Research & reports

Sylvia Leith-Ross · · Nigeria

This text describes Owerri Town, Nigeria, as a native community in a transition stage, simultaneously urban and agricultural. The author initially chose Owerri for convenience but later recognized its unique character compared to other towns like Aba. The town maintained contact with the outside world and government, while retaining its own distinct life. The author observed the town's life at various times throughout the year.

Arcadius Martinien Agassin Ahogle, Sammy Letema · Water International · Kenya (Nairobi)

This article examines the dynamics of irrigated urban agriculture (IUA) and its socio-technical arrangements in the Nairobi catchment, Kenya. The research identified five principal forms of IUA, differentiated by land size, water sources, technicality, actors, and market orientation. A critical finding is that city services do not provide hydraulic infrastructure or agricultural extension for IUA, and state agencies do not account for IUA practices, indicating a lack of governance support.

James Demenongu Demshakwa, Y.C. Professor Sati, Professor Erekpitan E. Ola-Adisa · International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science · Nigeria

This study investigated the impact of community green spaces on social cohesion and public health in Tudun Wada and Vanderpuye areas of Jos metropolis, Nigeria, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey of 400 participants using structured questionnaires and quantitative analysis found that community green spaces significantly enhance social cohesion and positively influence public health by reducing stress and promoting physical activity. The null hypotheses of no significant impact were rejected.

Abrham Kassa Ejigu, Kumelachew Yeshitela · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · Ethiopia

This study assessed factors influencing urban farmers’ intentions to adopt excreta-based organic fertilizers in Arba Minch City, Ethiopia, using the Combined Model of Theory of Planned Behavior and Technology Acceptance Model (C-TPB-TAM). Data was collected via surveys from urban farmers. Findings indicate that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use significantly affect farmers’ intentions. However, the subjective norm did not significantly affect farmers’ intentions.

Robert Massimo Alfonsi, Merle Naidoo, Alexandros Gasparatos · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · South Africa

This study examined ICT adoption and desirable characteristics among 85 urban small-scale food producers in disadvantaged areas of Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, using in-person surveys. Respondents expressed a need for food-related mobile applications facilitating price comparisons, best practice sharing, and health advice, prioritizing user-friendliness, low data use, and affordability. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, such as marital status, number of children, income, education, and land holdings, significantly influenced desired app functionalities and activities.

Leonard Ninsheka, Edward Ssemakula, Christopher Ewaechabo Tiyo, Rebecca Kalibwani, Ronald Kityo, Wilson Mugizi, Willbroad Byamukama · East African Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology · Sub-Saharan Africa

This review paper examines existing literature on the effects of urban agriculture on the socio-economic status of urban farmers in Sub-Saharan African cities, specifically focusing on Zambia, South Africa, and Nigeria. The review found scanty information regarding how urban agriculture affects farmers' socio-economic status, how farmers derive social and economic status from it, and the types and motivations of farmers. It concludes that understanding crucial factors for food security, income, and related benefits in urban agriculture is essential for policy and technology development.

Tiegsti Hadush, Tarik Gebrekiros · Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems · Ethiopia (Mekelle)

In Mekelle city, Ethiopia, available open spaces were utilized for crop production after the Tigray siege. This study employed remote sensing and a household survey to assess the area of urban open spaces cultivated after the siege and their contribution to crop production. The open spaces in Mekelle city contributed 2687 hectares of newly cultivated land, producing 3825 tonnes of wheat and 880 tonnes of barley grain.

Maria H. Schoeman · Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association · South Africa

In Bokoni, northeastern South Africa, stone-walled towns flourished from the late 15th to early 19th centuries, and lidar data confirmed the presence of terraced fields in Khutwaneng from the 17th to early 19th centuries. All homesteads in this town had adjacent terraced gardens or fields, suggesting that urban farming was an entrenched component of Bokoni's urban life. Historically, women performed daily farming duties in southern Africa, and this was likely also the case in Bokoni.

Gebregziabher Nigus, Mengistu Ketema, Jema Haji, Million Sileshi · Discover Food · Ethiopia

A study was conducted in Eastern Ethiopia using primary data from 270 randomly selected urban farmers to identify factors influencing urban agriculture (UA) market participation decisions and intensity. The first stage of the Double Hurdle (DH) Model indicated that age, education, occupation, family size, farming experience, UA-related training, dependency ratio, and market information significantly impacted the decision to participate in the UA output market. The second stage DH Model showed that education, land size, UA-related training, and market information significantly affected the intensity of UA output market participation.

Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin, Abiola Adegoke, Gertrud Buchenrieder · Land · Nigeria (Lagos)

This exploratory qualitative research, conducted in Lagos, Nigeria, used focus group discussions to compare the perspectives of private urban farmers and public sector representatives on innovative urban farming. Urban farmers identified a lack of public sector support for circular agri-food technologies, while public sector representatives attributed issues to farmers' behavioral and educational shortcomings, including poor coordination. These differing views highlight complex dynamics and a need for structural changes and stakeholder dialogues to develop effective urban farming policies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Legrand Cirimwami, Fabrice Kibingani, Clérisse M. Casinga · Journal of Environment · Africa

A study of Bukavu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (more than 1.6 million inhabitants in 60 km², driven by rural exodus due to insecurity), examining residents' perceptions of deforestation to inform policy on urban forest restoration. Researchers sampled and interviewed 210 informants, 70 each in the communes of Kadutu, Ibanda, and Bagira. Findings show 85% of informants favour restoring green spaces, and at least 72.9% recognise green spaces as important for air purification, environmental improvement, ornamentation, erosion control, biodiversity conservation, and food production from fruit trees. 81.9% agreed that vegetation cover has decreased, especially since the 2000s, mainly due to rural exodus and unregulated housing construction. 87.1% see themselves as the main beneficiaries of green spaces and blame government as the main destroyer of green spaces that should also be the main actor in restoring them, while acknowledging some of their own responsibility, though less than government's. For restoration, 51.7% suggested tree-planting initiatives, favouring Eucalyptus, Cupressus lusitanica, and ornamental and medicinal trees, with awareness-raising and planned urbanisation also proposed as strategies.

Annabel Nyole, Daphne Randall, Naserian Saruni · The Journal of Public Space · Africa

A 2024 photo essay on youth-led public space initiatives in Nairobi, Kenya; Kampala, Uganda; Freetown, Sierra Leone; and Harare, Zimbabwe. Using empirical data, it documents youth revitalizing local economies through urban farming and income diversification, and acting as stewards of green spaces in ways that enhance urban vitality, social connection, and well-being. It also reports that youth are extending their engagement into the digital sphere, advocating for internet access in public spaces as a socio-economic right.

Gaspard Ntabakirabose, Maniriho Festus, Tuyisenge Jean Claude, Harold Ogwal, David Mwehia Mburu · International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy · Africa

A study of smallholder vegetable- and fruit-growing households in Kigali City and Musanze District, Rwanda (Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge and Musanze districts), used multistage purposive sampling on a population of 1,085 households, surveying 112 respondents. Of 14 factors examined, 10 positively influenced urban farming production and 4 influenced it negatively. Crops were grown in bags, baskets, hanging baskets, old tires, pallet gardens, open ground, trellises and window-box fences, doing well even in small plots enclosed within household compounds. Urban farming contributed to malnutrition control, household savings and food security, but was constrained by small plot sizes, limited farming knowledge and technology, crop maturation time, lack of capital, low awareness, housing arrangements and inadequate infrastructure.

Takele Taye Desta · Veterinary Medicine and Science · Ethiopia

Based on in-depth interviews with seven key informants in the cities of Adama and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a study evaluates the significance of urban goat production, one component of urban agriculture, and ways to lessen its adverse impacts. Goats can thrive in limited urban open spaces, scavenge leftovers from homes and open markets, and browse on open public land; incorporated into urban agriculture, they can contribute to a circular economy, thrive on a limited supply of water and feed, and require less care and space. Goat farming is used to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change, and goats' active nature makes them better at avoiding traffic accidents; they can also be used to control bush encroachment. Urban goat farming improves land use efficiency and food security, and goats can be used for children's play and urban ecotourism. However, goats can harm urban green spaces, so goat production must be zoned to avoid this. The study concludes that urban goat farming could add a new dimension to urban food security, but that more empirical evidence needs to be generated to support its adoption.

Olivier Grünberger, Radhouane Hamdi, Manon Lagacherie, Hanène Chaâbane · Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part B · Africa

Two years of monthly water sampling and hydrological monitoring at the outlet of the Wadi Guenniche watershed (86 km², with rainfed cereal, legume and orchard cultivation and irrigated market gardening) in northern Tunisia, a tributary of the Bizerte coastal lagoon, tested for 469 pesticide active ingredients and metabolites. Twenty-nine pesticide active ingredients and 2 metabolites were detected in the water, 24 of which are authorized for use in Tunisia; 14 of the authorized substances had never before been mentioned in farmer surveys. The five most frequently detected herbicides and metabolites were AMPA (100%), glyphosate (94%), simazine (94%), 2,4-D (70%) and deisopropylatrazine (DIA, 47%). The detection frequency and concentration range suggest phytosanitary pressure and water contamination comparable to the northern Mediterranean shore, indicating a need for further study of pesticide use and fate on the southern shore, particularly in Tunisia.

Olalekan Tolulope B. Aduloju, Olumuyiwa Bayo Akinbamijo, Abdullateef Iyanda Bako, Abdulfatai Olanrewaju Anofi, Kolade Victor Otokiti · Local Environment · Nigeria

This study analyzed the practice of urban agriculture (UA) in open spaces within the Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria, combining primary and secondary data collected through questionnaires, an interview guide, digital cameras, a UA survey form, and GPS. Main findings showed that 14.34 hectares of land (31.4% of it in the city core) was dedicated to UA in Ilorin, an area estimated as capable of helping at least 1,500 families escape poverty. Average Nearest Neighbour Analysis (ANNA) revealed that UA sites were clustered rather than randomly distributed. Mean analysis showed the dominant food staples grown at Ilorin UA sites were vegetables (3.09), maize (2.86), cassava (2.64), millet/sorghum (2.46), and yam (2.31). Access to land, failed harvests from pests and disease, price collapse, and adverse weather events were identified as the leading challenges affecting UA practice. The study calls for city-level integration recognizing the rights of the urban poor and of UA within Ilorin's land-use plan.

Gizaw Ebissa, Aramde Fetene, Hayal Desta · City and Environment Interactions · Ethiopia

Treated wastewater from the plant serving Bole Lemi Industrial Park (BLIP) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was sampled at the treatment plant's influent and effluent and analyzed using a treated wastewater quality index (TWWQI) to assess suitability for urban irrigation agriculture. The aggregate TWWQI classified the water as 'very poor' for urban irrigation agriculture, with heavy metals contributing 85% of that grade, nutrient load 4%, salinity 8%, and miscellaneous contaminants 4%. Discrete indices varied: heavy metals scored 'very polluted', nutrients 'excellent', salinity 'poor', and miscellaneous contaminants 'good'. Contaminant removal efficiency ranged from 30% to 100% (58% in aggregate), and some contaminants showed higher concentrations in the effluent than the influent, indicating the treatment plant failed to remove them. Cr3+, Cl− and TDS contributed most to the poor rating, and the plant was found to need upgrading to increase removal efficiency.

Jane Yatuha, Justus Asasira, Godfrey Begumisa, Pascal Amandu · East African Journal of Science Technology and Innovation · Sub-Saharan Africa

This eight-week experiment, conducted from July to September 2023 in Mbarara city, Uganda, tested the capacity of greywater to serve as a hydroponic growing medium for vegetables (broccoli, spring onions, lettuce) and the greywater-cleansing capacity of Coleus ornamental plants. Greywater was collected from restaurant sculleries, and four treatments — greywater, greywater + NPK, tap water, and tap water + NPK — were each set up in triplicate, with pH, EC, TDS, temperature, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, shoot length, leaf number, fecal coliforms, and heavy metals measured. All vegetables survived, but production levels differed significantly between treatments: lettuce had the highest production in three of the four treatments except greywater + NPK (ANOVA, F(3,56) = 2.970, p = 0.039), while spring onions grew best in greywater + NPK, differing significantly from other treatments (F(3,56) = 3.328, p = 0.026). Greywater treatments showed extreme EC and TDS values (1001.38 µS/cm and 502 ppm; 982.38 µS/cm and 490.75 ppm), significantly different from other treatments (p = 0.000), though no fecal coliforms were detected in vegetable tissue. Coleus progressively reduced TDS and EC and showed capacity to extract heavy metals from the greywater.

P.N. Ndlovu, Joyce Chitja, Temitope O. Ojo · Cogent Food & Agriculture · South Africa

This study surveyed 156 smallholder urban vegetable farmers in the Sobantu and Mphophomeni township areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using a structured questionnaire and multi-stage sampling, and analyzed drivers of market participation and its level using descriptive statistics and a double-hurdle model. Of the 156 farmers, 127 were market participants and 29 were non-participants. A logistic model found market participation decisions were significantly influenced by credit use (p = 0.004), free inputs (p = 0.096), access to market information (p = 0.001), access to labour (p = 0.014), and smartphone ownership (p = 0.083). A fractional response model found the level of market participation was significantly influenced by age (p = 0.093), cooperative membership (p = 0.002), road condition (p = 0.001), storage (p = 0.016), and distance to input markets (p = 0.069).

Essi Lamberg · The Journal of Architecture · Africa

A case study of the Tanga, Mbeya and Moshi master plans (1973-1975) in Tanzania, developed with Finnish technical assistance, challenges the conventional narrative that Nordic countries acted as neutral, benevolent foreign aid agents. The analysis shows Finnish planners operating in an ambivalent environment combining colonial heritage, decolonial policy and neo-colonial practice, developing a planning approach that translated travelling concepts of suburbanization, neighborhood models and urban gardening into the language of Tanzanian decolonial policy. The three master plans used garden city planning ideas to extend planning principles formerly reserved for the white European elite to the entire urban population, in service of the socialist ujamaa project.

Matthijs T. Wessels, Lisa‐Marie Hemerijckx · Development Southern Africa · Sub-Saharan Africa

More than 700 surveys with food vendors and consumers, combined with ethnographic research with farmers, quantified and mapped the contribution of urban and peri-urban producers to fresh leafy vegetable supply in the growing city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Seventy percent of all amaranth consumed in the city was found to be produced within it, with an average farm-to-fork distance of 11 km, indicating a strongly localised foodshed for leafy vegetables. The results point to the ongoing significance of urban areas in meeting their own food demand and the need to explicitly integrate food provisioning into the planning of growing African cities.

Zwelakhe Thulasizwe Mascot Maseko · Journal of Asian and African Studies · South Africa

In Esikhaleni Township, South Africa, structured interviews with local farmers and in-depth interviews with officials from uMhlathuze Municipality examined why residents use urban open spaces for subsistence agriculture and how it affects their livelihoods. Food insecurity, demand for accessible fresh produce, interest in farming, and rising food costs were identified as the main drivers, and open-space agriculture was found to contribute to livelihoods through improved access to fresh food, reduced food expenditure and supplementary income from produce sales, leading to a recommendation that urban planning set aside land for agriculture.

Charlie M. Shackleton, Peta Brom, Nanamhla Gwedla, Abraham R. Matamanda, Mallika Sardeshpande, Sopna Kumar-Nair · Cities · South Africa

Using South Africa as a case example, the study scored six types of urban green infrastructure (UGI) — amenity spaces, blue infrastructure, natural/semi-natural lands, urban parks, urban agriculture and verges — against five dimensions of poverty alleviation: cash or non-cash income, skills development and learning, physical and mental health, reduced vulnerability and risk, and participation in decision-making, rating current and future potential alongside the degree of change required. Urban agriculture was scored as having the highest current potential to contribute to poverty alleviation and verges the lowest, while parks and amenity spaces offered the greatest returns per effort and verges were identified as key sites for pro-poor intervention due to their wide distribution. Overall, the study concluded that greater investment and changes in the attitudes of authorities would have a bigger impact on poverty alleviation across all UGI types than changes to policy and procedure.

Chernet Assefa, Addisu Getahun, Endale Mekonnen · Middle East Research Journal of Economics and Management · Ethiopia

A participatory demonstration conducted in three districts of the Akaki Kaliti sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 2021/22 production year, in which a total of 61 farming households (47 male-headed, 14 female-headed) benefited, covering 14 hectares of bread wheat and 30 hectares of teff. The demonstrated technologies produced an average grain yield of 56.66 quintals/hectare for bread wheat and 22.16 quintals/hectare for teff, both higher than the national average. The study concludes that boosting agricultural production requires stakeholder attention to disseminating and adopting improved crop varieties with full production packages, using cluster farming to reduce poverty and ensure food security.

City of Johannesburg, Department of Social Development · City of Johannesburg · South Africa

A 2024 policy document adopted by the City of Johannesburg's Department of Social Development, stating that approximately 9.6% of households in the city are indigent households constantly threatened by food insecurity (StatsSA, 2018), and citing a 2021 estimate that 30.9% of people are threatened by food insecurity (Rudolph et al.). It outlines interventions including regional agricultural resource centres, farming hubs, and food parcel distribution.