Enabling Urban Agriculture in the Global North and South: A Comparative Study of the UK and Nigeria

George, Tayo

Abstract

As the world's urban population rises, we must reconsider our relationship with food. As a result of the growing population and insufficient food produced in rural regions, poverty and hunger are on the rise. Urban Agriculture (UA) has the potential to reduce food miles and improve urban food security. The coronavirus pandemic hampered the movement of people and products, reducing access to agricultural labour and the conventional food system; however, since the pandemic, UA has gained increased interest from a host of actors. UA has attained considerable success in the Global North (GN), but not in the Global South (GS) due to expensive set-up costs, negative perception, upscaling challenges and inadequate government support. In the GS, UA has a long history overall, but formal UA practice is restricted. This research assesses UA in the GN and GS by examining current methods and potential for upscaling practice in Lagos and the UK. This study uses a qualitative methodology to compare urban food growing systems. In Nigeria, limited education on innovative UA practices, exclusion from planning and zoning, and lack of supportive regulations and incentives are evident. Findings however show that the government's interest in UA has increased, as has the perception of young people and urban inhabitants due to food insecurity. This contradicts past findings and suggests UA has immense potential in Nigeria. In the UK, results reveal that one of the major challenges of UA is around categorisation of the practice, which due to its diverse nature sometimes hinders access to funding. Furthermore, as certain UA methods are new and sophisticated, communities are less receptive to them and thereby perceived as being too complex to understand. Nigeria's government encourages UA alongside urban farmers to enhance food accessibility and variety, while the UK leans towards promotion of physical activity, green space, and social cohesion. Both places require greater government funding, education, and resources. Policymakers and urban planners must collaborate directly with urban farmers to find methods to overcome these difficulties, as a close cooperation may bring about meaningful change.

Citation

George, T. (2023). Enabling Urban Agriculture in the Global North and South: A Comparative Study of the UK and Nigeria. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 6, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 2, 2024
• Award Date: Sep 29, 2023