Similar, yet different! Comparing Ugandan secondary cities’ food system and nutritional transformations to findings from African primary cities

Abstract

This research focuses on the food, farming and health experiences of two secondary cities of Uganda (Mbale and Mbarara), comparing findings with studies of primary African cities. We draw from survey data, focus groups with healthcare professionals, and in-depth interviews with varied residents. A feminist geographic perspective explored intersections of food, farming and health with varied aspects of identity, and with place (city itself, but also with rural areas). By comparing our secondary city findings to findings from primary African cities this paper sheds light on whether and how food systems in secondary African cities are transforming, and how urban life at this scale is being experienced. Our analysis suggests a good deal of similarity of food insecurity, dietary diversity, and of non-communicable disease experiences and understandings. The main difference was around the food access strategies, the access to land, and the engagement with agriculture and interaction with the rural. How this might change as these secondary cities grow further is not clear but there should not be an assumption that primary city experiences will inevitably be followed. Our findings offer important insights for future research and for those planning for Ugandan and potentially other African secondary city futures. In comparison to primary SSA cities our findings suggest less advance along theorised nutritional transitions (greater hybridity), a higher relevance of the rural for viable urban lives, yet comparable experience of non-communicable disease. This is intriguing, has implications for theory, and warrants further research.

Operationalizing Food System Governance: The Case of Fort Portal Food Change Lab

“…Urban consumers are dependent on purchased foods, with 85 percent of residents in secondary Ugandan cities relying mainly on traditional markets to purchase their food and close to half relying on food given to them by relatives living in rural areas [16]. The urban food system is also much more vulnerable to disruption from various factors, including, but not limited to, environmental (drought, flood, and pest outbreak), political (protests), or measures to prevent disease spread (COVID-19 and Ebola) [17].…”

Exposure and Health Risks Posed by Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils of Metal Fabrication Workshops in Mbarara City, Uganda

“…This trend appears to hold true in all parts of the continent. Uganda, the focus of this study, has recently undergone subtle urbanization and industrial transformations, as evidenced by 15 municipalities (Arua, Gulu, Mbale, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, and Fort Portal in July 2020; Entebbe and Lira on 1 July 2022; Moroto, Nakasongola, Soroti, Kabale, and Wakiso on 1 July 2023) attaining city statuses [8][9][10]. However, the creation of these cities has resulted in urban restructuring and an increment in anthropogenic activities.…”

Enrichment, Bioaccumulation and Health Risks of Trace Metals in Soils and Leafy Vegetables Grown on the Banks of the Ugandan Lifeline River, River Rwizi

“…Uganda, an East African country, is a late urbanizer characterized by speculative urbanism. In the absence of lucrative industrial opportunities, investments in land and real estate as well as agriculture as a capital gains strategy are the last resort [9,10]. As of May 2023, the country had more than 16 cities, most of which were municipalities in 2019 [9,11].…”

“…Mbarara City is among the top five rapidly growing cities in Uganda. It is expanding at a rate that is believed to be faster than that of Kampala, the country's central business district and capital city [9]. In the suburban areas of Mbarara city, urban agriculture is practiced, especially on the banks of River Rwizi [12].…”