Livelihood Correlate of Urban Agriculture in Ogbomoso, Nigeria
Abstract
Urban agriculture (UA) is a support mechanism for achieving the current seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are geared towards minimising unemployment and food insecurity and creating a greener city. Town planners and policymakers should not be swayed by the merits of urban agriculture but rather have an in-depth comprehension of UA as a sub-unit of the urban system, especially with regard to waste-handling techniques. This paper examines the livelihood correlate of UA in the study area. A survey research design was employed in this research. Using the accidental sampling technique, 251 urban farmers were surveyed from 22 selected urban farms. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency Tables and Charts. A 5-point Likert scale was equally involved in analysing UA's contribution to livelihood in the study area. Data from the 251 urban farmers revealed that UA had a significant contribution to the livelihood of Ogbomoso through employment, with the highest positive index value of 0.51. At the same time, an increase in GDP and revenue shows an insignificant contribution with a negative index value of – 1.24. It was also discovered that 69.7% of the sampled urban farmers depended on waste material, whereas 25.9% used industrial waste as animal feed in UA practice. Therefore, this paper concludes that due to the livelihood contribution relating to employment opportunities, food security, and promotion of urban sustainability, town planners and decision-makers need to integrate UA into the urban setting with appropriate policies.
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