The Extent of Participation in Urban Agriculture and Its Effect on Food Security in Africa and Asia: Evidence from Ghana and India

Abstract

This study examined the factors that influence the extent of urban agriculture participation and its effect on food security in Ghana and India. A total of six hundred and fifty urban agriculture farmers were interviewed for this study in Ghana and India. Food security status of urban households was assessed by the use of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale whereas the determinants of the extent of urban agriculture and its effect on food security were analysed by the use of the heteroskedastic linear regression and the Seemingly Unrelated Regression models, respectively. From the study on average, households in Ghana were mildly food insecure, but that of India was moderately food insecure. The results further revealed that, various demographic, economic, institutional and health and nutrition factors differently influenced urban food security and urban agriculture. Also, the extent of urban agriculture participation positively influenced food security. It is recommended that, Governments and NGOs interested in the reduction of urban food insecurity should aggressively advocate for urban agriculture in urban households through extension education. Interests could be stimulated by gleaning on health benefits of urban agriculture such as producing safe and nutritious food, the opportunity to consume chemical-free food and pursue urban agriculture as a business. The implication for research is that similar studies can be conducted in other emerging urban cities in Africa and Asia for the advocacy for specific urban food security policies and programmes.