Research & reports

Habtamu Serbessa, Teferee Mekonnen, Meskerem Abi · Journal of Developing Country Studies · Ethiopia

A questionnaire survey and focus group discussions with small-scale vegetable producers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia used probability sampling, descriptive statistics, correlation and multinomial logistic regression, plus SWOT and force field analysis. Producers held positive perceptions of vegetable production and most intended to continue, but limited access to land, pests and diseases, and water shortages were identified as the main challenges. Regression results showed land size, gender, age and housing type as the most significant factors determining vegetable production.

Ambroise Dalecky, Madougou Garba, Abdoulaziz Ibrahim Danzabarma, Jonas Etougbétché, Sylvestre Badou, Henri‐Joël Dossou, Ibrahima Sow, Cheikh Tidiane Niang, Ousmane Diene, Idrissa Diallo, Mohamed Seyidna Ali Saghiri, Mohamed El Hady Sidatt, Frank van Steenbergen, Amadou Bocar Bal, Luwieke Bosma, Gualbert Houémènou, Solimane Ag Atteynine, Karmadine Hima, Gauthier Dobigny, Yonas Meheretu · Environnement Risques Santé · Sub-Saharan Africa

The abstract text provided consists only of acknowledgments—thanking Valérie Golaz (INED-LPED), Marc Egrot (IRD-LPED), and the organizers of the international conference "Implementation of public policies and pesticides in the Souths" (PoPPesCI project, on public policies and pesticides in urban agriculture), held in October 2021 in Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, for prompting the article's writing. It contains no actual findings or content about rodent proliferation or synthetic chemical rodenticides despite what the title suggests.

Ayşegül YARIŞ, Emel Karakaya Ayalp · · Africa

This article reviews the City-Region Food System (CRFS) approach and toolkit developed by FAO and RUAF, translated into Turkish, and examines its roadmap through the West African cities of Ouagadougou and Tamale to assess applicability for building sustainable urban food systems. The review concludes that the CRFS Toolkit offers a limited set of tools and does not incorporate the relationship with spatial disciplines.

Habtamu Serbessa · International Journal of African and Asian Studies · Ethiopia

This study examined how vegetable production supplements food and income for residents of urban Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, using household-level quantitative data analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Of respondents, 99.2% said vegetable production provides fresh food for their households, 41.9% earned up to 10,000 birr per production cycle, and 30.7% of producers hired up to ten employees, with seeds and pesticides being the more expensive inputs; multivariate analysis found households earning around 10,000 birr per production cycle were significantly affected by farming in residential areas (p = 0.008), and households were found to prioritize food consumption over profiting from sales.

Nada El Habibi, Hesham El-Barmelgy · Journal of Urban Research /Journal of Urban Research · Africa

This paper addresses urbanization pressures and food security challenges in Egypt, along with the negative impact of a shortage of green space on public health and productivity, by examining the concept of urban agriculture and how to activate it. Using an analytical review of literature and international experiences, the study identifies the main patterns and types of urban agriculture, analyzes global cases to understand the potential contributions and challenges facing different urban agriculture types, and, through a deductive approach, proposes a framework for activating the urban agriculture concept as a pathway toward sustainable urban development in Egypt; the paper presents no empirical survey data.

Dilebo T., Feyissa T., Asfaw Z., Zewdu A. · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 18:74 · Ethiopia

An ethnobotanical survey of 240 households across four zones of southern Ethiopia documenting on-farm landrace diversity, use patterns and farmer conservation of the staple crop enset.

Zimmer A., Guido Z., Davies J., Joshi N., Chilenga A., Evans T. · Urban Transformations (BioMed Central) · Africa

Demonstrates that African secondary cities function as connection points between rural and urban food systems, evaluating mid-size cities as intermediate nodes for food distribution, processing and market formation.

Hussein L., Uren C., Rekik F., Hammami Z. · Waste Management & Research · Middle East, North Africa

Comprehensive review of waste management and composting strategies in MENA region, with implications for circular urban agriculture in water-scarce contexts.

Ejigu N., Sitotaw B., Girmay S., Assaye H. · International Journal of Food Science · Ethiopia

Evaluates water hyacinth biomass, alone or mixed with wheat/teff straw, as a low-cost substrate for oyster mushroom cultivation. The authors conclude water hyacinth is a promising cheap substrate owing to its ideal C/N ratio and low lignin, while also helping control the invasive weed.

Dufera L.T. · Journal of Food Quality · Jimma, Ethiopia

Dries tomato slices in a twin-layer solar tunnel dryer under Ethiopian conditions, testing how different pre-drying treatments affect physicochemical quality and drying kinetics. Addresses low-cost tunnel-type solar drying for vegetable preservation.

Gumisiriza M.S., Ndakidemi P., Nalunga A., Mbega E.R. · Sustainable Cities and Society · Africa

A cost-effectiveness analysis (net present value, internal rate of return, payback period) of a small-scale non-greenhouse vertical hydroponic system, examining its contribution to urban food security.

· GeoJournal · Cape Town, South Africa

Based on 34 community food gardens, the study finds insecure land tenure is a major threat to garden sustainability in Global South cities. It concludes that past efforts to formalize tenure failed due to poor coordination among government departments and unclear land-acquisition processes.

Sani Abubakar Mashi, Samuel Yakubu, Sofia Yuniar Sani · Asian Research Journal of Agriculture · Africa

A study in the Kubanni basin of Zaria, Africa, evaluated the quality of wastewater used for irrigating urban agriculture soils. The wastewater contained arsenic, iron, chromium, copper, zinc, manganese, and lead. Although concentrations were generally below Nigeria's permissible limits for irrigation, the study noted the metals' tendency to accumulate in soils, raising concerns about potential heavy metal buildup in irrigated soils and crops.

Ayobami Abayomi Popoola, Bolanle Wahab, Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha, Lovemore Chipungu · CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development · Nigeria (Ibadan)

This mixed-methods study in Ibadan, Nigeria, surveyed 236 urban farmers across five local government areas to determine patterns of integrating urban farming into city infrastructure development. Findings indicated that old age limited farmers' travel distance and farm produce theft was detected, highlighting challenges in current urban farming practices and infrastructure.

Marié J. du Toit, Olivia Rendón, Viktoria Cologna, Sarel S. Cilliers, Martin Dallimer · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · South Africa

A case study in a low-income former township area in South Africa, involving 140 home garden owners, found that gardens did not substantially contribute to household food security. Only 10% of households were completely food secure, and dietary diversity was very low. Key constraints included cultural practices, a focus on ornamental plants, and reliance on purchased food.

Umar Usman Jimoh, Kolade Victor Otokiti · South African Journal of Geomatics · Nigeria

This study in Ibadan, Nigeria, examined the effect of poorly controlled physical development on urban food production using a longitudinal survey and geographical/remote sensing methods. It revealed that Ibadan's urban area expanded significantly from 70.3584 ha in 1986 to 411.8877 ha in 2019, leading to the loss of agricultural land, depletion of water bodies, and agricultural land conversion. This expansion negatively impacted urban food production.

Nilesh L. Patil, Anjali A. Kulkarni, Dinesh Amalnerkar, Swapnil C. Kamble · South African Journal of Botany · South Africa

This study assessed the growth and nutrient values of wheatgrass cultivated in soil, hydroponics, aeroponics, and paper-pulp based potting mix soil. Plantlets from potting mix soil showed the highest height (88.67 cm), weight (15.13 gm), and overall nutrient content. Cost analysis over six months revealed that potting mix soil systems were 17x and 23x cheaper than hydroponics and aeroponics, respectively, making them the most productive for long durations.

Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu · Environmental & Socio-economic Studies · Africa

This literature review explored the effects of urbanization on food security in Africa by reviewing eleven empirical journal articles. Findings indicate that rapid, unplanned urbanization has led to increased food insecurity, environmental degradation, and unsustainable food security, exacerbated by ill-prepared and incompetent governments. Key issues identified include poor government interventions, inadequate land-use planning, and high incompetency among urban planners.

Oluwole Matthew Akinnagbe, Obadamilola Enitan Ipinmoye · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Nigeria (Ondo State)

This study examined the effects of urban agriculture on households' livelihoods in Ondo State, Nigeria, using a multistage sampling procedure with 150 respondents. Major crops and livestock were leafy vegetables (100.0%) and broiler chickens (57.0%), respectively. The majority (82.0%) of urban agriculture practitioners had no contact with extension agents. Urban agriculture significantly improved respondents' standard of living (from 85.0% to 98.0%) and saving patterns (from 66.7% to 100.0%), and also led to improved knowledge.

Gemechu Abdissa, Abebe Ayalew, Anna Dunay, Csaba Bálint Illés · Economies · Ethiopia

This study investigated the determinants of sustainable growth for SMEs, including those in urban agriculture, in Ethiopia using primary data from 194 employees. Findings indicate that political instability, corruption, and COVID-19 are significantly harming the growth and long-term sustainability of Ethiopian SMEs.

Alexandra Zivkovic, Emily V. Merchant, Thomas Nyawir, Daniël J. Hoffman, James E. Simon, Shauna Downs · Current Developments in Nutrition · Kenya (Nairobi)

A feasibility and preliminary impact assessment of sack gardens for women in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, involving 21 participants in 2018-2019, found reduced household food insecurity. However, key barriers included insufficient inputs and difficulties in group work, particularly communication. The study suggests sack gardens may partially improve diet quality, but further research is needed on household income impact.

Brian Tigere, Theresa Moyo · African Journal of Disability · South Africa

A qualitative study in rural Limpopo province, South Africa, examined the role of community gardens in uplifting persons with disabilities and their communities. Using face-to-face interviews with 21 participants, including people with disabilities and government officials, the study found that community gardens contributed to the economic and social well-being of persons with disabilities by providing income and creating jobs. The study recommends a disability access audit to address accessibility challenges.

Bernardino Bernardo, Elisa Eda Nhambire, Alice Castigo Binda Freia, Octávio Manuel de Jesus, José Júlio Júnior Guambe, Zacarias Alexandre Ombe, Gustavo Sobrinho Dgedge · Cadernos de Geografia · Mozambique (Maputo)

This mixed-method study analyzed the impacts of hailstorms on urban horticulture in northern Maputo City and Matola, Mozambique, following a storm on June 1, 2021. The study found total and partial destruction of ready-to-cut vegetables, including cabbage, lettuce, and onions, across all production areas. This resulted in heavy financial losses for farmers and a significant increase in vegetable prices in local markets.

Axel Prestes Dürrnagel, Matias Siueia Júnior, Simone Prestes Dürrnagel · Boletim GeoÁfrica · Mozambique

In Maputo, Mozambique's capital, urban agriculture is at a critical point, with accelerated urban growth and climate change impacts increasingly compromising agricultural spaces. A qualitative case study focusing on farmer associations in the urban district of KaMavota indicated that horizontal relationships among farmers enable information sharing and social capital creation. Conversely, vertical relationships between farmers and the government primarily promote knowledge exchange and competencies related to agricultural extension and land rights allocation.

Bruk Getahun, Essayas Deribe · Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning · Ethiopia

A case study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, assessed the contribution of architectural design concepts for sustainable urban farming in selected urban farms. The research evaluated urban farms using six criteria based on the three pillars of sustainability: ecological, social, and economical. Findings revealed that most urban farms in Addis Ababa did not fully achieve the sustainability criteria.