The impact of backyard gardening on livelihoods of households in Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of backyard gardening on the livelihoods of households in Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data were drawn from 60 household vegetable producers. A structured questionnaire was used to conduct one-on-one interviews to gather data which were then analysed to compare variables and the level of livelihoods of household vegetable production. The results suggested that variables such as gender, household size, marital status and household income influence vegetable production. Women, as the primary caretakers of children, were found to be more involved in vegetable production than men. The vegetable production increased when households were headed by females. Households indicated that the implementation and evaluation of the programme under study, which was successfully undertaken with the assistance of Agricultural Advisors from Gauteng’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), did impact their livelihoods positively. In conclusion, the study found that household vegetable projects can assist in alleviating poverty, create job opportunities and improve livelihoods of the community of Sedibeng District Municipality.

Income Contribution of Backyard Gardening and its Association with Household Food Security: A Case Study in an Urban Setting

“…In the present study however, the contributory indicator on income ranks lowly amongst the five indicators analysed. Given the findings on the contribution to the food supply, the present study aligns with David and Grobler (2022) together with Thomas and Terblanche (2021) findings that backyard gardening has a greater chance of increasing food supply and reducing food insecurity at the household level.…”

“…The findings on the high unemployment status of the households practising backyard gardening is a characteristic that is corroborated in Thomas and Terblanche (2021), where households interviewed for that particular study indicated that the purpose of their engagement in backyard gardening was to create employment. The findings, therefore, contribute to furthering the understanding of some of the reasons for backyard gardening as households seek opportunities to alleviate their food security situation.…”

“…Backyard gardens can successfully alleviate food insecurity for urban households that face a multitude of income constraints due to competing demands posed by urban living and also by ongoing global crises (Galhena et al, 2013;Tumwebaze et al, 2018). Through backyard gardening, the food supply can be increased at a household level (David and Grobler, 2022;Thomas and Terblanche, 2021). Tumwebaze et al (2018) supported the view by indicating that backyard gardens are the major food source for households in developing countries and that gardens significantly contribute to meeting daily household needs for better nutrition 2…”