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Gardens of Hope: Urban Micro-Farming
Gardens of Hope: Urban Micro-Farming
Gardens of Hope: Urban Micro-Farming
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa 17-25 August 2005
Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF), ETC Urban Agriculture, Leusden, the Netherlands Abalimi Bezekhaya, Cape Town, South Africa EU-ACP Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Ede, the Netherlands
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)
CONTENTS 1. Introduction Introduction to backgrounds, aims, participants and programme of the study visit and workshop. 2. Urban Micro-farming and HIV-Aids; A need for systematisation of experiences and scaling up An introduction to the key issues by the organisers of the study visit 3. Presentation of experiences Short presentations of the experiences gained by the organisations participating in the study visit (see the introduction to this paragraph for an overview of the 20 cases presented during the study visit) 4. Conclusions and recommendations A summary of the main conclusions and recommendations to local and national policy makers and donor agencies 5. Follow up actions An overview of the follow up actions planned by the participants. ANNEXES 1. List of participants 2. Role and main sources of protein and micro-nutrients 3. Overview of nutritional characteristics of selected food products
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)
List of abbreviations CBO CHW CSO IGA NGO MOA MOH PLWHA or PWA TOT Community Based Organisation Community Health Worker Civil Society Organisation Income Generating Activity Non-Government Organisation Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Health People Living With HIV-AIDS Training of Trainers
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)
1. INTRODUCTION The problematic In countries of Southern Africa at least one of five adults is suffering from HIV-AIDS, of which the main part in the urban areas. South Africa alone has a total of 4.2 million HIV infected people. Over one third of 15-years olds may die of AIDS. What strikes when visiting families affected by HIV-AIDS in low income neighbourhoods, is that such families normally first and for all ask for food, rather than medicines, counselling or care. However, strange enough, food is rarely made the focus of HIV-AIDS mitigation programmes and many HIV-affected households find it difficult to follow the nutrition recommendations provided to them due to lack of cash and access to fresh nutritious food Research results1 clearly indicate that adequate nutrition although it cannot cure HIV-infection- can enhance life expectancy and the quality of life of HIV-infected persons substantially. Balanced diets are essential to maintain body weight and muscle tissue, replace lost vitamins and minerals, strengthen the immune system and thereby reduce the susceptibility to co-infections and enhance the ability to fight such infections (e.g. diarrhoea, TB, respiratory infections), improve the response to treatment and delay the onset of full blown AIDS. On the other hand we observe in cities in Southern Africa that poor urban people are increasingly seeking to survive by gardening and raising of animals in their back yard gardens and on vacant public land (e.g. along rivers, roads, below power lines, in flood zones, on ex dump sites, etcetera). Also an increasing number of community centres, schools, hospitals and clinics allow community groups to use part of their land for food production by poor and vulnerable people, often involving families affected by HIV-Aids or caring for orphans. Urban farming is emerging strongly in Sub-Saharan Africa as a survival strategy of the urban poor and families affected by HIV-AIDS with lack of purchasing power and low access to nutritious food and as a response to the growing food needs of the rapidly growing cities (especially perishable products like green vegetables, milk, poultry meat, etc.). Several Churches, NGOs and Municipalities actively supporting community based food production projects in resource poor neighbourhoods because they recognised food and nutrition needs of the urban poor and vulnerable. The study visit and workshop on Urban Micro-Farming and HIV-AIDS Against the background sketched above, it is understandable why the Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF), operated by ETC Urban Agriculture, Leusden the Netherlands2 took the initiative to organise a study visit and workshop on Urban-micro farming and HIV-Aids, in cooperation with Abalimi Bezekhaya and other South African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that are
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See www.ruaf.org for more information on RUAF and the Cities Farming for the Future programme that ETC and regional RUAF partners are implementing.
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)
promoting small scale urban farming activities in Cape Town, Johannesburg and other cities in South Africa. The EU-ACP Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) provided the financial support. The Conference Company (TCTC, Cape Town) provided the logistical support needed to realise the study visit and workshop3. The organizers brought together a variety of stakeholders including senior staff of Municipal Health and/or Agriculture departments, NGOs and CBOs from various countries in Southern Africa. Part of them is involved in urban gardening and livestock programmes, while others are implementing HIV-AIDS programmes with a strong nutrition component (and some do already both)4. The study facilitated the exchange and analysis of experiences among these stakeholders regarding the potentials and limitations of urban food production as an additional strategy for mitigating the effects of the HIV-AIDS epidemic. This with the following aims: To identify successful approaches and critical factors in the design and implementation of urban micro-farming activities To enhance the impacts and sustainability of existing urban micro-farming activities and their relevance for HIV-AIDS infected persons and their families To facilitate the inclusion of urban micro-farming in HIV-AIDS programmes implemented by NGOs and local and national government To establish a platform for information exchange and mutual support in the field of Urban Food Production and HIV/AIDS The key questions that were looked into during this study visit and workshop included the following: Which factors determine the success or failure of micro-farming projects that seek to improve nutrition and income of households affected by HIV-AIDS? How to select the right project locations and participants? How to enhance their access to land and water for urban micro-farming projects close to their homes? How to enhance security of land use for urban micro farming? How to overcome the labour constraints that are experienced by HIV affected families? What are recommended nutritious crops, animals and technologies? What is optimal plot size for one family, taking into account nutritional needs and available labour? What risks associated with urban farming have to be taken into account? How does the way these projects are organised influence their social impacts (positive and negative)? What lessons have been learned regarding the organisational and institutional aspects of (various types of) micro-farming? How to reduce the risks associated with farming activities in densely populated areas? How to finance urban micro farming projects?
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Thanks Michele, Wendy, Ndashe !! See Annex 1 for the list of participants.
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)
How to monitor the impacts of these projects on nutrition, health, livelihood and life expectancy of HIV-AIDS infected persons and their families? How to scale up from local successful initiatives? How to ensure the sustainability of micro farming projects?
The programme for the study visit and workshop was as follows: August 17 and 18 August 19 and 20 August 21 August 22 and 23 August 24 and 25 Participants present their experiences Visits to urban micro-farming projects in/around Johannesburg Travel to Cape Town; rest Visits to Urban micro-farming projects in/around Cape Town Analysis of experiences gained; Formulation of conclusions and recommendations; Planning of follow up actions
The following micro-farming projects were visited: Nomvano Food Garden in Mamelodi Pretoria, supported by Food and Trees for Africa. Contact Jeunesse Park (011-803 9750) Leumo Le Botse letswa Tshemong project at the Pimville Clinic, Soweto, supported by Food and Trees for Africa. Contact: Jeunesse Park (011-803 9750) Kathlehong Home Food gardens project, East Rand, Johannesburg, supported by Food Gardens Foundation. Contact Hilda Pheto (011- 880 5956) Sparrow Rainbow Village HIV Hospice, Maraisburg, Johannesburg. Contact Corrine Mclintock (011-472 6628) Urban Farmers Cooperative in Diepsloot, Johannesburg supported by Cooperative and Alternative Policy Centre. Contact: Constance Pendula (083-7401584) False Bay Hospital Community Garden in Cape Town. Contact: Wendy Crawford (082- 8261333) Sezeni Support Group for HIV/Aids Garden in Cape Town, supported by Art of Living. Contact: Nyameka Ndashe (021- 7892494) Masizame Womans Group in Driftsands, supported by Soil for Life. Contact Pat Featherstone (021- 794 4982) Women for Peace Project in Mfuleni, Cape Town supported by Soil for Life. Contact: Pat Featherstone (021-794 4982) Thando Community Centre in Touws River supported by Soil for Life. Contact: Pat Featherstone (021-794 4982) Ntwasahlobo School and Community Garden Project in Cape Town supported by Abalimi Bezekhaya. Contact: Rob Small (021- 3711653). Siyazama Community Allotment Garden Association (SCAGA) in Macassar, Cape Town, supported by Abalimi Bezekhaya. Contact: Rob Small (021- 371 1653).
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)
2. URBAN MICRO-FARMING AND HIV-AIDS; A NEED FOR SYSTEMATISATION OF EXPERIENCES AND SCALING UP Ir. Henk de Zeeuw Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF) ETC Urban Agriculture Leusden, The Netherlands INTRODUCTION The participants to the study visit cum workshop on urban micro-farming and HIVAIDS come from a variety of backgrounds: practitioners from the health sectors and their colleagues in agriculture, people from NGOs as well as from local government and research. With this presentation I seek to establish a common ground and a starting point for the exchange of experiences during this study visit, by: a. Summarizing some facts on the relation between poverty, nutrition and HIV-Aids b. Defining urban micro-farming and its potential for enhancing food security and nutrition c. Listing some key questions that we want to explore during this study visit (and thereafter) d. Formulating some working hypothesis regarding the design of effective urban micro-farming projects that aim at enhancing food security and nutrition of HIVAIDS infected and affected persons. POVERTY, NUTRITION AND HIV-AIDS: SOME FACTS A vicious circle exists between poverty and inequalities and HIV-Aids with malnutrition as the key link. Poor households are more exposed to HIV Aids and are more severally impacted by HIV Aids. Women, who are key actors in household food security and care giving, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of the disease and its impacts. The vicious circle is as follows: Poverty and inequalities lead to nutrition deficits and higher exposure to HIVinfection. A person who is malnourished and acquires HIV is more likely to progress faster to AIDS because the body is already weak, is more susceptible for coinfections (like tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhoea), reduces the bodys ability to absorb nutrients, and leads so to weight loss, muscle wasting and nutrient deficiencies (A,C,E, Selenium, Zinc). The parasitic infestations and malnutrition may result in increased oxidative stress and immune suppression, which leads to increased HIV replication in the body (higher viral loads) and hastens the transition from HIV to full Aids and finally to death. Families affected by HIV-AIDS tend to have higher expenses due to costs related to treatment, while income tends to go down. As a consequence, these families tend to save on food expenditures by reducing food quality and quantity (food constitutes 50-70% of expenditures of poor families), although the presence of HIV-infected persons requires more food and better diets.
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)
In their effort to try to cope to this situation, these families often also apply other survival strategies that on the long run work out negatively on family livelihood: taking children out of school, young women becoming sex worker, reallocation or splitting up the family, taking loans to fill the gaps, etcetera). As a consequence: deepening poverty and malnutrition. Remaining family members are more at risk now to become HIV infected. Especially young women are much more susceptible for contracting HIV-Aids; in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia young women are three to six times more infected by HIV-Aids than young men, a/o due to their sub-servient status in the household/community and becoming a sex worker as a survival strategy. Also orphans are particularly susceptible since they are likely to be more malnourished and more exposed to unsafe sexual behaviours.
Enhancing food security and nutrition of vulnerable households should receive much more attention in programmes seeking to mitigate the effects of the HIV-AIDS pandemic. Research results5 clearly indicate that: Adequate nutrition cannot cure HIV-infection, but can enhance life expectancy and the quality of life of HIV-infected persons substantially. Balanced diets are essential to maintain body weight and muscle tissue, replace lost vitamins and minerals, strengthen the immune system and thereby reduce the susceptibility to co-infections and enhance the ability to fight such infections (e.g. diarrhoea, TB, respiratory infections), improve the response to treatment and delay the onset of full blown AIDS. HIV-infected adults and children have increased energy (10-30 %) and protein needs (up to 15 %)6 and need sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals to compensate for losses and increasing inefficiency of the body. However, in practice the food intake and food quality of HIV infected and affected persons is often declining rather than improving amongst others due to loss of income and loss of appetite due to depression, painful sores in the mouth, side effect of medicines, etcetera. HIV infected pregnant and lactating women need special attention, since they already need extra energy, proteins and micro-nutrients for their pregnancy and lactancy, next to the extra requirements due to HIV-infection. Their situation can be compounded by existing socio-cultural habits and gender relations that restrict their food intake and food quality. Mother to child transfer of HIV-infection is highly affected by nutrition (of mother and infant). Adequate nutrition is also essential to optimize the benefits of ARV-treatment: the ARVs are more effective if the treated persons are well nourished which is normally not the case in low income neighbourhoods. It is like building a house. If you have a roof but there are no walls and no foundation, the house is not very useful. If you include drug therapy but you do not have adequate nutritious food, you will not be able to fight the infection7. Hence, food and nutrition programmes are becoming all the more important with the increasing access to ARV-treatment in developing countries.
See literature references at the end of this paper WHO concludes that data regarding increase in protein requirements due to HIV-infection are insufficient and hence states that HIV-infected persons do not require more protein than the level recommended for healthy persons. However, HIV-infected persons often have pre-infection malnutrition and protein deficiencies need proper attention, especially by increasing food intake to required levels and improving nutritional quality of the food (FANTA-AED, 2004). 7 UN-AIDS, 2001, Nutrition Policy Paper, Volume 20
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Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)
Many HIV-Aids mitigation programs include a nutrition education component for the HIV-affected people and their families. However, the impact of such nutrition education is generally low since the recommended foodstuffs are not locally available or cannot be afforded by the poor families. Access to food is one of the main problems of HIV impacted communities. Accordingly, enhancing access to food of good quality forms a crucial entry point for programmes assisting such communities. Such food security and nutrition programmes have there largest impacts at the early stages of HIV-infection before developing into stages requiring antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) treatment (that is however the stage that most people do not know yet that they are infected with HIV). Often food aid is used to supplement the diets of HIV-infected persons through specific programmes providing food handouts (e.g. through clinics and community centres) to families affected by HIV-Aids or caring for orphans. However, the organisations involved in such programmes rapidly recognise that this is not a sustainable solution and that a more structural solution is needed to ensure access of HIV-infected families to nutritious food and income. Local food production projects can possibly fulfil such a role in a sustainable way. URBAN AGRICULTURE Urban micro-farming can be defined as the growing of plants and raising of animals, and related activities like water harvesting, composting, food processing and marketing, by urban people (especially poor and unemployed people) for food, income, medicinal herbs, shade/micro-climate on small tracts of land in home yards and in vacant public or semi-open spaces in the built up city (along and in rivers, roads, below power lines, in flood zones, on ex dump sites, etcetera) and in the periurban area. For the purpose of this study visit, the following types of micro-farming may be distinguished: a. home gardens (attached to the private house; includes cellars, barns, balconies, rooftops, window sills, green walls). b. community gardens (garden area split up in small family plots; often on public or semi-public grounds) c. institutional gardens run by schools, hospitals, prisons, factories d. open field plots (small holders, especially peri-urban, owned or rented) Urban food production in the South is in many cases a response of urban dwellers to: inadequate, unreliable and irregular access to food supplies, partly due to either a lack of availability of food or a lack of purchasing power and inadequate access to formal employment opportunities. Urban farming is emerging strongly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the fastest urban growth is occurring in countries least equipped to feed their cities, but recently a strong increase was also observed in other regions with acute economic crisis (e.g. Zimbabwe). Urban agriculture may contribute to: Increased urban food security and reduced malnutrition through enhancing access to fresh nutrient-rich foods of urban populations suffering from food insecurity and malnutrition. Increased income opportunities for the urban poor through agricultural activities: a. self-provisioning reduces family expenditures on food. As the
Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa (17-25 August 2005)