The Contributions of Urban Agriculture in Alleviating Food Insecurity of Poor Urban Households: Evidence from Selected Kebles of Akaki-Kaliti Sub- City, Addis Ababa
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Date
2015-03
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Urban agriculture has food security, economic, social and environmental impacts. The
focus of this study was on food security of poor urban households. The purpose of this
comparative study was to investigate the contributions of urban agriculture in alleviating
urban household food insecurity in Akaki-Kaliti Sub-city. The study’s target population is
composed of both urban poor households engaging in urban agriculture and those who
are not engaging in urban agriculture. The study sought to investigate the relationship
amongst the different dimensions of food security and the households’ status in relation
to engagement in urban agriculture along with their average daily income. Both
quantitative and qualitative methodologies were employed in the study whereby
structured questionnaires were prepared for the survey of randomly selected 100 urban
poor households with similar socio-economic status. Discussions were also made with
the purposively selected key informants and urban agriculture stakeholders in Akaki-
Kaliti sub-City. Data analyses were made by using ‘IBM SPSS Statistics 20’. Data results
were interpreted. The result of the study revealed that one in two of the households
sampled from both low incomes unemployed owners engage in at least one form of
farming. The result also indicated that households who engage in farming have earned
food and cash income; this has contributed both in improving household food security by
improving food availability (50%) and nutrition, measured by proxy, of variety of food
intake at household level (50%). The study concludes with the policy advice that
government support to poor households should include interventions that can improve
the variety and productivity of farms at household levels. The stakeholders that involve in
urban agriculture and waste management should integrate their support towards
improving the productivity of urban agriculture at household and community levels.
These together are assumed to improve both the productivity and variety of farming as
well as greener ways, in ways that proactively and efficiently manage urban waste
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Keywords
Contributiions, Households