Farming in the urban environment of a developing nation — a case study from Ibadan metropolis in Nigeria

Summary The major characteristics, problems and prospects of farming in an urban environment of a developing nation are investigated using the Ibadan metropolitan area of Nigeria as a case study. Eight hundred farmers, made up of both part-time and full-time farmers were interviewed in five urban fringe settlements in the study area. Findings revealed that farming in the urban environment is guided by the logic of survival since most of the farmers engaged in urban cultivation are mainly low-income earners and they farm mainly to reduce their expenses on food and to supplement the family's income. The major problem confronting farming in the area is competition from non-agricultural land uses. Nevertheless, more than half (50.5 percent) of the farmers, who had been approached to sell their farmlands for non-agricultural uses in the area, rejected the offer, indicating that the prospects of continued farming are thought to be good. Measures like the sale of urban land at its agricultural value, provided the land remains in cultivation, as well as the further provision of land in and around the farmers' working places, could improve their access to land for extended farming.Dr Adeniyi Gbadegesin is a lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Ibadan. He has published papers widely on agricultural topics.