Research & reports

Nilesh L. Patil, Anjali A. Kulkarni, Dinesh Amalnerkar, Swapnil C. Kamble · South African Journal of Botany · South Africa

This study assessed the growth and nutrient values of wheatgrass cultivated in soil, hydroponics, aeroponics, and paper-pulp based potting mix soil. Plantlets from potting mix soil showed the highest height (88.67 cm), weight (15.13 gm), and overall nutrient content. Cost analysis over six months revealed that potting mix soil systems were 17x and 23x cheaper than hydroponics and aeroponics, respectively, making them the most productive for long durations.

Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu · Environmental & Socio-economic Studies · Africa

This literature review explored the effects of urbanization on food security in Africa by reviewing eleven empirical journal articles. Findings indicate that rapid, unplanned urbanization has led to increased food insecurity, environmental degradation, and unsustainable food security, exacerbated by ill-prepared and incompetent governments. Key issues identified include poor government interventions, inadequate land-use planning, and high incompetency among urban planners.

Oluwole Matthew Akinnagbe, Obadamilola Enitan Ipinmoye · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Nigeria (Ondo State)

This study examined the effects of urban agriculture on households' livelihoods in Ondo State, Nigeria, using a multistage sampling procedure with 150 respondents. Major crops and livestock were leafy vegetables (100.0%) and broiler chickens (57.0%), respectively. The majority (82.0%) of urban agriculture practitioners had no contact with extension agents. Urban agriculture significantly improved respondents' standard of living (from 85.0% to 98.0%) and saving patterns (from 66.7% to 100.0%), and also led to improved knowledge.

Gemechu Abdissa, Abebe Ayalew, Anna Dunay, Csaba Bálint Illés · Economies · Ethiopia

This study investigated the determinants of sustainable growth for SMEs, including those in urban agriculture, in Ethiopia using primary data from 194 employees. Findings indicate that political instability, corruption, and COVID-19 are significantly harming the growth and long-term sustainability of Ethiopian SMEs.

Brian Tigere, Theresa Moyo · African Journal of Disability · South Africa

A qualitative study in rural Limpopo province, South Africa, examined the role of community gardens in uplifting persons with disabilities and their communities. Using face-to-face interviews with 21 participants, including people with disabilities and government officials, the study found that community gardens contributed to the economic and social well-being of persons with disabilities by providing income and creating jobs. The study recommends a disability access audit to address accessibility challenges.

Bernardino Bernardo, Elisa Eda Nhambire, Alice Castigo Binda Freia, Octávio Manuel de Jesus, José Júlio Júnior Guambe, Zacarias Alexandre Ombe, Gustavo Sobrinho Dgedge · Cadernos de Geografia · Mozambique (Maputo)

This mixed-method study analyzed the impacts of hailstorms on urban horticulture in northern Maputo City and Matola, Mozambique, following a storm on June 1, 2021. The study found total and partial destruction of ready-to-cut vegetables, including cabbage, lettuce, and onions, across all production areas. This resulted in heavy financial losses for farmers and a significant increase in vegetable prices in local markets.

Bruk Getahun, Essayas Deribe · Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning · Ethiopia

A case study in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, assessed the contribution of architectural design concepts for sustainable urban farming in selected urban farms. The research evaluated urban farms using six criteria based on the three pillars of sustainability: ecological, social, and economical. Findings revealed that most urban farms in Addis Ababa did not fully achieve the sustainability criteria.

Mawuna Donald Houessou, B.G.J.S. Sonneveld, Augustin K. N. Aoudji, Fréjus THOTO, D. J. Snelder, Anselme Adégbidi, Tjard de Cock Buning · Development in Practice · Benin

A survey of 88 urban poor individuals in Benin investigated their profiles and constraints affecting participation in allotment gardens. Findings revealed low educational and income levels, overcrowded and unsanitary housing, and limited access to social services and health facilities among the participants. Furthermore, 76% of them experienced food insecurity, and engaging them in allotment gardens was constrained by requirements for farming skills, financial capital, and safety issues.

Adrino Mazenda, Nonkosazana Molepo, Tinashe Mushayanyama, Saul Ngarava · British Food Journal · South Africa (Gauteng)

This quantitative cross-section study estimated the determinants of household food insecurity in the Gauteng City-Region, South Africa, using binary logistic regression on 13,616 observations from the Gauteng City-Region Observatory Quality of Life 2020/2021 data. The main findings highlight unemployment, health status, education, household size, indigency, and income as the primary determinants of food insecurity. Further studies are needed for an in-depth assessment of household coping mechanisms, the influence of government social grants, and access to credit.

· Journal of Global Economy Business and Finance · Ethiopia

This study aimed to identify major problems associated with the growth and success of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in the trade, services, manufacturing, construction, and urban agriculture sectors in three selected Woredas (Cheha, Abeshge, and Enmore ena Eaner) in the Gurage zone, Gulachi District, Ethiopia. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used, and primary data was collected through questionnaires, unstructured interviews, and personal observations.

Emaediong Uko, Tony Binns, Etienne Nel · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Nigeria (Benin City)

This study investigated the significance of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Benin City, Southern Nigeria. Field-based data, collected using qualitative research methods (observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaire surveys), revealed that in the context of unpredictable and frequent economic shocks, households across all socio-economic levels significantly depend on food production activities. This dependence serves not only for immediate survival but also as a means of reducing household vulnerability and building resilience against future shocks.

Doctor S. Nkosi, Thembani Moyo, Innocent Musonda · Land · South Africa (Johannesburg)

This study developed a GIS-based planning support system to identify, quantify, and visualize an index for urban agricultural land in marginalized areas. Using Greater Orange Farm, a marginalized area in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa, as a case study, indigenous knowledge systems were incorporated through the Charrette visioning process for formulating criteria, weights, and rulesets. The results revealed spatial sites ranked by an index where sustainable investment in urban agriculture infrastructure and supporting programs should be targeted.

Gamuchirai Chakona · · South Africa

A study surveyed 314 randomly selected households in four peri-urban settlements in South Africa to assess dietary diversity and food security. Findings revealed generally low dietary diversity and high levels of food insecurity across all sites, with male-headed households experiencing worse conditions than female-headed households. Food insecurity was linked to high poverty, unemployment, and low education levels.

Oluwole Matthew Akinnagbe, Obadamilola Enitan Ipinmoye · Journal of Agricultural Extension · Nigeria

A study of the effects of urban agriculture on household livelihoods in Ondo State, Nigeria, based on 150 respondents selected via multistage sampling and interviewed using a schedule, with data analyzed by percentage, charts and mean statistics. The major crop and livestock raised were leafy vegetables (100.0%) and broiler chickens (57.0%), and 82.0% of respondents had no contact with an extension agent. Practicing urban agriculture had significant effects on livelihood, with the share reporting improved standard of living rising from 85.0% to 98.0% and improved saving patterns rising from 66.7% to 100.0%, alongside improved knowledge. The study recommends extending Ondo State Agricultural Development Programme extension services to those practicing urban agriculture.

Yohannes Zekarias · · Ethiopia

This study examines factors determining the performance and growth of micro and small-scale enterprises (MSEs) in Gulelle sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, covering manufacturing, service, construction, agro-industry, urban agriculture, and textile and garment sectors. Using a quantitative causal design, data were collected via questionnaire from 312 operators selected through stratified sampling and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Regression analysis showed that access to finance, technology infrastructure, and government support explained the variation in MSE performance.

Sandra Boatemaa Kushitor, Shawn Alimohammadi, Paul Currie · PLOS Sustainability and Transformation · South Africa

An ethnographic study using in-depth interviews and participant observation, conducted April to November 2020 with thematic analysis, examined the role of the informal food sector in food flows in Cape Town, South Africa, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The informal food sector has historically been subject to exclusionary urban policies, and lockdown regulations caused food flows through the sector to cease, resulting in job loss and increased food insecurity. The sector subsequently reshaped food flows through urban agriculture, food aid programmes and community change, though it can also hinder urban modernisation. The study concludes regulatory frameworks need to be more inclusive of the sector.

Felix Chari, Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu · Climate · Africa

In Masvingo City, Zimbabwe, a structured questionnaire administered to urban livestock farmers, triangulated with in-depth interviews with livestock stakeholders, examined how climate change-related hazards affect the urban livestock industry. Heatwaves, floods and droughts were found to significantly harm the industry: farmers lose livestock to disease, poor pastures and extreme weather, while the hazards also damage storage and distribution of livestock products, labour supply and productivity, and the profitability of livestock enterprises. The study calls for further research on location-specific adaptation strategies.

· Journal of Applied Aquaculture · South Africa

The study analyzes the economic feasibility of a small-scale, low-cost aquaponic system in South Africa, examining how the fish-to-plant revenue ratio affects viability.

Minten B., Tamru S., Reardon T. · Food Policy · Ethiopia

Analyses self-reported post-harvest losses across farmers, wholesalers, processors, and retailers along rural-urban value chains for teff and liquid milk in Ethiopia.

Alexander Follmann, Maximilian Willkomm, Gilbert M. Nduru, George Owuor, Peter Dannenberg · Applied Geography · Kenya

This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of market-oriented urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) and farmers' responses to changing socio-spatial circumstances in Nyeri and Nakuru, Kenya. Findings indicate that the continued existence of market-oriented agriculture in these cities is linked to dynamic processes of commercialization, specialization, and intensification. The research concludes that market-oriented farmers are not inevitably displaced but can actively adapt to pressures and opportunities arising from rapid urban growth.

Yalew Mamo · European Journal of Business and Management · Ethiopia (Dire Dawa)

This cross-sectional descriptive study examined marketing challenges and opportunities for 226 micro and small enterprises, including urban agriculture, in Dire Dawa City, Ethiopia. Regression analysis found that product, price, and place significantly affected sales turnover, but promotion had an insignificant effect. Major challenges included a lack of coordination among government offices and insufficient commitment from enterprise owners.

Akeem Ola · Town and Regional Planning · Nigeria (Ilorin)

This study examined the effects of urban planning practices on urban agriculture (UA) in Ilorin, Nigeria, and its contribution to the city's food shock resilience. Findings revealed that UA contributed 16.9% to meat/fish/egg requirements, 4.5% to yam/cassava/potato, 0.58% to vegetables, 0.6% to fruits, and 0.5% to grain requirements. However, the Respondents’ Agreement Index (RAI) indicated that poor access to finance (0.93), limited land area (0.75), and lack of tenure security (0.44) were dominant variables influencing UA's poor contribution to food security.

Mary Njoki Mwaura, Sabina Mukoya-Wangia, Japheth Ododa Origa, O.L.E. Mbatia, Evans Chimoita · Journal of Agricultural Extension · Kenya

A study of 149 respondents in Nairobi County examined urban and peri-urban agricultural practices, finding composting and open field farming popular but not the most profitable. More profitable practices like cattle rearing and mushroom farming were unpopular due to expensive inputs and specialized skills. The study indicates that popular practices are less profitable, highlighting a need for transformation towards controlled environment agriculture with policy support.

Nancy Karanja, Mary Njenga · · Kenya (Nairobi)

The urban agriculture efforts of Alice Wairimu and her husband Michael Macharia, who migrated to Nairobi, Kenya, are presented. They raised livestock but lost a cow during political unrest and sold the rest for hospital bills. They also attempted wastewater farming on government-owned land, which was repossessed in 2010. Subsequently, they used their meager savings to rent land nearby and continue practicing urban agriculture.

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.