Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences Institute for Social Development Critical Evaluation of the Impact of Urban Agriculture on Food Security: Case study of Urban Food Gardens in Kayamandi settlement in Stellenbosch, Western Cape A mini-thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Development Studies at the Institute for Social Development, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of the Western Cape. Abdikarim Ahmed Salah Student Number 3506885 Supervisor: Dr. Abdulrazak Karriem March 2019 Page | i http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Abstract This research investigates the impact of urban agriculture on food security through urban food garden projects in Kayamandi. Food insecurity is a major global challenge, 795 million people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition and 780 million of these are from developing countries. In South Africa, poverty, unemployment, and inequality play pivotal roles in the dynamics of food security. These indicators have shown that chronic poverty and food insecurity are mostly found in urban and peri-urban areas, affecting the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly. In addition, food insecurity exists in Cape Town. In 2008, 80% of poor households in Khayelitsha, Philippi and Ocean View were either moderately or severely food insecure. Similarly, in Manenberg, a study revealed that 64% of the households were food insecure. Only 18% of poor households were food secure compared to the 74% and 94% for middle and high income households. Although there is numerous research on food insecurity in Cape Town, the contribution of urban agriculture to household food security in Kayamandi has not been addressed adequately. This study assessed the current state of food security in the Kayamandi settlement. The study also identified the impact of urban agriculture on food security in Kayamandi, as well as investigating the outcomes of an urban agriculture project in Kayamandi provided by the NGO, Love2Give. Qualitative research method was used to deeply understand the extent in which urban agriculture contributes to food security. In this process, 12 participants were purposively selected from the urban gardeners of the Love2Give organization including 2 key informant interviews. The Sustainable Livelihoods approach was applied to this study in order to understand the role Love2Give plays in building a sustainable community. As a theoretical framework, the Sustainable Livelihoods approach identified the mechanism Kayamandi gardeners use to secure their household food security. This is in alignment with the initial hypothesis, which is that Kayamandi households are food insecure. The majority of the participants in Kayamandi were either moderately (33.3%) or severely (33.3) food insecure whilst only four households were food secure (33.3). The high food insecurity in the area can be attributed to the high unemployment rate of 84% of the participants. Urban agriculture contributes to the household food security of participants. 75% of respondents engaged in urban farming for consumption purpose while the rest practice urban farming to generate income. Although participants generate little income from urban cultivating, it contributes significantly to their lives especially when they mix this with other livelihood diversification methods. Lack of water, land and enough farm equipment hinders the potential impact of Page | ii http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ urban agriculture. Therefore, there is a great need of intervention from multi-stakeholders such as NGOs, government and municipal authorities to intervene and promote urban agriculture as a means to reduce poverty and food insecurity. Key words: Urban Agriculture, Sustainable Livelihoods Approach, Food Security, Community Gardens, Poverty, Nutrition, Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, Cape Town Page | iii http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Declaration I declare that Critical Evaluation of the Impact of Urban Agriculture on Food Security: Case Study of Urban Food Gardens in Kayamandi Settlement in Stellenbosch, Western Cape is my own work, that it has not been submitted before for any degree or examination at any other university, and that all the sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged as complete references. Abdikarim Ahmed Salah Signed………………………… A.A.S March 2019 Page | iv http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Dedication I dedicate this research to my beloved Mother. Page | v http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Acknowledgments Firstly, I would like to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Abdulrazak Karriem of the Institute for Social Development at the University of the Western Cape. The door to Dr.Abdulrazak Karriem’s office was always open for me whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had a question about my research or writing. He consistently allowed this paper to be my own work but steered me in the right direction whenever he thought I needed it. Secondly, I would also like to thank Ms. Priscilla Kippie for her administrative support at the Institute for Social Development. Thirdly, I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Mohamed Djemilou of the School of Business & Finance at the University of the Western Cape as the second reader of this thesis, and I am gratefully indebted for his very valuable comments on this thesis. Fourthly, I would like to thank my two very close friends Miss Thulile and Miss Awodwa for helping me as translators during my fieldwork. Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to my cousins Mohamud and Muhyiddin as well as my Uncles Dahir Mohamed (Baasto) and Mohamed Abdullahi (Abukun) for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. Thank you all. Abdikarim Ahmed Salah Page | vi http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Abbreviations and Acronyms CCT City of Cape Town FAO Food and Agriculture Organization HFIAS Household Food Insecurity Access Scale IDP Integrated Development Plan MDGs Millennium Development Goals SANHNES South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SLA Sustainable Livelihoods Approach SLF Sustainable Livelihoods Framework SM Stellenbosch Municipality SSA Sub-Saharan Africa UA Urban Agriculture UNGA United Nations General Assembly UN United Nations UFSB Urban Food Security Baseline WFS World Food Summit Page | vii http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. ii Declaration ............................................................................................................................ iv Dedication .............................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................. vi Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................................................... vii List of Tables ........................................................................................................................ xii List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ..................................................... 1 1.0. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Statement of the problem, research questions and aim of the study............................ 2 1.1.1. Statement of the problem .......................................................................................... 2 1.1.2. The aim of the study ................................................................................................. 3 1.1.3. Objectives of the study ............................................................................................. 3 1.1.4. Research questions ................................................................................................... 3 1.1.5. Rationale and significance of the study .................................................................... 3 1.2. Background to the case study area: Kayamandi Township, Stellenbosch ...................... 4 1.3. Case study organization: Love2Give .............................................................................. 8 1.4 Chapter outline ................................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................... 11 2.0. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 11 2.1. Urban agriculture........................................................................................................... 11 2.1.1. Characteristics of urban agriculture ........................................................................... 13 2.1.2. Urban Agriculture in South Africa ......................................................................... 14 2.1.3. Urban agriculture in Cape Town ............................................................................ 16 2.1.4. Urban agriculture in the Stellenbosch municipality