Urban agriculture in the city of Daloa, Central-West Côte d'Ivoire: Crop species, market practices and economic fallout

Abstract

In Côte d'Ivoire, urban agriculture is expanding in several cities due to its proximity to consumers and its financial benefits. In the city of Daloa, several plant species are cultivated as food crops in market gardens. A survey based on semi-structured interviews was carried out among 19 people at 8 market gardening sites. This sector is controlled by functional illiterate persons who are more than 5 years’ experience. Eleven species included in 9 genera and 8 families and grouped into 5 types of vegetables were recorded. Carrot, Cabbage, Courgette, Spinach, Green Bean, Parsley, Lettuce and Tomato were the most grown vegetable. The most represented families were Apiaceae, Asteraceae and Liliaceae. Leafy vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, parsley) were the most grown. Market gardening generates monthly incomes depending on actor, species, and seasons. Thus, this sector provides an important source of income for local populations and deserves support from authorities.