Abstract
This study was conducted in Hawassa City with the main objective of assessing the role that urban agriculture plays in improving the livelihood of the urban poor and the challenges. It focused on three forms of urban agricultural activities namely bio-intensive gardening, backyard poultry keeping, and sheep rearing and fattening. The study employed a descriptive survey method which is supported by qualitative data. The results of the study revealed that urban agriculture has a very positive role in changing the livelihood of the urban poor for the better. It has enabled 76% of the respondents to obtain additional income, while serving 51.4% as a food source, and creating employment opportunity for 29%. The major challenges to urban agriculture in Hawassa include lack of credit services, absence of technology to support the economic activity, lack of feed, treatment and input, and problems related to easy market access and storage places. Keywords: Urban Poverty, Urban Agriculture, Livelihood, Challenges, Hawassa City DOI : 10.7176/JESD/11-1-01 Publication date: January 31 st 2020
Highlights
The world is being urbanized at a great speed
The first is regarding the contribution of the activity as a direct food source to the practicing household, the second is regarding the capacity of the activity to generate additional income to the household, and the third is to identify whether the activity has served as an employment opportunity to any unemployed member of the household
This study had an overreaching objective of assessing the role that urban agriculture plays in improving the livelihood of the urban poor and the challenges
Summary
The world is being urbanized at a great speed. By the end of 2050, 60% of the world’s population is expected to be living in urban areas (Game and Primus, 2015: 1). These two are of major importance in promoting the livelihood of the urban poor because a greater portion (60 to 80%) of their income is spent on food (Egbuna, 2008: 2) Though it has only been a few years older than five decades, Hawassa is one of the Ethiopian cities witnessing fast urbanization today. Urban agriculture can moderate market price and as well serve fresher agricultural outputs to consumersthis is what Mougeot (2000: 31) identifies as community welfare and what (Arku et al, 2012: 1) identify as direct and indirect contribution to livelihood and various aspects of the urban economy as a whole Another benefit associated with urban agriculture is its capacity to result in environmental advantages. In addition to creating beautiful scenarios and landscapes, and improved microclimate and nutrient recycling, it is favored for its ability to turn urban wastes into food and jobs, while creating an improved living environment, better public health, energy savings, natural resources savings, land and water savings and urban waste management cost reductions (Smit and Nasr, 1992: 152)
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