SERVICIOS FUNERARIOS

Policy and decision-makers frame the legal context of urban agriculture. The relevant political units are either affiliated to the regional Department of the Western Cape or to the local City of Cape Town (municipality). The principal actor at regional level is the Department of Agriculture (DoA), which has so far supported more than 100 Cape Town food gardens with an extension service and basic subsidies such as compost, seedlings, shade nets and irrigation systems. At the municipal level, the City of Cape Town established a union entitled ‘The Strategic Development Plan for the Promotion and Development of Urban Agriculture in the City of Cape Town’, tasking it with advocacy building for urban farmers, knowledge management and technology transfer for the production and marketing of horticulture and urban livestock, and youth engagement (Hay- som et al., 2017). More than 200 food gardens have been supported by the City of Cape Town (18_CT_I). Most of these gardens are simultaneously involved in NGO support programs.

In 2017, the Urban Agriculture Unit (CoCT) was integrated into the Department of Social Devel- opment. This move put a stop to the ongoing review of the Urban Agricultural Policy of 2007. The Food Gardens Policy (2011) drawn up by the Department of Social Development was introduced to encourage food gardens to address urban food insecurity and, according to Haysom et al. (2017), eclipsed the Urban Agricultural Policy. Interviews with the Department of Social Devel- opment show that the focus of support is expected to shift from food gardens to home gardeners in the near future. One reason was the water shortages in 2017 and 2018, when restrictions on the use of water affected numerous food gardens, which in turn had no possibility of registering

new boreholes; another reason was the constant dependency of farmers on outside support for materials, inputs and market access. These two political entities – the Urban Agriculture Unit and the Department of Social Development operate on different administrative and political levels, which harbours the risk of insufficient coordination and ultimately of working in a silo environ- ment.

A change in the Department of the Premier at provincial level and a new city mayor in late 2018 refocused the work of the city. As one consequence, urban agriculture activities began to attract the attention of officials from various government departments (e.g., environment, urban plan- ning, economic development).

Secondary actors

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While NGOs dominate the sector, other civil society organisations and movements associated with agriculture, food security and organic cultivation also carry considerable weight. They act as change-makers and inspire farmers with campaigns, workshops, activities or training material. The Slow Food Movement and Slow Food Youth Movement have a long history in Cape Town, sensitising people to the value of traditional, regional and organic food. These networks are driv- en by individuals who are dedicated facilitators, moderators, researchers, writers and influencers in the promotion of local Cape heritage and indigenous food, as well as agro-processing, agro- ecology, diversity and seed heritage. Eategrity works towards traceability, quality assurance and consumer sensitising. The PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) – a bottom-up quality assur- ance tool to enable farmers and consumers to meet – is active in the Western Cape and was transferred to Cape Town urban PGS in early 2018. Strong personalities act as innovators and influencers, and their impact is crucial to the small environment of urban agriculture in Cape Town. Influencers inspire others, albeit inherent in this set-up is the risk that initiatives can peter out quickly when they are dependent on the charisma and motivation of one individual.

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The topic of urban agriculture and food security in Cape Town has gained the considerable atten- tion of national and international research. The African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN) and the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have carried out in- depth research through the Hungry City Partnership and Consuming Urban Poverty.

Further UCT research has been conducted by the Department of Geography on the urban food system and urban planning aspects relevant to the wider urban food system. With its focus on food systems and food policies, the PLAAS Institute at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has gained substantial international interest. Gender aspects associated with food have been researched by the Food Politics and Cultures Project at UWC. Climate change and impact studies take centre stage at the African Climate & Development Initiative at UCT. Food security has been widely researched by the Centre of Excellence in Food Security of the University of Western Cape. Stellenbosch University (SUN), close to Cape Town, offers research in the faculty of agri- sciences. The SUN food security initiative provides practical research for master students on food systems, food security and small-scale organic agriculture. The Sustainability Institute offers

postgraduate studies and doctoral research, as well as short courses on sustainability. The South African Food Lab builds bridges between research and practitioners with a strong participatory research approach and the inclusion of actors in the field of food systems and agro-ecology. UFISAMO research partners are the Department of Geography and the Department of Social Studies at UWC. Local students have already carried out initial research on urban agriculture.

4.2.3 Linkages and dynamics between urban agricultural actors

The map illustrates actor linkages and the ‘silo structure’ of urban agriculture in Cape Town: links between primary and secondary actors are few and far between. Interaction and relationships hinge on personal engagement. Almost no platform networks at the overall Cape Town level attempt to overcome township barriers and actor boundaries. UFISAMO provided this opportuni- ty twice during a scenario workshop (2017) and a workshop on urban good agricultural practices (2018). Feedback in both workshops showed evidence of a general interest in enhancing collabo- ration and dialogue in the future. High transport costs and time constraints emerged as hindering factors to establishing and networks and keeping them alive. Also, farmers as the protagonists are generally less active when it comes to networking outside their NGO comfort zone and prefer to remain loyal to ‘their’ NGO or middlemen. Local (micro) networks exist between neighbouring farmers, primarily for mutual support and knowledge exchange. Although this exchange is far from vibrant, the individual dynamics involved have the potential to create a highly diverse actor network and attract other farmers. Township realities and gender dynamics are historical bur- dens; farmers are still dealing with the context of Cape Town’s fragmented urban design and cautious about setting up working relationships and networks beyond their close neighbourhood or language group.

This tendency is exacerbated indirectly by NGOs and retailers as a result of their closed market- ing system. Very few individual gardens make a living from their urban agricultural activities; that said, these gardens have been able to create independent marketing channels. The closing down of Harvest of Hope and Ethical Co-op (both in early 2018, see above) is evidence of the system’s vulnerability. The decisive reason for the weak impact of urban agriculture towards food security and its inability to increase the income of the farmers concerned is the dependency on marketing channels established by third parties. Weak identification and loyalty during challenging times, show that most farmers don’t feel an ownership for their market channel.

On the other hand, the dynamics of a vibrant, energetic and multi-cultural city like Cape Town and the increase of social media enables the mushrooming of NGOs and initiatives. This sparks off alternative platforms, opportunities, inspiration and new dynamics. The growing trend to- wards ethically sourced organic food that is sustainably and/or locally produced leads to linkages between actors of different ethnicities who would not have met without food as the common ground.

Figure 17: Actors Map