Sagantaa Leenjii Dandeettii Misooma Bizinesii

Intarpiraayzota Xixiqqaa fi Giddu Galeessaa

Qonna Magaalaa Shaggar

Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (UPA):

Concept, global & national trends, initiatives,
opportunities, challenges & strategies to
address the challenges
By
Messay Mulugeta (PhD), Assoc Prof at College
of Devt Studies, AAU

April 07, 2023

Adama
  Messay Mulugeta (PhD), Asso Prof
 CFSS PhD Program & Research Coordinator
CDS/AAU
 Research Fellow /2022 - 2025/
CACS, University of Johannesburg (non-
resident)
 Visiting scholar alumnus of FDDI, KIEP &
A brief CV

Moi University
 Published & co-published >50 articles &
book chapters
 Website:
http://www.aau.edu.et/cds/center-for-food-security-studies/
messay-mulugeta-tefera/
 https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3d9Hm3QAAAA
J&hl=en
 Office No CDS/AAU 13
 Email: mesalemamo@gmail.com
 Core values
Relaxed Inclusiveness &
Openness & No
atmosphere no hierarchy
transparency defensiveness
with discipline among us

Limited
Constructive Professionalism Honesty and
professional
controversy & respect bluntness
jargons

Punctuality & Switch off Only through

attentiveness mobile phone the chairperson
 Contents
UPA:
• The concept
• Global & national trends
• Global initiatives
• Opportunities, advantage & challenges
• Strategies for addressing the challenges
• Recommendations
Why such training for urban experts
& administrators?
 Sustainable urbanization is key to
successful development (UN DESA)
 Understanding the key trends in
urbanization likely to unfold over the
coming years is crucial to the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, including
efforts to forge a new framework of
urban development.
 Recommended to be continuous &
sustainable
UPA: the concept
• Several (even hundreds) of
definitions of the concept of UPA
• General: UPA can be defined as
practices that yield food and other
outputs through agricultural
production and related processes
(transformation, distribution,
marketing, recycling … ), taking
place on land and other spaces
within cities and surrounding
regions (Source:
https://www.fao.org/)
 UPA:
offers a fundamental
strategy for building
the resilience of a
city’s food supply &
poverty reduction,
particularly these
days /time of
hyperinflations/
Why UPA matters these days?

• today, 55% of the world’s

population lives in urban areas,
• expected to increase to 68% of
the 9 billion by 2050.
What type of farms are suitable
to UPA?

… mostly As well as herbs and

vegetables, root medicinal plants, or
crops, fruits &, dairy ornamental varieties
farms, apiculture … of plants.
We are required to consider:
• Communities
• Places Let’s discuss in view of
• Approaches the current status of
• Policies Shaggar
• Example: Who are
Institutions
• actors? Communities?
Systems
What methods? Are
• Ecologies
there places? etc
 UPA uses largely
regenerating local
resources to meet
changing needs of
local populations
while serving
multiple goals and
functions.
 What are such
resource? Animal
dung/composite,
etc
 What are they?

Re-used tap Composite Decomposed Others?

water organic leftovers
UPA: current status & trend
The value of global urban farming
market is about USD 550 billion (Bittaa-
gurgurtaa oomisha qonna magaalaan
wal-qabate qofa)

(Source: https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/)
 A few cities paving
the way forward for
urban agriculture:

New York City (USA):

• has over 550
community gardens
on city property,
• over 745 school
gardens,
• over 700 gardens at
public housing
developments.
Dubai, UAE
• Is a sustainable city
• $354 million megaproject with
driverless cars, greenhouses, & solar-
powered villas
• the net zero energy development
project
• The development boasts 11 natural
‘biodome’ greenhouses, 32,300
square feet of outdoor urban farms,
and individual garden farms for local
food production.
• This project proves the endless
possibilities of UP in a desert
environment.
Singapore City/Country
• UPA is a central focus of the
Govt & local organizations,
• brought in the whole country to
find innovative ways to
increase local agriculture in a
very urban setting.
• The government’s
Community in Bloom Initiative
has enabled the construction of
1,500 community gardens
• for an aspiring urban farmers.
 Manila,
Philippines
• A multi-sectoral initiatives
in Manila have led to the
expansion of city farming
activities.
• The city government has
entered into a partnership
with the Ministry of
Agriculture (MoA) to
promote urban gardening
as a means to ensure
stability of food supply
and help alleviate poverty
within the communities
Kampala, Uganda
UPA: advantages

• It cleans & greens

the environment
UPA:
Advantages…
2
 Example: Gaara Furii
UPA: is potential for urban
Advantages… forestry
3
UPA:
Advantages…
4
UPA: Note: We must think of
Advantages… well thought-out physical
5 and socioeconomic
planning for Shaggar
before late
UPA:
Advantages…
6
In general, UPA helps in
• Increasing urban food security
• Creating fresher, healthier
foods
• Urban regeneration and use of
under-utilized spaces
• Enhancing community
involvement
• Making efficient use of land &
other spaces
• Economic growth and job
creation
• Decreasing food waste
• Enhancing investment &
entrepreneurship
What opportunities are out there
to enhance UPA in Shaggar??
Urban Development is one the
focus area of the 10-years growth
plan of the FDRE (2021 – 203)

The Experience of AA City

Administration Office of Urban
Agriculture

Availability of huge working age in

the city (Shaggar)

Still wider spaces, roundabouts,

school compounds, etc in the city
 What opportunities are
out there ...?

• Still wider spaces, Furii roundabout

roundabouts,
school compounds,
roadsides,
individual
Kooyyee Faccee
compounds, etc in
the city
 UPUA: challenges

 Environmental and occupational

health concerns limit the contribution
of UPA to the transformation of cities
to circular bioeconomies
 Competition for water if unregulated
use of wastewater
 Climate change challenges for UPA
 Financing of urban and peri-urban
agriculture: a major bottleneck
 Lack of integration of the food system
into urban governance
UPA: Strategies to address the
challenges
 Strengthening a systemic approach to
urban food systems
 Strategies to increase social inclusion
and build individual, household and
organizational agency
 Strategies for accessing urban and
peri-urban land
 Integrating food and agricultural land
use into urban planning
 Strategies for regenerative agriculture,
agroecology and business
development services
UPA: Strategies to …
 Strategies for repositioning local
food marketing
 Strategies for the safe recovery and
reuse of organic wastes as key
components of urban circular
bioeconomy
 Strategies to address urban
agriculture and food finance
bottleneck
 Strategies for strengthening urban
food system governance
UPA Initiative: Potentials for collaboration
& experience sharing
Green Cities Initiatives
 In September 2020, FAO launched its Green
Cities Initiative aimed at improving the
livelihoods and well-being of urban and
peri-urban populations in at least 100 cities
around the world in the next three years,
looking to have 1000 cities join by 2030.

 The Initiative focuses on improving the

urban environment, strengthening urban-
rural linkages and the resilience of urban
systems, services and populations to
external shocks.
Urban Food Agenda
 is an FAO flagship initiative to enhance sustainable development,
food security and nutrition in urban and peri-urban areas, and
nearby rural spaces.

 It consists of a vast range of stakeholders: CSOs, academia, UN &

International agencies, City Networks and relevant public and
private bodies and entities.

 FAO 2030 Vision for the Urban Food Agenda is an integral part of
the Organization’s vision of resilient, integrated, sustainable and
inclusive food systems, which ensure that all people in all places
are free from hunger and all forms of malnutrition.
Urban Food Actions Platform
 This Platform provides access to a comprehensive
database of resources related to urban policies and
programmes, to achieve sustainable urban food
systems.

 It covers a wide range of aspects: Governance and

planning, Sustainable diets and nutrition, Social and
economic equity, Food production and ecosystem
management, Food supply and distribution, Food
loss and waste.
Urban & Peri-Urban Forestry Initiative
 RUAF (Resource Centre for Urban Agriculture &
Forestry)

 started in 1999 as a project managed by ETC Foundation in

response to the recognition by representatives from various
international organizations, including UNDP, FAO, IDRC, GTZ
and CIRAD, of the need to address the increasing
“urbanization of poverty”.
 is a consortium of expert institutions and individuals that
includes cities, research institutes and NGOs, with a
recognized track record in urban and peri-urban agriculture
and urban food system solutions.
 The partnership is a platform for learning and knowledge
brokering between science, policy and practice.
 • ATI (already started and realized this
training)
Potential • College of Development Studies
(AU) has relevant Centers for
national collaboration
organizations  Center for Food Security Studies
for (has two programs: DRRMD &
Food Security Studies)
collaboration
 Center for Environment (has
with Shaggar programs related to Envt,
City Tourism, Water,…)
 Center for Regional, Local and
Urban Studies
Coffee break
 UPA investment
• Urban farming can be found in
pretty much every area of the city.
• In public spaces and parks, next to
apartment buildings and condos, on
top of rooftops, next to restaurants
and other businesses, in backyards,
at schools, and anywhere else you
can think of.
• So investors may come up with
many unique approaches to urban
farming investment that work in a
variety of different conditions and
settings.
Where to invest in UPA?
 Private gardens
 Community gardens
 Institutional gardens (schools,
hospitals, adm & sector office
compounds, etc)
 Landscape not suitable for
construction
 Peri-urban areas
 Rooftops
 Roadsides
 Squares/roundabouts (such as Furi
square in Shaggar)
Approaches in UPA investment:

Vertical Farming
• Vertical farming involves growing crops in layers that are
stacked vertically. This can be accomplished by growing on
shelving, or on specially-modified pallets against fences or
walls.
• Vertical farms can be housed in abandoned mineshafts or
other underground tunnels, inside of buildings, or in
shipping containers..
• Vertical farming can make a square foot of space orders of
magnitude more efficient at producing food, since many
plants don’t need a lot of vertical space to grow.
Hydroponics
• Hydroponics is any system for growing plants without soil. Instead,
nutrients are added to water that plants are immersed in, or that
regularly washes over the roots of the plants.
• Gravel, perlite, or other materials can be used to provide more
physical support for the plants.
• Hydroponic systems can use chemical fertilizers, or organic matter
like manure.
• Since water in hydroponics systems is recycled and reused, it can
save on water usage for growing crops.
• A conventional farm requires about 400 liters of water to grow a
kilogram of tomatoes, while a hydroponic system can grow the
same amount using only 70 liters of water.
• Hydroponics can be used to grow plants where the conditions are
too harsh to grow them in soil.
Aquaponics
 Aquaponics is any system that
combines conventional aquaculture
(farming fish or other sea life) with
hydroponics.
 This creates a symbiotic relationship
between the fish and plants.
 Fish eat food and produce ammonia.
Helpful bacteria in the water
converts ammonia into nutrients for
the plants.
 The plants absorb the nutrients,
which act like a natural fertilizer.
And water gets constantly
recirculated through the system so
the cycle can continue.
Shipping containers
• If the weather outside isn’t
conducive to growing, or even if
you just want a more stable pest-
free environment for growing,
shipping container farms are a
great option.
• They don’t take up small space and
you can fit one in almost anywhere,
even just in an unused corner of a
parking lot.
• Special systems can be installed for
lighting, climate control, as well as
other factors to create a perfect
growing environment.
Rooftop farming
 Rooftops of skyscrapers and
apartment buildings
represent a largely
underused resource.
• Raised beds, and even
greenhouses or animals like
chickens on rooftops are all
a possibility.
• It all depends on what the
owner of the building is
comfortable allowing you to
do with the space, and what
your local laws are.
Mushrooms farming

• For mushrooms, a clear

plastic bag is filled with
a growing medium like
coffee grounds and
straw.
• This is then inoculated
with mycelium of the
mushroom species
you’re trying to grow.
Microgreens

 Microgreens are the tiny

sprouts of vegetables that
are harvested when
they’re just a few days to
weeks old.
• Almost any vegetable can
be grown as a
microgreen, but
sunflowers, pea shoots,
and radishes are some of
the most popular ones.
Backyard gardens

• With the right urban

farming techniques, you
can actually make a full-
time income on a space as
small as 1/3rd or 1/4 of an
acre. Backyard farms are
also referred to as market
gardens.
• The best part about
backyard gardens is that
you don’t even necessarily
need to own the land to
start growing on them.
 Recommendations
 Introduce proper socioeconomic
& physical planning of Shaggar
City, considering UPA
 Introduce UPA Implementation
Guideline for Shaggar City
 Introduce UPA Policy for Shaggar
City
 Introduce EIA Guideline for UPA
in Shaggar City
 Proper mgt of
agricultural waste
(organic & chemical)
(biogas formation may
be the best option)
 If not, it may be a cause
for contaminants such as
bacteria, viruses,
intestinal parasites, etc
 The chemicals may be
even more dangerous, if Composite
not well managed
If not properly managed,
may be a cause for:
 corruption, bribes
 water and power
shortage
 bad odor and/or
unpleasant environment
 Traffic accident (owing to
wondering animals)
• Adequate budget, IT technology & relevant/committed
staff
• UPA knowledge & technology center for Shaggar
• Meritorious UPA leadership and practices
• Research, identify and mitigate systematic bottlenecks
and traditions
• On-job training for UPA practitioners
• Finally, Finfinnee is already congested. Then, Shaggar
must use this relative advantage to attract embassies
& offices of international organizations to Construct
their offices in Shaggar.
 Yeroo marii, ijoo dubbii

Maalin Maaltuu narraa

hubadhe? eegama?
References

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systems. Rome, FAO and Rikolto. (https://doi.org/10.4060/cb9722en).
 Erwin, D. (2022). Urban and peri-urban agriculture case studies – Overview, conclusions and
recommendations. An annex to Urban and peri-urban agriculture – From production to food
systems. Rome, FAO and Leuven, Rikolto.
 Prain G, Simon D, Halliday J and Drechsel P (2022) Investment priorities for research and innovation in
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6:965011. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.965011.
 Yan, D.; Liu, L.; Liu, X.; Zhang, M. Global Trends in Urban Agriculture Research: A Pathway toward Urban
Resilience and Sustainability. Land 2022, 11, 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010117.
 Kennard, N.J., Bamford, R.H. (2020). Urban Agriculture: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable
Development. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P.G., Wall, T. (eds) Zero Hunger.
Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-
319-95675-6_102