Research & reports

Solomon Wuyep, Isaac Tebogo Rampedi, AP Ifegbesan · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Nigeria (Jos)

This study assessed the role of urban vegetable production as a source of livelihood for 94 small-scale farmers in Jos, Nigeria, by randomly selecting 40% of urban vegetable farmers and using questionnaire-administered interviews with a mixed-method approach. Results indicated that vegetable farming provides 84% part-time and 5% full-time employment opportunities and reduces food insecurity among participants. However, lack of credit facilities, seasonal variations, and high costs of farm inputs and equipment were identified as serious problems, and small-scale urban farming also entailed negative environmental impacts that could undermine long-term sustainability.

Solomon Tulu Tadesse, O. Oenema, Christy van Beek, Fikre Lemessa Ocho · Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering · Ethiopia

This study in Jimma, Ethiopia, from 2015-2050, used an N mass flow model and field experiments to explore manure recycling from urban livestock farms under four scenarios. It found that livestock manures are the main organic wastes in urban areas, and manure production in urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) is projected to increase 3 to 10 times. Critically, only 13% to 38% of manure nitrogen will be recycled in croplands, and intensification of urban livestock production greatly increased nitrogen surpluses, indicating a significant environmental tradeoff.

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.

Nicole Paganini, Silke Stöber · The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension · South Africa (Cape Town)

This long-term study in Cape Town, South Africa, developed and employed a co-research approach with urban farmers, using mixed methods including focus groups, farming diaries, and surveys. Participants perceived the research process itself as more important than the results, as they developed agency for change. The mutually developed results were used by co-researchers to establish a representative body advocating for small-scale farmers' needs.

Gerelene Jagganath · The Oriental Anthropologist A Bi-annual International Journal of the Science of Man · Africa

Against a backdrop of rising poverty and food insecurity in African cities, this paper offers an overview of urban agriculture's evolving presence in two smart cities, Cape Town, South Africa, and Arusha, Tanzania. The first part sets out conceptual background on smart cities and urban agriculture in the African context, and the second provides an overview of the smart-city development of Cape Town and Arusha specifically.

Samuel Ziem Bonye, Gordon Yenglier Yiridomoh, Emmanuel Kanchebe Derbile · International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development · Africa

A mixed-methods study in Wa Municipality, Ghana, examined how peri-urban agricultural land use change affected farmers' food security, surveying 235 smallholder farmers with questionnaires, interviews and GIS-based historical data. Over the past three decades, peri-urban agricultural land was drastically lost to residential and infrastructural development, and this land use change resulted in food insecurity, with most smallholder farmers unable to meet their food needs over the past decade.

Julia Davies, Corrie Hannah, Zack Guido, Andrew Zimmer, Laura E. McCann, Jane Battersby, Tom Evans · Food Policy · Sub-Saharan Africa

This study investigated the association between urban agriculture (UA) and household food security in smaller African cities and towns, using survey data from 2,687 low- and low-middle income households in 18 urban areas with populations of less than 200,000 across Zambia and Kenya. The analysis found that 33% of households in the sample engaged in UA, but there was limited statistical significance in the relationship between UA and household food security. Key barriers identified were settlement formality, property rights, and distance from food retailers.

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.

Gebrekiros Hagos Belay, Abrha Gebreslassie, Amanuel Teklay, Mulugeta Tesfay · Agricultural Social Economic Journal · Ethiopia

A study in Mekelle city, Tigrai, Ethiopia, investigated the commercialization of urban dairy farming, surveying 100 households using questionnaires. Results from a binary logit model showed that household head's education, family size, market distance, and total dairy products owned significantly influenced commercialization decisions. Further analysis indicated that education, extension agent visits, total dairy products, and owned land size significantly affected the extent of commercialization.

Nicole Paganini, Stefanie Lemke · Local Environment · South Africa (Cape Town)

This study, conducted from 2017 to 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa, and Maputo, Mozambique, explored urban agriculture's contributions to livelihoods and food availability through a food justice lens. In Cape Town, NGO-led urban agriculture regulated production and market access, serving wealthy consumers, with only 15% of farmers consuming their produce. In Maputo, urban agriculture contributed to local food availability, with 99% of farmers eating their produce, but farmers depended on intermediary-determined prices and faced unequal access to inputs. The study revealed stark structural inequalities and uneven power dynamics in both contexts.

Harry Kasumba, M. Mashologu, Patrick W Bwowe · · South Africa

An investigation into the sustainability of school food gardens in Chris Hani District, South Africa, used a mixed-methods approach with a purposive sample of six schools. Findings revealed significant bottlenecks hindering sustainability, specifically inadequate funding and a lack of proper planning for school food gardening activities.

I.O. Amao · IntechOpen eBooks · Sub-Saharan Africa

This chapter conducted an empirical review of urban horticulture in cities across Sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to specify its benefits in the region. The review concluded that governments in these countries require political will to realize the identified advantages of urban horticulture, which include food and nutrition security, healthy environments, and sustainable livelihoods. It recommends raising awareness among stakeholders like politicians, policymakers, and urban households to integrate urban horticulture into land use planning.

Tony Ngwenya, Pfano Mashau · Problems and Perspectives in Management · South Africa (Durban)

This study investigated institutional support for youth-owned Small, Medium, and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs) in Durban's urban agribusiness sector using a quantitative methodology. Findings indicated that CSR interventions had not yielded a fundamental impact, and there was a lack of tangible, result-driven institutional support from policymakers and authorities. Furthermore, targeted technological transfer was a constraining factor, and a lack of monetary and non-monetary access hampered the SMMEs' competitiveness and profitability.

Christiana Olusola Owolabi, Olukemi Ifetola Adediran, T.T. Joseph-Adekunle, J. G. Bodunde, O.O. Olubode · Nigerian Journal of Horticultural Science · Nigeria (Abeokuta)

A two-year study at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, assessed the use of Purple Basil (Ocimum basilicum) in landscaping under different management practices (manuring, mulching, hedge trimming). Manuring resulted in taller plants with more branches and contributed to improved yield and hedge formation. Manured and trimmed plants yielded 2.0 kg/plot, slightly higher than manured and mulched plants (1.9 kg/plot).

Mawuna Donald Houessou, Mirte van de Louw, B.G.J.S. Sonneveld · Sustainability · Benin

To identify the main constraints to the expansion of urban agriculture (UA) in Benin, a systematic literature review, a survey among experienced urban gardeners, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders were conducted. The synthesis revealed five predominant constraints: lack of land and tenure insecurity, insufficient government support, restricted market access, limited access to productive factors, and inequality issues. Specifically, the survey indicated a political unwillingness, which was explained by the unperceived benefits of investing in UA and the lack of enforcement of urban development plans.

H. Shuaibu, A. Yakubu, Abubakar Hassan, Bassey Emmanuel · Ife Journal of Agriculture · Nigeria

A study in the Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, assessed the impact of peri-urban farming on household income, focusing on 120 fluted pumpkin farmers. Farmers realized a gross margin of N16,480 and a return per investment (RNI) of N1.98 annually. Sex, marital status, household size, and years of experience significantly influenced profitability, while 32% of farmers reported inadequate rainfall, 32% financial constraints, and 21% low productivity.

Idris Mohammed, Abdella Kosa, Nuredin Juhar · Agricultural and Food Economics · Ethiopia

This study assessed the economic linkage between urban development and the livelihood of peri-urban farming communities in Ethiopia, focusing on current practices and policies. Data was collected from 30 municipal officials and 200 evicted peri-urban farmers across five municipalities in the Amara regional state. Findings indicate that the continuous eviction of peri-urban farmers from their indigenous land for redevelopment negatively affects their livelihood, highlighting significant equity issues. Factors contributing to urban expansion include economic policy reform, private investor incentives, and public sector projects, further exacerbated by policy limitations and lack of municipal intervention.

Michael Rudolph, Evans Muchesa, Florian Kroll · International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management · South Africa

This paper reflects on key socio-economic challenges in South Africa and the role of urban agriculture in addressing health disparities and promoting ecological health. Using a structured mixed literature review and primary/secondary data, the study demonstrates the high prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity. However, it also emphasizes the positive outcomes of an integrated approach to addressing nutrition and food security, suggesting that multi- and trans-disciplinary methods based on ecological health promotion can improve food security, public health, and socio-economic development.

Brittany Kesselman, Mvuselelo Ngcoya, Daniela Casale · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · South Africa

This paper, based on research from two urban gardens in Johannesburg, South Africa, argues that contemporary urban dietary norms pose a challenge to urban agroecology. The dietary norms and practices of Johannesburg residents are poorly aligned with the production requirements and outputs of urban agroecology. Lessons from other countries suggest that the benefits of agroecology could be enhanced by targeting changes in food preparation and consumption practices.

Amélie Robert, Jean Louis Yengué, A. Fanny, Mikael Motelica‐Heino, Edmond Hien, Alain Sanou · Risco Revista de Pesquisa em Arquitetura e Urbanismo (Online) · Africa

This research, conducted in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, utilized in situ observations, interviews with farmers and decision-makers, and an analysis of planning documents. It found that urban agriculture has experienced a significant increase in surface area and is popular among city residents. However, it is not officially considered in urban planning, revealing divergences in viewpoints between farmers and public decision-makers.

Hadji Wabe Nure, Abdulkadir Hussein Gemada, Gamachu Gishe Badasa, Bezabih Wondimu, Burash Elemo Gaduda · OALib · Ethiopia

A study in Bishan Guracha Town, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, analyzed the determinants of urban agriculture and its implication for poverty reduction. A convergent parallel mixed design was utilized, involving 228 households from fishery, milk, and animal fattening micro and small enterprises. The findings indicated that about 40% of urban agricultural practitioners fell below the poverty line, and there were statistically significant differences among the income generated from the three types of urban agriculture.

Isaac Otieno Dawo, George Mark Onyango, Francis Ang’awa Okere · The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies · Kenya

This study investigated the influence of planning policy frameworks on urban agriculture practices in Eldoret, Kakamega, and Kisumu towns in Western Kenya. A cross-sectional survey of 205 urban farmers found that the economic influence of urban planning legislation declined, social influence increased only in Kakakamega, and environmental influence doubled in all towns. Newly enacted urban planning legislations had no major influence on the planning, promotion, and regulation of urban agriculture, though a significant low positive correlation with urban agriculture practice was observed.

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.

Murtah Shannon, Kei Otsuki, Annelies Zoomers, Mayke Kaag · Urban Studies · Mozambique (Beira)

This article examines the implications of global interventionism in African cities for existing claims to urban space, particularly those of farmers, using Beira, Mozambique, as a case study. A historical-political analysis demonstrates that urban farming has been a distinct feature of Beira's urbanism amidst successive and contradictory state-land regimes. A new urban regime, formed by municipal leaders and international donors, aims to erase urban agriculture from the city through urban 'development', indicating a need for better understanding of manifold claims to urban space beyond slum urbanism.

Oso Adeola Abiola · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · South Africa

This review discusses vegetable production in South Africa, focusing on the impacts of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne species) on small-scale farming communities. The review highlights that these nematodes are a primary pest, causing delayed crop maturity, reduced yields, poor quality produce, and escalating production costs. This leads to substantial income losses for farmers and the abandonment of community gardens, intensifying challenges for vegetable production and food security.