Urban agriculture and food security in Ghana: a case study of the Kumasi Metropolis
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Date
2005-11-10
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Abstract
The difficult economic conditions have shrunk job opportunities, especially in urban areas. Consequently, many dwellers in the urban, centers, especially migrants, are confronted with many social and economic problems including unemployment, inadequate accommodation, and lack of good drinking water. In the Kumasi Metropolis changing socio-economic conditions, particularly increasing unemployment and increasing population pressure have resulted in heightened food insecurity among residents.
The purpose of the study therefore was to find out the extent to which urban agriculture can contribute to food security in the Kumasi Metropolis. The specific objectives were to determine who practices what form of urban agriculture, identify the factors that affect a household’s decision to cultivate and identify constraints related to urban agriculture in the study area.
The study employed the descriptive survey design and covered 20 selected suburbs within the metropolis. The research was based on data collected from a total of 80 urban farmers. The main instrument used for the collection of the data was a structured questionnaire which was supplemented with field observations and personal interviews.
The main findings of the study were that:
Most urban farmers in the city were females and/or part-time farmers. The study also showed that the main occupation for majority of the respondents was trading, public/civil servants and labourers/security personnel. The study also revealed that most of the respondents were long-term city residents who have lived in the city for a long time before starting their urban agricultural activities. The study also showed that it is not true that urban agriculture is mostly practiced by recent migrants to the city who have not been assimilated to the city life.
The major form of urban agriculture was home garden. Poultry rearing (mainly layers and broilers), vegetable farming and aquaculture were also practiced to some extent by respondents. Farms were commonly found on building plots, government/public lands, and road/railway sides.
The study showed that insufficient income was the primary reason for the practice of urban agriculture in the metropolis. In other words, urban agriculture was predominantly a coping strategy adopted by households whose incomes were insufficient for providing adequate food. However, this was not the only reason. Others practiced it because they liked gardening or associated it with a settled life style.
The main constraints faced by urban farmers in the metropolis were shortage of land (access and security of tenure), water availability, theft and destruction of crops by livestock.
The study s1owed that urban agriculture is a reality and has a future in the Kumasi Metropolis, and for that matter the whole of Ghana, if properly planned and coordinated. It is a positive social response to tackling food insecurity and unemployment in cities and urban centers.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Agroforestry, 2005