South Africa: ActionSA sets eyes on reviving urban farming

“But this time we are saying as ActionSA we would like to support farmers, and we are saying let’s make Johannesburg green,” she emphasises.

By Thando Nondywana
Soweto Urban
Apr 20, 2023

Excerpt:

The project called ‘Let’s Work The Soil’ led by Thuli Nkomo and Mpumi Edward, ActionSA Cllrs in the City of Johannesburg is a bid to establish sustainable farming initiatives in the City that will tackle high levels of unemployment and poverty.

According to the pair, the sole aim is to ensure individuals and communities are self-sufficient through small scale farming, backyard farming, and garden farming.

“A lot of people are based in urban areas. People come here to seek job opportunities but that is not always the case and because we have a high unemployment rate, it makes sense to liberate people through farming in our communities, educate them to grown their own food, sustain themselves and turn it into an income thus becoming less reliance on government,” said Nkomo.

The project aims to train every household on how to grow their own food and will work together with farmers in identifying and securing pockets of unused land owned by the city to drive the project.

Edward says the project will be open to anyone with a household.

“What we have found is that some of these unused lands are owned by the City, and we will assist them in getting permission to utilise the spaces.

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