Kenya urban farming has potential to create resilient city, town families during crisis

“Our vertical gardens also allow for more crop rotations per year than conventional farming systems in addition to providing for mess-free farming and speed up crop cycle,” said Onyango.

Staff Reporter
Farmers Review Africa
April 29, 2023

Excerpt:

Although it may not offer complete solution to poor city and town dwellers’ economic and food security problems as has been the claim, urban agriculture has the potential to create resilient communities to food prices that may be brought about during and post COVID-19 crisis.

According to Elizabeth Onyango, one of the founders of Ukulima Tech, a Kenyan social enterprise startup that make vertical gardening setups for urban farmers, going forward, town and city dwellers have to learn very fast on how to convert the little space they have into kitchen gardens to cushion themselves against market shocks.

“Unless everyone gets involved in food production at whatever capacity they can, we may not be able to recover very fast post the pandemic which may also come with its negative impacts on food prices,” said Onyango.

In fact, during the peak of COVID-19 farming and food availability in markets were really affected as inputs remained scarce and vital agrochemicals were delayed in ports and at customs checkpoints.

However, according to Onyango, with vertical farming systems one can manage organic and pest-free crop production that meets sustainable and healthy food for optimal nutrition.

A multi-level structure which is one of the firm’s setup for urban farmers gives about eight times more growing area than an average greenhouse.

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