Urban agriculture in South Africa: Policy issues from the international experience¹

Recently, an increase has been observed in the practices of urban food gardening and the cultivation of vacant land on the peripheries of South Africa's metropolitan areas. In this paper it is argued that urban agriculture represents an issue of considerable importance for South African policy makers. A review is undertaken of research on informal agriculture in Asian and African cities. On the basis of this international review certain suggestions are offered for policy debates and research in South Africa.