Research & reports

Meznanat Tame, Kassahun Gashu, Bantayehu Ayalew Workineh · City Territory and Architecture · Ethiopia

In north-west Ethiopia, a study analyzed urban expansion driving factors, compensation, and livelihood coping strategies of displaced farmers surrounding medium-sized towns. Primary data was collected through 350 survey questionnaires, two FGDs, and six key informant interviews. Findings revealed that compensation was mostly cash-based, and social relationships and community values decreased after displacement. The study suggests a need for proper urban land governance with a participatory approach that includes farmers, and for appropriate urban planning and land policy to improve urban land use efficiency.

Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Urban Transformations · South Africa (Cape Town)

This qualitative study investigated 13 school-based community gardens in low-income townships on the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa, using semi-structured interviews. It found that while these gardens can enhance food security, nutrition, and community development, most urban community gardens in South Africa face significant challenges related to land tenure rights, often requiring negotiation for school land use. The research highlights both the advantages and the challenges of utilizing school land for community gardens.

Leemisa Simon Matooane, Abraham R. Matamanda, Johannes Bhanye, Verna Nel · Urban Forum · Africa

This paper examines how urban planning affects food security in Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. The analysis identifies common challenges in urban food systems, including urban agriculture integration, food distribution, spatial inequalities, and collaborative governance. Findings suggest that proactive, innovative urban planning tailored to socio-economic contexts can significantly enhance food security.

Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · South Africa (Cape Town)

This study investigated the motivations for urban gardening among low-income residents in Cape Town's Cape Flats, South Africa, using survey data from 97 participants and interviews across 34 community gardens. While 29 out of 34 gardens prioritized income generation, a tension was found between institutional economic objectives and individual gardeners' motivations. Although 76.3% cited economic reasons, all respondents also valued social, health, and environmental benefits, perceiving gardening as a means to enhance well-being and promote sustainable practices despite structural barriers.

Tanvir Ahmed · European Economic Letters (EEL) · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This study examined factors influencing the growth of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), including urban agriculture, in Bahir Dar city administration, Ethiopia, surveying 385 business owners, managers, service providers, and local leaders. Multiple regression analysis found that entrepreneurial traits, management and marketing abilities, technology, access to funding, market sufficiency, and legal/regulatory frameworks affect MSE growth. However, the survey revealed that many MSEs received lengthy and intricate legal notices, indicating a need for simpler government processes for licensing and registration.

A. Bayat, H. Govera · Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir landbouvoorligting/South African journal of agricultural extension · South Africa (Cape Town)

This study descriptively investigated the vulnerability to shocks and pressures of the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA), a key urban food-producing region in Cape Town, South Africa. Data were collected through surveys with stakeholders from government, the private sector, NGOs, private individuals, and informal settlers. Key findings revealed insufficient governance commitment, a lack of multi-stakeholder collaboration, and the growing threat of urban development on agricultural land.

Mohammed Adem Ali, B. Lilly Grace Eunice · Discover Sustainability · Ethiopia

Urban agriculture in Ethiopia is a vital livelihood strategy, contributing to employment, income, and food security. Despite its significant contributions to GDP and urban employment, its potential is insufficiently utilized due to structural obstacles. These hurdles include restricted access to land and water, deficient regulatory frameworks, poor institutional support, social stigma, and environmental risks, and it is insufficiently acknowledged in urban development strategies.

Moçambique MANI TESE, Franscisco Monteiro Chimote, Paulo Xavier Tebulo · Revista fisio&terapia. · Mozambique

A study conducted in Quelimane, Mozambique, analyzed the procedures and challenges for ensuring advocacy for sustainable food systems. The research highlighted institutional fragmentation, the absence of urban agriculture regulation, and precarious logistics as critical obstacles. While community micro-strategies and urban gardens were identified as potential catalysts for transformation, the study concluded that strengthening local governance and multi-sectoral mobilization are fundamental.

Khalid Umar, Hamza Abba, UM Sani, M.D KWAIRANGA · JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC AND LEGAL STUDIES NORTH-EASTERN UNIVERSITY GOMBE · Nigeria

This review explores the multifaceted effects of urbanization pressures in Nigeria, including environmental degradation, urban poverty, housing shortages, and public health challenges. Case studies from major cities like Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, and Gombe demonstrate innovative responses such as sustainable urban planning, waste management, flood mitigation, and urban agriculture. The study emphasizes the urgent need for inclusive policies, community engagement, and sustainable strategies to promote resilient and equitable urban development in Nigeria.

Stella Kasiva Mbiti, Micah Makworo, Brenda Waruinu Githinji, Christine Sabwa · · Kenya

This study explored the inter-linkages of urbanization, climate change, and food insecurity in Kiambu Sub-County, Kenya. Findings show urbanization leads to dramatic land use changes, diminishing agricultural land, and exacerbated climate risks and food insecurity. The study identified institutional weaknesses, poor planning, limited regulatory frameworks, and political interference as key drivers of unsustainable urban growth and reduced food production.

Tesfay, Hailay, Machethe, Charles · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Ethiopia (Tigray)

This paper examines the effect of Ethiopia's land certification program on the land tenure security of rural and peri-urban farming households in the Tigray region. Analyzing cross-sectional data from 500 respondents using logistic regression, the study showed that the program's effect is significantly influenced by the geographic location of farm households. The program produced better results for rural farmers than for peri-urban farmers, with certified households in rural areas being less likely to experience a change in their land tenure (less secure land tenure) compared to certified farmers in peri-urban areas.

Ebimorboere endoni, Ibrahim Umar, Patrick Chukwuemeke Uwajeh, Timothy Onosahwo Iyendo, olawepo ibidolapo · Nile Journal of Engineering and Applied Science · Nigeria

This research investigates the role of community recreational gardens in fostering social cohesion among residents in urban housing estates in FCT Abuja, Nigeria, using a mixed-methods approach including surveys, interviews, and observational studies. Key findings indicate that community recreational gardens serve as inclusive environments, promoting cross-generational interactions, cultural exchange, and the formation of social networks in housing estates.

Etefa Tilahun Ashine · International Journal of Agricultural Economics · Ethiopia

This review examines the challenges and opportunities of urban agriculture in Ethiopia, where urbanization and living costs are rising. Key challenges include limited access to land, irrigation water, and financial institutions, as well as high prices for fertilizers and pesticides, and climate variability affecting crop yields. Opportunities include strong market demand for products, employment creation for youth and women, and additional income generation for producers. The study concludes that stronger policy support and investment are needed to enhance urban agriculture's contribution.

Jayne M. Rogerson · Modern Geográfia · South Africa (Johannesburg)

This article examines the organization and current state of rooftop agriculture in Johannesburg, South Africa, drawing on existing material. Johannesburg hosts the largest cluster of rooftop farms, primarily established for social considerations, with fewer projects for commercial reasons or business image enhancement. The study investigates the challenges confronting these rooftop farming projects.

Yusuf Kamaluddeen Ibrahim, Zabawi Abdul Ghani, Rasheed Osuolale Oladosu, O. D. Idris,, Tamwesigire Caleb · Journal of Innovative Research · Nigeria (Bauchi)

In Bauchi metropolis, Nigeria, urban farming practices and constraints were investigated among 285 urban farmers. Findings revealed that most farmers do not own land, instead borrowing or renting it. The major constraints to urban agriculture were reported as lack of tenure security, limited land area, and poor access to microcredit facilities.

S Aliyu, Okhimamhe A. A, I. M. Sule · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science · Nigeria (Lagos)

This study explored the role of urban farming in enhancing food security and sustainability in the Lagos Metropolis through focus group discussions and quantitative surveys with various stakeholders, including policymakers, urban farmers, and community members. Findings suggest urban farming's potential to reduce food transportation distances, enhance local food production, and mitigate climate change impacts. However, challenges such as land demands and gender disparities persist, necessitating integrated policy approaches and targeted educational programs.

Girma Mulu Alemu, Sophie Schramm, Wilbard Kombe · Cogent Social Sciences · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This qualitative study in peri-urban Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, explored the impacts of peri-urbanization on smallholder farmers' socio-economic conditions. The research found that peri-urbanization leads to the erosion of capital assets, with dwindling agricultural land causing tenure insecurity and disrupting livelihoods. This process exacerbates smallholder farmers' marginality by weakening social ties and mutual support systems.

Kejela Gnamura, Michael Akwasi Antwi, A Belete · Land · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This mixed-methods study investigated the effects of urbanization-induced displacement on economic capital security by comparing 223 evicted and 223 non-evicted peri-urban farming households in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Logistic regression and thematic content analysis revealed that evicted households are approximately 72.7% less likely to achieve economic security compared to non-evicted households. The study concluded significant differences in household economic capital security between the two groups.

Mahacla Odongo, Caleb Mireri, Peter Mwangi · Environmental Technology and Science Journal · Kenya (Nairobi)

The Nairobi River riparian reserve in Kenya has undergone immense land use and land cover changes over the past 20 years due to urban development. A survey of 650 respondents revealed that urban agricultural activities dominated the upper segment at 69%, commercial ventures constituted 79% of the middle segment, and residential usage comprised 89% in the lower segment. These activities caused significant degradation from crop cultivation of river slopes, pollution infiltration, and loss of biodiversity, indicating a severe depletion of the riparian space's functions.

Emmanuel Ndhlovu · Discover Sustainability · South Africa

This article critically analyzed food system policies and actions in four South African cities, drawing from grey and academic documents. It found that the government is failing to achieve food security, with approximately 58 million people facing food insecurity in 2023. The study concludes that transforming South African food systems requires coherent policies, shortened supply chains, integration of food into urban planning, and increased support for farmers, among other actions.

Fuchaka Waswa, Duncan Gichabe, Ruth Kahuthıa-Gathu · Journal of the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO · Kenya (Ruiru)

This study investigated land use changes in Ruiru Sub-County, Kenya, from 1988 to 2024 using GIS. By 2024, agricultural land had decreased by 45.62%, while urban land use increased by 509%, and bare/rocky areas rose by 133% due to abandoned stone mining. The decline in agricultural land leads to reduced industrial crop areas and a shift to leafy vegetables, with an expected increase in agro-chemical use in intensive peri-urban farming.

Dauda Rotimi Awoniran, Temitayo Abayomi Adeseye, Shakirulah Olayemi Agboola, Shade Babalola · Sustainability Science and Resources · Nigeria (Lagos)

This study examined agricultural land use change in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria, between 1984 and 2024 using Landsat satellite images and spectral indices. Findings indicated that farmlands in the study area declined by 13.03% between 1984 and 2013, and by 21.79% between 2013 and 2024. Between 1984 and 2013, 89.48% of farmlands were converted to other land uses, and between 2013 and 2024, 73.51% were converted. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) results also indicated a deterioration in the environmental condition of urban farmlands.

Rueda, Ximena · Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling · Africa

A 2025 comparative analysis examines agricultural, economic, and biodiversity policy across Cameroon, Kenya, and Colombia in the context of agricultural expansion, using discourse analysis of policy documents via the Nature Futures Framework and Life Frames Framework, an evaluation of budgets allocated to major agricultural and biodiversity policies, and stakeholder interviews. It finds a shared struggle across all three countries to harmonize agricultural development with biodiversity conservation despite differing institutional capacities, historical pathways, and sociocultural contexts, with agriculture continuing to dominate policy agendas and resource allocation even as recognition of biodiversity's importance grows. Nature is framed primarily in instrumental terms, most strongly so in Colombia's utilitarian "Nature for Society" orientation, with intrinsic and relational values rooted in Indigenous cosmologies weakly reflected in implementation; funding for biodiversity-related ministries remains minimal relative to agriculture in all three countries — Kenya's environmental budget rarely exceeds 0.3% of national expenditure, with Cameroon showing similar disparities and Colombia's allocations continuing to favor agricultural expansion — and institutional fragmentation further undermines this governance.

Mwangi Kamau, Wanjiku Otieno · International Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry · Kenya

This study characterized the physicochemical quality of untreated wastewater from three small-scale slaughterhouses on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, and measured its effect on soil microbiology at 0, 50, and 200 meters from the discharge point during both wet and dry seasons. Wastewater biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) ranged from 1,840 to 2,620 mg/L and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from 3,410 to 4,870 mg/L, exceeding Kenyan discharge standards by 6- to 10-fold. Total bacterial counts in soil at the discharge point were 2.7 times higher than at 200 m (p<0.001), and total coliform counts were 4.1 times higher (p<0.001). The Shannon-Wiener diversity index rose significantly with distance from the discharge point (1.42±0.14 at 0 m vs. 2.34±0.18 at 200 m; p<0.001), indicating that wastewater irrigation selects for a less diverse, coliform-dominated soil microbial community. Seasonal variation was significant for BOD5 and coliform loading but not for the diversity index.

Nicole Paganini · · Africa

Drawing on critical theorists including Fanon and Mbembe, the chapter examines how crises expose systemic inequalities and power imbalances rooted in colonial legacies, and how gardening becomes a means of agency, resistance, and the restoration of dignity in response to food injustice, through four African city case studies: Cape Town's land crisis, Maputo's post-war hunger crisis, Nairobi's COVID-19 crisis, and Ouagadougou's migration crisis. Noting that women are globally the primary actors in farming and food-related activities, it treats the question of women and land tenure as relevant, examining urban agriculture through a decolonial lens and framing crisis gardening as both a means of sustenance and a catalyst for community resilience and social cohesion in times of turmoil.