Research & reports

Absai Chakaipa, Vitalis Basera, Phamella Dube · Journal of Social Humanity and Education · Africa

Using survey data from 115 household farmers collected in December 2020 across urban and peri-urban Mutare City, Zimbabwe, including the Weirmouth Park and Fern Valley areas, this study applied generalized log-linear modelling to model associations between multiple response categorical variables (MRCV) on urban agriculture. Simultaneous Pairwise Marginal Independence tests revealed associations, and log-linear tests found a strong positive association between field agricultural activities and herbicide use, and a strong negative association between municipal vacant places and field agricultural activities; the study could not model associations among three or more MRCVs because the required computations exceeded 2GB of memory.

Samuel Ziem Bonye, Gordon Yenglier Yiridomoh, Emmanuel Kanchebe Derbile · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Africa

A mixed-methods study in Wa Municipality, Ghana, examined how peri-urban agricultural land use change affected farmers' food security, surveying 235 smallholder farmers with questionnaires, interviews and GIS-based historical data. Over the past three decades, peri-urban agricultural land was drastically lost to residential and infrastructural development, and this land use change resulted in food insecurity, with most smallholder farmers unable to meet their food needs over the past decade.

Bereket Geberselassie Assa · Civil and environmental research · Ethiopia

A study of Wolayta Zone Sodo Zuria Woreda in southern Ethiopia used GIS and remote sensing to analyze how human intervention affects the agricultural system. It found that urbanization driven by demand for residential land, a 2.66% increase over nine years, has produced food insecurity and raised crop production costs in local markets. Forestland declined at a rate of 0.295% per year, of which 0.09% was converted to residential land. Land use classification from 30 m Landsat 7 imagery was evaluated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process with a consistency ratio of 0.016%, and the study notes that the impact of deforestation on urban agriculture and livelihoods in this part of southern Ethiopia's highlands had not previously been scientifically studied.

Joshua Jonah Kunda, Ahmed Abubakar Jajere, E. A. Otabe, Chindo Musa Muhammed, Umar Muhammed Bibi, Yusuf Maina-Bukar · Environment and Pollution · Nigeria

This study in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, used geospatial technology to assess agricultural land vulnerability to flooding, deriving factor weights (rainfall 25%, elevation 22%, slope 20%, drainage density 13%, land use/cover 12%, soil type 8%) through pairwise Analytical Hierarchy Process comparison (consistency ratio 0.078) and a weighted overlay model in ArcGIS 10.4. Farmland along the floodplains of the River Benue fell within the very highly vulnerable category, with elements at risk totaling 537.6 units of farmland (66.1%), 40.5 units of irrigation land (5.0%), and 125.8 units of built-up land (15.5%).

TP Modibedi, MMS Maake, MR Masekoameng, SS Tekana, Oluwaseun Samuel Oduniyi · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · South Africa

This quantitative study surveyed vegetable consumption patterns among 254 randomly sampled urban farmers from 30 community gardens (418 registered farmers) across six large townships in Emfuleni Local Municipality, Gauteng province, South Africa. Data were collected via face-to-face semi-structured questionnaires using 24-hour dietary recall and analyzed with SPSS version 23 using descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression. 96.1% of farmers consumed vegetables as a relish and 93.3% as salad, most often at dinner because farmers were typically present in the gardens during the day. Of 10 independent variables tested, only age group, education level, and main income source showed a statistically significant positive association with consumption patterns. The study recommends incorporating vegetables into all three daily meals and providing education on the importance of vegetable consumption.

Abiot Animaw Semegn, Narendra Kumar Bishnoi · The Journal of Entrepreneurship · Ethiopia

A study of 340 randomly selected micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia, used survey data to examine the effect of microcredit on performance, measured by average sales volume. Of the sampled MSEs, 48.53% operated in manufacturing and 26.76% in urban agriculture. Paired t-test analysis found a significant difference in sales, total assets, employment, and net profit performance after MSEs received microcredit loans, and loan size, savings, and entrepreneurship training each had a significant positive effect on performance.

Mulesa T.H. · The Journal of World Intellectual Property · Ethiopia

A historical institutional analysis of the governance of access to plant genetic resources in Ethiopia, examining national policy evolution in relation to the ITPGRFA, benefit-sharing, and farmers' rights.

· Cogent Economics & Finance · Ethiopia

Analyses how small-scale irrigation technology affects women's empowerment, including control over household resources, income and decision-making.

Elizelle Juaneé Cilliers, Louis Lategan, Sarel S. Cilliers, Karla Stander · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · South Africa

This paper investigates urban agriculture (UA) in South Africa as a citizen-led urban greening strategy, reviewing case studies and the national policy framework. Key limitations include many UA initiatives not being self-sustaining or fully citizen-driven, a cultural stigma, limited national support due to the absence of a dedicated UA policy, and South African spatial planners' limited knowledge of UA. These issues hinder the broader implementation of UA.

Julia 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.

Kareem Buyana, Shuaib Lwasa, Denis Tugume, Paul Isolo Mukwaya, Jacqueline Walubwa, Samuel Owuor, Peter Kasaija, Hakimu Sseviiri, Gloria Nsangi, Disan Byarugaba · Environmental Research Letters · Africa

This qualitative systematic review examined academic and policy evidence to identify emerging interventions for enhancing climate change resilience in African cities. At the neighborhood scale, resilience often stems from urban agriculture and forestry, alternative energy from wastes, and adjustments in irrigation schedules. At the city scale, planning targets buildings, mobility, and energy service delivery. The review found that evidence on comparisons across regions mainly covers East, West, and South African cities, with less on Northern and Central Africa, and primarily focuses on capital cities rather than secondary cities and towns.

Cristiana Peano, Stefano Massaglia, Chiara Ghisalberti, Francesco Sottile · Sustainability · Africa

This work reports case studies from the Slow Food Association in Africa to demonstrate the importance of agroecological models in small-scale agricultural systems. It focuses on the development of school and community gardens in small urban areas across different African countries. These models are presented as a tool for integrating agricultural activities aimed at social resilience and the conservation of ecosystems, aligning with SDG #12 Responsible Production and Consumption.

Gebrekiros Hagos Belay, Abrha Gebreslassie, Amanuel Teklay, Mulugeta Tesfay · Agricultural Social Economic Journal · Ethiopia

A study in Mekelle city, Tigrai, Ethiopia, investigated the commercialization of urban dairy farming, surveying 100 households using questionnaires. Results from a binary logit model showed that household head's education, family size, market distance, and total dairy products owned significantly influenced commercialization decisions. Further analysis indicated that education, extension agent visits, total dairy products, and owned land size significantly affected the extent of commercialization.

Nicole Paganini, Stefanie Lemke · Local Environment · South Africa (Cape Town)

This study, conducted from 2017 to 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa, and Maputo, Mozambique, explored urban agriculture's contributions to livelihoods and food availability through a food justice lens. In Cape Town, NGO-led urban agriculture regulated production and market access, serving wealthy consumers, with only 15% of farmers consuming their produce. In Maputo, urban agriculture contributed to local food availability, with 99% of farmers eating their produce, but farmers depended on intermediary-determined prices and faced unequal access to inputs. The study revealed stark structural inequalities and uneven power dynamics in both contexts.

Harry Kasumba, M. Mashologu, Patrick W Bwowe · · South Africa

An investigation into the sustainability of school food gardens in Chris Hani District, South Africa, used a mixed-methods approach with a purposive sample of six schools. Findings revealed significant bottlenecks hindering sustainability, specifically inadequate funding and a lack of proper planning for school food gardening activities.

I.O. Amao · IntechOpen eBooks · Sub-Saharan Africa

This chapter conducted an empirical review of urban horticulture in cities across Sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to specify its benefits in the region. The review concluded that governments in these countries require political will to realize the identified advantages of urban horticulture, which include food and nutrition security, healthy environments, and sustainable livelihoods. It recommends raising awareness among stakeholders like politicians, policymakers, and urban households to integrate urban horticulture into land use planning.

Kofi Atiah, Edward Yeboah, Eric Nartey, D.Y.I. Lawson, Volker Häring, Andreas Buerkert, Bernd Marschner · West African Journal of Applied Ecology · West Africa

This study investigated the changes in properties of rice husk and corn cob biochars applied in urban agricultural field soils in Tamale, Ghana, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, over 12 months. Biochars were buried at 20 cm depth, and evaluated based on soil management practices and time. No significant interaction effect was found between soil management practices and time, but time significantly affected most biochar ageing properties. In both biochars, ash content, fixed carbon, cDOC, hDOC, cSUVA, and hSUVA increased, while pH and volatile matter contents significantly decreased.

Tony Ngwenya, Pfano Mashau · Problems and Perspectives in Management · South Africa (Durban)

This study investigated institutional support for youth-owned Small, Medium, and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs) in Durban's urban agribusiness sector using a quantitative methodology. Findings indicated that CSR interventions had not yielded a fundamental impact, and there was a lack of tangible, result-driven institutional support from policymakers and authorities. Furthermore, targeted technological transfer was a constraining factor, and a lack of monetary and non-monetary access hampered the SMMEs' competitiveness and profitability.

Mulugeta Chane Wube · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Ethiopia

A descriptive study analyzed the effect of industry extension service packages on the performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Dessie, South Wollo, and Oromia Special zones, Ethiopia, sampling 248 out of 646 MSEs. The analysis revealed that industry extension services provided by TVET trainers were inadequate across all four dimensions: technical, technology, Kaizen, and entrepreneurship. The overall performance of the surveyed MSEs was found to be very low, concluding that the provided extension services were insufficient in improving their performance.

Dauda 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.

Christiana Olusola Owolabi, Olukemi Ifetola Adediran, T.T. Joseph-Adekunle, J. G. Bodunde, O.O. Olubode · Nigerian Journal of Horticultural Science · Nigeria (Abeokuta)

A two-year study at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, assessed the use of Purple Basil (Ocimum basilicum) in landscaping under different management practices (manuring, mulching, hedge trimming). Manuring resulted in taller plants with more branches and contributed to improved yield and hedge formation. Manured and trimmed plants yielded 2.0 kg/plot, slightly higher than manured and mulched plants (1.9 kg/plot).

Mawuna Donald Houessou, Mirte van de Louw, B.G.J.S. Sonneveld · Sustainability · Benin

To identify the main constraints to the expansion of urban agriculture (UA) in Benin, a systematic literature review, a survey among experienced urban gardeners, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders were conducted. The synthesis revealed five predominant constraints: lack of land and tenure insecurity, insufficient government support, restricted market access, limited access to productive factors, and inequality issues. Specifically, the survey indicated a political unwillingness, which was explained by the unperceived benefits of investing in UA and the lack of enforcement of urban development plans.

H. Shuaibu, A. Yakubu, Abubakar Hassan, Bassey Emmanuel · Ife Journal of Agriculture · Nigeria

A study in the Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, assessed the impact of peri-urban farming on household income, focusing on 120 fluted pumpkin farmers. Farmers realized a gross margin of N16,480 and a return per investment (RNI) of N1.98 annually. Sex, marital status, household size, and years of experience significantly influenced profitability, while 32% of farmers reported inadequate rainfall, 32% financial constraints, and 21% low productivity.

Idris Mohammed, Abdella Kosa, Nuredin Juhar · Agricultural and Food Economics · Ethiopia

This study assessed the economic linkage between urban development and the livelihood of peri-urban farming communities in Ethiopia, focusing on current practices and policies. Data was collected from 30 municipal officials and 200 evicted peri-urban farmers across five municipalities in the Amara regional state. Findings indicate that the continuous eviction of peri-urban farmers from their indigenous land for redevelopment negatively affects their livelihood, highlighting significant equity issues. Factors contributing to urban expansion include economic policy reform, private investor incentives, and public sector projects, further exacerbated by policy limitations and lack of municipal intervention.

Michael Rudolph, Evans Muchesa, Florian Kroll · International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management · South Africa

This paper reflects on key socio-economic challenges in South Africa and the role of urban agriculture in addressing health disparities and promoting ecological health. Using a structured mixed literature review and primary/secondary data, the study demonstrates the high prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity. However, it also emphasizes the positive outcomes of an integrated approach to addressing nutrition and food security, suggesting that multi- and trans-disciplinary methods based on ecological health promotion can improve food security, public health, and socio-economic development.