There is growing interest in household and community food gardens across Joburg, with projects producing fresh vegetables, providing practical growing skills and even generating income.
Community and household gardens are being established in neighbourhoods across the city, using backyards, schools, community centres and other available spaces to grow food.
A study published in May by researchers from the University of Pretoria examined household and shared community gardens and found that they can contribute to household food security while also addressing some of the environmental challenges associated with urbanisation.
This helps in a city where access to affordable and nutritious food remains a challenge for many households.
Research by the Human Sciences Research Council found that more than 40% of Joburg households were food insecure.
The same research identified more than 300 farms in the city, ranging from backyard and community gardens on land provided by churches and schools to larger urban farming operations.
Different-sized gardens
The gardens vary considerably in size and purpose.
Some consist of a few raised beds producing vegetables for a household, while others are larger operations supplying surrounding communities, local vendors and markets.
Robyn Hills, Head of Programmes at Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA), says community food gardens can provide an additional source of food for households and communities.
“Community food gardens act as vital local safety nets, directly supplementing millions of meals, improving daily dietary diversity, and insulating vulnerable households against rising food inflation,” she says.
Hills says the role of community food production became particularly apparent during the Covid-19 lockdown, when many households experienced disruptions to income and food access.
FTFA works with community growers through programmes that include permaculture and food-security initiatives, to increase food production in areas where conventional farming space is limited.
The challenge of land and water
In Joburg, access to land and water remains among the challenges facing urban growers.
“Land scarcity and water insecurity pose major challenges, making targeted agroecological practices essential,” says Hills.
She says FTFA uses methods including rainwater harvesting, companion planting, permanent-bed farming and bio-intensive permaculture to increase production in smaller spaces while making more efficient use of water.
Hills says local government can also play a role in supporting community growers.
“The city and ward councillors generally provide an enabling environment, especially in Soweto, Evaton, Palm Springs, Orange Farm, Walkerville, Diepsloot, Cosmo, Alexandra, Daveyton and Thembisa, where most of our supported communal growers are.”
She adds that projects in the inner city can require greater support and co-ordination between stakeholders.
Infrastructure can make a difference
The City of Johannesburg has also recognised urban agriculture as an area requiring support.
A project launched by the Johannesburg Development Agency includes upgrades at several urban agriculture sites, with improvements such as fencing, agricultural tunnels, water infrastructure and cold-storage facilities. The Siyakhana Garden is among the sites included in the programme.
Infrastructure is an important consideration for growers because food production requires reliable access to water, suitable soil, seeds, equipment and secure growing areas.
Previous HSRC research found that many urban farmers were working with infertile soil and required additional support to increase production and create more employment opportunities.
Gardens can also generate income
For community gardens that produce more vegetables than households can consume, selling the surplus provides another benefit.
“While primary yields feed families and school feeding programmes, surplus produce and seedlings are regularly sold to local vendors, spaza shops and gate sale markets,” says Hills.
She added that FTFA's enterprise-development programmes are designed to help some community projects develop into micro-enterprises and co-operatives.
“Eighty percent of our approximately 500 community market gardens across South Africa are income-producing.”
According to Hills, there are also 252 active school-based gardens within FTFA's programmes.
These gardens have a food-production function but are also used to teach children about agriculture, food production and environmental issues.
Getting young people involved
“Youth engagement is growing rapidly through school-linked agriculture and vocational training,” she says.
Programs such as EduPlant introduce food production into school environments and provide young people with practical skills related to agroecology and entrepreneurship.
The involvement of young people is significant because urban agriculture requires knowledge as well as physical resources.
Growing vegetables successfully involves understanding soil preparation, planting seasons, water management, pest control and harvesting.
Where gardens are run as income-generating projects, growers also need to understand basic business principles, including pricing, marketing and managing customers.
Food production close to home
For households, the immediate benefit can be access to vegetables that might otherwise have to be purchased. For community growers, production can provide food for participating households or organisations, with surplus produce potentially generating an income.
The scale of these gardens also varies according to the land available.
A small backyard garden may produce enough vegetables for a family, while a larger communal operation can support several growers and supply produce beyond the immediate area.
Water remains one of the most significant constraints, particularly during periods of dry weather. Secure access to land is another concern, as growers need to know that they will be able to continue using a site before investing significant time and resources into improving it.
Soil quality can also affect production. In urban areas, land that has previously been used for dumping or other purposes may require rehabilitation before it can be used safely and productively for food production.
These factors mean that community gardening is not just a matter of providing seeds and expecting vegetables to grow. Successful projects require planning, training, infrastructure and ongoing maintenance.
Part of a wider food system
This experience also shows how urban agriculture can take place alongside the city's more conventional food system.
Community gardens are generally small compared with commercial farms, but they can produce food close to where people live and also create opportunities for local sales.
For schools, the gardens provide an opportunity to introduce agriculture into everyday learning and for households they can supplement food purchases, while community growers can provide both food and an income
The research and work being carried out by organisations such as Food & Trees for Africa suggest that these projects can form part of a broader approach to food security, particularly in areas where household incomes, access to fresh produce, land and water are limited.
Community gardens are unlikely to replace conventional food production or address food insecurity on their own, though; their contribution is more local by producing food where people live, providing growing and enterprise skills and sometimes creating an additional source of income.
In a city as large and diverse as Joburg, those activities form one part of the wider food-security picture.
willem.vdputte@nationalmg.co.za