DRIVERS, PRACTICES, AND CHALLENGES OF URBAN AGRICULTURE: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM DILLA TOWN

In Ethiopia, the significance of urban agriculture as a source of livelihood is well-recognized. However, the benefits of urban agriculture have not yet been realized to a satisfying degree. This article aims to understand the drivers, practices, and challenges of urban agriculture in Dilla town. The empirical data upon which the author draws was gathered through repeated periods of qualitative fieldwork carried out in 2020 with 36 farmers in Dilla town, Southern Ethiopia. Direct observation, interviews, and focus group discussions were used to obtain the required empirical data. This study has also benefited from various secondary sources. As the study shows, direct food supply, increased economic security, improved social inclusion, and regulated urban microclimate are the logic behind the involvement of farmers in urban agriculture. Urban agriculture is characterized by mixed-type of farming and includes crop production (mainly horticulture production) and livestock production (mainly poultry and dairy farming). Crop production in the town takes different forms and it includes home-garden farming, open-space farming, and peri-urban farming. As the study further shows, lack of access to urban agricultural land, land tenure insecurity, lack of urban farming skills, lack of access to credit facilities, lack of basic agricultural supplies and extension services, and limited attention given to urban agriculture from relevant state structures are major challenges facing urban agriculture. The policy implication of the study is that the government should work to promote urban agriculture and ensure its productivity in a way that benefits all for whom it is intended.