Current urban food governance and planning in Africa (original) (raw)
Related papers
Urban governance and urban food systems in Africa: Examining the linkages
Cities, 2016
Urban food systems have increasingly been recognised as a topic that needs to be better understood, in order to address issues of urban food security and urban poverty. This is particularly so in Africa, which has high rates of urban population growth and high levels of urban food insecurity. There has, however, been surprisingly little work on examining the existing processes through which urban food systems are governed. In this article, based on a review of the relevant literature, I examine what we know about urban governance and urban food systems in Africa. The governance of urban food systems in Africa is complex, with a range of governance actors with competing agendas. These governance actors impact on urban food systems, and thus on urban food security, in a variety of ways, including: the impact on food production (e.g. urban and peri-urban agriculture); the impact on the distribution of food; the impact on the retail of food by formal and informal traders; and the impact on food safety. There are many gaps in our knowledge about urban governance and urban food systems in Africa, including: processes in secondary cities; the role of, and impact of, local governments on urban food systems; the impact of inadequate transport systems on food distribution; and the impact of supermarkets (and their expanding supply chains) on urban food systems. We need to better understand existing urban governance processes, and their impacts on urban food systems, in order to be able to collaboratively design interventions to improve urban food security in Africa.
Urban Food Systems Governance and Poverty in African Cities
As Africa urbanises and the focus of poverty shifts to urban centres, there is an imperative to address poverty in African cities. This is particularly the case in smaller cities, which are often the most rapidly urbanising, but the least able to cope with this growth.This book argues that an examination of the food system and food security provides a valuable lens to interrogate urban poverty. Chapters examine the linkages between poverty, urban food systems and local governance with a focus on case studies from three smaller or secondary cities in Africa: Kisumu (Kenya), Kitwe (Zambia) and Epworth (Zimbabwe). The book makes a wider contribution to debates on urban studies and urban governance in Africa through analysis of the causes and consequences of the paucity of urban-scale data for decision makers, and by presenting potential methodological innovations to address this paucity.As the global development agenda is increasingly focusing on urban issues, most notably the urban goal of the new Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda, the work is timely.
Cities, planning and urban food poverty in Africa
Food insecurity has not historically been considered an urban planning issue. However, as the locus of food insecurity shifts towards the urban in Africa there is a need to consider what role planners may play in alleviating the problem through food system planning. This chapter argues that because of dominant discourses on food security and the ideal African city, planners have had unintended impacts on the food system, which have generated conditions that exacerbate food insecurity. This argument is illustrated through drawing on cases of urban agriculture, maize milling and food retail in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The paper concludes by suggesting new ways for planners to act within their existing mandates to create generative food environments.
Transforming Urban Food Systems in Secondary Cities in Africa
Transforming Urban Food Systems in Secondary Cities in Africa
Urban transformations in secondary cities in sub-Saharan Africa have sparked renewed interest in local food. This chapter is based on a desktop study to explore the urban agriculture (UA) experiences of three very different secondary urban centres (Ndola, Nakuru, and Karoi). In the three urban centres while poverty is the driving force for some low-income urban farmers, other households have engaged in the activity for entrepreneurial purposes. UA in the open spaces in these three secondary urban centres is creating tension between urban developers and both resource-rich and resource-poor households. Also, rapid secondary urbanization is presenting food insecurity challenges through the displacement of urban food producers on one hand and the disruption of urban food production systems on the other hand. Urban planners in African secondary cities should find ways to understand and address these tensions in locally responsive ways that can optimize the benefits to poor households and...
Food Security, Urban Governance and Multilevel Government in Africa
2020
Realising the right to food requires more than an increase in food production. Increasing access to food is equally important, so this contribution adopts a "food systems approach". Against the backdrop of a growing number of countries on the continent that are decentralising powers to cities and regions, this chapter assesses the role of local governments in South Africa with respect to food security. It argues that food security is not just a national and/or provincial government concern, but that the Constitution demands of municipalities to contribute to realising the right to food. Against the backdrop of a general introduction into the division of responsibilities between national, provincial and local government, it deploys two arguments to make this assertion. The first is located in the jurisprudence of the South African Constitutional Court on socioeconomic rights. The second is located in the division of powers between national, provincial and local government. This contribution explores various linkages between a municipality's constitutional powers and food security. Specific emphasis is placed on the municipality's responsibility to regulate trade and markets as well as its responsibility to conduct spatial planning and land-use management. The argument made in this chapter is also relevant in other countries on the continent that combine socioeconomic rights with multilevel government arrangements.
2021
An important goal across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and globally, is to foster a healthy nutrition. A strengthening of the diversity, sustainability, resilience and connectivity of food systems is increasingly seen as a key leverage point. Governance arrangements play a central role in connecting sustainable, resilient farming with healthy nutrition. In this article, we elaborate a framework for assessing, monitoring and improving the governance of food systems. Our focus is on food chains in six peri-urban and urban regions in SSA. A literature review on food chain governance and a mapping of current agri-food chains in the six regions provide the basis for the elaboration of an indicator-based assessment framework. The framework is adapted to the specific conditions of SSA and related goals. The assessment framework is then used to identify the challenges and opportunities in food chain governance in the six regions. The first testing of the framework indicates that the approach ca...
Article, 2025
This paper critically examines how urban planning influences food security in the rapidly urbanizing landscapes of Africa, focusing on Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. These countries, with their distinct urban challenges and developmental contexts, provide a comparative framework for understanding the pivotal role of urban planning in addressing urban food security issues. The paper presents several core aspects of urban food systems: the integration of urban agriculture, the effectiveness of food distribution networks, the impact of spatial inequalities on food access, and the potential of collaborative governance to sustain urban food systems. The analysis reveals that despite varying degrees of urban infrastructure and economic conditions, commonalities exist in the challenges faced. Key findings suggest that proactive, innovative urban planning, tailored to the specific socioeconomic contexts of each country, can significantly enhance food security. Strategic recommendations are proposed, advocating for comprehensive urban planning reforms that prioritise food system resilience, equitable land use, and infrastructural investment. This study contributes to studies on sustainable urban development by demonstrating how integrated urban planning and targeted policy interventions can significantly enhance the resilience and equity of urban food systems.