Harare — In the mushrooming cities of the developing world, farming is a growing business. Figures from the United Nations Development Programme peg the number of urban farmers at about 800 million worldwide. Most of them are poor or middle class. They raise livestock and grow produce to feed their families and, where possible, to generate income.

In the process, they recycle wastes, reuse water, and put idle land to productive use. Many governments now recognise the contribution urban farmers make to cleaner, healthier cities. Most, however, lack policies to integrate urban agriculture into sustainable urban management practices.

The International Development Research Centre has initiated a Cities Feeding People (CFP) Programme to try to bridge that gap by supporting research and development activities that increase the food security and incomes of the poor while maintaining public health and a clean urban environment.

Through CFP projects, the Programme Initiative is seeking to create a better understanding of the constraints faced by urban farmers who are often hampered by unfavourable local policies and limited access to resources. Women producers, in particular, face many obstacles. CFP also supports research that examines the political economy of urban agriculture, including access to credit and investment schemes, the role of urban agriculture in the recycling chain, and links with rural agriculture.

The concept of urban agriculture in Zimbabwe took off the ground during the years of the liberation struggle as most families left their rural homes due to the war to settle in the cities where they had to supplement their incomes by tilling small pieces of land.

Despite the end of the war, urban agriculture has continued to prosper as a food and income supplement.

According to a study by the University of Zimbabwe Department of Geography and Environmental studies conducted last year, the number of open areas in Harare under cultivation rose from 4 822 in 1980 to 9 288 hectares in 1994.

At least more than 70 percent of urban dwellers were said to be living in poverty and it was hoped urban farming would greatly improve their lifestyles

In the past, urban agriculture in Zimbabwe was viewed as having a negative impact on the environment and planning settlements to the extent that urban councils had made it illegal.

However, owing to the importance of urban farming in poverty reduction, councils last year resolved to support it.

This resulted in the allocation of about 40 000 hectares for urban farming in Harare.

The land was mainly made up of farms around the city that were acquired by the Government.

The Harare City Council also resolved not to slash any maize this year in view of the severity of the drought.

Council public relations officer, Mr Cuthbert Rwazemba said no maize crops would be slashed this year because of the serious food shortages.

"Council will not slash any maize crop this year because of the increasing high levels of food shortage and poverty among the people," he said.

The city council has in the past destroyed maize crops because it was either planted too close to rivers or national roads.

Many residents defy council bans on stream-bank cultivation and do not observe the stipulated 30-metre distance from a river or stream, which causes siltation of rivers.

Siltation may affect water supply in the metropolitan area.

Experience from other countries, especially western nations, has shown that if co-ordinated successfully, urban agriculture has the potential of boosting food provision in urban areas.

A case in point is the United Kingdom where local authorities in England and Wales provide allotments (plots) for urban farming.

The UK government recognises the importance of allotment gardening for food provision, recreation and the sustainable regeneration of the towns and cities.

A UZ lecturer in the Department of Rural and Urban Planning, Mr Takawira Mubvami, said the major challenge facing urban agriculture was lack of proper policy planning.

Mr Mubvami is also the co-ordinator of a project on urban agriculture with the Municipal Development Programme Partnership of Eastern and Southern Africa.

"If properly planned, urban agriculture has the potential of being a major source of food for urban dwellers," he said.

Mr Mubvami said the shortage of basic foodstuffs such as maize-meal had also seen rich people venturing into urban farming.

He said however, efforts to sustain urban agriculture were being hampered by several factors that included access to land and how to use the land in a sustainable manner.

Mr Mubvami applauded the move by members of the Musikavanhu project in Budiriro suburb who rehabilitated a piece of land, damaged by sand poachers, before applying to the council for permission to engage in agricultural activities.

He said there was a need for co-ordination among stakeholders in order to make urban agriculture a success.

A pilot project is currently running in Harare's Crowborough North suburb called Zimwonde project, which is the brainchild of the Zimbabwe Farmers Union. The project has a thriving 15-hectare inter-cropped maize and bean crop.

The maize has reached tassel stage while the bean crop is almost ready for harvest.

As a way of recognising efforts by the urban farmers, the ZFU recently held a field day, the first of its kind, in Crowborough North. The union's president and vice-president, Mr Silas Hungwe and Mr Wilfanos Mashingaidze respectively, attended the field day.

Initiated in 1998, the Zimwonde project consists of about 100 members, mostly women.

What is unique about this project is that some of the proceeds from the field are used to feed at least 65 orphans whose parents died of HIV/Aids related illnesses.

Last year about 20 tonnes of maize were harvested from the field and this was distributed equally among the members.

Zimwonde project secretary Mrs Deliwe Chikuni said harsh economic conditions had forced the group to venture into the programme.

"We have no choice but to engage in agriculture as a way of boosting food security within our families," she said. Mrs Chikuni said this year's yields were likely to decrease since part of the land they tilled had been allocated for residential stands.

"Although we were given a go ahead by the city council to till this land, there is no security of tenure hence the allocation of part of the land for residential stands," she said.

Thieves who occasionally stole some of the crop, Mrs Chikuni said, had compounded the problem.

She said cattle from a nearby-farm owned by the city council sometimes invaded the fields.

"We are appealing to the city council to do its best to assist us in this regard," Mrs Chikuni said.

Apart from being engaged in the farming activities, she said, members were also involved in other projects such as soap making and tie and dye.

Mr Hungwe said most people looked at farming as the preserve of commercial and resettled farmers, disregarding the urban farmer who is also capable of doing wonders.

"This shows total commitment to the Government's call for using the land for national prosperity," he said.

"We do not hesitate to recommend the Government to give such people land as they have proved that they are capable."

Mr Hungwe commended the project members for embarking on a programme to feed orphans in view of the drought ravaging the nation.

He called upon local authorities to allocate more land to urban farmers for agricultural activities.

The harsh economic conditions in Zimbabwe have resulted in large numbers of urban dwellers turning into farming in order to contain poverty.