The effects of three urban food garden projects on livelihoods and food security in Soweto, South Africa

Abstract

The global population is projected to exceed nine billion by 2050, necessitating continued food production and buffered supply growth. To meet the rising demand, governments have started implementing countermeasures, such as home gardening projects, which are considered a strategy to improve household food and nutrition security. Similar to several other developing countries facing the challenge of food insecurity, the national government of South African has made considerable efforts. The situation of challenges of food security is being improved through local food security initiatives, such as home gardening and food production at a massive scale. Despite these efforts, general household surveys report that countless South Africans remain in a vicious cycle of poverty. Unemployment and food insecurity are particularly affecting people residing in townships. This study aimed to assess the economic sustainability of three urban food garden projects in Soweto in terms of their effect on livelihoods and food security. A structured questionnaire was sent to 80 respondents from currently operational food gardens in the Moletsane and Tladi areas, comprising 20 cooperative participants, 20 group participants, and 40 individual backyard home gardeners. In addition, responses were obtained from fourteen key informants from nine key stakeholder organisations. These stakeholders comprised a municipality, four government departments, two universities, an NGO and a farmers’ group in the area. A cross-sectional research design was employed to collect data from the 80 respondents, who were selected on a purposive basis. The targeted respondents were those currently practising food gardening. The results for and findings on the economic sustainability factors showed that the bulk of the food produced by the gardeners is consumed at home. This implied that a significant percentage of respondents from all the case studies have indicated that participating households were better off. Participating households were better off in terms of food availability, use, access and stability (the pillars of food security) than were those not practising gardening. The second hypothesis of this study was accepted, namely that group, cooperative and individual home gardening households living in Moletsane and Tladi, Soweto, participating in food gardening were better off. The food gardening is economically sustainable, showing a difference in their socio-economic status. The challenges for and expectations of these small- scale home or community-based farmers should make allowance for institutional linkages for flexible agricultural service provision. Policy formulation and implementation should also be made possible, thereby creating an economic, social and environmental convergence sustainability zone.