Irrigated urban agriculture: a mixture of farming scales, water flows and actors in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

ABSTRACT Irrigated urban agriculture (IUA) is important for urban food systems and livelihoods but has many unknown socio-technical configurations. This article examines the dynamics of farm irrigation and associated sociotechnical arrangements in the Nairobi catchment. The research shows that there are five principal forms of IUA, differentiated according to land sizes, water sources and suitability, technicality, actors, and market orientation. The city service does not provide arrangements for hydraulic infrastructure or agricultural extension, and state agencies do not take IUA practices into account. The complexity of the socio-technical configurations calls for flexible governance arrangements that go beyond the established models.