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Beyond Urban Gardens: Meeting the Growing
Needs of Ethiopia’s Urban Population
USAID Urban Gardens Program for HIV-Affected Women & Children
November 16, 17 2009
Ghion Hotel Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Conference Proceedings
By Dereje Gultineh and Jillian Van Ness
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Executive Summary
Ethiopia, like many developing countries, is addressing challenges posed by dramatic population growth, rapid urbanization, and quickly rising food prices. Urban agriculture (UA) is increasingly being recognized as a practice that contributes to development agendas by boosting food and economic security, improving urban-environmental management, as well as integrating socially marginalized communities. The ''Beyond Urban Gardens'' conference in Addis Ababa was organized by USAID and DAI to bring together stakeholders in order to explore how urban agricultural practices can be improved, expanded, and better managed.
On the first day of the conference, speakers including Ethiopia's Minister of Agriculture,
USAID's Mission Director, and the City of Addis Ababa's Director of Urban Agriculture, lectured on the socio-economic and environmental benefits of UA. Experts in urban planning, health management, natural resource management, and education also shared their thoughts on the opportunities and challenges of investing in UA. The USAID Urban Gardens Program for HIV-Affected Women and Children shared success stories, demonstrating how UA can dramatically improve the lives of its beneficiaries in school and community gardens. Other local and international NGOs also shared their diverse experiences in implementing UA programs.
On the second day of the conference, participants organized themselves into six working
groups to discuss the Environment, Water Resources, Livelihoods, Health, Education, and Land Use issues. The working groups debated these issues with the intention of developing a consensus on how to advance the UA agenda. Every group presented a preliminary plan of action, identifying major constraints and proposing recommendations for how to overcome these challenges. The conference concluded with an agreement to establish a regular forum to help guide the intensification, expansion, and management of the urban agricultural movement in Ethiopia.
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Contents
Section I.0 Introduction Conference 6
1.1 Background 7
1.2 Aims and objectives 7
1.3 Timetable 8
Section 2.0 Conference Day One 11
Section 3.0 Conference Day Two 20
Section 4.0 Conference Conclusion 26
4.1 Way Forward 26
Annex 1 The Ethiopia Urban Agriculture Forum 27
Annex 2 Steering Committee Roster 29
Annex 3 Power Point Slide Presentations 32
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Acknowledgments
USAID Urban Gardens Program for HIV-Affected Women and Children would like to acknowledge and
thank the follow individuals, organizations, and participants for their contribution to the success of both the
conference and the program.
Thank you to Dr. Abera Deressa, the state Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development MoARD and
Mr. Tom Staal, USAID Mission Director, Ethiopia. Thank you to mayors of Dessie, Adama, Hawassa,
Gondar, Bahirdar, and government offices of Addis Ababa. Our appreciation goes out to all the
implementing partners: In Addis, Common Vision for Development Association, Integrated Service for
AIDS Prevention and Support Org., Progress Integrated Community Development Org., Social Welfare
Development Association, and Welfare for the Street Mothers and Children Org. In Bahir Dar, Dawn of
Hope, Kale Hiwot Church Development Program, Mekdem Ethiopia National Association, and Tana
Medhanealem Integrated Development Assoc. In Dessie, Addis Hiwot Rehabilitation and Reintegration
Assoc., Mekdem Ethiopia National Association, NETSEBRAK Reproductive Health Social Development
Organization, and NIGAT Integrated Development Association. In Gondar, Bridge to Israel in Ethiopia
Gondar Children’s Village and OSSA. In Adama, Ethiopia Kale Hiwot Church Medan ACTS ADAMA
Project, Family Guidance Assoc. of Ethiopia Central Branch, MEKDEM Ethiopia National Association
ADAMA, Social Welfare Development Assoc., and EKHC Medan Act Wonji. In Hawassa, Common Vision
for Development Association, Ethiopia Kale Hiwot Church Medan ACTS Hawassa Project, Ethiopian Mulu
Wongel Amagnoch Church Development Assoc., and Mekdem Ethiopia National Assoc.
Thank you also to all beneficiaries, schools, principals, and education departments. We also wish to give
special acknowledgement to the champions, Tsion Tegaye of Addis; Gizachew Detamo, Hawassa; Dejene
Abegas, Dessie; Belay Tamrie, Addis; Tsigie Tedesse, Hawassa; Shimbra Mohame, Dessie; Emebet Wodie,
Bahir Dar; Zeneb Beyene, Gondar; Yitayew Getu, Bahir Dar; Gezahegn Mamo, Adama;Alelegn Wube,
Gondar;Anteneh Demilew, Adama.
Thank you to all the moderators, facilitators, and presenters from the Beyond Urban Gardens Conference
for their hard work in preparation, execution, and follow-up, including: Dr. Demisse Chanyalew, Ato Yacob
Wondimkun, Dr. Andy Adam-Bradford, Ato Mulat Yimam, Dr. Belay Demisse, Dr. Samson Radeny, Dr.
Zemede Asfaw, Ato Alemayhu Taye, Dr. Hailemeskel Balcha, Dr. Peter Gichangi, Ms. Kate Ogarzaly, W/o
Tsigie Haile, Mr. Adrian Cullis, and Mr. Tom Cole. We are also incredibly grateful to all the individuals and
organizations who stepped up on Day Two to form a Steering Committee to continue discussions on Urban
Agriculture into the future.
Thank you to all the organizations represented in the table presentations on Days One and Two,
including: ISAPO, PICDO, ENDA, Selam Vocational College, Tena Kebena, JCCDO, WESMCO, CVDA,
SWDA, WISE, Land O’Lake International Dev., FINTRAC, ISD, ROTO PLC, Bruh Tesfa, Amio, Axum
Green Line, Hagbes, Kal Mushroom, Abt Associates, Inc., African network for Care of Children Affected by
HIV/AIDS, Engender Health International, IFHP, Intra Health, JHPIEGO, MSH, Population Service
International (PSI), Save the Children USA, and John Snow Inc., AID Star One Project (JSI/SAOP).
We are grateful to USAID, PEPFAR, and DAI for their vision and support, as well as to the USAID
Urban Gardens Program office staff in Addis Ababa and volunteers who created a background paper for the
conference: Nancy Russell, Mulat Yimam, Alem Yalew, Nebiyu Tadesse, Ketema Abebe, Kinfachew
Demeke, Gizachew Demissie, Getachew Sugamo, Bebyaw Tilahu, Fasil Araya, Elizabeth Workneh, Mebet
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Kebede, Sisay Berhanu, Tigist Addis, Dessie Tebikew, Kassahun Kebebe, Nardos Fisseha, Entenesh
Zewidineh, Selamawit Molla, Dereje Gultineh, and Jillian Van Ness.
We are grateful to the staff at the Ghion Hotel and Conference Center in Addis Ababa for hosting such a
pivotal event. Thank you to Ms. Alyson Grunder, Public Affairs Officer, of the US Embassy and her
colleagues for coordinating a video conference (VTC) on Day One between USAID Urban Gardens Program
champion gardeners and Furguson Academy for Young Women in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. Thank you also
to the principal at the girl’s school and to DAI for their follow- and write-up of the VTC.
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Section 1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to conference
According to the United Nations Population Fund the urban population of sub-Saharan Africa will
triple by 2030. This rapid growth will also have a major impact on health, including HIV/AID’s, livelihoods,
food security and the environment in Ethiopia. The USAID Urban Gardens Program for HIV-Affected
Women and Children Program held its first Annual Conference from November 16 to 18, 2009 in Addis
Ababa. Approximately 300 people attended, including representatives from health, environment, food
security, and livelihood government agencies and NGOs. The Conference title, “Beyond Urban Gardens:
Meeting the Growing needs of Ethiopia’s Urban Population” addressed not only urban food security issues,
but also explored the links with health and the greening of Ethiopia’s cities. The keynote speaker was Dr.
Abera Deressa, the State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD).
Since its inception in September 2008 the USAID Urban Gardens Program has reached more than
15,000 orphans and vulnerable children and 5,000 households through the creation of school and community
gardens, using water saving technology – including trickle and drip technologies – and where possible,
promoted fruit trees and poultry. The program, which builds on its predecessor the Urban Agriculture
Program for HIV affected Women (UAPHAW), which operated for the four years prior to the USAID
Urban Gardens Program, is operational in six cities: Adama, Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahirdar, Dessie and
Gondar. In addition to addressing important nutrition and income generation issues, the USAID Urban
Gardens Program also addresses food security and broader livelihood issues including improving referrals to
health services offered by government and other community-based organizations.
In addition to showcasing its own work, The USAID Urban Gardens Program Annual Conference
also provided a platform for other stakeholders including government agencies, NGOs and the gardeners
themselves to present the progress being made in urban agriculture sector and the increasing support of the
Government of Ethiopia’s Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP). For
example, intensive urban agriculture not only helps meet household food needs but the sales of fruit,
vegetables, eggs, milk and honey also helps to meet the rapidly expanding food needs of Ethiopia’s cities
from land that would otherwise be under utilized. Urban agriculture also plays an important role in the
Governments rural-urban and new look urban agenda. The importance of urban agriculture in improving the
nutrition and well being of people living with HIV was explored.
In addition, Dr. Abera instructed representatives of his office to chair day two of the Conference to explore
the relevance of launching an Urban Agriculture Forum which would in the years to come help to support
the growing numbers of researchers, professionals, administrators, projects, initiatives and producers that are
engaged in the sector.
Annual Conference
The first day included presentations on school and community gardening, environmental protection,
urban agriculture and livelihoods, health and nutrition and risk management. Presenters were drawn from
government agencies, USAID, other NGOs and USAID Urban Gardens Program. At the end of the day
champion gardeners and mayors from the participating cities were honored.
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The second day focused on two key themes. The first was the consolidation of the lessons learned
on day one with a view to agreeing best practice. The second theme was to explore levels of interest in an
on-going Urban Agricultural Forum. The discussions on assessing levels of interest in an on-going Urban
Agricultural Forum were chaired by a designated representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
development.
Grant Solicitation
An additional third day focused on the Year Two grant making process and representatives from the
current and potential USAID Urban Gardens program areas were invited to stay-on for the third day.
Interested government leaders, including mayors and local NGOs were invited to attend a special meeting,
which provided more information about the USAID Urban Gardens Program results and plans for the
future. This half-day meeting launched the second year of the program and was a chance for local NGOs to
apply for small grants to implement the USAID Urban Gardens Program for HIV-Affected Women and
Children in the current and newly expanded areas of Ethiopia.
1.2 Conference aims and objectives
The overall goal of the Conference was:
To build awareness of the importance of urban agriculture in Ethiopia.
The objectives were:
* To share lessons learned from the USAID Urban Gardens Program in relation to serving women
and children affected by HIV/AIDS.
* To enable other stakeholders to share their work and to explore current best practice related to
serving those affected by HIV/AIDS, health, nutrition, risk management, food production systems,
water saving technologies, and environmental protection.
* To explore levels of interest in the launch of an on-going Urban Agriculture Forum.
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1.3 Conference timetable
Monday, 16 November, 2009
Master of Ceremonies –Dr. Demisse Chanyalew
Par t i c i pants : Al l in vi te d peopl e
Time Activity Presenter/Chair
08:30 Arrival of invited guests
09:00 Welcoming Statement Ms. Nancy Russell, Chief of Party, USAID
Urban Gardens Program
09:10 Keynote Address H.E. Dr. Abera Deressa, State Minister,
Ministry of Rural Development and Agriculture
09:20 Keynote Address Mr. Tom Staal, Mission Director, USAID
09:30 Brief Overview of the USAID UGP Ms. Nancy Russell, CoP, USAID UGP
09:45 Coffee break Hotel
10:15 Presentations:
o USAID Overall Concerns on Environment
o Why Urban Agriculture?, Environmental mitigation
o Meeting the Growing Needs of HIV-Affected Women and
Children in Ethiopia
Ato Yacob Wondimkun, Environment and
Natural Resource Specialist, USAID
Dr. Andy Adam-Bradford, Consultant, Urban
Agriculture
Ato Mulat Yimam, Deputy Chief of Party,
USAID Urban Gardens Program
11:15 Discussions Dr. Belay Demisse, USAID
12:15 Lunch Break Hotel
13:45 Presentations:
o Enhancing the Health and Livelihoods of OVC through Urban Gardening
o Integration of Urban Agriculture in Education
o Ethiopia’s Urban Agriculture Strategy
Dr. Samson Radeny, SCF, US
Dr. Zemede Asfaw, Associate Professor, AA
University
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Ato Alemayhu Taye, Head, Addis Ababa Urban
Agriculture Office
14:45 Discussions Dr. Haile Meskel/Dr. Peter Gichangi, USAID
15:30 Honoring Mayors, Caregivers, OVCs,
Schools and IPs
USAID/FHAPCO
16:15 Coffee Break and Visiting Displays Hotel and Organizers
17 November, 2009
Par t i c i pants : IP s , NGOs and GO engaged in UA, USAID UGP staf f , re l e vant GO of f i c e s , in vi ted
s choo l s
Time Activity Presenter/Chair
09:00 Consolidating lessons from Day 1
Discussions on issues related to water,
environment, health, schools and livelihoods.
Working groups, Facilitation by W/o Tsigie
Haile
10:00
10:30
Group Feedback
Links to Global Urban Agriculture
Groups
Guest Speaker
10:45 Coffee Break Hotel
11:15 Discussions in Plenary H.E. Dr. Abera Deressa, State Minister,
Ministry of Rural Dev. & Agriculture
12:00 Lunch Break Hotel
13:00 SWOT Analysis Working groups, Facilitation by Mr. Adrian
Cullis
14:00 Group Feedback Groups
15:00 Coffee Break Hotel
15:30 Discussion on Priorities in Plenary Mr. Adrian Cullis
16:00 The Way Forward with Strategies Mr. Adrian Cullis and Ms. Nancy Russell
16:30 Wrap up and Closing Ms. Nancy Russell
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18 November, 2009
Par t i c i pants : Exist in g and pot ent ial IPs , Staf f o f USAID UGP
Time Activity Presenter/Chair
09:00 2009 UGP Performance: achievements,
lessons, challenges
Ato Mulat Yimam, DCoP, USAID, UGP
09:30 Plenary Discussions Ms. Nancy Russell, CoP, USAID, UGP
10:00 2010 Plan Ato Mulat Yimam, DCoP
10:15 Grant Procedures: Submission of Proposals,
Selection Criteria, etc.
Ato Mulat Yimam, DCoP
10:30 Coffee Break Hotel
10:45 Discussions in Plenary Ato Mulat Yimam, DCoP
12:00 Wrap up and Closing Ms. Nancy Russell, CoP
12:15 Lunch Hotel
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Section 2.0 Conference Day One
With over 300 people in attendance, the Beyond Urban Gardens Conference opened at 9:15 on Monday
morning as Dr. Demisse Chanyelew, Master of Ceremonies, announced the conference schedule and
acknowledged the thematic parallels of the World Summit on Food Security (put together by the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) occurring in Rome on the very same day. Seated on stage for the
opening of the conference was: Nancy Russell, Chief of Party for USAID Urban Gardens Program for HIV-
Affected Women and Children, Dr. Abera Deresse, State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,
and Mr. Tom Staal, Mission Director for Ethiopia/USAID. Dr. Abera and Mr. Staal delivered Keynote
Addresses for the audience as well as ETV cameras and crew.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS #1~ Dr. Abera Deresse
Dr. Abera began his address by acknowledging and thanking everyone both attending and working
on the Beyond Urban Gardens Conference. Expressing his concern that “We are very late to address this topic,”
he spoke about previous restrictions to agricultural growth as limited by policy, strategies, and structural
changes. However, through capacity building, “the agriculture sector has developed productive policies,
strategies and programs that enabled the country to achieve remarkable agricultural growth for the last six
years.”
The Minister continued, boldly asserting that despite the success stories in the rural areas, equal
importance need be given to urban agriculture: “We need to have policies, strategies and programs for urban
agriculture in the immediate future.” As outlined by Dr. Abera, urban agriculture is even broader than one
may initially think. UA is closely linked with recycling, use of urban organic wastes and wastewater, and
includes food production and non-food items, such as fuel, herbs, tree seedlings, and flowers.
He estimated that the importance of urban agriculture has been overlooked thus far as merely
traditional habits brought to the city by rural migrants, and has also met opposition from public health and
urban planning circles. “At present, [however] urban agriculture is recognized as integral elements of the
urban socio-economic and ecological system.” Building on this, urban agriculture has the ability to create
sufficient employment for a rapidly increasing population as well to mitigate the social and physical
HIV/AIDS and other health related diseases.
Despite problems and concerns related to UA, such as chemical contamination released by industry
and traffic, Dr. Abera affirmed his belief that “well defined policies and strategies should be in place to
maximize the positive effects [of urban agriculture] and minimize the adverse affects. Participating of
development partners and key stakeholders is very important in the process of developing policies and
strategies.” The Minister closed by affirming USAID as one of the “most important partners in our
development agenda” and provided reassurance that “the government support for such initiatives is very high
and…it will continue to do so to enhance the enabling environment for USAID Urban Garden Program.”
KEYNOTE ADDRESS #2~ Mr. Tom Staal
Mr. Staal’s Keynote Address differed from Dr. Abera’s in that if offered a glimpse into the specifics
of the USAID Urban Gardens Program for HIV-Affected Women and children while also providing a global
perspective on the conference topics. Referencing United States First Lady Michelle Obama’s White House
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garden, Mr. Staal explained that “Urban agriculture is not only growing in Ethiopia, but also across the
globe.” While participation in urban agriculture is progressively more important as the world population
continues to increase, it is especially important in an Ethiopian context, as UN-HABITAT’s recent report
projects that Ethiopia’s current urban population of 12 million is expected to almost triple by the year 2030
reaching 32 million.
The Mission Director went on to mention current global challenges such as the food crisis, economic
downturn, and HIV/AIDS, highlighting the United States’ perspective and action plan through the
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). “The fight against global AIDS is a central piece of
the foreign policy and global health agenda outlined by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton.”
After underscoring the particular vulnerability of women and children to HIV infection (the
population with whom USAID Urban Gardens Program works with specifically), Mr. Staal offered an
affirmation, that “Interventions like urban gardens gives people hope.” With HIV/AIDS patients, programs
like these go above and beyond improving food security; they build the individual’s capacity to produce and
consume nutritious foods, improve household income, reduce stigmatization, and improve self-esteem.
Like Dr. Abera, Mr. Staal acknowledged the challenges facing urban agriculture, including shortage of
land and water supply. This keynote stressed, however, the need for these concerns to be addressed through
sectoral collaborations, particularly through city and town administrations.
Mr. Staal closed with an affirmation of the United States’ commitment to working with the people of
Ethiopia to “address these challenges and to promote growth in agricultural production,” as well as to
continue support in complementary health, education, livelihoods, and water and sanitation programs. “I
hope,” he shared, “that this conference provides the opportunity for active discussions and the sharing of
ideas to best respond to the needs of the urban poor.”
PRESENTATION #1~ Nancy Russell
Ms. Russell commenced the presentations this morning with a brief contextualization of urban
gardens as well as a background description of the project she is currently serving as Chief of Party in
Ethiopia. In a global context, Ms. Russell pointed out that the “urban population is now more than half of
the world population” for the first time in human history, which is perhaps why gatherings and policies are
beginning to manifest like never before, in the form of the World Food Summit and Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).
Since 2004, urban agriculture has been identified as integral to HIV/AIDS programming in Ethiopia,
noted Ms. Russell, who then went on to outline the program objectives of the USAID Urban Gardens
Program for HIV-Affected Women and Children. “For this population, our objectives include increasing and
improving: nutritional status, household income, referral to health, education, care and treatment services,
access to savings and loan opportunities, and to monitor and evaluate urban gardening and its impact on
HIV-affected women and children.” She explained the program’s methodology and how they work through
local implementing partners and government, household and school gardens, and environmental clubs to use
appropriate and sustainable gardening methods to integrate nutrition into gardening.
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“To date, our program has reached 5,107 households and served 15,563 orphans and vulnerable
children,” asserted the Chief of Party, with other accomplishments to date including the development of a
mitigation plan for environmental and water issues and the recognition of champions as role models.
A number of key lessons were learned as delineated by Ms. Russell, the most notable of which point
to the capacity of urban gardens to enhance the food security, nutrition, and income of HIV-affected families,
as well as to compliment other HIV/AIDS interventions, reduce stigma, and provide social support. “Urban
gardens are possible in resource poor settings,” confirmed Ms. Russell.
As far as plans to move forward in addressing sustainability, “We plan to develop a certificate
program, assess and incorporate new methods to use and save water and new techniques for irrigation, and
enhance our program planning.” (For additional details and information, please see slide presentations in
Annex). Ms. Russell concluded her presentation with a quotation from one of the program’s champions and
an invitation to participate in Day 2 of the conference.
PRESENTATION #2~ Yacob Wondimkun
After the coffee break, Mr. Yacob Wondimkun, Environment and Natural Research Specialist for
USAID, gave his presentation titled Urban Agriculture: USAID Overall Concerns on the Environment. Briefly
moving through the procedures origin and timeline as well as the links between urban agriculture and the
environment, Mr. Wondimkun defined the common structures of urban agriculture as home gardens,
community gardens, institutional gardens, and open field plots.
From there, he moved into the heart of his presentation to address both the positive and adverse
environmental impacts of urban agriculture, such as water resources, human health, and soil. Mr. Wondimkun
posed a number of poignant questions requiring further and constant exploration. From soil salinity to pest
problems, irrigation to the land tenure system, he outlined the approach and transparency required of
organization’s working in this field. “Are we using waste water in a good, appropriate way? Are we having
public health issues? Are we going to have land use system maps so that we know where we are? We must be
aware so that we can mitigate these things. The big question with anything is always, Are we within the limit?
In terms of our Environmental Management Plan, if it is not within the limit, it will be a health risk, land risk,
environmental risk, etc.”
Mr. Wondimkun closed with a reference list of useful websites and organizations, including USAID
Africa Bureau Office of Sustainable Development, RUAF, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
PRESENTATION #3~ Dr. Andy Adam-Bradford
Dr. Andy Adam-Bradford, a specialist in urban agriculture and research fellow at Sheffield University
in UK, followed Mr. Wondimkun’s presentation with a number of photographic slides, anecdotes, and
information on the origins of urban agriculture and methods to address some of its challenges. “Urban
agriculture has been around for 12,000 years and in fact, gave rise to the city,” opened Mr. Adam-Bradford.
“Only in the last 60 years, however, has urban agriculture been questioned. It belongs in the city. It’s just a
question of how we do it.”
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Initially, Mr. Adam-Bradford moved the participants through a timeline of pre-colonialism with its
forest and wall cities, through the appearance of urban slums in 1957 with garden city planning, and into the
1972 oil crisis and collapse of Cuba at the end of the Cold War. All the while, it was noted that “Ethiopia
didn’t have the same colonial experience as the rest of Africa,” but nevertheless one fact remains: “[Around
the world,] Often urban agriculture is associated with emergencies… but very rarely do we have proactive
planning for it.”
Turning now to address environmental problems in urban agriculture, Mr. Adam-Bradford
accentuated his approach of “turning problems into solutions,” a recurrent theme throughout the
presentation. He began his explanation through the examination of wastes as untapped resources, turning
sawdust into charcoal and filtering heavy metals and pathogens out of wastewater through the use of a very
simple settlement pond. Additionally, non-edible crops can be grown using wastewater to serve as wind
barriers, ornamentals, or building materials. For example, in India, one organization utilized wastewater to
irrigate mulberry trees for silk production.
Other risks identified by Mr. Adam-Bradford included farmer exposure and post harvest handling.
“The simplest remedies for these challenges,” he advised, “are wearing water-proof boots for immediate
protection from toxins and also washing the crops after we’ve brought them home from the market.” From
ecological solutions to human waste, livestock use of store fed systems to organic pest management and
mulching, Mr. Adam-Bradford offered an impressive array of ideas and solutions to the challenges facing
urban agriculture in urban Ethiopia as well as across the world.
With 30% of food production already happening in cities, “Land versus agriculture should not be
happening,” he asserted. “We should have preserved agriculture areas which the cities then plan around. This
will require bold, urban visions and strong and enlightened leadership.” In closing, Mr. Adam-Bradford
provided an inspirational example of micro gardening, in a post-Tsunami small, garden plot. “On this plot,
there are over 30 crops growing, including a wetland and medicinals… all sustained with just 2 liters of water a
day, waste water from the woman’s kitchen.” Truly, Mr. Adam-Bradford’s presentation spoke to the need for
“risk reduction and benefit maximization” in urban agriculture endeavors.
PRESENTATION #4~ Ato Mulat Yimam
Ato Mulat Yimam, Deputy Chief of Party for the USAID Urban Gardens Program for HIV-
Affected Women and Children, gave his presentation at the heart of the Beyond Urban Gardens Conference,
titled: Meeting the Growing Needs of HIV-Affected Women and Children.
Ato Mulat began by expressing the relevance of this program in service of the HIV-affected
population of Ethiopia. “Women and children affected by HIV in resource limited settings are often unable
to follow optimal food and nutrition requirements recommended for ART,” said Ato Mulat, adding that the
provisioning of food aid on its own is unlikely to have a marked impact. Echoing Ms. Russell’s coverage of
the program’s objectives, Ato Mulat then summarized the project’s approach: “The project is providing
assistance in the establishment of low-cost, labor saving gardens using simple micro-irrigation technologies.”
Moreover, he added, it complements the government health network model while working with PEPFAR
partners and others.
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USAID Urban Gardens Program contributes to four major areas as outlined by the Deputy Chief:
livelihood of beneficiaries, social cohesion, environment, and health. Outcomes from these target areas
include: asset creation, savings and loan groups, integration of work and family responsibilities, self
confidence, sustainable skills and knowledge, potential to maintain school enrollment, familiarity with modern
irrigation technologies, improved nutrition and food security, and an improved link to health services
(including PMTCT, ART, and family planning).
“There are however, some expected challenges in combining this field with the HIV-Affected
population,” continued Ato Mulat, “such as the consistency of involvement by beneficiaries, congested
settlement pattern in towns, and access to water and land resources for gardening.” Plans for the future of the
program involve developing a mitigation plan for contaminated water sites, developing and promoting new
irrigation methods, making more linkages with health and nutrition programs, and promoting partnerships for
sustainable water and land resources.
DISCUSSIONS: QUESTION AND ANSWER PANEL: Led by Dr. Belay
At the end of the fourth presentation, all previous presenters were invited back up to the stage and
the floor opened up for questions. In general, many participants stood up to express their appreciation and
gratitude to the presenters, organizers, stakeholders, and program. Others stood to advocate for their cause,
appealing to USAID to partner with and support their program and to start similar projects in the emerging
regions (i.e. Benshangu, Somali, Afangar, etc.). Many concerns were raised and some questions and ideas were
posed to the presenters.
Concerns raised included the fact that urban agriculture has not been proactive towards water and
expanding its capacity, health issues (i.e. Giardia), shortage of land, access to land in the river areas, and
further reducing stigmas for HIV-affected families by extending the program to include anyone who wants to
grow vegetables in their garden.
Questions posed to all the presenters as well as to Ato Mulat asked for clarification regarding the
challenges/problems of urban agriculture. “We are always discussing the problems. What are the solutions?
What mitigation measures have been taken so far to solve these problems?” Another participant from
Shashamene said, “I want to hear… what’s really going on in Addis and other parts of the country with non-
perishable wastes? How are we managing them? If there is no experience here, I think we need to discuss
how we can manage the opportunities.”
Suggestions and ideas addressed the need to discuss and examine the experience of other countries
and how they have managed the waste. There was also dissatisfaction from a woman representing a welfare
program with the idea that “food assistance does not impact people with HIV/AIDS.” At this point, Dr.
Belay closed the floor and turned to the presenters for their direct responses to the topics and questions
raised.
Ato Yacob began by clarifying that “Urban agriculture is not necessarily specific to one population
alone. I think this is very important for us to discuss urban agriculture as it applies to all populations, even
though we have begun with just one project.” He continued to acknowledge the serious implications of
wastewater usage, adding “WHO clearly permits the use of waste water if it meets the criteria. Right now, we
don’t have a proper guideline in an Ethiopian context, so instead, we end up prescribing a blanket statement.
These are the things we need to se the guidelines for in future use.” Dr. Belay interjected with a question for
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Ato Yacob: What are the negative social and environmental impacts as registered by your institution? Ato
Yacob responded, “Right now, we don’t have registered social impacts.”
Dr. Adam-Bradford contributed his reaction to health issues raised on the floor, saying that both in a
local and global context of urban agriculture “the benefits always outweigh the risks” for the farmer. With
diarrhea and cholera being critical dangers, the urban farmer is “reducing that risk because s/he becomes like
a filter. The urban farmer is actually contributing to the urban health of the community.” In regards to food
assistance, Dr. Adam-Bradford noted, “of course food assistance and urban agriculture have to be integrated.
At the earliest opportunity we move from food assistance to growing.”
Developing from Dr. Adam-Bradford’s comments on food assistance, Ato Mulat and Ms. Russell
responded by clarifying their presentation points that long-term food assistance is not supported or sustainable.
At some point, people have to work to produce something for themselves.
The second round of questions were more brief, with another question arising related to the
treatment of waste water in such a way that it can be used for urban agriculture, and a more specific request
directed at Dr. Adam-Bradford to share his experience in terms of accessing land for these kind of activities
in urban areas. Dr. Adam-Bradford responded in saying, “Land planners aren’t integrating urban agriculture.
We need to have city plans that start with natural resources first… planting trees in upper areas and doing
compost programs. But it has to get integrated at the planning level.” He added that the health risk constantly
gets overemphasized in urban agriculture, giving an example of UA in London where the farmers had been
consuming lead contaminated produce for 30 years. “This provided a great opportunity to actually measure
the impact of toxins on people in UA, and their lead levels turned out to be absolutely normal. Just because
the crop takes up heavy metal, doesn’t mean it translates directly to a risk. This immediate assumption that it’s
risky… we shouldn’t jump to conclusions that can be detrimental.”
PRESENTATION #5~ Dr. Samson Radeny
Dr. Radeny, Chief of Party for the Positive Change Program, started the second round of
presentations in the afternoon with his slideshow, Enhancing Livelihoods of OVC Households through Urban
Gardening: Lessons from the PC3 Program.
Reinforcing sentiments from earlier in the day, Dr. Radeny began by stressing that “Urban agriculture
is part of the whole…at the household level, community level, and even nationally.” His program, specifically,
focuses on comprehensive care and support with their “6+1 service package,” which includes support in
education, psychosocial (life skills for youth), nutrition and food, health care, child protection (including legal
support), shelter and care, and livelihood/economic strengthening.
Dr. Radeny continued to explain the implications and challenges confronted by individuals and
households affected by HIV/AIDS, emphasizing that livelihood programs protect OVC households from
economic shocks and provide promise in precarious economic situations. Urban gardening is supported by
Dr. Radeny’s programs due to the fact that “current food support, both therapeutic and supplementary, is not
enough or sustainable.” There is also a need, he pointed out, for households to develop a habit of working
for a living.
17
The PC3 Program now has five urban garden sites (and still increasing) as well as a growing interest
amongst PC3 groups. Moreover, the program has the support of kebele and city as well as school
administrations. Challenges faced are similar to those expressed by other presenters and conference attendees:
limited access to land (and oftentimes too small a plot when there is access), limited water supply, unsecured
plots (leading to the destruction of crops), expensive inputs, and in schools, a difficulty in achieving a balance
between gardening and academics.
Dr. Radeny concluded his presentation on the PC3 Program by sharing lessons learned. Key lessons
involved the influence of group solidarity on the success of the gardens, and recognition that urban gardening
needs to be incorporated as part of the broader livelihood package (not just as the only intervention). Finally,
he pointed out a crucial component of programming in that “It’s important to recognize that urban gardens
may not work for all OVC households. We must study the context and situation of each and every
household.”
PRESENTATION #6~ Dr. Zemede Asfaw
Dr. Zemede Asfaw, Associate Professor of Biology at Addis Ababa University and specialist in
Ethno botany, provided a unique perspective on the Merits of Integrating the Approaches and Practices of Urban
Agriculture into Education.
Objectives for Dr. Zemede’s presentation included reflecting on Ethiopia’s experiences in school
agriculture education and to highlight the merits of integration of urban agriculture into education and
programming.
“As it stands today, there is no agriculture programming as a stand-alone or separate subject in
schools,” began Dr. Zemede. “And as far as urban agriculture, there is a felt need for its inclusion in
education, yet approaches and practices are not seen in the agriculture syllabi.” Looking at a brief history of
agriculture, the professor highlighted the early years of agriculture programming (early 1960’s), pointing out
that students were given both theoretical and practical lessons with hands-on experience. By the early 1990’s
however, a dramatic shift had occurred to a dominant “Talk and Chalk” lecture method.
Dr. Zemede moved on to present a source book on environmental education prepared by the Addis
Ababa Region, a book he helped to create. The study covered everything from city farms to community
gardens, traditional home gardens to compost making.
In terms of educational programming for agriculture and urban agriculture, Dr. Zemede spoke to
challenges from finding pace in the curricula to space for gardening. Resources and teachers/support would
also present both initial and ongoing obstacles requiring evaluation and problem-solving attitudes.
In education, Dr. Zemede presented the lasting impacts of UA to be as follows: academic skills,
personal development, social and moral development, vocational and/or subsistence skills, and life skills.
Beyond education, the benefits include community development, food security, sustainable development,
vocational education, and greening and beautification of the school campus.
Dr. Zemede closed his presentation by posing a series of questions for consideration and discussion,
potentially on day two of the conference. Is education in urban agriculture a real need for Ethiopia now? Can
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it be done? Who can do it? How can it be done? And what is the specific role of education? Finally, he
emphasized the need for collaboration and coordination amongst schools in urban areas, curriculum
designers, community leaders, city administrations, and organizations/NGOs, CBOs, etc.
PRESENTATION #7~ Ato Alemayehu Taye
Ato Alemayehu Taye began his career as an animal scientist but currently works as the Head of Addis
Ababa Urban Agriculture Extension Office. He closed the presentations for Day One with a presentation in
Amharic on Urban Agriculture: A Strategy for Development in Urban Settings.
The current state of affairs in Ethiopia, as presented by Ato Alemayehu include a rising demand for
food, declining fertility of land, decreasing rainfall, and the mandatory need to produce food in cities to feed
the ever-increasing mouths. Urban Agriculture was defined in the presentation as: “The growing of plants and
raising of animals, and related activities, by people in urban settings for food, income, and medicinal herbs, in
home yards and in vacant, public, or semi-open spaces in the built up city and peri-urban areas (along and in
rivers, roads, below power lines, in flood zones, on ex dump sites, etc.” In Ethiopia alone, the potential of
urban agriculture can be seen in vegetable productions already taking place along riverbanks, back yard
horticultural crop, silkworm, and mushroom production, as well as good access to dairy products and the fact
that 4,500 households have already undertaken mixed agriculture.
The New Urban Agriculture Vision and Mission as outlined in the presentation are explained out as
follows:
Major services to be delivered under this plan include providing continuous extension services, implementing
new technologies, animal health control service and treatment, and animal health laboratory services. Ato
Alemayhu continued his presentation by outlining the opportunities and organizational structures of the
program, as well as core processes used (please see Annex 3 for further information). He explained that in
each program here are case teams, such as livestock husbandry, animal health, crop, soil and water
development and conservation, and fruit and forage seedling multiplication, to name a few.
The head officer also acknowledged many of the same challenges and problems previously
mentioned by other presenters. First and foremost, he spoke of the lack of urban agriculture policy, strategy,
extension systems, and organizational structure. New perspectives presented on the topic included, feed
shortage and price escalation, eviction and re-housing, lack of research intervention, and lack of technologies
appropriate to urban agriculture.
Briefly touching on the experience of other African cities and their statistics in support of urban
agriculture, Ato Alemayehu moved into the end of his presentation, offering “the way forward as a new
strategy.” Strategies include a plan by the government to develop a new strategic plan in promoting urban
agriculture as well as an investment in urban agriculture research and extension. The plan also includes the
dissemination of good practice, technologies, and provision of information. Finally, he added that due
attention should be given to a shift of practices from crop production to livestock raising and horticulture
production, as well as the introduction of waste water treatment technologies for irrigation purposes.
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DISCUSSIONS: QUESTION AND ANSWER PANEL: Led by Dr. Hailemeskel Balcha
Once the afternoon presentations had concluded, the last three presenters were invited back up to
the stage and the floor was opened for questions. Contributions from this round included concerns related to
urban agriculture in schools, curriculum, and policy as well as a direct question posed to Ato Alemayehu by
the mayor of Adama, “What experience do you have in the linkage of urban agriculture with micro-
enterprising activities?” For Dr. Radeny, questions were put forward related to the scaling up of urban
agriculture without lots of land as well as examples of sustainability and best practice.
In regards to education and curriculum, Dr. Zemede suggested that, “Curriculum is dynamic. We
cannot say we have established it and that is all. In the face of a new development, if urban agriculture
becomes a very important thing and if education becomes one of the means through which urban agriculture
is brought up and made operational, I don’t see any reason why the educational system cannot be sensitive to
these new developments, new visions, etc.” He concluded by emphasizing that at this stage of development
all we can say is that “this is an issue we should discuss so that the education experts and curriculum
designers come into streamline.” Moreover, Dr. Zemede highlighted the importance of an experiential
component to urban agriculture in schools. “Covering agriculture within subjects in curriculum will not
ensure the emergence of urban agriculture in practical terms.” Which reinforces the need for schools, not
only governments and communities, to also consider solution-oriented approaches in dealing with limited
resources such as water, land, and finances.
Responding to questions of limited land allowances and best practice, Dr. Radeny spoke to tangible
successes in his program with both poultry farming and veggie gardening on small pieces of land. “Although
yes, you’re right,” he added. “If you want to do something significant, beyond household consumption, you
need more land.”
Addressing sustainable programming in the future, he spoke of their approach in working directly
with community groups who are already involved in social development work. “That provides the entry point
for us,” he noted. “We strengthen the capacity that they have to incorporate other development issues, which
provides room for these groups to think about their own development.” In terms of best practice, Dr.
Radeny also mentioned the emphasis on the transferal of skills from one group to another. “We try and
match these groups together so that they can learn from one another. In this way, we’ve been successful in
scaling up some of these successes.” Additionally, his organization supports micro-financing endeavors and
provides trainings for OVCs ages 17 and above to support them in starting small businesses.
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Section 3.0 Conference Day Two
On the second day of the conference, participants from various fields of expertise were given an
opportunity to work in more intimate discussion groups to begin defining a more clear and detailed vision for
urban agriculture in Ethiopia. The groups were divided into six areas of interests, including the Environment,
Water Resources, Livelihoods, Health, Education, and Land Use. After internally debating these issues with
the intention of developing a consensus, each group presented a preliminary plan of action. Before
conference participants broke off into smaller discussion groups, however, one last speaker, Mr. Thomas
Cole, made a presentation on the importance and advancements of the urban agriculture movement in the
United States.
Urban Agriculture in the U.S.
Mr. Cole, a consultant on food systems, with experience in the developed and developing world, in
urban and rural environments, explained how urban gardening can help address major health and nutritional
concerns in the United States. Urban agriculture sometimes suffers from unfavorable perceptions in the
developing world as a practice that isn't modern, but Mr. Cole's presentation showed how urban gardening is
used in the U.S., a highly developed country, as a powerful tool that can improve the well being of
communities. Mr. Cole pointed out that children in the U.S. are currently struggling with high obesity rates,
and therefore high diabetes rates, and this is largely attributed to the lack of access to more fresh and
nutritious foods that are rich in fiber. For this reason, Mr. Cole supports the movement to dramatically
transform the food programs implemented in most school cafeterias.
Fortunately, more schools are embracing alternative food programs, and today there is also high-level
support from public figures, like the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, who used green space in
the White House to develop a vegetable garden. The White House garden is used regularly, for instance the
first Obama State Dinner was prepared by the famous Ethio-Swedish chef, Marcus Samuelsson, who
exclusively used fresh produce from the White House gardens in the creation of his vegetarian dishes. Ms.
Obama has also actively encouraged public schools participating in gardening programs. Mr. Cole shared
these anecdotes to point out that the urban agriculture movement is actually a global phenomenon moving in
a progressive direction. He was also in favor of connecting these movements in the developed and
developing world, arguing that practitioners of urban agriculture can support each other by exchanging
information and experiences. For this reason, Mr. Cole applauded the Video-Conference (on Day One) that
took place between children in Ethiopian school garden programs, and students in Detroit's Ferguson
Academy for Young Women, an institution that practices garden-based education. Mr. Cole also pointed out
that the advantages of urban agriculture go beyond health and nutritional benefits, in his experiences in the
U.S. and abroad, he has also seen how these social practice can help strengthen community ties, which can
later be used to collectively address other shared challenges.
Mr. Cole ended his presentation by urging conference participants to continue to develop the
networks between people engaged in urban agriculture in order to improve the lines of communication,
which can help in exchanging vital information, and therefore advancing the urban agricultural movement.
Finally, Mr. Cole added that the further development of extensive scientific studies documenting the benefits
of urban agriculture can help secure greater support from governmental agencies, NGOs, and other local and
international actors.
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The Working Groups
After the final presentation, the conference facilitators, Ms. Tsigie Haile and Mr. Adrian Cullis, began
to prepare conference participants for their work in smaller interest groups. Each team was made up of a mix
of professionals, including governmental officials, local and international NGOs, researchers, and other
interested citizens. The first task for each group was to write down a vision statement that could realistically
be realized by 2015. The second task was to identify five activities that could help them realize their vision
statements. The third task was to identify three constraints that would urgently need to be addressed as they
work towards their long-term goals, including suggestions for how these challenges can be overcome.
Water Resources
The Water Resources group's vision statement was to work towards: ''improved access to water of
appropriate quality through raising awareness amongst all stakeholders, and improving water management
backed by effective legislation by 2015.'' The group also identified five critical activities to help them reach
their vision in a timely manner...
1. Stakeholders would have to embrace an integrated watershed approach. 2. Appropriate technologies would have to be adopted, such as water harvesting dams, roof water
harvesting, hand dug wells, and drip kits. 3. Awareness raising of water access issues would be essential in raising support. 4. The development of clear and practical legislation. 5. The development of a forum that is capable of developing and executing detailed action plans.
The Water Resources group also identified three major constraints to improving water access in
Ethiopia...
1. Drought continuously plagues the country, a phenomenon that is worsened by deforestation and water catchment degradation.
2. Securing appropriate financial resources will be challenging. 3. There is limited cooperation between stakeholders, and a lack of knowledge sharing, as well as a
negative attitude about the ability to bring about positive change.
In order to address water constraints in Ethiopia, the Water Resources working group argued that
greater effort will be needed to support reforestation projects and storage dam development. Comprehensive
plans of action will need to be developed, and strong partnerships will have to be forged.
Health and Nutrition
The Health and Nutrition group's vision statement was ''to see a healthy, productive and food
secured society in Ethiopia by 2015''. The group then identified a five-point strategy...
1. Encourage the expansion of urban gardening in Ethiopia's growing cities by making better use of available green spaces, and therefore increasing the supply of nutritious foods.
2. Invest in community mobilization as a tool to deliver health and sanitation messages in locally appropriate ways.
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3. Develop an integrated urban agriculture policy that ties in health issues with other social and environmental causes.
4. Increase intensity of current urban agricultural systems by identifying and multiplying best practices. 5. Mainstream urban agriculture to all health sectors by increasing public awareness of the real health
benefits and risks of engaging in urban agriculture.
The Health and Nutrition group also identified three challenges to realizing their vision statement.
1. There has been a lack of commitment to developing supportive urban agriculture policy in the past. 2. There has been a lack of multi-sectoral collaboration. 3. There is little attention paid to proper waste disposal management, which is not only a major health
concern, but also an environmental management issue.
The Health and Nutrition group recommended that immediate action be taken towards
strengthening collaboration among stakeholders. They were also in favor of intensifying capacity building for
marginalized and vulnerable communities. Finally, they argued that it was important to develop integrated
plans of action, rather than acting as individual interest groups.
Livelihoods
The Livelihoods group's vision statement was ''to see an improvement in sustainable living for urban
residents through the dissemination of modern urban agricultural technologies by 2015''. The livelihoods
group recommended five critical activities to help them realize their vision statement.
1. Launch a public awareness campaign to inform urban residents of the social and economic benefits of urban agriculture.
2. Improve cooperation between urban agriculture stakeholders, including potential urban farmers. 3. Employ the best and most modern technologies to help intensify agriculture in the city. 4. Formulate comprehensive and effective policies that will support farmers and manage urban
agricultural practices. 5. Create improved market linkages to help farmers maximize their profits.
The Livelihoods group also identified three constraints that would have to be addressed in order to
achieve their vision statement.
1. Potential farmers have limited access to land, water, and financial capital. 2. There is currently a lack of clear and supportive policies, as well as a lack of a solid strategy by public
officials. 3. Residents tend to have a negative perception of urban agriculture, which must be addressed before
urban agriculture can be expanded in Ethiopian cities.
The livelihoods group argued that an effective marketing campaign can quickly change perceptions.
Strengthening stakeholder networks will be necessary in executing action plans. The development of urban
farmer networks can also facilitate the exchange of valuable knowledge. The stakeholder networks should
also include lobbyists who will actively lobby in favor of pro-urban agriculture policies. Like other working
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groups, the livelihoods group emphasized the importance of an integrated approach that included social,
health, economic, and environmental interests.
Education
The Education group's vision statement was ''to see the cultivation of the knowledge and skill base
for children, teachers, and community members engaged in urban agriculture''. The Education group
identified five key activities to help reach their education goals.
1. The negative perceptions of urban agriculture will have to be addressed in order to build a conducive environment for exchanging knowledge.
2. Favorable policy needs to be drafted to encourage educators and residents to invest their resources in urban agriculture.
3. Greater investment in basic resources (such as water, land, and technology) can in turn help develop knowledge-building networks.
4. An educational curriculum that incorporates the socio-economic and environmental benefits of urban agriculture can help improve perceptions and make important knowledge readily available.
5. Greater investment in future agricultural educators.
The Education group identified three constraints that would have to be addressed in order to
achieve their vision statements.
1. A lack of a supportive policy environment. 2. The lack of access to capital, technological, and natural resources. 3. Poor perceptions of urban agriculture.
In order to deal with these challenges, the Education group was in favor of launching a public
awareness campaign. It also was in favor of taking advantage of existing educational institutions to provide
training for current and potential farmers, as well as future educators.
Land Use
The Land Use group’s vision statement was “to see the inclusion of urban agricultural zones in city
master plans in order to better utilize existing urban spaces.” The land use group identified five key activities
that could help bring about their stated vision.
1. They were in favor of improving public awareness of the socio-economic and environmental benefits of urban agriculture.
2. The formulation and integration of supportive policies to encourage city planners to clearly define urban agricultural zones.
3. Identifying and demarcating urban agricultural zones at the city and kebele levels. 4. Investing in appropriate technologies (like updated GIS software) to improve urban planning
systems. 5. Making use of unused urban space (particularly at the edge of cities) to maximize land resources.
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The Land Use group identified three challenges that would need to be addressed to improve land
use.
1. Urban policies currently make it difficult to use urban land for agricultural practices. 2. There is poor awareness of the benefits of urban agriculture, making it more difficult for potentials
farmers to secure land. 3. Limited technical ability needed to transform land-use planning systems.
To address these important issues, the Land Use group was in favor of engaging policy-makers to
develop favorable legislation. They also emphasized the importance of developing stronger partnerships
between stakeholders to continuously fuel the urban agricultural movement. Finally, like most groups, they
pointed out that the importance of creating a positive image of urban agriculture in Ethiopia.
Environment
The Environment group’s vision statement was “to see clean, green, urban environments rich with
biodiversity conducive for healthy living by 2015 in Ethiopia.” The Environment group identified five key
activities that would allow them to realize their vision statement.
1. They were in favor of building the capacity of environmental managers in urban centers by giving them access to technological resources, as well as appropriate training.
2. They endorsed the formulation of supportive urban agricultural policies. 3. They wanted to integrate waste management systems with agricultural practices in the city, in order
to improve the recycling of urban wastes. 4. They were in favor of identifying and intensifying the most effective, and environmentally sensitive,
urban agricultural practices. 5. They wanted to immediately incorporate urban agriculture in the school curriculum, to improve
perceptions of city farming and to inform residents of the many benefits of urban agriculture.
The Environment group identified three constraints that would need to be overcome in order to
meet their declared goals.
1. The lack of a favorable policy environment. 2. Increasing water pollution, particularly in Addis Ababa, which has a rapidly growing industrial
sector, which is yet to be regulated by environmental managers. 3. The limitation of current land use systems, which can potentially be used to protect vulnerable urban
spaces, such as riparian zones.
In addition, the Environment group offered three recommendations...
1. Urban agricultural spaces should clearly be protected in municipal master plans. 2. Urban agriculture should be promoted through media campaigns to create awareness of its benefits
for all segments of urban society. 3. Enable public officials to enforcing current legislation that is already designed to protect the
environment.
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Open Discussion
There was an open discussion following the presentations of the six groups in which new or
alternative opinions were raised. Health concerns were raised regarding the use of potentially unsuitable water
sources. Dr. Adam-Bradford, however, assured the conference participants that water concerns shouldn't be
used as an excuse to abandon agricultural practices. Detailed guidelines from organizations like the WHO and
the FAO are already in place to help practitioners manage their water resources. According to Dr. Adam-
Bradford, the greatest risk posed in urban gardening actually comes from washing produce with wastewater at
the marketplace.
Other questions related to water resources were concerns about the issue of raising the price of water
as a way of paying for improved services. Residents currently pay relatively low bills for water use, but several
conference participants argued that while it is crucial to improve water access in the country, most of the
population will not be able to bear the pressure of increased water prices as the price of other household
goods skyrocket. Mr. Cullis, the conference facilitator pointed out there are still many pressing and
unresolved questions regarding water resources, and therefore it may make sense to organize a workshop to
address water issues, as they pertain to urban agriculture.
Another concern that was continuously raised during the open discussions was whether there would
be enough inputs, seeds, tools, and other equipment to support an intensification of agriculture in Ethiopian
cities. Currently, there are organizations that are helping in this capacity, but an expansion of urban
agriculture will require greater access to such resources.
A Collective Vision for the Way Forward
The Environmental, Water Resources, Livelihoods, Health, Education, and Land Use working
groups all emphasized the important of working collaboratively in order to make significant strides in urban
agricultural expansion by 2015. There were three major constraints that were identified by every group; these
included the negative perceptions of urban agriculture, the lack of support at the policy level, and the lack of
access to important technological, educational, and natural resources. There was also consensus about how to
address these challenges, with every group emphasizing a comprehensive approach that dealt with multiple
aspects of urban agriculture. The immediate strategy should involve the development of a public awareness
campaign through various mediums. Also, stakeholders should engage policymakers to begin drafting
supportive urban agricultural activities. Several participants were in favor of a developing a steering
committee to help guide this process. Mr. Cullis also suggested creating an Urban Agriculture Institute as a
knowledge center in which information can easily be stored and exchanged.
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Section 4.0 Conference Conclusion
The ''Beyond Urban Gardens'' conference was effective in bringing together practitioners, policy
makers, researchers, community organizers, and development professionals, who are engaged in urban
agriculture in Ethiopia. On Day One, guest speakers from various agencies stressed the importance of
investing in urban agriculture because of its numerous socio-economic and environmental benefits. In Day
Two, conference facilitators guided six issue-based working groups into mapping out preliminary plans of
action that address questions of health, livelihoods, land-use, water, environment, and education. Every group
identified major constraints, then proposed recommendations for how to overcome these challenges.
The conference concluded with an agreement that a regular forum would need to be established to
help guide the intensification, expansion, and management of the urban agricultural movement in Ethiopia.
Since the conference, participants have already created a steering committee that will focus on formulating
effective policies to support the development of agriculture in Ethiopian cities.
Dr. Abera remains committed to follow up on the conference. Two meetings have been held with
Dr. Abera and plans are underway to develop an urban agriculture strategy.
4.1 Way Forward
The Beyond Urban Gardens conference was successful in generating the energy needed to bring
about positive changes. There has been growing support from important public officials, like the Minister of
Agriculture and the Director of Addis Ababa's Urban Agriculture Office. After a follow up workshop in
Ghion Hotel in December (sponsored by the USAID's Urban Gardens Program and the Jerusalem Children
and Community Development Organization), a steering committee was formed consisting of eight
stakeholders. The steering committee members, which includes Ato Alemayhu, the Addis Ababa Director of
Urban Agriculture, will focus on improving the policy environment in order to encourage existing and
potential urban farmers. The negative perception issue was also partially addressed by the positive news
coverage during the days of the November workshops, although it will take more energy to keep improving
perceptions.
The steering committee's next step will be to hire consultants to conduct a policy audit and to
develop detailed policy drafts. The steering committee will also be seeking support from the stakeholders who
participated in the intensive workshops in order to help drive this process forward.
In addition, Dr. Abera remains committed to follow up on the conference. Two meetings have been
held with Dr. Abera and plans are underway to develop an effective urban agriculture policy strategy.
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Annex 1
Draft 1
The Ethiopia Urban Agriculture Forum
The Ethiopia Urban Agricultural Forum is committed to mainstreaming urban agriculture in city and
emerging market town life throughout Ethiopia with the result that by 2015:
All families living in urban areas will be healthy, producing some of their own food, have access to healthy, locally produced food
and are aware of the importance of urban agricultural food production systems. Also that all Ethiopian cities have developed
effective master plans which protects open space, supports bio-diversity and ensures improved energy use and improved waste
management.
In order to achieve the vision, it will be necessary to:
- Develop federal and regional integrated urban agricultural strategic frameworks - Mainstream urban agriculture in the MoARD, MoH and MoE - Establish centers of excellence in each region to promote urban agriculture and train a rapidly
expanded cadre of experts and practitioners - Support urban agriculture exchange visits within and beyond Ethiopia - Engage the media to promote awareness and ‘bust’ urban myths about the risks involved in urban
agriculture and, - Secure increased donor interest, support and funding
1. Land – improved and more sustainable urban land management Activities:
- Support 3 cities develop land use master plans which include protected green space and zoned areas
for sport and urban agriculture
2. Health – improved health and nutrition of urban communities including PLWHA Activities:
- Research, document and promote the beneficial health (including mental) impacts of urban agriculture including improved access to micro-nutrients for poor and vulnerable households, including PLWHAs
- Research and document the health risks associated with urban agriculture and promote accompanying risk reduction strategies
- Pilot eco-sanitation in 3 cities with a view to promote improved human waste management
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3. Improved management of water – improved and more sustainable use of water through improved waste management and appropriate technology which improves productivity and minimizes waste and cost
Activities:
- Pilot integrated watershed management including soil and water conservation in the watersheds of 3 cities
- Promote the increased adoption of appropriate technologies e.g. water harvesting (ground and roof catchments), sand dams and hand dug wells, drip irrigation technology
- Pilot improved waste water management in 3 cities and producer user guides to reduce health risks
4. Education – improved levels of knowledge, skills and understanding of the importance and potential of
urban agriculture
Activities:
- Establish an urban agriculture module in the school science curriculum - Pilot new and sustainable approaches to improved use of schools and tertiary education grounds
to produce food – vegetables, herbs, animal products – including fish- and timber - Pilot community-managed school gardens for improved use of land in urban areas - Work with the national media to include positive urban agriculture ‘story lines’ in radio and TV
programs
5. Inputs and markets – improved access to inputs and opportunities to sell healthy food and other urban
agricultural products produced in urban areas
Activities:
- Research and support initiatives in 5 cities to provide increased levels of input support to urban agriculture
- Pilot 20 kebele markets in 5 cities which will sell urban and peri-urban produce and are mandated to ensure a constant supply of healthy food
- Develop appropriate legal charters to ensure the long-term sustainability of kebele markets
ANNEX 2
BEYOND URBAN GARDENS CONFERENCE
STEERING COMMITTEE ROSTER
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31
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ANNEX 3 SLIDE PRESENTATIONS
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34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
