Epitomizing the Socioeconomic Impacts of Urban Agriculture in Bamenda

Abstract

Contemporary data illustrate that more than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas (Ngoran et al., 2015). With surging population in the urban milieu, the quest for more food production is inevitable. This, therefore, substantiates the importance of agricultural practices in the urban milieu; a terminology called “urban agriculture” due to geospatial location. This article expatiates on the socioeconomic implications of urban agriculture in the city of Bamenda. It discusses employability, food security, education, health and women’s role as interchangeably elements shaping life in Bamenda across all strata.It is however deduced that urban agriculture has ameliorated the living conditions of Bamenda city dwellers. Urban agriculture offers employment to about 11% of Bamenda’s working population and the activity has also curtailed food expenses of civil servants. Food security, income generation, improve education and improve health are other aspects getting well-off due urban agriculture in Bamenda. Though urban agriculture in Bamenda appears to be a lucrative activity, it is still very daunting as it is done with rudimentary tools. When compared to the progress made by cities of emerging economies and those of the developed world, urban agriculture in Bamenda is far lagging behind. Therefore, the acquisition of advanced technology and availability of improved seedlings will reduce intense labour, keep the farmer in good health, maximize production and conserve farm outputs better. With the latter, farmers in Bamenda will not only notice a surge in their incomes, but will be at a vantage position of contributing in local developmental endeavours.

Keywords: Urban Agriculture, Employment, Food Security, Nutrition, Income, Gender  Empowerment