Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
233 results(5 / 10)
Planning Policy Frameworks and Urban Agriculture Practices in Western Kenya
2020Isaac 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.
PolicyEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityThe Roles of Urban Agriculture for Climate Change Adaption in The Case of Debre Markos Town and Surrounding Districts East Gojjam Zone Amhara Region Ethiopia
2020Mengist 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.
Climate changeFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageOn whose land is the city to be built? Farmers, donors and the urban land question in Beira city, Mozambique
2020Murtah 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.
Governance failurePolicyFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityVegetable production and nematodes infestation: Impacts on small-scale farming communities of South Africa
2020Oso 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.
Economic viabilityCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleDoes Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Contribute to Household Food Security? An Assessment of the Food Security Status of Households in Tongaat, eThekwini Municipality
2019Nolwazi Z. Khumalo, Melusi Sibanda · Sustainability · South Africa
This paper assessed the food security status of 208 households (109 urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) practicing, 99 non-UPA practicing) in Tongaat, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. While a greater proportion (54%) of UPA practicing households consumed more than six food groups compared to non-UPA households (40%), a Mann-Whitney U test (U = 5292, p = 0.808) found no significant difference in dietary diversity between the two groups. Employment status, access to arable land, land tenure, and household monthly income were significantly associated with food security status.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureUrban markets and agricultural transformation in Southern Africa
2019Thulasizwe Mkhabela · · Southern Africa
This chapter examines trends in large and urban agricultural markets in Africa, focusing on Southern Africa and using South Africa as an example. It notes the increasing importance of urban agriculture markets due to growing urban populations, purchasing power, and changing consumer preferences. The chapter analyzes the evolution of these markets, including the rise of alternative marketing channels like farmers' markets, and discusses the linkages between rural and urban areas in food marketing, suggesting policy interventions to enhance urban agricultural markets.
EconomicsPolicyUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceDrought Mitigation Policies: Waste Water Use, Energy and Food Provision in Urban and Peri-Urban Africa
2019Hendrick J. Bruins · · Africa
This paper discusses drought mitigation in urban and peri-urban Africa, where severe droughts threaten food production under rainfed agriculture. It argues that while urban and peri-urban farming's informal private sector should not be government-controlled, the treatment and use of urban wastewater in agriculture requires government planning, investment, and extension services. Participatory development is suggested to integrate central wastewater planning with private farmer use.
PolicyPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceOrganic cycleThe role of cooperation amongst cities, universities, research bodies and civil society organizations Food on Urban Policies in Africa as innovative actions in the cadre of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.
2019Valerio 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.
PolicyFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changeThe potential of urban agriculture towards a more sustainable urban food system in food-insecure neighbourhoods in Cape Town and Maputo
2019Nicole Paganini, Stefanie Lemke, Inês Raimundo · ECONOMIA AGRO-ALIMENTARE · Sub-Saharan Africa
This research explored the potential of urban agriculture in Cape Town, South Africa, and Maputo, Mozambique, through two baseline surveys among urban farmers and home gardeners, as well as qualitative in-depth interviews. Findings indicated that urban farmers and home gardeners add nutrients and diversity to their diets and can partly contribute to their income. However, in Cape Town, main challenges included access to local and external markets, fair pricing, and sovereignty in production.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsCommunityUrban soil management of marginalized lands: recognizant of history
2019Nicolette 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.
Governance failureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceClimate changePolicyComparison of metallic trace elements accumulation capacities in three market garden species, lettuce (Lactuva sativa L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and amaranth (Amaranthus paniculatus L.), grown on agricultural sites in the city of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)
2019Kouassi Joseph Kouakou, Ahoua Edmond Sika, Seu Jonathan Gogbeu, Koffi Bertin Yao, M. Bounakhla, Denézon Odette Dogbo, Yves‐Alain Bekro · · Africa
This study compared the accumulation potential of five trace metals (cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, and nickel) in lettuce, spinach, and amaranth grown at market gardening sites in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Using principal components analysis, it was found that lettuce had a greater capacity for accumulating these metals compared to spinach and amaranth. Amaranth and spinach from the three sites showed nearly identical metal accumulation capacities.
Contamination & food safetyHealthFood sovereignty & justiceOnion (Allium Cepa) Production in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas: Financial Performance and Importance of this Activity for Market Gardeners in Southern Benin
2018Fabrice Dossa · Agricultural Research & Technology Open Access Journal · Benin
A study in southern Benin surveyed 60 onion farmers across three municipalities (Grand-Popo, Cotonou, Sm-Kpodji) using quantitative and qualitative methods. It found onion production to be financially profitable, with performance enhanced by age, experience, and producer group membership, and improving socio-economic and food situations. However, significant constraints include financial, institutional, organizational, property, and production-related issues.
Economic viabilityEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceStrengthening Food Security through Peri-Urban Agriculture in Ibadan, Nigeria
2018Bolanle, Oluwafisayo Wahab, Abiodun Abiodun · Ghana Journal of Geography · Nigeria
This study examined peri-urban agriculture (PUA) in Ibadan, Nigeria, by surveying 230 randomly selected farmers across six local government areas. Findings showed farmers benefited from opportunities like abundant land (47.4%) and good soil (32.2%), but faced major challenges including inadequate finance (43%), farm encroachment (15.7%), and erosion/flooding (13.5%). The study concluded that PUA opportunities in Ibadan can strengthen food security, recommending government support for finance and development control.
Peri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeUrban Food Crop Farming and Farm Households’ Food Security Status in Oyo State, Nigeria
2018David Tobi Olaleye, Abiodun Elijah Obayelu, Omotoso Oluseye Ogunmola · Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce · Nigeria
This cross-sectional survey examined the influence of urban farming on household food security in Oyo State, Nigeria, using data from 159 farm households. The study found that 90.6% of the farm households were food secure. Probit Regression Model results indicated that age, household size, and economic efficiency reduced food security probability, while access to consumption credit and allocative efficiency increased it. The study concluded that urban farming significantly influences household food security.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareDiversity and nutrient balances of urban and peri-urban farms in Ethiopia
2018Solomon Tulu Tadesse, O. Oenema, Christy van Beek, Fikre Lemessa Ocho · Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems · Ethiopia
This study investigated the diversity and nutrient balances of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) systems in three Ethiopian cities, using data from 425 households (Addis Ababa: 175, Adama: 126, Jimma: 124). It identified six farm types, including commercial livestock (cLS) and subsistence field crop (sFC) systems. The study found that cLS systems accumulated significant nutrients (450 kg N, 85 kg P, 260 kg K ha−1 year−1) with low use efficiency (26% N and P, 15% K), while sFC systems depleted nutrients (−30 kg N, −17 kg K ha−1 year−1) with high use efficiency.
Environmental trade-offsUrban–rural linkagePeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleFood sovereignty & justiceImproving Urban Food Security in African cities: Critically Assessing the Role of Informal Retailers
2018Jane Battersby, Vanessa Watson · Figshare · Africa
Recent research in African cities indicates that urban agriculture is not as important a food source for low-income households as often believed. Most African urbanites source their food from retail outlets, suggesting that solutions to urban food insecurity need to consider urban food marketing and distribution structures, rather than solely supporting food production through urban agriculture. This chapter reviews evidence supporting the argument that urban agriculture is not a primary food source for the poor.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareUrban agriculture and stokvels
2018Yolisa Wendy Sonti · · South Africa
A study of 152 stokvel members in South Africa's Nelson Mandela Bay Area investigated the possibility of using stokvels in urban agriculture. Findings revealed that stokvel members are aware of agricultural activities but do not use their stokvel funds for urban agriculture. However, there is interest among stokvel members in utilizing their funds for urban agriculture.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareTHE DETERMINANTS OF FOOD SECURITY STATUS AMONG PERI-URBAN FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA
2018ADERINSOLA M. AREGBESOLA · · Nigeria (Ondo State)
A study in Ondo State, Nigeria, examined food security among peri-urban farming households using descriptive statistics, a food security index, logistic regression, and the coping strategy use index. It found that 54.4% of households were food insecure, with a 62% calorie deficit for these households, while 45.6% were food secure, exceeding calorie requirements by 48%. Household income positively affected food security, while household size had a negative effect.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareReclaiming the city: Guerrilla Gardening in Nairobi
2018Syeda R. Hussain · · Kenya (Nairobi)
This paper focuses on guerrilla gardening in Nairobi, Kenya, examining the use of the environment as both an aesthetic and a practical method to resist the politics of poverty in the city. It explores how this movement shapes the city's identity and analyzes the nexus between poverty and political ecology, with emphasis on the garden city movement and its influence on Nairobi’s 1948 Master Plan and Nairobi Vision 2030.
CommunityFood sovereignty & justicePolicyFood System Transformation in Mozambique: An Assessment of Changing Diet Quality in the context of a Rising Middle Class
2018Jenny Smart, David Tschirley, Francis Smart, Smart, Jenny Cairns, Tschirley, David, Smart, Francis · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Mozambique
Food system transformation and changes in diet quality were assessed in Mozambique amidst rapid urbanization and income growth. Rising incomes and processed food consumption were found to be associated with a worsening of negative dietary factors. Furthermore, urbanization, controlling for income, was more strongly associated with a worsening of negative factors than an improvement in positive dietary factors. However, owning one's own farm had a positive and significant effect on nutrition for urban households, primarily driven by reduced purchases of unhealthy foods.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceHealthEconomicsUrban–rural linkage‘The garden has improved my life’
2018Joyce-Ann Syhre, Meike Brückner · · Kenya (Nairobi)
This chapter illustrates agricultural alternatives in Nairobi, Kenya, emerging through practiced urban agriculture. These alternatives enable socio-ecological spaces of food sovereignty, biodiversity, and agency. The chapter discusses the socio-cultural values of farming and food, the role of gender in Nairobi's urban agricultural landscape, and the diverse perceptions of human-nature relations among female farmers.
Food sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityCommunityUrban–rural linkageA Review Mapping the Use of Food Sovereignty
2018Chihambakwe, Michelle, Mafongoya, Paramu, L., Jiri, Obert · University of Zimbabwe Institutional Repository (University of Zimbabwe) · Africa
This review examines the application of food sovereignty principles in urban and peri-urban agriculture in Zimbabwe. It notes that despite urban households integrating these practices into their livelihoods, institutional arrangements governing them remain ambivalent. The review concludes that the failure to involve all stakeholders undermines urban and peri-urban agriculture, leading to increased food insecurity and unsustainable practices.
Governance failureFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkagePolicyCommunityFood security and productivity among urban farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria
2018M.K. Saleh, Azher Mustafa · Journal of Agricultural Extension · Nigeria (Kaduna State)
This study investigated food security and productivity among 213 urban farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria, using interviews and statistical analysis. Results showed that 54.5% of households were food insecure. A regression model predicted that the probability of urban farming households being food secure was 51%, indicating a limited effect on food security despite urban farming efforts.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareRegreening Kibera: how urban agriculture changed the physical and social environment of a large slum in Kenya.
2017Courtney M. Gallaher · CABI eBooks · Kenya
This chapter considers the effects of landscape greening, including small urban farms and sack gardening, on residents' perceptions of the environment in Kenya's Kibera slum over the last 10 years. It examines what environmental issues residents perceive as most serious, who they believe is responsible for addressing these problems, and to what extent they believe sack gardening is changing Kibera's physical and social environment.
CommunityWelfareClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceDossier « L’agriculture dans le système alimentaire urbain : continuités et innovations » – Comprendre la complexité des liens ville-agriculture : intérêt d’une approche par le système agri-urbain. Le cas de Bobo-Dioulasso, Afrique de l’Ouest
2017Ophélie Robineau, Christophe‐Toussaint Soulard · Natures Sciences Sociétés · Africa
This article emphasizes the utility of the agri-urban system concept for analyzing expanding urban agriculture and the complex relationships between cities and agriculture, moving beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. Based on a case study in Bobo-Dioulasso, West Africa, it aims to develop a framework for understanding these relationships at the city and regional scale. It distinguishes three groups of city-agriculture interactions: spatio-historical, interactions between the current urban system and agriculture, and interactions within the urban agrarian system, seeking to identify factors influencing the diversity and future of urban agriculture.
Urban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justicePolicy