Food Security in Africa's Secondary cities

Emmanuel Chilanga, Liam Riley

Description

This report marks the first stage of AFSUN’s goal of expanding knowledge about urban food systems and experiences of household food insecurity in secondary African cities. It contributes to an understanding of poverty and sustainability in Mzuzu, Malawi, through the lens of household food security. The focus on food as an urban issue not only speaks to the development challenges presented by urbanization, but it also brings a fresh perspective to debates about food security in Malawi. The urban setting highlights the changing food system in Malawi where people in rural and urban areas are increasingly reliant on cash income to buy food. The report’s key findings include that the most vulnerable households are those without a formal wage income, households headed by older people, especially older women, and households that are not able to produce food in the rural areas. The research also shows that the food system is dynamic and diverse, with households accessing food from a variety of formal and informal food sources and relying on rural-urban linkages for urban survival. Urban and rural agriculture are important features of the food system, but there is little evidence that these are the “self-help” responses to poverty that advocates for urban agriculture in Africa sometimes imply.

Informations

• Publié par: Southern African Migration Programme
• Date de parution: 29 avril 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781920597351
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 17 Mo

Extrait

AFRICAN FOOD SECURITY URBAN NETWORK (AFSUN)

F OOD S ECURITYIN A FRICA ’ S S ECONDARY C ITIES : N O . 1. M ZUZU , M ALAWI

L IAM R ILEY , E MMANUEL C HILANGA , L OVEMORE Z UZE , A MANDA J OYN T

S E : P . J C ERIES DITOR ROF ONATHAN RUSH

URBAN FOOD SECURITY SERIES NO. 27

A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This is the first publication in a new AFSUN series on the relationship between rap id urbanization, secondary cities, and food security in Africa. This case study of the City of Mzuzu in Malawi is funded by an Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) onSecondary Urbanization, Food Security and Local Governance in Africa. The authors wish to thank the following for their assistance: Ruth Mbeya, Cameron McCordic, Bernard Kamanga, Yohane Nya sulu, Hannington Makamo, Agness Banda, Jowasi Banda, Maureen Chilanga, Patricia Chibwe, Trevor Gondwe, Chisomo Khanyera, Harry Kumwenda, Jason Kumwenda, Stella Mgala, Chimwemwe Mhango, Brian Mponda, Juliana Ngwira, Tabitha Niudi, Daniel Nkhoma, and Mateyo Nyirongo.

© AFSUN 2018

Published by the African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN) www.afsun.org

First published 2018

ISBN 9781920597337

Cover photo: Ruth Mbeya (Mzuzu Market)

Production by Bronwen Dachs Muller, Cape Town

Printed by Print on Demand, Cape Town

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the publishers.