYCompostCommunityUrban–rural linkageBarriers 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 linkageEconomicsFood System Transformation in Mozambique: An Assessment of Changing Diet Quality in the context of a Rising Middle Class
2018Jenny Smart, David Tschirley, Francis Smart, Smart, Jenny Cairns, Tschirley, David, Smart, Francis · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Mozambique
Food system transformation and changes in diet quality were assessed in Mozambique amidst rapid urbanization and income growth. Rising incomes and processed food consumption were found to be associated with a worsening of negative dietary factors. Furthermore, urbanization, controlling for income, was more strongly associated with a worsening of negative factors than an improvement in positive dietary factors. However, owning one's own farm had a positive and significant effect on nutrition for urban households, primarily driven by reduced purchases of unhealthy foods.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsUrban–rural linkageNo. 16: The State of Food Insecurity in Msunduzi Municipality, South Africa
2012Mary Caesar, Jonathan Crush, Trevor Hill · Scholars Commons (Wilfrid Laurier University) · South Africa (Msunduzi Municipality)
A study on food security in Msunduzi Municipality, South Africa, was part of AFSUN's baseline survey across eleven Southern African cities. The survey found that urban poor in Msunduzi are significantly worse off than those in Cape Town and Johannesburg, with one-third of households reporting frequent food shortages. Urban agriculture is not particularly significant in Msunduzi, and while supermarket supply chains dominate the food system, they do not meet the needs of the poor.
Limited or null effectWelfareEconomicsUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceCross-Location Analysis of the Impact of Household Socioeconomic Status on Participation in Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in West Africa
2011Luc Hippolyte Dossa, Andreas Buerkert, Eva Schlecht · Human Ecology · Sub-Saharan Africa
A study surveyed 700 randomly selected households across Kano (Nigeria), Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso), and Sikasso (Mali) to explore the relationship between household socioeconomic status (SES) and participation in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). The results showed no significant differences in UPA participation rates across socioeconomic groups. Instead, UPA participation was significantly and positively related to household size.
Limited or null effectUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsWelfareSupermarket Expansion and the Informal Food Economy in Southern African Cities: Implications for Urban Food Security
2011Jonathan Crush, Bruce Frayne · Journal of Southern African Studies · Southern Africa
This article reviews urban food sources in Southern African cities, focusing on supermarket expansion, its impact on informal food suppliers, and the relative insignificance of urban agriculture for poor urban households. Findings from an eleven-city survey by AFSUN are presented, highlighting that urban agriculture has limited significance in addressing urban food insecurity in the region.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsUrban–rural linkage