Analysis of the Influence of Forms of Urban Agriculture on the Socio- Economic Status of the Farmers in Kampala and Mbarara Cities, Uganda

Abstract

The study analysed the influence of the forms and drivers of urban agriculture on the socio-economic status of farmers in Kampala and Mbarara cities in Uganda. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design using multiple methods of data collection. A multistage cluster sampling technique involving simple random sampling to get both primary and secondary sampling units, snowball to get target respondents and purposive sampling for key informants and focus group members was used. Data were collected using social survey questionnaires for households, focus group discussions checklist (FGDs), key informant interview guides and observations, from a sample of 384 respondents. The study found a strong association between forms of urban agriculture and the socioeconomic status of the urban farmers in Kampala and Mbarara Cities. Subsistence forms (backyard, roadside and rooftop gardens), commercial forms (zero grazing, poultry, fish farms and crop farms), and tourist forms (demonstration sites) had a significant influence on household food and income security of urban farmers. The study established the lack of land, improved technologies and training as major obstacles and recommended the establishment of community networks, availing subsidies and credit and recruitment of extension personnel as interventions to help urban farmers.