Publisher's Synopsis
This book assesses the role of urban and peri-urban agriculture in generating income or in providing suitable means for survival. Since the book is based on papers delivered in a workshop (which took place in Israel in June 1996), it contains widely differing approaches and experiences in respect of this issue. The differences relate partly to differing regional conditions, which reflect the large variety of environments and socio-economic structures in tropical African countries. - - The practice of intra-city farming is not confined to Africa. It is common in many parts of the world, even in developed countries. However, despite its wide distribution and significance, its role in feeding urban people is relatively unknown. This function is of great importance, particularly in developing countries. Urban agriculture can be a crucial element in a family?s survival. Urban agriculture also provides labour opportunities, and the contributors to this book reveal that in may cases, especially in peri-urban zones where water is available for irrigation, it can provide fairly high incomes. It is, thus, not only a survival strategy. It can be, particularly where properly encouraged by policy makers, a useful means of income generation and a promising alternative to rising urban unemployment. It has potential for generating employment and for enhancing commercial development, but this potential depends on a number of external and internal factors: Sympathetic and effective government, access to credit and technology, proper infrastructure, and an effective resource allocation. Not less important are proper agrarian institutions, adequate legal systems for land and water distribution, and, most importantly, effective communal organization, ethnic cooperation and strong socio-economic associations. Many of these are far from satisfactory.
