Vegetable gardening is increasingly becoming a sustainable source of food security and income for many residents. Through assistance from the City of Johannesburg’s Food Resilience unit, communities are growing vegetables for sustenance and small-scale trading.
According to Tshidi Maponya, the Manager of the Food Resilience unit in Region A, the City’s agriculture programme is set up to make gardening easy. She says the initiative aims to place beneficiaries in a position to be self-reliant small-scale farmers.
The programme encourages locals to start sustainable communal gardens, food empowerment zones, food growing zones, which makes strides in creating economic growth and employment opportunities. Agri resource centres are in the regions to provide various agricultural services to the farming community which are; tractor service, cooperative registrations, supply of seeds, training and advisory services.
“The programme is available to all community members interested in and who have a passion for urban farming. We encourage and develop an interest in urban farming because of the greater impact it has. We also have various points throughout the region where we disseminate information on how to become a beneficiary,” says Maponya.
The programme incorporates theoretical and practical training, which helps locals know how to start, maintain, and sustain a full-time vegetable garden. In addition to theoretical training, the initiative inspires individuals to create groups of five to establish a cooperative when training is complete.
That cooperative will then be mutated into an empowerment zone, which is then allocated one hectare of land to plough and farm.
Maponya says empowerment zones are used to incubate different cooperatives to help farmers grow and sell for themselves.
“We are trying to commercialise these farmers with the hope that soon they will be able to sell their produce at the Joburg Market and other markets. Some of our other farmers do supply nearby retailers and restaurants with their fresh produce,” she says.
For individuals who are unsuccessful in the theoretical aspect of the programme or those found not able to manage a large farm, a smaller garden is set up at selected schools or on municipal land to assist them in running their micro business.
Examples of smaller thriving gardens, also known as grow zones, can be found at the Thlabologo Opportunity Centre and the Muzomuhle Primary School in Diepsloot.
Mamidi Ngoepe, the Coordinator of the Food Resilience unit, says grow zones are normally sponsored by private companies, and only one beneficiary is responsible for the garden.
“They grow their vegetables and, once they are ready to harvest, they are packed and sold to local nurseries and primary schools. We currently have 23 grow zones, for which Auto and General Insurance is the sponsor. About 23 permanent employment opportunities have been created to date,” says Ngoepe.
The Food Resilience unit is also involved in outreach initiatives that distribute vegetables to impoverished households throughout Region A.
Maponya says the City has distributed around 29 000 food packs since July 2021, in a pack there is (cabbages, onions, potatoes, carrots, beetroot and butternuts). These vegetable packs are distributed to individuals registered on the City’s Expanded Social Package (ESP), who cannot secure food by other means.
Maponya says sustenance farming is the future of food security.
“This initiative needs to be sustainable because we cannot distribute food forever. So, while giving communities food, we are also encouraging them to participate in our other programmes where they will be able to start their gardens to eat and sell their produce. We have a programme called homestead gardens where we provide seedlings and assistance for starting your backyard garden,” she explains.
For community members who do not have the space to create their backyard vegetable gardens, Maponya encourages them to identify open spaces to start a communal garden or use alternative methods like a garden in a box.
“Gardening is growing every day, and what better way than to grow for your sustainability. Farming can be our solution to eradicating hunger not only in the City but countrywide,” she avers.
Written by Sascha-Lee Joseph
25/04/2022