 |
| About Bioline | All Journals | Testimonials | Membership | News |
|
||||||
|
||||||
African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2004 Student Section URBAN AGRICULTURE: ITS CONTRIBUTION TO NUTRITION AND FOOD SECURITY Lisbeth Kageni Code Number: nd04012 Introduction Urban Agriculture (UA) involves growing of food crops, fruit trees, rearing of animals - poultry, fish, bees and rabbits among others - that are considered edible, in urban areas [1]. Urban farming does not take place in isolation but among other urban activities and systems like ecological and urban management systems and it is related to local, national and global food systems [2]. The practice has a critical role of providing food to city dwellers around the world but has until recently greatly been ignored by scholars, agricultural planners, policy makers and government officials who argue that urban farms are not attractive and enhance pollution and diseases [1]. In Africa , poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition were highly believed to be rural problems but rapid urbanization has brought about a different view as livelihoods have been threatened by extreme urban poverty and food and nutrition insecurity [3]. Though several international agencies have promoted home gardens as a solution to nutritional security, they have targeted the rural communities and left majority of the urban poor who are food insecure [4]. Food production in urban areas is thus, a positive response to partial or complete lack of food or income to purchase various foods to meet nutritional requirements. This happens when vacant land such as dumping sites is used productively for farming. Other places used for farming are along roadsides, in the middle of roundabouts, along and between railway lines, in parks, along rivers, under power lines (off- plot UA), on the roof tops, verandahs, non- built up space (on - plot UA) and in boxes among other places [4, 5]. Who are urban farmers? Urban Agriculture is mostly practised by women, the urban young unemployed people, recent immigrants without jobs and elderly people without pension, all who engage in farming for a decent living and for food [1,5]. In Kenya women farmers constitute 56% in all towns but 62% in larger cities of which, 64% of them are heads of families [1]. This points to the potential effects of urban farming on the livelihood of the urban poor. The role of Urban Agriculture in health, nutrition and food security can be achieved by urban farming since most town dwellers have a low income and cannot afford quality meals on a daily basis [5]. These low-income urban dwellers find it hard to maintain adequate nutritional levels as their small income is depended on to meet all their needs including house rent and school fees. A healthy dietary intake is vital to all especially for pregnant mothers and pre-school children who need more nutrients for a healthy mental and physical development. Studies have shown that, 40-75% of adults and children living in low-income urban areas have hunger and malnutrition related diseases and this lowers human potential [3]. The quantity of food available determines the extent of hunger and food quality is responsible for good health and nutritional status [5]. Consequently, urban agriculture has played a great role in reducing hunger and malnutrition in towns [1,6] in many ways including:
Indigenous vegetables are also highly consumed by urban households especially those in small towns who combine a rich variety that grows wild and is rarely cultivated. These vegetables grow in rainy seasons on riverbanks, rail and road reserves where people in smaller towns gather them for consumption. In large towns, traders collect the vegetables to sell in markets. They are very rich in proteins, vitamins and micronutrients and are easily preserved by drying for use in the lean periods [1]. Shortcomings of urban farming Of greater concern is environmental contaminants that make the food crops produced in urban centers unfit for human consumption. Raw sewage water, toxic chemicals from industries, pesticides and insecticides are polluting the food crops with heavy metals like lead, mercury cadmium, among others, making the crops to have a negative impact on human health when consumed [7]. Conclusion UA is an integrated part of urban management that can be used as a strategy for poverty alleviation, income and employment generation and also to assist in environmental management. It is, however, rarely integrated into policy making and urban planning. The big issue is the limited agricultural land to produce sufficient food on a sustainable basis to satisfy the increasing urban food demand. The Government should develop a model of participation so that the views and plight of urban farmers are taken into consideration in policy making and planning for urban development. For instance, public places like dumping sites and Government plots that are undeveloped and along roadsides can be properly managed so that farmers use them alternately to allow more urban dwellers to farm. Further, agricultural extension services should be enhanced in urban areas to support and advise urban farmers. On the other hand, those producing food crops near sewage or around industries should be discouraged to prevent production and consumption of unhealthy food. References
Copyright 2004 - Rural Outreach Program |
| |||||||||
