Research & reports

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.

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.

Adeyemi Israel Atanda · Open MIND · Nigeria

This study examines how socioeconomic characteristics influence residents practicing sack farming in Ibadan, Nigeria, using a cross-sectional survey and mixed methods with 1,288 respondents proportionally allocated across high- (182), medium- (708) and low-density (398) residential areas. It found benefits including efficient use of space, increased crop yields and reduced soil erosion; the 31-40 age bracket showed the highest engagement (31.3%, chi-square=41.791, p=0.003, a significant association), while participation was 34.5% male versus 65.5% female with no statistically significant gender difference (chi-square=8.035, p=0.090).

Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira · Geo Geography and Environment · South Africa

This study examines how community gardens in Cape Town's marginalised Cape Flats area enact spatial justice through everyday practices, drawing on Henri Lefebvre's social production of space and its spatial triad -- perceived, conceived and lived space. Based on semi-structured interviews with representatives of 34 community gardens and state actors, supplemented by documentary analysis of planning and policy frameworks, it finds that gardeners physically transform neglected land into perceived spaces of cultivation despite insecure tenure and limited infrastructure (water access, soil quality), negotiate and subvert top-down planning by repurposing school grounds and municipal reserves as conceived space, and sustain memory and identity as lived space through crops, seed exchanges and collective action -- while persistent challenges of tenure precarity, resource scarcity and competing land-use pressures threaten each garden's longevity.

Ibukun Balogun, James S. Pryke, Temitope Kehinde, Michael J. Samways · Landscape and Urban Planning · Africa

A 2025 study investigated how insect pollinator diversity differs between gardens, agricultural areas and natural areas within a southern African urban mosaic composed of an urban core, farms and natural areas, and examined how urban green spaces influence pollinator taxonomic diversity. Direct observation and pan traps were used to assess pollinator diversity alongside measured environmental, floral and landscape variables. Results showed similar pollinator diversity between agricultural and natural areas for some taxa, and between agricultural areas and urban gardens for other taxa. Floral variables were the most important predictors of pollinators, with greater floral diversity ameliorating the effects of urbanization and agricultural intensification, while landscape context was significant but less important. Although results varied considerably among taxa, the findings suggest agroecological farming may buffer natural areas from urbanization effects and reduce urbanization's impact on pollinators in urban gardens by providing needed resources. The study identifies floral variables as important for urban green planning, achievable through establishing more flowering plants in human-modified areas such as semi-urban agricultural areas and urban gardens.

Aregawi Beyene, Azeb Gebreegziabher, Zenebe Abraha, Tsahaynesh Hagos, Yohansu Girmay · European Journal of Horticultural Science · Africa

This study examined factors affecting urban households' participation in home gardening in Mekelle city, Tigray Region, Ethiopia, where home gardens served as a means of survival, particularly in urban areas, during the region's war and siege. Structured questionnaires and focus group discussions with 264 multistage-sampled households (171 users, 93 non-users) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a probit model, showing government motivation and access to land, income, education, extension services and inputs significantly influence home gardening participation. Users were significantly older, had larger families, and had higher incomes and education than non-users, with markedly greater access to land and agricultural inputs, underscoring the role of socioeconomic factors in participation.

Valentine Opanga · Urban Political Ecology · Kenya

A study examines how green urbanism is imagined, politicised and contested in two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, Korogocho and Pumwani-Majengo, using a mixed-methods approach combining Feminist Urban Political Ecology, Postcolonial Urbanism and Travelling Models, drawing on 45 semi-structured interviews, six focus group discussions and a review of policy documents. It shows that international greening agendas are selectively interpreted, reworked or resisted rather than adopted as a unified global sustainability narrative. Findings reveal that state-led greening initiatives, even when aligned with global frameworks, can reinforce spatial inequality, displace low-income residents and obscure colonial-era land injustices. At the same time, grassroots actors engage in context-specific greening practices such as urban farming and dumpsite reclamation driven by survival and care, representing forms of environmental agency that challenge dominant models.

Byamungu Lincoln Zabuloni, Maxwell Mudhara, Joyce Chitja · Food and Energy Security · South Africa

A study assessing the impact of home- and community-garden programs on household food security status in uMzumbe Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using random and purposive sampling to survey 223 respondents with a structured questionnaire and a Tobit regression model to examine determinants. Total income (p<0.001), extension services (p<0.01), credit access (p<0.05), age, farm size (p<0.01) and education level (p<0.05) positively affected food security status, while household size (p<0.001), home gardens (p<0.01) and community gardens (p<0.01) negatively affected it. The study concludes that implementing home and community garden programs alone was not enough to improve households' food security status in uMzumbe Municipality.

Tatenda Sukulao, Ansley Nonsikelelo Tshugulu, Noel Garikai Muridzo, Mziwandile Sobantu · Discover Food · Africa

A study analyzing food-insecurity coping strategies among community members in Ward 10, Mudzi District, a rural area of north-eastern Zimbabwe. Using an African Centred Research Methodology, data were collected from a purposive sample of 10 participants and analyzed through advanced manual analysis. The study found that planting drought-resistant crops, community gardens, seeking piece jobs, selling valuable assets, and borrowing money and food were the coping strategies employed by community members.

Mayowa R. Opeagbe, MPH, B.Tech, B.Tech Feranmi R. Olawoore, B.Tech Stephen O Ayankoso · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Nigeria

A mixed-methods study combining an extensive literature review with a structured survey of 120 respondents across major Nigerian urban areas, assessing demographic factors, farming practices, the effects of urban agriculture (UA) on food security and the environment, and the challenges limiting its practice. 58.3% of respondents practiced urban farming, primarily through container and backyard gardening. About 62.5% reported increased access to fresh produce. The most cited environmental advantages were reduced waste (54.2%) and improved air quality. Limiting factors included limited space (50.0%), expensive inputs (45.8%), inadequate access to water (37.5%), and low levels of institutional support. 83.3% of respondents were willing to see UA incorporated into urban planning, and 75.0% favored UA in school programs. The paper describes UA in Nigeria as partially unexploited due to weak policy attention and a lack of infrastructural base, and recommends that policymakers integrate UA into urbanization, land and resource access, and institutional and educational support.

Karen Botes, Christina Breed · Land · South Africa

In the Melusi informal settlement of Tshwane, South Africa, researchers used a mixed-methods approach -- semi-structured questionnaires, focus group interviews, and photo-elicitation, analyzed with SPSS and Atlas.ti -- to examine socio-cultural perceptions of modular living wall systems planted with African vegetables as a way to enhance household food security. Key barriers to urban agriculture identified included high maintenance costs, pest control problems, spatial constraints, exposure to extreme weather, and limited access to water and fertilizer, while the community supported living walls with African vegetable crops for their space-saving and biophilic value, with success depending on low-tech, cost-effective, modular systems built from recycled materials using nutrient-dense, compact crops.

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

This study examined the challenges and opportunities in formulating and implementing urban food policies in Mozambique, focusing on the city of Quelimane, drawing on literature review, official document analysis, and observations from multisectoral training that involved the municipality's departments, nutritionists from the health and agriculture ministries, industry and commerce representatives, district services from Quelimane, Maganja da Costa, Mocuba, and Nampula, an Agrofood-link Mozambique representative, urban planning and infrastructure staff, and a Shoprite supermarket. It identified institutional fragmentation, precarious infrastructure, and climate change impacts as factors compromising urban food security, alongside opportunities linked to urban agriculture, participatory governance, and international cooperation.

Ermias Debie · City and Environment Interactions · Ethiopia

A study in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia examined the integration of urban agriculture (UA) and green infrastructure (GI) through surveys and interviews with 99 stakeholders, supplemented by participatory observation. The main barriers to integration, based on multiple-response data, were a lack of supportive policies and regulatory frameworks (87%), limited awareness (57%), and space constraints (51%). Multicriteria decision analysis ranked integrated practices as the most effective strategy (score 16.81), followed by edible tree planting at garden centers (16.18), small gardens (13.83), and fence-edge greening (11.46). Structural equation modeling identified thermal regulation and access to fresh food as critical factors for planning sustainable urban systems.

TAMTIAL Ngariban, Nguinambaye Mberdoum Memti, Alhadj Markhous Nazal, Mansour Hassane, Touroumgaye Goalbaye · Journal of Experimental Agriculture International · Africa

In Sarh, Chad, a questionnaire-based survey using semi-structured interviews of 147 urban market gardeners was conducted from February to April 2025, the favorable period for market gardening, to document the practice of urban agriculture and its role in the city's sustainable development. Of the gardeners surveyed, 84.35% were men and 15.65% women with an average age of 33; the roughly 122,640 m² devoted to market gardening across three sites was worked mostly in small plots, with 63.6% of gardeners farming less than 500 m², and land was accessed mainly through inheritance (51.02%) or occupation of public land (22.45%), with 15 vegetable species across 13 genera and 8 families grown, dominated by leafy vegetables, particularly lettuce at 47% of total production. Market gardening in Sarh continues to face constraints including land insecurity, gardeners' low level of technical expertise, and difficulty obtaining agricultural inputs.

Getinet, Abate · National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia · Ethiopia

A mixed-methods, cross-sectional descriptive study of urban agriculture in Gulele sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, examining perceptions, opportunities, and challenges. It combined a survey of employees and farmers, in-depth interviews with farmers, key informants, and experts, and a focus group discussion with civil service employees. The study identified scarcity of urban farmland, scarcity of water for irrigating vegetables, and constraints on various agricultural inputs as core problems, alongside market accessibility issues for selling produce and limited transportation availability, even as vegetable consumption and demand among urban dwellers were rising and government policy treated urban agriculture as a current priority. It also found a negative social attitude among urban dwellers toward urban agriculture, who regard it as old-fashioned work and view urban farmers as backward and uneducated. The study concludes that the Addis Ababa City Administration's urban agriculture development sector needs to work with research institutions to address pest and insect problems and to improve vegetable yield per unit of land.

Baltazar M.L. Namwata · African Quarterly Social Science Review · Africa

A cross-sectional survey using multistage sampling across 15 neighborhoods (mitaa) in eight wards of Dodoma City, Tanzania, examined types, spatial distribution and gender dynamics of urban agriculture among 300 urban farmers in squatter and non-squatter settlements, using structured questionnaires, focus groups, key informant interviews and field observation. Crop-only farming was the most common of the observed typologies (crop-only, mixed, and livestock-only), with homestead farming linked to more informal cultivation on floodplains and government land in violation of land-use policy. Men dominated farming decision-making overall, though a trend toward joint and female-headed farming emerged among female-headed households, and squatter and non-squatter areas differed in tenure security, rule enforcement and infrastructure access.

· Urban Forum · South Africa

Documents how small-scale urban farming through short food value chains in Johannesburg functions as an 'invisible' economy not captured in official statistics. Direct community sales reduce middlemen while improving farmer incomes and local food security. Highlights gaps in statistical and policy frameworks.

Kanosvamhira T. P. · Area · South Africa (Cape Town)

Analyses how the state institutionalises Cape Town's community gardens along neoliberal lines. Argues state support cultivates neoliberal subjectivities and regulates production, diminishing the gardens' potential to advance food justice in historically disadvantaged communities.

Abdias Rodias Paul Ngalekoua · Advanced Research in Economics and Business Strategy Journal · Africa

This study investigated the impact of urban agriculture on the empowerment of female vegetable growers in Talangaï's 6th district, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. A qualitative and quantitative survey was conducted with 105 selected households through semi-structured interviews. The findings confirmed that vegetable growing acts as a vector for empowerment and improves producers' living conditions, contributing to poverty and unemployment reduction, and positively impacting their social and economic spheres.

Akuto Akpedze Konou, Kossiwa Zinsou-Klassou, Victoria M. Mwakalinga, Jean-Claude Baraka Munyaka, Armel Firmin Kemajou Mbianda, Jérôme Chenal · Sustainability · Africa

This perceptual study surveyed 733 urban farmers in Dar es Salaam and Greater Lomé to explore the psychosocial effects of urban agriculture on their well-being. Using the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form and bespoke questionnaires, the research found significant variations in urban agriculture-related happiness across city zones, with peripheral farmers reporting greater satisfaction than urban counterparts. Female farmers also reported higher levels of happiness.

Michael Rudolph, Evans Muchesa · Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir landbouvoorligting/South African journal of agricultural extension · South Africa (Johannesburg)

This article explores the potential of agroecology to address health disparities in urban communities in South Africa, where approximately 34% of Johannesburg households face food insecurity. A transdisciplinary literature review, using secondary data from the University of Johannesburg and Siyakhana Growth and Development, posits that an agroecological approach can effectively address food and nutrition insecurity. The study emphasizes the importance of localized food production, personalized training, and a supportive policy framework for urban farming and agroecology.

Tinashe P. Kanosvamhira, Mohamed Deen Shade · Local Environment · South Africa (Cape Town)

This study examined how 34 urban community gardens in low-income neighborhoods of Cape Town, South Africa, contribute to environmental justice using a mixed-methods approach including remote sensing, interviews, and observations. Findings revealed an unequal distribution of green spaces between wealthier and less affluent neighborhoods. While current gardening benefits may not be widespread, the gardens offer advantages such as environmental education, promotion of agro-ecological practices, and land use for green purposes.

Fedila Chumgicho · National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia · Ethiopia

This descriptive study assessed the impacts of urban agriculture on the environment in Tora town, Silte Zone, Central Ethiopia, using a mixed-methods approach with 204 systematically selected samples and 10 purposively selected key informants. Findings revealed that 41.2% of urban residential households were engaged in farming. The study underscored positive impacts such as sustainable waste management, organic waste utilization, and the adoption of sustainable agricultural techniques, while also identifying challenges like water-related issues and sustainable waste disposal.

MATHEWOS ANSHISO · National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia · Ethiopia

A study was conducted in Hosanna Town, Central Ethiopia Region, to assess urban-rural land linkages (URLLs) and the livelihood of peri-urban farming communities. This cross-sectional study used quantitative data from household questionnaires and qualitative data from key informant interviews. The results showed strong urban-rural land linkages in Hosanna Town, with peri-urban farming communities engaged in crop production and livestock rearing. However, these communities face challenges including land degradation, water scarcity, and market access.

Tayech Lemma, Mala Sharma · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Ethiopia

A survey of 272 women in Hossana town, Ethiopia, using a multivariate probit model, identified food security and economic reasons as primary motivations for participating in urban agriculture. Factors such as age, education, marital status, family size, employment, non-urban farm income, farm experience, garden size, credit access, market access, and improved input use significantly influenced participation likelihood.