Urban agriculture and society : the benefits of urban agriculture at Doornkop Informal Settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract: Urban agriculture is increasingly gaining attention due to current global trends, which include urbanisation, the global economic crisis, global warming, and climate change and food insecurity. A debate has developed on the effectiveness and validity of the practice as a food security and poverty relief strategy. Proponents of urban agriculture have argued that the practice constitutes an effective livelihood strategy for the urban poor. They suggest that urban agriculture can constitute an effective strategy for improving access to fresh food, fighting hunger, building stronger communities, strengthening local economic development, bolstering neighborhood revitalisation as well as creating green spaces. Critics on the other hand have raised concerns about issues such as the absence of empirical data to corroborate proponents’ claim that the practice contributes to food security. They have also raised concerns about health risks associated with the practice, and the implications of these to the urban population and environment. This study attempts to contribute to this debate by investigating the benefits that urban agriculture holds for society, using Doornkop Informal Settlement, in Johannesburg, South Africa as a case study. This study employed the Local Food Systems (LFS) Conceptual Framework suggested by Dubbeling, de Zeeuw and van Veenhuizen which explores the social, economic and ecological benefits of urban agriculture. The study employed a qualitative approach to research. In-depth interviews were conducted with 37 purposively selected participants. The participants included urban farmers and non-farmers in Doornkop, municipal council officials, an agricultural extension officer, and NGO and corporate representatives who directly engage in urban farming in the area. The findings of this study show that the majority of the urban farmers in Doornkop were more than 50 years old. Females dominated the practice. Most of the farmers had relocated from other parts of Gauteng, other provinces of South Africa and neighbouring countries, headed households with five members or more, and had been living in the area for more than six years. It was also found that most of the...M.A. (Development Studies