The impact of backyard gardening on livelihoods of households in Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng Province, South Africa

The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of backyard gardening on the livelihoods of households in Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data were drawn from 60 household vegetable producers. A structured questionnaire was used to conduct one-on-one interviews to gather data which were then analysed to compare variables and the level of livelihoods of household vegetable production. The results suggested that variables such as gender, household size, marital status and household income influence vegetable production. Women, as the primary caretakers of children, were found to be more involved in vegetable production than men. The vegetable production increased when households were headed by females. Households indicated that the implementation and evaluation of the programme under study, which was successfully undertaken with the assistance of Agricultural Advisors from Gauteng’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), did impact their livelihoods positively. In conclusion, the study found that household vegetable projects can assist in alleviating poverty, create job opportunities and improve livelihoods of the community of Sedibeng District Municipality.The author wishes to acknowledge the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) and all managers who enabled us to use the facilities and departmental resources. A special thanks to the backyard vegetable farmers who participated in the research study.https://journals.co.za/journal/agriam2022Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Developmen