International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Impact Factor (2012): 3.358 Volume 3 Issue 8, August 2014 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Opportunities and Needs in Development and Adoption of Urban Agriculture for Food Security in Sub Saharan Africa Never Assan 1 , Edmore Nhamo 2 1 Zimbabwe Open University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture Management, Bulawayo Region, Box 3550, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe 2 Zimbabwe Open University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Health Sciences, Bulawayo Region, Box 3550, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Abstract: This discussion is concerned with food production in urban settings in Sub Saharan Africa. It seeks to highlight the opportunities and needs in development and adoption of urban agriculture for food Security in Sub Saharan Africa. The rapidly growing urban population in the region has tended to drive demographic, social and economic changes leading to the evolution of transformed urban food production systems, as some of the most efficient and sustainable contributors to food production. The food demand will tend to grow faster than its production, resulting in a growing food deficit, thus affecting food insecurity in urban areas. Under the circumstances urbanization will tend to be one of the major socio-economic factors that will drive the increasing demand for both crop and livestock products, due to concentrated and rapidly increasing urban population. It is therefore hoped that strategies to promote food productivity gains, should focus on setting up good infrastructure, appropriate agricultural policies and adoption of new technology approaches. Incentive to urban farmers credited by functioning in a policy environment fair to urban producers will also increase urban food production. There is need to understand the critical facets of agricultural production dynamics and the diversity of its underlying factors in order to improve food production in urban settings in Sub Saharan Af. Keywords: Urban Agriculture; Food Security; Sub Saharan Africa 1. Introduction Urban agriculture may be defined as the production of fruits, vegetables, livestock, flowers and other natural food and non food materials within or near the limits of the cities, especially on vacant lots, in open spaces such as parks and in enclosed, indoor facilities such as greenhouses or aquaculture systems [rica.1]. Urban populations are growing more rapidly than the general population in Africa, and by 2025, nearly 55 percent of Africa’s population will live in towns and cities as contrasted to 30 percent today[2]. The demand for food will tend to grow faster than its production, resulting in a growing food deficit in urban areas. The ability to maintain food security will depend on improved urban agriculture. This calls for intensification of urban food production to meet the predicted food demand by creating new models of urban food production, marketing and consumption patterns. It would be imperative to identify drivers, activities and how their interactions produce suitable outcomes that improve urban food production and security. Policies need to be put in place which legitimizes urban agriculture taking into account that many Sub Saharan Africa urban residents are actively involved in urban agriculture, however most urban areas do not have any policies that acknowledge urban agriculture as a legitimate land use. 2. Potential benefits and opportunities of urban agriculture in enhancing food security Sub Saharan Africa’s annual urban growth rate is 3.6 percent, almost double the world average [3].[4]estimated that about one quarter of the developing world’s poor live in urban areas, but also that poverty is becoming more urban and the poor are urbanizing faster than the population as a whole. The bases for strategy proposed on urban agriculture to enhance food security emanate from the fact that urban population is growing rapidly and will continue to do so due to good health services care provision by individual states and improved nutrition of the local urban population. The demand for food products will definitely increase due to increased population in urban settings hence the ability to maintain food self sufficiency and food security within urban areas depend on the ability to employ alternative sources of food production. The urban poor will constitute a group that is at risk of food insecurity as a result it is important that the lower income urban dwellers are engaged in urban agriculture in order to meet their own food needs or to foster a livelihood where economic opportunities may be scarce. Urban agriculture has a number of positive attributes for the residents who are engaged in it. Participants experience various benefits in urban agriculture including provision of participants with a range of products which includes enjoying the health benefit of fresh vegetables and animal products [5]. Animals may be readily converted into cash and can be well integrated into the crop livestock integrated Paper ID: 020131793 295