Research & reports

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.

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.

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.

Anne-Louise Fritz, Ramia Jannoura, René Beuschel, Christoph Steiner, Andreas Buerkert, Rainer Georg Joergensen · Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture · Africa

This 2-year study in semi-arid Ouagadougou and sub-humid Tamale, West Africa, measured the effects of biochar and N fertilization on soil microbial biomass carbon, fungal ergosterol, and functional diversity. Sole biochar addition did not affect soil chemical or biological properties, but biochar with N fertilization increased microbial respiratory response. N fertilization decreased soil pH by 1.1 units in both cities, and a pH of 4.7 led to reduced microbial biomass carbon and ergosterol contents in Tamale. An N fertilizer-induced decline in soil pH below 5 should be avoided, as it decreased microbial biomass carbon and microbial functional diversity.

Felix Chari, Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu · Environmental & Socio-economic Studies · Sub-Saharan Africa

This narrative review searched Scopus, the Directory of Open Access Journals, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Academic Search (EBSCO) using terms including "urban farming," "urban agriculture" and "climate change" to synthesize literature on climate change's effects on urban agriculture in sub-Saharan African cities. While reviewed studies agree that climate change affects urban agriculture from production through processing, storage and distribution, integrated literature on the topic remains scarce, and the extent and magnitude of impacts differ by region, meaning adaptation and mitigation strategies cannot be applied universally and must instead be context-specific.

Abdelkarim Hamrita, Daniel Ferrer Jiménez, Hichem Rejeb · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · Africa

A 2022 study analyzed the peri-urban agrifood system of the Sousse urban agglomeration, one of the most important in Tunisia, from a landscape perspective. It finds that clearly deficient regulations combined with uncontrolled urban development, together with intersecting political, environmental and economic factors, are threatening the survival of a traditional, largely family-based agricultural model built on mixed or polyculture production with predominant olive groves — a model the study describes as vital to the economic maintenance of many families and to food security. Using the Landscape Character Assessment methodology, the study proposes a landscape-project tool to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of peri-urban agriculture and prevent the loss of landscape heritage. It also points to the importance of integrating green infrastructure into land-use planning and to the need to promote Agricultural Parks, a protected status already recognized in Spain and other countries, putting forward specific proposals for the Sousse peri-urban agricultural landscape while insisting on the need to reform current forms of governance.

Abdul‐Lateef Balogun, Naheem Adebisi, Ismaila Rimi Abubakar, Umar Lawal Dano, Abdulwaheed Tella · Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences · Sub-Saharan Africa

Against a backdrop where sub-Saharan Africa's agriculture sector -- about 23% of GDP and employing over 60% of the population -- faces serious threats from rural-to-urban migration and climate change, this desk-research study examined the potential for digitalization to enable sustainable urban farming under climate constraints. It found that most existing digitalization research is based on data from Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania, with minimal documentation of applications and prospects specific to Africa, and drew on challenges seen in successful implementations in the Global North to propose pathways toward localized digitalization approaches for the region.

Felix Chari, Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu · Climate · Africa

In Masvingo City, Zimbabwe, a structured questionnaire administered to urban livestock farmers, triangulated with in-depth interviews with livestock stakeholders, examined how climate change-related hazards affect the urban livestock industry. Heatwaves, floods and droughts were found to significantly harm the industry: farmers lose livestock to disease, poor pastures and extreme weather, while the hazards also damage storage and distribution of livestock products, labour supply and productivity, and the profitability of livestock enterprises. The study calls for further research on location-specific adaptation strategies.

Michael Kwabena Osei, Mavis Akom, Joseph Adjebeng‐Danquah, Kenneth Fafa Egbadzor, Samuel Oppong Abebrese, Kwabena Asare Bediako, Richard Yaw Agyare · · Sub-Saharan Africa

This abstract discusses the decline in soil fertility and accelerated desertification in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, due to decades of cropping. It introduces cover crops as a method to manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity, and wildlife in agro-ecosystems. The abstract also notes the increasing proportion of Ghana's population living in urban communities and that vegetable cultivation is conventionally a trade for rural dwellers.

Mekonnen Amberber Degefu, Mekuria Argaw, Gudina Legese Feyisa, Sileshi Degefa · ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH · Ethiopia

This study characterized and compared the Spatio-temporal responses of ecological land to urban landscape dynamics in Bahir Dar, Addis Ababa, Adama, and Hawassa cities in Ethiopia for the last three decades (1990–2020). Three sets of Landsat satellite images, field observations, and urban land indexes were used to produce landscape maps and geo-spatial data analysis. Results showed that in all cities, ecological land had changed intensely regarding its quantity and spatial pattern, and the substantial expansion of built-up ecosystems was manifested at the cost of ecological land.

Chanie Derso Misganaw · Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries · Ethiopia

This review paper highlights the current lack of urban agriculture practice in Ethiopian towns and emphasizes its significance. Urban agriculture contributes to food self-sufficiency, social goodness, economic profitability, and environmental health, and is stated as the most appreciated means to improve livelihoods, generate income, create job opportunities, and fight against famine, depression, anxiety, and the spread of coronavirus. The paper discusses the types, principles, and prospects of urban agriculture based on updated information.

Karen Botes, Christina Breed · Acta Structilia · South Africa

This article reviewed three edible living wall case studies in Gauteng, South Africa, focusing on system resilience, economic feasibility, and edible plant possibilities. Interviews were conducted with clients, contractors, and designers. Findings suggested indirect commercial value through customer experience and educational value, but indicated that economic feasibility and resilience need enhancement for improved urban food production.

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%).

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.

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.

Mengist Belay · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Ethiopia

This study, focusing on Debre Markos Town and surrounding districts in the East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, establishes that Urban Agriculture is a multipronged tool for adaptation and mitigation to tackle climate change. It is concluded to be an effective tool to address food security challenges in cities, educate and reconnect urban and peri-urban farms and people to assure food and climate security in the cities.

Jacques L du Plessis, Ashley J Knox, HE Jacobs · Water SA · South Africa

Using spatial data on 1,813 gated-community homes across different regions of South Africa, this study quantitatively evaluated garden footprint area as a percentage of total plot area. Analyzing data from 11 gated communities, it found the average garden footprint to be 36% of total plot area. Homes with a garden area under 100 m² showed limited influence on monthly water consumption, while water use in homes with a larger garden footprint increased proportionally with garden size, and seasonal fluctuations in water use reflected garden irrigation and other outdoor water use.

Habtamu Abebe · International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources · Ethiopia

This cross-sectional study in Arbaminch town investigated community awareness of climate change and the perceived role of urban agriculture for climate resilience using a structured questionnaire. It found that 87.2% of respondents were aware of climate change, primarily through media (70.7%), family/friends (63.4%), and public meetings/seminars (28%). A significant association was observed between respondents' age, education level, and occupation with both climate change awareness and the perception of urban agriculture's importance for climate change intervention.

Valerio Bini, Maria Bottiglieri, Egidio Dansero, Andrea Magarini, Yota Nicolarea, Roberto Sensi · · Africa

This paper explores urban food policies from a Global South perspective, focusing on African cities and their unique urbanization processes and city-food linkages. It describes an overview of initiatives in African cities, aligning with the New Urban Agenda and Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, to promote new forms of cooperation among cities, universities, research bodies, and civil society organizations. The paper aims to identify cross-cutting issues like land tenure, climate change, and urban agriculture to compare cases across different African perspectives.

Nicolette Tamara Jonkman, Boris Jansen · Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability · Sub-Saharan Africa

This literature review on urban agriculture (UA) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) identifies a significant constraint: conflicting stakeholder perceptions of UA, which hinders its development into a sustainable business. Some view UA as illegal and unsustainable, while others see it as a means to food security and employment. The review highlights a knowledge gap regarding land-use history and its effect on UA soil composition and nutrient status, proposing that UA sustainability requires understanding this historical context to build inclusive business models.

Sejabaledi Agnes Rankoana · Journal of Water and Climate Change · South Africa

A study in the Sagole community of Limpopo Province, South Africa, assessed the use of geothermal hot spring water as an adaptation practice to improve subsistence crop production. Focus group discussions with 45 subsistence farmers who grow and maintain crops in a community garden irrigated by the hot spring found that farmers were aware rainfall in the Sagole community is becoming scarce, and that this rainfall scarcity is negatively impacting subsistence crop production, characterized by poor productivity. In response, farmers had developed their own irrigation system downstream of the geothermal hot spring, furrowing the water to the garden to irrigate vegetables and fruits year-round.

Alice A. Oluoko-Odingo · Journal of Climate Change and Sustainability · Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper examines gender mainstreaming in adaptation to weather and climate extremes, centered on peri-urban farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although women provide most agricultural labour, they remain poor and among the most vulnerable to weather and climate extremes because of inequalities in ownership of and decision-making over land, assets and cash; even in well-planned African cities, developmental and environmental challenges continue to perpetuate inequality, discrimination and underdevelopment, with low-income communities living in risky areas without access to key services and facing heightened vulnerability. Combining literature review with fieldwork in peri-urban Nairobi (Machakos and Kajiado Counties), Kenya, the paper discusses how gender mainstreaming in peri-urban farming could support Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 13, while noting the research gap on gender mainstreaming in peri-urban farming as itself a problem the field has yet to address.