An assessment of the contribution of peri-urban agriculture on household food security in Tongaat, eThekwini Municipality
Despite South Africa’s economic growth having been accelerated considerably in the country, poverty levels have not decreased as one would have expected. Urban and peri-urban agriculture have been introduced as a livelihood strategy to alleviate poverty and ensure household food security. Food insecurity is conventionally theorized as a rural development problem and the current theoretical tools to comprehend the challenge and frame the responses are inadequate to address food insecurity in urban areas. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of peri-urban agriculture on household food security in in Tongaat peri-urban area of eThekwini Municipality. A quantitative approach, employing a cross-sectional design was used to gather data. Stratified random sampling was employed, and a total of 208 households (109 farming and 99 non-farming households) were sampled. Data analysis was done through descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (econometric modelling using a probit regression model). On average, respondents were about 46 years old. There was a high rate of unemployment with the majority (51%) of the total sample indicated that they were not formally employed. The results revealed that labour for gardening activities was predominantly supplied by female household members. A greater proportion (about 46%) of the interviewed farming households in Tongaat were involved with field crops (which included cabbages, spinach, sweet potato and avocado) followed by livestock rearing which accounted for about 40 percent of the sample, poultry (about 35%), fruits (about 4%) and flowers (about 3%). The majority (50% and 62%) of crop and livestock farmers respectively reported that limited land availability and drought were the major farming challenges for each category of farming. The results from the HDDS tool, showed that a greater proportion (54%) of the farming households consumed >6 food groups (deemed to be food secure) as compared to their counterparts, the non-farming households (40%) percent that were consuming >6 food groups. On the other hand, a greater proportion (12 and 47.5%) of the non-farming households were consuming <3 and 4 to 5 food groups respectively (deemed to be food insecure and moderately food secure in that manner). The finding is further supplemented by the HFIAS measure which revealed that a greater proportion (about 72%) of the farming households indicated that they never or rarely worried about food shortages (deemed to be food secure) as compared to their counterparts – the non-farming households (about 61%) that never or rarely worried about food shortages. Again, a lesser proportion (about 4%) of the farming households indicated that they often had to cut down on meal size or on the number of meals (deemed to be severely food insecure) as compared to their counterparts – the non-farming households (about 10%) that indicated that they often had to cut down on their meal size or on the number of meals. Overall farming households were beffer off or more food secure than their non-farming counterparts. Overall the total sampled households showed mixed perceptions regarding the practice of peri-urban agriculture in Tongaat. Overall, there were mixed feelings vi (perceptions) ranging from neutral, positive and negative with respect to societal recognition; attitude; social value; economic; health and knowledge impacts. However, farming households showed an affirmative perception towards the practice of peri-urban agriculture than the non-farming households. Results from the probit regression model showed that the variables land size and land tenure were important predictors with regard to the practise of peri-urban agriculture. The study recommends that peri-urban agriculture should be promoted as a tool to achieve household food security and that land issues regarding to land sizes and land tenure be attended to if peri-urban agriculture is to contribute more positively in ensuring household food security within the peri-urban spheres.
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