The physical and social benefits of urban agriculture projects run by non-governmental organisations in Cape Town

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Urban agriculture (UA) has always been practised in African urban centres. Only since the turnof the twentieth century, however, have development researchers turned their attention to itspotential as a sustainable source of food security. Notwithstanding the initial optimism in thisregard, many have questioned whether UA is viable and whether it does deliver the benefits thatmany espouse. This is because most of the benefits are evaluated in terms of their economicviability or amount of produce grown to sustain a family, and often ignore what benefits may befound beyond this. What this dissertation argues is that there are a range of physical and socialbenefits that accrue from UA that cannot necessarily be measured. Research on the groundsuggests that the benefits of UA are more complex than supposed, as confirmed by a number ofqualitative case studies on UA in Africa.Much attention is given to the food security and income dimensions of UA. There are, however,also ecological, empowerment and gender dimensions. Throughout Africa, UA is used primarilyfor food and economic security, through eating produce and trading it on the informal market.The economic benefits of UA, however, are least available to the poor and to women, dueprimarily to resource limitations, tenure insecurity and patriarchal cultures. While such findingssuggest that the benefits of UA bypass those who need them most, it is found that theselimitations may be overcome with support from non-governmental organisations (NGOs).NGOs play a key role in promoting sustainable livelihoods. This is achieved through injectionsof resources and investing in human and social capital. In Cape Town, UA has been supportedby NGOs for many years. More recently, local government has supported this effort with a UApolicy that legitimises public support through resource donations and the provision of land. Thequestion this dissertation sought to investigate was to what extent UA is contributing to thelivelihoods of those living in Cape Town‟s largest low-income area, the Cape Flats. As many ofthe UA projects in Cape Town are run by NGOs, the focus was on a selection of these projects.In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were held with NGOs and cultivatorsthroughout the Cape Flats. Four different types of cultivation feature, namely home cultivators,cultivation groups, institutional cultivators and garden centres. Home cultivators operate on asmall scale on the property around their dwelling, while cultivation groups and institutionalcultivators use larger tracts of land. Cultivation groups operate independently, usually on councilland, while institutional cultivators cultivate on behalf of the institution whose land they use. Allcultivators are supported by the NGO‟s garden centres, the administrative hub of their UAprogramme.The findings show that some benefits of UA relate largely to the type of UA being practised. Forhome cultivators, UA strengthens relationships and expands networks. Institutional plots teachchildren to care for the environment. The economic and food security benefits of UA are evidentin formal groups, and NGO-led local garden centres play a supportive role for all cultivators.Other benefits are felt by all cultivators. For example, cultivators from all types stated that UAhad taught them to eat healthily and to care for the environment, and all cultivators felt anincreased sense of self-worth. Furthermore, all cultivators gave produce away to those aroundthem. A prerequisite for these benefits, however, is successful cultivation, which is only possiblewith the training and support offered by the NGOs.The findings suggest that NGOs are vital both for ensuring that UA has the greatest impact inlow-income areas and for avoiding the limitations of UA that are evident throughout Africa.Nevertheless, the uptake and sustainability of UA in Cape Town are limited by bureaucratichurdles to land access, limitations of donor funding and widespread attitudes of dependency inits target areas. It is therefore likely that the expansion of UA in Cape Town will remain slowuntil such limitations are addressed.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University