The contribution of urban agriculture in boosting food security and income generation (PDF)

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Environmental Studies, grade: 5.0, Midlands State University, course: Geography and Environmental Studies, language: English, abstract: 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.