Factors hindering urban food production discussed at Food Indaba

By Marinda Louw Coetzee | 7 August 2024 | 5:52 pm

The sixth annual Food Indaba, held in Cape Town from 22 July to 4 August, focused on understanding the city’s food systems, from farming and processing to distribution and waste management. The event featured workshops, tours, art exhibitions, and discussions on urban agriculture and food access.

Vegetables and herbs grown in micro greenhouses at the Lerotholi Food Garden are sold to the community and local restaurants. Photo: Marinda Louw Coetzee

One of the event’s highlights was the panel discussion on the State Of The City Food System Report, which revealed significant inequalities affecting access to food and nutrition.

The report examined 15 African cities, including Cape Town, Tamale (Ghana) and Dakar (Senegal), and found that the quality of housing, stability of energy, and accessibility of water and transportation are crucial factors in the food system, impacting nutrition and health outcomes.

“To ensure thriving cities, we must focus on nourishing them well,” said Gareth Haysom, an urban food systems researcher at the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town, who led the panel discussion.

Tea with a farmer

‘Tea with a Farmer’ was a popular event, where attendees could meet and learn from urban farmers. The Oranjezicht City Farm (OZCF) grows fruit, vegetables, and herbs on a 2 000m2 plot in the Cape Town city center. The farm sells produce and compost, rents out allotments to hobby farmers, and regularly holds workshops.

Oranjezicht City Farm manager Ryan Ausker shows the allotments rented out to the community for growing their herbs and vegetables.

Another urban farm at 16 Lerotholi in Langa produces vegetables and herbs in open fields and small greenhouses, supplying local restaurants.

In Langa, farmer Mzikabawo Mashicila grows vegetables and herbs in micro greenhouses at the Lerotholi Food Garden.

The report highlighted several factors frustrating urban farming efforts. Poor water quality emerged as a significant concern. Despite OZCF’s proximity to a continuous mountain spring, it still awaits permission from the City of Cape Town to use this resource. In Langa, water pollution hampers production.

It further showed a lack of coordination between state and non-state actors as a barrier to urban agriculture’s success. Successful NGO-led urban agriculture projects rely heavily on local government cooperation.

Land tenure security was also identified as a key factor influencing the extent of investment in building soil health and fertility.