Research & reports

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.

Gizaw Ebissa, Hayal Desta, Aramde Fetene · Discover Water · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This research assessed the contribution of treated wastewater (TW) from Bole-Lemi Industrial Park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to agricultural sustainability over a 3.5-month production season. It found that 53 kg of nitrogen and 1 kg of phosphorus were recovered, saving farmers 5,535 USD and reducing fertilizer costs by 28%. The TW provided 17,500m3 of irrigation water, converting 70 hectares of idle dry-season land into productive use. Continuous monitoring of soil conditions is crucial for long-term sustainability.

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.

Paule Moustier, Jacques Pagès · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Africa

This study examined peri-urban agriculture in Africa, identifying it as a significant income and food source for the urban poor, but subject to constraints, primarily land pressure. Analysis of the vegetable supply chain in Brazzaville showed rural and peri-urban areas are complementary, with different types of vegetables originating from each. Land constraints, transport, access to inputs, and technical assistance are crucial factors determining production location. Historical analysis invalidates hypotheses of linear decline or development through intensification for peri-urban agriculture.

Ganda Adoum Malato, Nguinambaye Mberdoum Memti, Alhadj Markhous Nazal, TAMTIAL Ngariban, Touroumgaye Goalbaye · Journal of Experimental Agriculture International · Africa

A field survey of 121 randomly selected market gardeners in the city of Sarh, Chad, characterized market gardening practices there, covering grower profiles, farm characteristics, cultivation practices and vegetable products. Most gardeners were married men (70.25% married, 86.78% men) with an average age of 31, only 11.57% illiterate, farming plots averaging 333 m² (range 42-1,492 m²), 56.20% of which were inherited; 66.67% irrigated with river water, 83.5% used organic fertilizer and 82.64% used chemical fertilizer, 53.72% applied pesticides while 46.28% used biopesticides, and leafy vegetables made up 45% of cultivated products.

Kingsley Chibuzor Fredricks, S Goyol · Journal of Resilient Urbanism & Sustainable Design · Nigeria

A 2025 study examines the relationship between annual rainfall variability and the output of maize, tomato, and potato in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria, using crop yield data from 2012-2023 and rainfall data from 1994-2023, analyzed via Pearson correlation and linear regression. Annual rainfall showed significant fluctuation, with the highest level recorded in 2019 and the lowest in 2007, but correlations between rainfall and yield were weak and statistically insignificant for maize (r = 0.012), tomato (r = 0.146), and potato (r = 0.151). Maize and tomato yields increased steadily despite the fluctuations, possibly due to improvements in farming practices, better seeds, and small-scale irrigation, while potato output dipped due to late blight disease between 2013 and 2017 before recovering sharply.

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).

Vidjinnagni Vinasse Ametooyona Azagoun, Kossi Komi, Djigbo Félicien Badou, Expédit Vissin, Komi Sélom Klassou · Geographies · Africa

Drawing on socio-economic, techno-agronomic, and perceptual data collected from 369 growers in the Grand Nokoué region of Benin, this study combined multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) with ascending hierarchical analysis (AHA), confirmed by K-means partitioning, to identify profiles of climatic vulnerability among urban market gardeners. Three distinct vulnerability groups were identified, differing in socioeconomic, technical, and territorial characteristics and in their exposure to flooding, drought, and dry spells. The most vulnerable farmers were disproportionately young women with low incomes, limited access to land, and reliance on manual irrigation in flood-prone areas. The findings point to an uneven distribution of adaptive capacity and a need for public policies tailored to strengthen the resilience of small-scale, low-income, and land-insecure urban farmers who are exposed to these climate-related risks.

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.

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.

Getachew Demissie Desta, Zeleke Gonfa Wordofa · International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development · Ethiopia

A study of the rate and direction of spatial expansion of Robe Town, Ethiopia, into surrounding rural kebeles, and its effect on the tenure security of peri-urban landholders. It combined socioeconomic data from 202 sampled household heads with spatial data from Landsat images taken in 1987, 2002, and 2020. The town grew annually by 18.6% (1984–1994), 11.3% (1994–2007), and 9.3% (2007–2020), with its total area rising from 5.1 km² in 1984 to 80.2 km², a 40.9% overall increase. Over the 33-year period, built-up area expanded fastest southward, reaching 9.91 km from the town's mean center, and grew from 4.38 km² in 1987 to 27.9 km² in 2020; about 10.2 km² of farmland was converted to built-up land between 1987 and 2020. In peri-urban areas of Robe town, 48.9% of landowners lost around half of their farmland, leaving peri-urban landowners feeling insecure about their tenure due to fear of eviction and expropriation at minimal compensation.

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.

Kiribou et al. · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Africa

2024 research analyzing urban farming systems' role in sub-Saharan African food security, income generation, and employment creation, examining environmental, economic, and social benefits.

· 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.

· International Journal of Agricultural Economics · Nigeria (Southwestern)

Analyzes the factors driving adoption of urban agriculture among households in southwestern Nigeria and its effect on household food security.

Okonkwo, E., Mensah, J., Gessesse, A., Okoro, N. · African Journal of Agricultural Research · Africa

Survey of 3,500 small-scale farmers across 8 Sub-Saharan African countries. Farmer field schools increase technology adoption to 48% versus 12% without training.

Adeyemi, F., Mwangi, L., Okafor, B., Mutua, S. · World Development · Africa

Study of 1,200 women farmers across 6 Sub-Saharan countries. Women completing extension training increase productivity 40-60% and earn 35-50% higher incomes.

Gizaw Ebissa, Hayal Desta, Aramde Fetene · Heliyon · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

A 2024 project-based appraisal of urban tomato farming in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, using net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and benefit–cost ratio (BCR). With the cost of water included the venture returns a negative NPV of −US$30,100 per hectare per year, an IRR of 0.2%, a BCR of 0.83 and a payback period beyond ten years; excluding water costs it turns positive (NPV +US$15,100/ha/yr, IRR 21%, BCR 1.02, payback 2.9 years). Production cost is US$0.60/kg with water and US$0.45/kg without, against an average selling price of US$0.47/kg, so the venture does not pay for itself as long as water must be bought. Sensitivity analysis shows returns rise with price and yield and fall with operating costs. The authors treat better market access, agro-processing and cooperative formation as preconditions for viability.

Mr. Gedeno Gemeda Negash · Journal of Production Operations Management and Economics · Ethiopia

An explanatory study in Karat town, Konso, Ethiopia, examined factors affecting the performance of 185 micro and small-scale enterprises across various sectors, including urban agriculture. Using questionnaires and analyzing data with correlation and multiple regression, the study found a positive and significant relationship between most independent variables and enterprise performance. However, the effect of access to infrastructure on performance was positive but insignificant.

E. A. Ajah, EB Etowa, EB Effa, UI Ofem, HE Iso, OI Ettah, IA Asuquo · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Nigeria (Calabar)

This study analyzed the effect of credit on the poverty status of 110 randomly sampled roasted plantain vendors in Calabar, Nigeria. Findings showed that 60% of vendors were female, with an average age of 35 and an average household size of four. Poverty incidence was lower among credit recipients (64.5% of vendors) at 0.268, compared to non-recipients at 0.487. Credit access and household size were found to have statistically significant associations with the poverty index.

Ashagrie Gibtan, Wondwosen Abera, Mekuria Delelegn, Molla Maru, Adamu Emiru · Ochrana prírody Slovenska/Ekológia · Ethiopia

Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) dynamics were analyzed in four Ethiopian cities—Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, and Adama—over 17 years from 2006 to 2022. SPOT 5 and Sentinel satellite imagery, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations were used. Findings revealed a rapid expansion of urban built-up areas, primarily at the expense of peri-urban horticultural lands, which has an adverse impact on the sustainability of urban agriculture.

Goshu Desalegn, Anita Tangl, Mária Fekete‐Farkas, Girma Gudisa, Anita Boros · Heliyon · Ethiopia

A study of micro and small enterprises in Ethiopia showed that government policies and regulations have an insignificant direct effect on urban agriculture. However, sustainable finance plays an important mediating role between urban agriculture and government policies, indicating that the impact of government policies and regulations on urban agriculture is indirect.

Tsegay Kahsay Gebrekidan, Gebremariam Gebrezgabher Gebremedhin, Abraha Kahsay Weldemariam, Meaza Kidane Teferi · Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association · Ethiopia

A systematic review of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in Ethiopia found a generation rate of 0.38 kg/ca/day, with waste predominantly composed of food waste, ash, dust, sand, and yard waste. Over 85% of this waste is reusable or recyclable, with 73.13% being organic matter. Despite suitability for composting and biogas, challenges include a lack of political will, weak municipal planning, and inadequate infrastructure, resulting in only 31.8% of MSW being legally collected.

Nolwazi Z. Khumalo, Melusi Sibanda, Lelethu Mdoda · Sustainability · Sub-Saharan Africa

A systematic review and bibliometric analysis examined the implications of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and climate adaptation strategies for food and income security in urban Sub-Saharan Africa. The review found that CSA practices boost urban food production and income, but also recognized critical challenges and trade-offs requiring urban agriculture transformation.