Urban agriculture and the youth: The youth's responses to urban agriculture projects in both the Du Noon and Joe Slovo Park townships (Milnerton)
Master Thesis
2013
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University of Cape Town
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Urban agriculture has been advocated by NGOs and development agencies as being a food security strategy, and an effective poverty alleviation measure. This view is reflected within the City of Cape Town, as the City's 2007 Urban Agriculture Policy illustrates. Since the initiation of the Policy, many urban agriculture projects have been established by the local government in the low income areas of Cape Town. The urban agriculture projects set up in the townships of Du Noon and Joe Slovo Park are two of the projects established by the city. While these projects have provided primary livelihoods for some participants, the City has expressed concern regarding the age demographic of this practice, as a lack of youth involvement is noticed. Academic literature within this discourse highlights a gap in knowledge concerning the urban youth, and this increases the importance of understanding why the younger generation is hesitant to partake in this activity. The main aim of the study is to explore two City established urban agriculture projects, one in which youth involvement is visible, whilst in the other it is not. The study interrogates whether there are any barriers which could prevent the youth from participating within this activity. The City of Cape Town's Urban Agriculture Policy and projects were examined in order to explore how they engage with urban agriculture, and in turn how they understand the youth and their lived experience. In addition, the existing urban farmers' perceptions of the youth were examined in order to explore what role these perceptions play in youth involvement. Lastly, the study narrowed its focus onto the youth themselves in an attempt to understand their own opinions of urban agriculture, and explore what underlies these perceptions.
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Szewczyk, J. 2013. Urban agriculture and the youth: The youth's responses to urban agriculture projects in both the Du Noon and Joe Slovo Park townships (Milnerton). University of Cape Town.