Towards a sustainable city: dynamics and challenges of urban farming in Eldoret, Kenya

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation, high population growth, and accelerated development are posing sustainability challenges to secondary cities like Eldoret, especially in the areas of food security and nutrition, despite the urban population’s active involvement in urban farming. As such, this research aimed at identifying the dynamics, motivations, and challenges of urban farming in Eldoret city with the goal of ensuring the sustainability of economic outcomes, social outcomes, and environmental outcomes. A mixed research design was adopted with data collection, both quantitative and qualitative, through household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and observations. The findings reveal that 96% of the households practice urban agriculture, with 12% relying on it as the main source of livelihood. Home gardens are the main type of urban farming, with 49% of respondents practising, while the main challenges reported were limited space (24%), livestock and crop diseases (17%), water scarcity (15%), and expensive farm inputs (14%). The key motivations for practising urban farming are to reduce food costs (36%), supplement food (28%), and as a source of income (14%). Despite the challenges, the urban farmers have devised strategies to cope-research and training; control of weeds, pests, and diseases; timely purchase and utilization of farm inputs; and effective water management are some of the strategies. The challenges, not adopting modern urban farming practices and a vacuum in the policy framework, present a situation where the economic, social, and environmental sustainability outcomes are likely to be stifled, hence impacting negatively on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, and 11 by 2030.