Zimbabwe’s Hard-Pressed City Dwellers Cultivate Urban Agriculture

Communal gardening, Zimbabwe.

By Taurai Shava
Gweru, Zimbabwe
Voice of America
25 Nov 2008

“In the past,” he said, “the growing of crops on the small pieces of land in urban areas is something that was looked down upon. For one to be seen going to work on those small fields was degrading. But now raising crops on these small fields has become very important because of the hunger that is stalking most people. Most working people never used to have anything to do with growing crops on these small fields; It was for housewives like myself.

Nowadays, even those people in formal employment are also scrambling for the small pieces of land to farm on. Some even engage other people to work on their pieces of land for them. These small pieces of land have become something very important. Often, there are wrangles over ownership of the small pieces of land. I believe urban agriculture has become a very important activity; virtually everyone now wants a small piece of land to farm on.”

Complete article here.