Urban Agriculture in Accra Metropolis: Dimensions and Implications for urban Development. In: In: Parot, L. Njoya, A. Assogba-Komlan. F. Kahane, R. Ba Diao M, Havard, M. Editors: Agricultures et dévelopment urbain en Afrique subsaharienne. Governance et approvisionnement des villes

Abstract

Urban Agriculture (UA) in Accra is an old practice which has grown to a phenomenon of significance in the last decades as a result of rapid rate of urbanization and its attendant increase in urban food demand. A study on the inventory of UA in Accra was carried out through participatory multi-stakeholder process. The study considered various forms of UA, analyzed the direct and indirect stakeholders involved, assessed the functions provided by open space and analyzed relevant municipal policies on UA. Study approach included literature reviews, key informant interviews, focused group discussions and use of semi-structured questionnaires for individual interview. There are diversities in agricultural practices in the city; UA production systems include poultry, small ruminants, irrigated vegetable, mushroom, floriculture, domesticated wildlife and seasonal crop production. The dominant UA are irrigated, market-oriented, vegetable production with an average farm size of 0.02 ha. UA contributes up to 80 % to the supply of fresh exotic vegetables to Accra. In addition irrigated vegetable farming supports 1000 farmers’ livelihood as it could yield an average of US$ 45 / month per farm which is well above the per capital General Net Income of US$ 27/month in Ghana. Moreover, emerging non-traditional production systems such as mushroom cultivation and domestication of grasscutter were reported to be lucrative ventures for UA practitioners. Nevertheless, there are no specific policies on UA, neither is it integrated prominently in the general micro-economic level development policies. To maximize the benefits and ensure sustainability of UA in Accra, there is need to institutionalize UA by integrating it into overall urban development plan. Achieving this will involve the formulation of appropriate UA policy and development of strategic action plans with the full involvement of all relevant stakeholders