African urban agriculture: social, economic and environmental challenges and prospects under changing global and demographic realities

African Urban Agriculture
This multidisciplinary project, launched in 2013, addresses social, economic and environmental issues of urban agriculture (UA) in African cities. It focuses on medium sized cities which contribute significantly to the rapid urban growth on the continent. The two focus countries, Ghana and Kenya, display contrasting macro-level urbanization processes, where the consequences of rapid economic growth since the turn of the millennium have been very different. The project – funded by Sida and FORMAS, combines social, economic and environmental issues in a unique manner. The research will contribute to assessing the magnitude and importance of UA as a source of urban livelihoods and food security in intermediate sized urban areas. More specifically the research will result in the identification of possible frameworks for combining income opportunities and improvements in food security with environmentally sustainable production techniques and food safety aspects. The expected results do not only present patterns for UA in Africa but also represent a phenomenon per se, which to some extent applies to other parts of the world.