Market gardens feed millions, but are in danger of being swept aside.
While New Yorkers and Londoners discover the healthful benefits of urban gardening, urban Africans have been creating gardens to stave off hunger. But as a new report from FAO points out, these urban farmers need official recognition, regulation and support or they risk being swept aside by other demands on city space.
The report, Growing greener cities in Africa, finds that thousands of urban residents earn a living from commercial market gardening while providing fresh food for millions more, but the system is vulnerable.
Since a healthy diet would cost nearly 50 percent of an average poor household's income, it's no surprise the main cause of urban hunger is poverty. More than half of urban residents live in slums and survive on less than US$2 a day, and more than half of children in slums are malnourished. Stunting is as much a problem here as in rural areas. With the steady stream of people into cities, the total urban population in Africa is expected to double to almost 600 million over the next 20 years. Market gardens could be a bright spot in the overall picture.
But the existing gardens are vulnerable. Most market gardeners have no title to their land and many lose it overnight. Land suitable for horticulture is instead snapped up for housing, industry and infrastructure. In an effort to increase their production, many farmers overuse pesticides and wastewater, when they could learn to use more environmentally friendly methods.
If well integrated into governments' urban planning, and supported in other ways, market gardening could improve food security, create jobs, help develop economies, mitigate climate change and contribute to urban environmental management.The final objective, says the FAO report, is to ensure a year-round supply of fresh produce that meets the needs of city dwellers at affordable prices.
Learn more about Growing greener cities in Africa on the website of FAO's programme for urban and peri-urban horticulture.
.png)
