scholarly journals Temporal Dynamics and Motivations for Urban Community Food Gardens in Medium-Sized Towns of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Land ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sky Roberts ◽  
Charlie Shackleton
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Urban Community ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
Food Gardens

Urban agriculture is said to be increasing with global urbanization. However, there is little examination of the temporal or spatial dynamics of urban agriculture. We investigated the benefits and challenges experienced by community gardeners in four towns in South Africa, along with GIS analysis of the number, area, and location of urban food community gardens over the last three decades. Common reasons for practicing community gardening were cash poverty (37%) and the need to grow food (34%). The most common benefits reported by respondents were a healthy lifestyle (58%) and consumption of the food produced (54%). Theft of garden infrastructure or produce was a noteworthy challenge to continued motivation and engagement in urban community gardening. There were declines in the number and area of urban community gardens, and more central location over the last three decades. Only 16% of the gardens present in the 1980s were still operating in the 2000s. Clearly community gardening is temporally and spatially dynamic, which requires context-sensitive policy initiatives.

scholarly journals Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviours Among Primary Healthcare Professional Nurses in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sizeka Monakali ◽  
Daniel Ter Goon ◽  
Eunice Seekoe ◽  
Eyitayo Omolara Owolabi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviours ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Professional Nurses

Nurses play significant roles in health promotion and health education about healthy lifestyle practices and are considered role models of healthy lifestyle behaviours. It is unclear if their knowledge of healthy lifestyle choices translate to practice. This study assessed the lifestyle behaviours of primary healthcare professional nurses in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This descriptive, cross-sectional study involved 203 purposively selected primary healthcare nurses in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. We utilised the WHO STEPwise questionnaire to assess the lifestyle behaviour (smoking, alcohol use and physical activity) of the nurses. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out at a significance level of p<0.05. The participants’ mean age was 45.17 (Standard Deviation±11.26) years. Of all the participants, 27% had ever taken alcohol, and 18% currently use alcohol. Only 8% had ever smoked and of these, 3% currently smoke. Of all the participants, 33% do not engage in physical activities, and only 29% of them met the WHO recommendation for being active. Most of them were aware of the benefits of physical activities. Majority of the participants cited lack of time (74%) and lack of commitment (63%) as barriers to physical activity and few of them cited health challenges (3.9%). Among the primary health care professional nurses in this setting, we found a high prevalence of alcohol use and low prevalence of smoking and physical activity among primary health care nurses in this setting. There is a need to implement effective workplace strategies and wellness programmes that will foster healthy lifestyle practices among the nurses.

scholarly journals Vegetable consumption patterns of urban farmers in community gardens in Emfuleni local municipality, Gauteng province of South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (04) ◽  
pp. 17891-17906
Author(s):  
TP Modibedi ◽  
◽  
MMS Maake ◽  
MR Masekoameng ◽  
SS Tekana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Urban Community ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
Urban Community Gardens

Lack of adequate vegetable consumption may contribute to micronutrient deficiency especially in developing countries where low intake of nutrient-dense animal products is common. Despite growing evidence that vegetable consumption is of great importance, only about 25.6% South Africans consume sufficient vegetables per day. This research was carried out to investigate the vegetable consumption patterns of urban farmers in Emfuleni Local Municipality, South Africa. The objectives were to determine reasons why urban farmers consume vegetables, vegetable intake patterns in a 24-hour recall,and factors influencing vegetable consumption patterns. The study was conducted in six (6)large townships of Emfuleni Local Municipality using a quantitative research approach and survey design. A sample of 254 urban farmers were randomly selected from 30 urban community gardens with a population of 418 farmers. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured survey questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Program for the Social Sciences Version 23. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and ordered logistic regression model were explored to analyse the data. The results revealed that 96.1% and 93.3% of farmers in urban community gardens consumed vegetables as a relish and salad,respectively. Vegetables were mostly consumed during dinner because most respondents were physically present in the community gardens during the day. The results of the factors influencing vegetable consumption patterns showed that out of 10 independent variables chosen, only three (age group, level of education,and main source of income)were positive and statistically significant. The study, therefore, recommends that farmers should include vegetables in all three of their daily meals (breakfast, lunch,and dinner). Education in the form of training should be provided to the urban farmers to create awareness in the community about the importance of vegetable gardens and the consumption of vegetables across all age groups.

scholarly journals Socio-Economic Viability of Urban Agriculture—A Comparative Analysis of Success Factors in Germany

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Krikser ◽  
Ingo Zasada ◽  
Annette Piorr
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Sufficient Conditions ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
Self Reliance

Socio-economic viability of urban agriculture (UA) is, especially regarding non-commercially oriented initiatives, at most a generically treated issue in scientific literature. Given a lack of data on yields, labor input, or saved expenditures, only a few studies have described it either from a cost-avoidance or a specific benefit generation perspective. Our hypothesis is that hybrid roles of consumers and producers in urban agriculture challenge the appraisal of socio-economic viability. This paper presents an empirical study from three prevalent urban agriculture models: self-harvesting gardens, intercultural gardens, and community gardens, combining qualitative and quantitative survey data. A multi-value qualitative comparative analysis was applied to grasp the perception of socio-economic viability and its success factors. This allowed us to identify necessary and sufficient conditions for economic and social success. Results give an indication of the existence of different value systems and cost–benefit considerations in different urban agriculture models. A service-focused business relationship between farmers and consumers ensuring self-reliance is important for success for self-harvesting gardens, while self-reliance and sharing components are relevant for intercultural gardens. Community gardening builds upon self-governance ambitions and a rather individually determined success and failure factor pattern beyond explicit production output orientation. It is shown here for the first time with a quantitative approach that participants of urban agriculture models seem to go beyond traditional trade-off considerations and rather adopt a post-productive perception, focusing more on benefits than costs.

scholarly journals Small-scale urban agriculture: Drivers of growing produce at home and in community gardens in Detroit

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256913
Author(s):  
Carola Grebitus
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
At Home

The desire for fresh, local food has increased interest in alternative food production approaches, such as private small-scale agriculture, wherein households grow their own food. Accordingly, it is worth investigating private agricultural production, especially in urban areas, given that an increasing share of the world’s population is living in cities. This study analyzed the growth of produce at people’s homes and in community gardens, focusing on behavioral and socio-demographic factors. Data were collected through an online survey in Detroit, Michigan; 420 citizens were interviewed. The results revealed that trust, attitude, and knowledge affect the growing of produce at home. Involvement and personality are also drivers of community gardening. Regarding socio-demographics, household size affects the growing of produce at home, while gender, age, and income affect community gardening. The findings have valuable implications for stakeholders who wish to foster private small-scale urban agriculture, for example, through city planning and nutrition education.

scholarly journals Towards sustainable urban food systems: Analyzing contextual and intrapsychic drivers of growing food in small-scale urban agriculture

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0243949
Author(s):  
Mohammed Hussen Alemu ◽  
Carola Grebitus
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Factors Affecting

Small-scale urban agriculture is associated with positive health and environmental outcomes. Previous studies examined factors that drive people to grow foods in urban areas mainly drawing on qualitative data. This research investigates quantitatively what determines consumer preferences for growing foods in community gardens, informing efforts to upscale urban agriculture. We conducted choice experiments in North America and performed latent class analysis of contextual and intrapsychic factors affecting consumers’ preferences for growing foods in cities. Results show that providing tools and guidance are the most important contextual factors affecting community garden participation. The preferences of proponents of growing foods are explained by their high subjective knowledge about growing foods and reasons tied to the benefits of participating in community gardening. Opponents of growing foods at community gardens are characterized by low knowledge. The findings can be used to design policies that promote sustainable food systems in urban areas.

scholarly journals Wind speed characteristics and implications for wind power generation: Cape regions, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 113 (7/8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc A. Wright ◽  
Stefan W. Grab
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Power Generation ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Coastal Zone ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The Mean

Spatio-temporal dynamics of near-surface wind speeds were examined across the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape regions of South Africa. The regions assessed were geographically subdivided into three zones: coastal, coastal hinterland and inland. Wind speed data (10 m) were evaluated at monthly, seasonal, annual and zonal resolutions, with the aim to establish wind speed attributes and trends. Data from 19 weather stations with high-resolution wind records between 1995 and 2014 were evaluated. The majority of stations (79%) recorded a decrease in mean annual wind speed over the study period. The mean rate of decrease across all stations over the 20-year period equates to -1.25%, quantifying to an annual decrease of -0.002 m/s/year (-0.06% pa). The largest seasonal decline of -0.006 m/s/year (-0.15% pa) was recorded in summer. Statistically significant declines in mean annual wind speed are somewhat more pronounced for the coastal zone (-0.003 m/s/year, -0.08% pa) than over interior regions (-0.002 m/s/year, -0.06% pa) for the study period. The largest decrease (-0.08% pa) was recorded for the coastal zone, followed by the inland zone (-0.06% pa), equating to an annual reduction in available energy of 0.18% pa and 0.09% pa, respectively. When considering all stations over the study period, the mean inter-annual variability is 3.11%. Despite such decreases in wind speed, the variance identified in this study would not have posed any risk to power generation from wind across the assessed stations, based on the period 1995 to 2014.

City of Forests, City of Farms

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay K. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Urban Forestry ◽  
Urban Greening ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
The City

This book begins with the question of why PlaNYC2030—New York City’s municipal, long-term sustainability plan, launched during the Mayor Michael Bloomberg administration—had a robust urban forestry agenda, but lacked an urban agriculture agenda. PlaNYC launched the MillionTreesNYC campaign, investing over $400 million in city funds and leveraging a public-private partnership to plant one million trees citywide. Meanwhile, despite NYC having a long tradition of community gardening and burgeoning interest in local food systems, the plan contained no mention of community gardens or urban farms. In contrasting the top-down, centralized investment in the urban forest with the dispersed and decentralized social movement around urban agriculture, the book describes the ways in which political, discursive, and material processes intertwine to construct nature in the city. Urban greening unfolds through the strategic interplay of actors, the deployment of different narrative frames, and the mobilizing and manipulation of the physical environment—including other living, non-human entities. Understanding how and why the sustainability agenda is set and implemented provides crucial lessons to scholars, policymakers, and activists alike as they engage in the greening of cities.

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