Tropentag, September 20 - 22, 2017 in Bonn "Future Agriculture: Social-ecological transitions and bio-cultural shifts"

Urban Agriculture in Mozambique and South Africa. First Evidence from a Complex Research Project

¹Frankenfoerder Forschungsgesellschaft, Germany
²Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Germany
³Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Centre for Rural Development, Germany
⁴Freie Universität Berlin, FAO Reference Centre for Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Germany
⁵Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Fac. of Arts and Social Sciences, Mozambique
⁶University of the Western Cape, Inst. for Social Development, South Africa
⁷University of the Western Cape, Dept. of Geography, Environmental Studies & Tourism, South Africa
⁸Abalimi Bezhekaya, South Africa
⁹Technical Secretariat for Food Security and Nutrition, Mozambique
¹⁰Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Fac. of Veterinarian Science, Mozambique

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa is the most rapidly urbanized region in the world, especially in informal areas. In the course of accelerated urbanisation processes in the global south and the increasing need for sustainable urban planning, urban agriculture has come into focus of scientific research. It has been a popular response to growth dynamics and food crisis in many countries over many centuries.
The research project UFiSAMo is implemented with BMEL funding from 2016 – 2019 by universities in Berlin, Maputo and Cape Town as well as by a private research institution, an NGO and a government organisation. It investigates whether and how urban agriculture can contribute to improving urban food and nutrition security as well as income, especially for disadvantaged communities.
We approach urban agriculture by analysing:
· value chains of urban agricultural and consumption habits of urbanites;
· risks and benefits associated with plant and livestock production and good agricultural practices;
· organisational structures;
· most successful communication channels for information sharing from farmer to policy level.
Action-oriented research ensures that results are directly shared and discussed with farmers and implementing partners. The creation of a research network focusing on urban agriculture and flanked by the development of modules for universities as well as by policy dialogues serve to sustain the results after project funding has ended.
Urban agriculture in Maputo and Cape Town shows distinct characteristics in the ways urban farmers produce, consume and/or market their products. These characteristics entail different benefits and risks for producers and different challenges for researchers.
An overview of the approach as well as of first results and challenges in this complex research project shall be presented:
· value chains for urban agricultural products and challenges in the two cities
· existing challenges and good practices in urban agricultural production in Maputo and Cape Town including product quality
· participatory certification schemes for Cape Town
· existing information dissemination channels and challenges
· challenges in managing such a research project.
At the end, I will indicate more detailed (verbal or poster) presentations of specific components during other Tropentag sessions.

Keywords: Dissemination and information, food and nutrition security, good agricultural practices (GAP), income generation, Mozambique, participatory guarantee system (PGS), South Africa, urban Agriculture, value chains

Contact Address: Erik Engel, Frankenfoerder Forschungsgesellschaft, Berlin, Germany, e-mail: engelfrankenfoerder-fg.de