Farming or not farming? : Factors influencing the agricultural involvement of households in and around secondary Ugandan Cities

• Why and where might urban residents in Africa farm? How might urban African populations be linked with rural land and peoples? This paper is situated within such debate, investigating two secondary cities of Uganda: Mbale and Mbarara. The research question asks what factors might be influencing whether, and where, urban households in these cities practice agriculture. Using multinomial logistic regression I explore which urban households had greater odds of farming, and where such farming might occur (the urban area, a rural area, or both). Results suggest that larger households, and those whose heads were not working (waged) but also not looking for such work, those with older household heads or heads who had lived longer in the cities, as well as those that had rural family connections (received food transfers), were more likely to be involved in agriculture, either in an urban or in a rural area. Findings are in contrast with some studies which have suggested that it is the urban poor, or recent rural-urban migrants who farm the city or retain farming livelihood strategies. Instead, this study suggests that, in these two secondary Ugandan cities, the more urban-rooted and the relatively better-resourced urban households have higher odds of being involved in agricultural activity. Findings contribute to better understanding of the factors influencing the agricultural practice of urban-based households, and to understanding of urban-rural linkages. Although this study focuses on Uganda, the findings may be relevant for other secondary African cities that experience similar socio-political, economic and food-related circumstances.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Social och ekonomisk geografi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Social and Economic Geography (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Annan lantbruksvetenskap -- Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Other Agricultural Sciences -- Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use (hsv//eng)

Keyword

agriculture

urban households

Uganda

secondary cities

multinomial regression

urban agriculture

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)