How do we get the community gardening? Grassroots perspectives from urban gardeners in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

Urban agriculture offers numerous environmental, economic, and socialbenefits. However, it is often hampered by limited engagement in cities of theglobal South. This article offers bottom-up perspectives on how to increasethe uptake of urban agriculture activities. It draws on urban gardeners’perspectives in the low-income neighbourhood of Mitchells Plain, Cape Town.The mixed-methods approach combined a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews with urban gardeners, and interviews with civil societyactors and a state official. The results indicate that climate and soil conditionsare major deterrents to urban agriculture. However, community dialoguesabout urban agriculture’s social and environmental benefits could play acrucial role in increasing uptake and in facilitating conversations about urbanagriculture and food more generally. The paper offers recommendations forfuture interventions seeking to promote urban agriculture and support actorsin low-income neighbourhoods in Cape Town and other African cities.