To Subsidise My Income

Cultivation of food crops and rearing of livestock in urban areas (urban agriculture) has continued to rise, despite the fact that it remains a highly contested phenomenon, in African cities. This readable and well-researched book on urban agriculture in the Kenyan town of Nakuru correctly places the subject in a wider context of urbanization and the urban economy. In general it confirms conclusions from other research in the past decade but it also fills a number of empirical gaps regarding urban agriculture in secondary towns as opposed to the major capital cities of the region such as Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka, Maputo, and Harare. Foeken illustrates the dominance of rain-fed crop production in urban areas; the health and environmental problems associated with keeping livestock in urban areas; the small size of plots cultivated; and the dependence of urban households on rural sources of food in a context of economic hardships occasioned by structural adjustment programmes since the 1980s. To Subsidise My Income is an interdisciplinary study conducted in a partnership between northern researcher(s), local authorities and young African scholars. The latter took lead roles and their contributions are acknowledged and valued. This is an example of good practice in capacity building and research collaboration that others should emulate.

Agriculture · Context (archaeology) · Dominance (genetics) · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental protection · General partnership · Geography · Kenya · Livestock · Political science · Rural area · Socioeconomics · Urban agriculture · Urbanization · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability