Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana

Vegetable cultivation is a survival strategy for the urban population, especially with the increasing population, urbanization, and high unemployment rate. For decades, men have practiced vegetable cultivation in Tamale's metropolitan city, with women being involved at the last node of the value cha...

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Main Authors: Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh, Nchanji Yvonne Kiki
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/126537
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author Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh
Nchanji Yvonne Kiki
author_browse Nchanji Yvonne Kiki
Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh
author_facet Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh
Nchanji Yvonne Kiki
author_sort Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Vegetable cultivation is a survival strategy for the urban population, especially with the increasing population, urbanization, and high unemployment rate. For decades, men have practiced vegetable cultivation in Tamale's metropolitan city, with women being involved at the last node of the value chain – marketing. Women are known as market queens, and culturally, sell foodstuff in the market, unlike men who can’t do the same. These market queens buy vegetables from farm gates and sell them at wholesale prices to other market women who retail them in the market. An ethnographic study was carried out to understand how farmers carry out their farming activities and marketing in the face of changing market trends and urbanization and how urbanization and markets shape and regulate farmers’ agricultural practices with implications for urban agricultural policy and town planning. Results show that urbanization has influenced urban and peri-urban land prices resulting in the leasing of prime agricultural lands by chiefs for industrial and residential purposes. As such, farmers cope by negotiating farmland with government and private institutions, with more success. Farmers also practice mixed cropping to buffer climatic shocks and address market gluts to meet household needs and income. Even though urbanization poses a risk for farmers, it also creates spaces where farmers’ practices are reshaped as they network with agro-dealers, buyers, and researchers in their everyday activities, contributing to urban gardening policies and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11
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spelling CGSpace1265372025-11-11T19:05:05Z Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh Nchanji Yvonne Kiki urban agriculture food systems urbanization markets agricultura urbana sistemas alimentarios urbanización Vegetable cultivation is a survival strategy for the urban population, especially with the increasing population, urbanization, and high unemployment rate. For decades, men have practiced vegetable cultivation in Tamale's metropolitan city, with women being involved at the last node of the value chain – marketing. Women are known as market queens, and culturally, sell foodstuff in the market, unlike men who can’t do the same. These market queens buy vegetables from farm gates and sell them at wholesale prices to other market women who retail them in the market. An ethnographic study was carried out to understand how farmers carry out their farming activities and marketing in the face of changing market trends and urbanization and how urbanization and markets shape and regulate farmers’ agricultural practices with implications for urban agricultural policy and town planning. Results show that urbanization has influenced urban and peri-urban land prices resulting in the leasing of prime agricultural lands by chiefs for industrial and residential purposes. As such, farmers cope by negotiating farmland with government and private institutions, with more success. Farmers also practice mixed cropping to buffer climatic shocks and address market gluts to meet household needs and income. Even though urbanization poses a risk for farmers, it also creates spaces where farmers’ practices are reshaped as they network with agro-dealers, buyers, and researchers in their everyday activities, contributing to urban gardening policies and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 2022-10 2023-01-04T10:04:23Z 2023-01-04T10:04:23Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/126537 en Open Access application/pdf Elsevier Nchanji, E.B.; Nchanji, Y.K. (2022) Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana. Land Use Policy 121: 106312 ISSN: 0264-8377
spellingShingle urban agriculture
food systems
urbanization
markets
agricultura urbana
sistemas alimentarios
urbanización
Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh
Nchanji Yvonne Kiki
Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana
title Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana
title_full Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana
title_fullStr Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana
title_short Urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in Tamale, Northern Ghana
title_sort urban farmers coping strategies in the wake of urbanization and changing market in tamale northern ghana
topic urban agriculture
food systems
urbanization
markets
agricultura urbana
sistemas alimentarios
urbanización
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/126537
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