Research & reports

Yolisa 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.

Bolanle Wahab, Ayobami Abayomi Popoola, Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha · PLANNING MALAYSIA · Nigeria (Ibadan)

A study in Ibadan, Nigeria, investigated urban farmers' access to land and local planning authorities' land allocation activities, using questionnaires with 244 urban farmers and key-informant interviews. Rapid, unplanned urban growth limited farmers' access to land, with over 30% farming on family land and 17% on open spaces like floodplains or under power lines. Barriers included land unavailability, finance, and land tenure system issues.

ADERINSOLA 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.

A. B. Juma Edwin, Omondi Paul, W. Kareri Raphael · Journal of Geography and Regional Planning · Kenya (Kakamega Town)

This study collected data from 159 urban youth farmers in Kakamega Town, Kenya, to investigate the effect of youth engagement in vegetable production on household well-being. A significant association was found between time spent on the farm and the size of the vegetable plot, with 90.5% of respondents reporting they would continue vegetable production. 34.0% reported vegetable production was 'more than adequate' and 28.9% 'adequate', and urban farming was found to contribute to the greening of the city.

Liku Workalemahu Habtemariam, KetemaAbebe Tufa, Lise Byskov Herslund, Patience Mguni · Progress in Development Studies · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

This article explores water resource management in Addis Ababa's condominium housing and urban agriculture cooperatives to identify challenges and potentials for water-resilient livelihoods. Findings indicate both communities are heavily affected by water stress, with farming communities being vulnerable due to natural asset dependence but more flexible than condominium residents facing malfunctioning infrastructure. Potential for resilience exists if policy frameworks integrate local situations with landscape-based stormwater management.

Jenny 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.

Ubokudom E. Okon, Kesit Nkeme, Ubon Asuquo Essien, Chukwuemeka Chiebonam Onyia · American Journal of Business and Management · Nigeria

This study assessed the economic vulnerability of 289 urban farm households in three states of South-south Nigeria using vulnerability index analysis. The results indicated a high level of economic vulnerability among urban farmers, primarily caused by lack of access to formal credit, lack of land, low asset value, and low farm income. Households entirely dependent on farm income were 66% more likely to be vulnerable to economic shocks.

Sky Roberts, Charlie M. Shackleton · Land · South Africa

This study investigated urban community food gardens in four towns in South Africa, using surveys and GIS analysis over three decades. It found that common motivations included cash poverty (37%) and the need to grow food (34%), with reported benefits such as a healthy lifestyle (58%) and food consumption (54%). A significant challenge was theft of garden infrastructure or produce, and there were declines in the number and area of urban community gardens, with only 16% of gardens from the 1980s still operating in the 2000s.

M.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.

Ibrahim Aliyu Kankara, Hani Farouk · Annals of Geographical Studies · Nigeria (Kano)

This research evaluated potable water distribution problems in Kano municipal, Nigeria. Using data from 384 questionnaires and investigations of water supply institutions, the study concluded that water supply in Kano municipal does not meet demand due to problems such as insufficient water treatment plants, power failure, and funding shortages.

Nolwazi Z. Khumalo, Sibanda, M., Khumalo, N., Sibanda, M. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · South Africa

A survey of 208 stratified-random-sampled households (109 farming, 99 non-farming) in Tongaat, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. Using the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), 54% of farming households consumed more than six food groups versus 40% of non-farming households. Using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), about 72% of farming households reported rarely or never worrying about food shortages, versus about 61% of non-farming households. Farming households showed better food access and dietary diversity outcomes than non-farming households.

Thandiwe Blauw · · South Africa

Against the backdrop of South Africa, where the majority of the population still lives below the poverty line twenty-three years after democratization and women and children are the most affected, this study investigated the impact of women's participation in an urban agriculture project — a vegetable garden — on poverty alleviation at the Kwasa Project in Walmer Township, Port Elizabeth. Using a qualitative approach with individual interviews conducted via an interview schedule and supplemented by secondary scholarly sources, the study investigated the challenges facing the Kwasa Project and, in its final analysis, provided recommendations aimed at resolving some of the problems identified through the interviews.

Sahar Babiker Ahmed Abdalla · · Africa

With rapid urbanization in Khartoum increasing the need to produce more food for the growing urban population, while food production in and around the city has received limited attention from scientists and policymakers, this study analyzed the socio-economic conditions and production practices of urban gardeners through a baseline survey conducted from March to June 2007. Forty households with gardens were purposively selected, and heads of household were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire, with descriptive statistics and a two-step cluster analysis used to classify households into homogeneous groups. Urban agriculture was found to be the exclusive domain of men. All 40 surveyed households engaged in commercial vegetable gardening, 33% also cultivated fodder crops, and 5% kept goats and sheep. Seventy-eight percent of gardeners were under 55 years old, and 80% were not native to Khartoum. Few were landowners; 90% operated under a tenant-sharecropping system. Vegetable growing was the main source of income for 83% of gardeners, and short-cycle leafy vegetables such as Jew's mallow, purslane and rocket were the dominant crops. Irrigation came mainly from the River Nile (60%) and wells (37.5%), and almost all gardeners applied pesticides and mineral fertilizers. Ninety-five percent of gardens were cultivated continuously year-round without a fallow period. Households were classified into three groups: mixed vegetable-fodder gardens (10%), mixed vegetable-subsistence livestock gardens (42.5%), and pure vegetable gardens (30%).

Abiodun Olusola Omotayo, Ijatuyi Enioluwa Jonathan, Olorunfemi Oluwasogo David, Agboola Peter Temitope · Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica · South Africa

A structured-questionnaire survey of urban agricultural households in Limpopo Province, South Africa, analyzed food security using descriptive and inferential statistics. Respondents were predominantly male with an average age of 46, mainly relying on public tap water, and households had an average monthly income of R2,668.75 against average monthly food spending of R1,284.75 — food costs consuming nearly half of household income. The study suggested interest-free credit for small-scale farmers to improve access to risk-management technologies.

Omondi S. O., Oluoch-Kosura W., Jirström M. · Geographical Research 55(2):231-241 · Kenya

Through Kenyan case studies, this paper examines how urban-based agriculture strengthens the livelihood strategies and food security of urban households, particularly the poor, highlighting its role within the urban food system.

Olivier D. W., Heinecken L. · Agriculture and Human Values 34(3):743-755 · South Africa

Examining NGO-run urban agriculture in Cape Town, this study finds projects aid food security while helping low-income women build supportive networks that unlock personal, social, and economic benefits beyond food provision.

Paulos Lukas · Journals & Books Hosting (International Knowledge Sharing Platform) · Ethiopia

This study investigated the effects of urban expansion on the livelihood of 100 dislocated farming households in Wolaita Sodo, Southern Ethiopia, using household surveys, group discussions, and interviews. The findings indicate that the implemented expansion program was not participatory, marginalized the farming community, and excluded youth and women from compensation schemes. The dislocation program was not rehabilitative and negatively affected the livelihood of the dislocated farming community.

Dominique Massé, Moussa N’Diénor, Edmond Hien, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Yacine Badiane Ndour, Alfonse Bilgo, Serge Houot, Christine Aubry · IRD Éditions eBooks · Sub-Saharan Africa

This chapter reviews research since 2006 on composting urban waste and using municipal landfill screenings in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Ouagadougou, urban waste compost significantly increased sorghum yields (2 to 5 times higher than controls) over two years, with phosphorus content being crucial when concentrated at plant level, and mineralization rate determining yield when spread. In Madagascar, soil from the Andralanitra landfill showed value as an amendment or fertilizer for tomato cultivation, though application principles and safety need definition. However, municipal landfill screenings from Dakar did not achieve yields comparable to horse manure when tested on tomato crops.

C.O. Edeoghon · IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science · Nigeria (Benin Metropolis)

This study assessed the effect of urban agriculture on food security and farmers' economic empowerment in Benin Metropolis, Edo State, Nigeria, by surveying 120 randomly selected urban farmers. The majority (62.6%) were male, with a mean age of 45 and an average household size of 9. Reasons for urban farming included high living costs, profitability, and household feeding. Urban agriculture provided economic empowerment for acquiring household equipment, better education, and medical services. Major constraints identified were land acquisition, capital, and transportation difficulty.

Njenyuei Gideon Agho · Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences · South Africa (Johannesburg)

This research investigated how urban agriculture contributes to the sustainable livelihood of Cameroonian migrant women living in the inner city of Johannesburg. Findings revealed that urban agriculture is used as a strategy for sustainable livelihood by many Cameroonian migrant women, enabling them to raise substantial income to support their families in both South Africa and Cameroon. The study employed a mixed-method approach, combining purposeful sampling, a transect walk, in-depth face-to-face interviews, and written sources.

Olalekan John Taiwo · · Nigeria (Lagos)

A study in Lagos State, Nigeria, analyzed the characteristics of urban agriculture and the influence of land use diversity using 300 questionnaires and personal interviews. The research noted the rapid disappearance of urban agricultural sites within built-up areas, framing it within the concept of "survival of the fittest." Results indicated that land use characteristics where urban agriculture is located moderate its size, rental cost, profit, and accessibility to road networks, while having little to no influence on its distance from markets and water sources.

Remi Adeyemo, Ayodeji Ogunleye, Ayodeji Damilola Kehinde, Olamide Anuoluwapo Ayodele · American Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering · Nigeria (Ibadan)

This study investigated the effects of urban agriculture on poverty alleviation among 100 vegetable farmers in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria, using a multistage sampling procedure. Data analysis showed that about 30% of sampled vegetable farmers experienced poverty, with 3.4% in extreme poverty and 7.9% moderately poor. Net income, cost of labor, and household size had significant effects on farmers' poverty status. The study concluded that vegetable farming is profitable and could help reduce poverty to a minimum level.

Jan Willem Swanepoel, Van Niekerk J.A., Luc D’Haese · Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir landbouvoorligting/South African journal of agricultural extension · South Africa (Cape Town)

This study analyzed the socio-economic profile of households in the informal settlement area of the Cape Town Metropolitan area, South Africa, focusing on poverty and food security. It examined average household size (4.32 members), average age of household head (50 years), gender (more female-headed households), education (40.1% with some secondary education), ethnic group (mostly African), and income sources (mainly formal salaries). The findings indicate a need to investigate additional income sources to improve household income and food security.

Gudrun B. Keding, Céline Termote, Katja Kehlenbeck · · Kenya

Trees offer multiple benefits to urban agriculture, providing both production and service functions, and their integration into urban gardens enhances efficient resource use. In Kenya, traditional leafy vegetables were often replaced by introduced varieties, though producing perishable goods close to urban markets offers advantages. However, commercial production may lead to the dominance of exotic species and loss of indigenous ones. Urban gardens supported abundant and diverse wild flora, comparable to unmanaged plots. Rapidly growing urban populations seek food, income improvement, and cultural retention.

Ophélie Robineau, Christophe‐Toussaint Soulard · Natures Sciences Sociétés · Africa

This article highlights the agri-urban system concept for understanding the complexity of city-agriculture relationships, using a West African city as a case study. It aims to develop a framework for analyzing these relationships at the territorial scale of the city and its region. Three groups of city-agriculture interactions are distinguished: spatio-historical interactions, interactions between the current urban system and agriculture, and interactions within the urban agrarian system.