Practices, Challenges And Opportunities Of Urban Agriculture: The Case Of Kolfe Keraniyo Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This research is conducted with the main objective of finding out the major urban agricultural production systems of urban agriculture activities including its Practices and challenges, role urban agriculture has to attain opportunities for urban agriculture beneficiaries in Kolfe keraneo sub city of Addis Ababa. For this study from the total population of 474 householders, 217 samples were selected using judgmental and snowball sampling technique. The fact data were gathered from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected from field observation and informant interview while secondary data were obtained from urban agriculture concerned offices (Kolfe Keraneo sub-city urban agriculture office, Woreda 3, Kolfe Keraneo sub-city planning office). These data were analyzed by both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The qualitative data analysis techniques include content and narrative analysis methods. Descriptive analysis method was used as quantitative data analysis techniques to look into the respondents’ personal information and their contribution of urban agriculture in Woreda 3, Kolfe Keraneo sub-city. The findings revealed that cultivating vegetable crops and rearing large cattle are the most common agricultural activities by the urban crop producers and livestock owners, respectively. The collected data revealed the challenges and constraints urban farmers face regarding urban agriculture in terms of land availability, water accessibility, and lack of support and lack of training from urban planners. The findings of this study also confirm a significant role of adapting urban agriculture in attaining urban household food security through studying overall urban farmers' identity, economical social, and environmental benefits side by side. The study also helps to raise the understanding on the role of urban farming for effective implementation of urban agriculture in the sub city and acquire important information that give clues what will be done in the future to alleviate the problems in the process of urban agriculture.