TIPO VSMGZ

In general, agricultural production in the city has the potential to create windows of opportunity, networks, and access to markets, inputs and knowledge. The proximity of actors allows for the generation of short value chains, greater access to niche markets and economic opportunities such as job creation, income and increased exchange. At the household level, urban agriculture contributes to diet diversity with additional nutrients. It is also instrumental in greening the urban

environment. Agrobiodiversity, for example, is higher in many cities than in the monocultural rural areas (see Chapter 2.1).

Compared to rural conditions, however, the urban context is far from risk free. It begins with site selection and the need for research on the land use prior to its conversion into agricultural land. The previous land use must be taken into account (e.g., was it a dumpsite, military land, a con- struction area?) and its proximity to possible contamination by hazardous industrial areas or roadways. Urban spaces harbour the risk of contamination by, for example, heavy metal resi- dues, industrial pollution, human settlements and traffic. Health risks associated with urban agri- culture are often the consequence of inadequate sanitation such as the use of polluted water, untreated greywater and wastewater leading to pathogenic organisms, which in turn affects crops.

The risks, challenges, benefits and opportunities of urban agriculture vary from city to city and should be explored with care.

The following table provides an overview of the benefits, risks, opportunities and challenges of urban agricultural production in Cape Town. The findings are the result of a baseline survey, in- depth focus group discussions and the multi-stakeholder urbanGAPs workshop conducted in Cape Town in March 2018. They were validated throughout the research by field observation and expert interviews.

Table 14: Assessment of urban agriculture in Cape Town

Benefits and opportunities of producing in the urban context

Benefits Opportunities

Food and nutrition security

▪

Farmers add nutrients to staple diets, food garden farmers can partly contribute to household incomes and reduce food costs. The diversity of daily diets is improved

Food and nutrition security

▪

Include more farmers in home garden programmes to increase nutrition security.

▪

Empowering food garden farmers as independent producers could increase incomes

▪

Increasing income due to direct selling could increase food security, as farmers would have more means for food purchase

Local economy, markets and marketing

▪

Fresh produce is sold mostly to high-end markets, which are sensitised to organic produce from township gardens.

▪

Short distance between consumers and producers (important for perishable products)

▪

Niche products are grown to access niche markets, i.e. basil production for local pesto processor

▪

Cape Town has prosperous, ethically aware customers interested in supporting urban agricultural farmers

Local economy, markets and marketing

▪

Cape Town has vast potential to increase local marketing in the communities, since food deserts characterise the area.

▪

Local economy increases, if value addition happens in the townships, e.g., food processing, transport, packing and consumption

▪

Growth of niche markets, direct producer-consumer relations could boost urban farmer incomes

▪

Potential to increase direct relations between chefs and food gardens

▪

Linking urban agriculture to local school kitchens increases local economic activities

▪

Creating co-ops to strenghten farmers bargaining power and increase margin of products

▪

Increase demand for niche products

▪

Increase local support for ethical small-holder farmers

▪

Increase the interest of chefs and restaurants in direct links to urban food gardens

Greening the city

▪

Urban food gardens represent green zones in the depressed township areas. They attract animals and insects and add diversity to the urban context.

▪

UA creates a healthy urban environment, reduces pollution and increases oxygen

Greening the city

▪

Fruit trees, perennials or hedges could increase the quality of urban green in the Cape Flats and protect the fields from wind (and theft)

▪

Fallow land in townships could be made available by the City of Cape Town to increase the number of food gardens

Production

▪

Subsidised inputs for small-scale farmers, e.g., compost, fertiliser, shade nets, irrigation systems help farmers to cultivate

▪

Social grants, which cover basic living costs allow most farmers to grow at all (see Chapters 4.4 and 4.5)

Production

▪

Vacant land distributed to the many waiting ‘farmers without land’ could increase the urban vegetable yield

▪

In most food gardens, the land is not fully cultivated due to a lack of inputs, labour force and time

▪

Application of urbanGAPs could increase yield by reduction of losses through pests and diseases

Community building

▪

Thousands of people have received training in urban agriculture

▪

Urban agriculture on a micro level is a bonding activity for local communities, i.e. urban farms act as eductaion centre, meeting point and potentially source of food

Community building

▪

Local community markets could strengthen producer- consumer relations at local level and provide healthier food in urban food deserts

▪

First development of a farmers co-op started in 2019 after UFISAMO research and has a promising potential to strengthen farmers network

Knowledge, Exchange and Networking

▪

Dozens of NGOs are active in urban

agriculture and provide farmers with training, knowledge, expertise, consultancies, and follow-up visits. Innovations are tested and good practices disseminated. UA strengthens community relationships and builds

friendships

Knowledge, Exchange and Networking

▪

Overcoming silo structures in NGOs and Departments could strengthen knowledge exchange and encourage extension service to undertake frequent and much needed follow-ups in the field

▪

Potential to destigmatise farming and promote key aspects of UA as an aspirational pursuit

Risks & challenges of producing in the urban context

Risks Challenges

Land access

▪

Land rights are not secure; as a consequence, farmers avoid long-term investments in trees (shade), irrigation systems and soil building

▪

Discussion on land is politically tense in South Africa and needs to be facilitated with consciousnes for cultural and political issues

Land access

▪

Secure land rights by lobbying at policy level; long-term contracts with schools and hospitals to encourage long-term investments in trees (shade), irrigation systems or soil building

▪

Vacant land in the Cape Flats can be assigned as agricultural land

▪

Land in the peri-urban areas which is assigned as agricultural land could be made available for emerging farmers, i.e. PHA, vacant farm land in Durbanville, Stellenbosch

Contamination

▪

Punctual soil samples have shown that risk of contamination by heavy metals is low in the Cape Flats

Contamination

▪

Apply alternative techniques such as raised beds in contaminated spaces, soil exchange to produce safely and avoid contamination caused by human latrines, livestock

Climate change and water use

▪

Farmers with no borehole access struggle to maintain their gardens under Cape Town water restrictions. Use of greywater carries food safety risks

Climate change and water use

▪

Train greywater use and implement other water smart techniques. Both call for investment

Pest and disease

▪

Lack of knowledge on pest and disease management is an obstacle to consistent quality and quantity of produce

Pest and disease

▪

Pursue field hygiene consistently to avoid further pest and disease pressure

Production challenges

▪

Inputs are rarely affordable without subsidies from NGOs or government institutions

▪

Limited financial profitability of market production

▪

Organic seeds difficult to obtain

▪

No record keeping or production evaluation process by urban farmers

▪

Theft and vandalism

Production challenges

▪

Onerous conditions for production, weak soil fertility

▪

Implementation of local seedbanks, nurseries, adequate compost production

▪

Production planning to increase profitability

▪

Lack of tools, inputs, seeds, e.g., for crop rotation

▪

Theft and vandalism

Marketing

▪

Farmers lack knowledge of pricing, administration, marketing

▪

Transport costs are high, very few farmers have a driving licence

▪

Urban farmers depend on NGOs and other middlemen, an enforced loyality system hinders multi-market approaches

▪

Urban farmers act in silos and catch simple opportunities to sell without seeking longer term relationships with consumers or retailers

▪

Urban farmers compete with commercially grown cheaper crops and supermarkets

▪

Crops are cultivated to supply high-end markets

Marketing

▪

Produce reliable quantities and quality to address markets needs

▪

Cover costs and generate income

▪

Plan production in line with seasons and consumer needs

▪

Strenghten collectives and associations of farmers to address unfair prices and lack of transparency by middlemen

▪

Boost self-confidence of urban farmers to market their own produce

▪

Improve access to markets, transport, finance, labour

Source: Paganini

In document 23 de diciembre de 2011 LA SOMBRA DE ARTEAGA Pág (página 57-64)