Resilient Governance Regimes That Support Urban Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Cities: Learning From Local Challenges

Abstract

Local governments in Sub-Saharan Africa face the daunting task of high urban growth and potentially devastating impacts of climate change across local communities and the economy. Urban and peri-urban food production can be among nature-based strategies planned for improving urban food security, reducing emissions, and climate adaptation. Co-operative governance, strategic planning, and accountable institutions are needed to support urban agriculture (UA), in the face of climate risks, unplanned urban development, the gendered nature of food provision, and the inability of urban farmers to self-organize toward optimal market and land access outcomes. Using a case study approach guided by qualitative content analysis with information derived from web analysis, we apply the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework to analyze underlying governance factors for UA in three selected Sub-Saharan African cities. Our three case cities of Kampala, Tamale and Cape Town reveal that UA is beginning to receive policy attention toward food security, and recognition for generating environmental, ecological, health, and human well-being benefits. Literature from specific cities however does not yet signal a local awareness and policy thrust regarding the associated and pertinent climate adaptation benefits of urban agriculture. We therefore recommend trans-disciplinary, locally-led, planning-based, and multi-sectoral approaches, involving a range of stakeholders toward recognizing and achieving the climate adaptation, environmental (ecologically restorative) and food security benefits of pursuing urban agriculture. This signals a larger role for the practice in sustainability discourse and SDGs 2 and 11, scaling out and up across large, medium and small towns, and cities of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Data on Land Use Land Cover Changes of Urban and Peri-Urban Areas: The Case of Mwanza City in Tanzania

“…The expansion of cultivated land coincides with the period of exponential economic growth in Mwanza City brought on by the Nile Perch processing industries, trade, and commerce, which attracted migrants, increased food demand, and increased the amount of land available for agricultural use (urban agriculture) in the peri-urban area of the city (Kaganga, 2019). Urban agriculture, the practice of growing crops and raising small livestock on land within the boundaries of cities and towns for domestic consumption or sale in urban markets, is becoming a significant source of food for middle-and lowincome families in Sub-Saharan Cities (Vidal et al, 2021). Much of the land in Buhongwa and Buswelu Wards was turned into intensive agriculture, both upland and valley bottoms, in order to feed the burgeoning population in Mwanza City.…”

Adoption and desirable characteristics of Information and Communication Technologies for urban small-scale food producers in South Africa

“…More than 40% of urban households in Johannesburg are food insecure (Atlink and Hart, 2023) and approximately 68% of households are severely food insecure in selected township areas of Cape Town (Battersby, 2011;Hunter-Adams et al, 2019). In such highly food insecure urban settings, urban agriculture could help markedly enhance food security (Vidal Merino et al, 2021), as well as job creation, poverty alleviation, communitybuilding, public health, education, and economic empowerment (Olivier, 2019;Kanosvamhira, 2023).…”

“…KEYWORDS urban agriculture, smallholders, small-scale farmers, digitalization, sustainable food systems, food security, livelihoods, Sub-Saharan Africa 1 Introduction 1.1 Urban small-scale food production in Sub-Saharan Africa Small-scale food producers 1 are the backbone of the agricultural sector across Sub-Saharan Africa (Gassner et al, 2019), accounting for most of the food production (Giller et al, 2021). Small-scale food production is essential for the livelihoods and food security of most rural population in the region (Gollin, 2014), as well as many food producers that still operate in urban and peri-urban areas (Vidal Merino et al, 2021). At the same time, Sub-Saharan Africa is the fastest urbanizing region in the world (Githira et al, 2020).…”

Climate change and strategic low-carbon planning in African cities after COVID-19: inclusiveness or chaos?

“…54 Kampala and Nairobi are cities where urban agriculture has been successfully promoted and upscaled (Gore 2018). Urban agriculture is practised by 50 per cent of households in Kampala and is more and more recognised by authorities (Vidal-Merino et al 2021). But in many African cities, urban agriculture remains an illegal practice or is just tolerated as a temporary use of land (Simatale et al 2012: 1187-8, Titz & Chiotha, 2019.…”