Urban agriculture in the Durban unicity : a case study of Demat.

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.