Urban agriculture in the Durban unicity : a case study of Demat.
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Date
2002
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Abstract
Recent trends indicate that there has been an expansion of food production in cities. The
urban areas were traditionally the focus of commercial, industrial and residential land
use. Although agriculture was the forte of rural areas, urban agriculture presents an
emerging land use in South African cities. Thus urban agriculture is an unconventional
land use in terms of city space. This must be viewed within the context of rapid
urbanization, especially in developing countries that have experienced rapid growth in
urban population numbers through in-migration and natural population growth. This
resulted in unemployment and wide scale poverty. As an innovative response to poverty,
the poor have generated alternative livelihood strategies, inter alia, the growing of food
crops as a means to achieve supplementary sources of food.
This study is an examination of the impacts of urban agriculture in the Durban Unicity
and uses the case study of the Demat community in Welbedacht.
The purpose of the study was firstly to determine the socio-economic profile of the
community of Demat. Secondly, the study intended to examine the nature and extent of
agriculture in the urban residential area of Demat. Thirdly the study focused on the
accessibility, ownership and availablility of resources needed by the people to engage in
agricultural production in the community of Demat. The fourth objective was to
determine whether urban agriculture was supported by the state and other nongovernmental
organizations. A critical objective was to assess the potential role of urban
agriculture in food security, income generation and employment creation in the
community of Demat. The sixth objective was intended to provide recommendations for
improving urban agriculture in the residential area of Demat.
The study revealed that the majority of the people were poor. In the absence of formal
employment opportunities, the majority indicated that they were involved in urban
agriculture to supplement incomes as a means of contributing to food security and to
alleviate poverty generally. Even pensioners who are not normally considered to be
economically active were involved in urban farming. Although food crops were grown
for household consumption, they were also sold to generate supplementary incomes. As
this form of agriculture was characterized by low energy inputs, evidence of
environmental degradation was non-existent or minimal. In the main, crop cultivation
was shaped by multiple influences. Some of the primary factors were food shortages,
unemployment, household labour availability and prevailing poverty. Specific problems
related to crop production were as follows: damage by livestock, lack of fencing, lack of
water, lack ofland, lack of fertilizers, lack offinance and the lack of support services.
The recommendations provided in the study relate to general and specific concerns raised
by the community of Demat. In this respect the national government, the provincial
government and the Durban Unicity must make resources available to alleviate the plight
of the poor.
urban areas were traditionally the focus of commercial, industrial and residential land
use. Although agriculture was the forte of rural areas, urban agriculture presents an
emerging land use in South African cities. Thus urban agriculture is an unconventional
land use in terms of city space. This must be viewed within the context of rapid
urbanization, especially in developing countries that have experienced rapid growth in
urban population numbers through in-migration and natural population growth. This
resulted in unemployment and wide scale poverty. As an innovative response to poverty,
the poor have generated alternative livelihood strategies, inter alia, the growing of food
crops as a means to achieve supplementary sources of food.
This study is an examination of the impacts of urban agriculture in the Durban Unicity
and uses the case study of the Demat community in Welbedacht.
The purpose of the study was firstly to determine the socio-economic profile of the
community of Demat. Secondly, the study intended to examine the nature and extent of
agriculture in the urban residential area of Demat. Thirdly the study focused on the
accessibility, ownership and availablility of resources needed by the people to engage in
agricultural production in the community of Demat. The fourth objective was to
determine whether urban agriculture was supported by the state and other nongovernmental
organizations. A critical objective was to assess the potential role of urban
agriculture in food security, income generation and employment creation in the
community of Demat. The sixth objective was intended to provide recommendations for
improving urban agriculture in the residential area of Demat.
The study revealed that the majority of the people were poor. In the absence of formal
employment opportunities, the majority indicated that they were involved in urban
agriculture to supplement incomes as a means of contributing to food security and to
alleviate poverty generally. Even pensioners who are not normally considered to be
economically active were involved in urban farming. Although food crops were grown
for household consumption, they were also sold to generate supplementary incomes. As
this form of agriculture was characterized by low energy inputs, evidence of
environmental degradation was non-existent or minimal. In the main, crop cultivation
was shaped by multiple influences. Some of the primary factors were food shortages,
unemployment, household labour availability and prevailing poverty. Specific problems
related to crop production were as follows: damage by livestock, lack of fencing, lack of
water, lack of land, lack of fertilizers, lack of finance and the lack of support services.
The recommendations provided in the study relate to general and specific concerns raised
by the community of Demat. In this respect the national government, the provincial
government and the Durban Unicity must make resources available to alleviate the plight
of the poor.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2002.
Keywords
Agriculture., Land use, Urban., Theses--Geography.