This study highlights the extent to which urban agriculture (UA) enhances food security and income generation in Ward 21 of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe against the challenges faced by the local residents where very little researches have been conducted and the data is still scarce. The expectation of this research is to benefit every stakeholder concerned about reducing food insecurity through the implementation of various urban agricultural activities. This is due to the fact that the study sought to give detailed information about the several agricultural activities in urban areas and how they help in improving the food security status and income generation to urban dwellers. Therefore all the stakeholders initiating programs mainly to reduce vulnerability of urban residence for instance NGO’s require the information in determining the types of projects to execute in those areas.
UA has increasingly become a popular practice and is widely perceived to be the panacea to urban livelihood challenges. Urban households have been affected by high costs of basic food staffs and high levels of unemployment in Zimbabwe. The closure of industries and the economic meltdown from year 2000 to date has left many people jobless and with less disposable incomes in most parts of Zimbabwe. The residents of Ward 21 in Bulawayo have not been spared from these challenges of unemployment and food insecurity. According to World Bank (2015), most of the workers in Zimbabwe have salaries which fall below the poverty datum line and this has severe impacts to the workers in achieving food security.
Poverty has impoverished most households in ward 21 which has left some households only having one meal a days. More so, the situation is further exacerbated by the retrenchment of workers by major companies in Bulawayo such as, Delta Beverages, Monarch and NRZ. These challenges have been further aggravated by the massive exodus of people from rural areas into urban areas .Hence given the above, achieving food security has become a problematic issue for the people residing in Ward 21.
Table of Contents
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Objectives of the study
1.3.1 General objective
1.3.2 Specific objectives
1.4 Justification
1.5 Study area
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Food Security
2.2 Overview of Food Security in Zimbabwe
2.4 Overview of Urban Agriculture
2.6 How UA influence household food security using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS)
2.6.1 Methods of measuring household food security
2.6.2 Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS)
2.7 Legislation governing the practice of UA in Zimbabwe
2.7.1 The Urban Councils Act, Chapter 29:15
2.7.2 Regional Town and Country Planning Act, Chapter 29:12
2.7.3 Environmental Management, Act Chapter 20:27
2.7.4 The Forest Act Chapter, 19:05
2.8 Challenges faced in UA
2.9 Knowledge gap
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Target Population
3.4 Sample Size Determination
3.5 Methods of Data Collection
3.5.1 Questionnaires
3.5.2 Interviews
3.5.3 Field Observations
3.5.4 Secondary Data
3.7 Data analysis and presentation
3.6 Ethical considerations
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the households
4.2.1 Response rate
4.2.2Gener of respondents
4.2.3 Age of respondents
4.2.4 Marital status and household heads
4.2.5 Household size
4.2.6 Occupation status
4.3 Determining the contribution of UA to household food security and income (specific objective 1)
4.3.1 Respondents engaging in urban agriculture
4.3.2 Types of crops grown
4.3.3 Average yield per crop
4.3.4 Livestock kept and their estimated yields
4.3.7: Quantity of food consumed
4.4 Examining Challenges faced by urban farmers (specific objective 2)
4.5 Influence of urban agriculture on household food security as determined by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS)
4.5.1. Households’ anxiety and uncertainty about food supply
4.5.2 Households consuming poor quality food
4.5.3 Households with insufficient quantities of food
4.5.4 Household Food Insecurity Access Score (HFIAS) and household food insecurity Prevalence (Coates et al 2006)
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Recommendations
Research Objectives and Focus
The primary objective of this study is to assess the role of urban agriculture in enhancing household food security and income generation for residents in Ward 21 of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, specifically investigating the challenges faced by local practitioners.
- Impact of urban agriculture on household food availability and income.
- Identification of common crops and livestock managed by urban farmers.
- Application of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to measure food security levels.
- Analysis of institutional and practical constraints, such as land tenure, water shortages, and by-laws.
- Proposed strategies for improving sustainable urban agricultural productivity.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4 Overview of Urban Agriculture
According to Ruwanza (2007) UA is practised for varied reasons and it is also practised by people of different levels of income The practice of UA recently gained popularity globally because of its role in alleviating poverty and reducing food shortages in urban areas (Chadyiwanembwa, 2012). According to researchers conducted by FAO (2012) estimates that 15-20% of the world’s food is grown in urban areas. At global level, it is estimated that approximately 200 million urban residents provide food for the market and 800 million urban dwellers are actively engaged in urban agriculture in one way or another as revealed by (Salome et al., 2015). In Asian countries the percentages of families engaged in urban agriculture is estimated to be as high as 80 %. Lee (2011) further estimates that in Singapore 10,000 urban farmers produce 80% of poultry and vegetables consumed in the city and in London 14% of urban residents grow vegetables and produce up to 232,000 tonnes of fruits.
In African countries UA is a common practice in almost every city. FAO (2012) states that 35 million of urban residents in the continent are expected to practice urban agriculture by 2020. In Lusaka, Zambia over half of residents practise UA whereas in other regions such as Kampala in Uganda and Yaoundé in Cameroon many urban residents raise livestock such as poultry, dairy cattle and pigs (Tefere, 2010).This is mainly meant to achieve food security. Another factor to drive the rise of UA is the increasing demand for perishable goods, together with the comparative advantages of producing in the proximity of markets and the access to soil fertility improving matter such as organic waste and waste, and access to unoccupied public land.
Chapter Summaries
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides the background of urban agriculture, identifies the research problem regarding food insecurity in Ward 21, and outlines the study's specific objectives and justification.
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW: This section reviews existing theories and empirical studies on food security and urban agriculture, covering the legislative framework in Zimbabwe and methodologies for assessing household food security.
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: The chapter details the case study research design, including data collection methods such as questionnaires, interviews, and field observations, and justifies the use of HFIAS for data analysis.
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: This section presents the empirical data gathered from Ward 21, analyzing household demographics, agricultural practices, income generation, and the influence of UA on food security levels.
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: This final chapter synthesizes the study's findings and offers policy recommendations to improve urban agriculture, including land use planning and improved resource support for farmers.
Keywords
Urban Agriculture, Food Security, Income Generation, Household, Bulawayo, Ward 21, HFIAS, Livelihoods, Crop Cultivation, Livestock, Poverty Alleviation, Land Tenure, Sustainable Development, Smallholder Farmers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The research examines how urban agriculture contributes to household food security and income generation for the residents of Ward 21 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
What are the central themes of this research?
The central themes include food security measurement, urban farming practices, socio-economic challenges, and the impact of local government policies on urban agricultural activities.
What is the main objective of this work?
The primary goal is to assess the specific role urban agriculture plays in boosting household food supply and income, while also identifying the constraints faced by local farmers.
Which methodology was employed in this study?
The researcher adopted a case study design utilizing both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including surveys with 378 households, key informant interviews, and direct field observations.
What does the main body of the research cover?
The main body covers the demographic profile of respondents, types of crops and livestock produced, income generated from farming, and a detailed analysis of food security using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS).
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Urban Agriculture, Food Security, HFIAS, Bulawayo, Ward 21, Income Generation, and agricultural policy.
What role does the HFIAS play in this study?
The HFIAS is utilized as a standard survey instrument to measure the level of food insecurity experienced by households, allowing the researcher to categorize them from food-secure to severely insecure.
What are some of the key challenges identified for urban farmers in Ward 21?
The study highlights significant barriers, including land tenure insecurity, water shortages, theft of produce, and restrictive municipal by-laws.
What is the conclusion regarding the contribution of urban agriculture?
The research concludes that urban agriculture is a vital survival strategy that significantly improves food security for the majority of surveyed households in Ward 21.
What policy recommendations does the author propose?
The author suggests providing agricultural loans, increasing technical extension services, reforming land use policies to allow for secure tenure, and enhancing community-driven security to protect crops from theft.
- Citation du texte
- Charles Mutshakambi (Auteur), 2018, The contribution of urban agriculture in boosting food security and income generation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/498772
