The presented City farm is certainly a very good example of how under-utilised public green spaces can be sustainably improved in favour of a variety of benefits (educational, social, economic) for urban communities. My questions concern the process of involving and collaborating with local authorities in development of the project, especially: a) Does local government provide permanent support for or some commitment to farm development? b) Do local authorities participate in farm performance and, if so, how? c) Is there a target local policy for urban agriculture activities as part of city planning?
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a) Does local government provide permanent support for or some commitment to farm development?
Generally speaking, no. Local government can provide access to land. It also has a programme for small grants for farming inputs and tools. There is an enterprise development grant programme that can be applied for by commercial smallholder farms. Current policy is being reviewed and revised, so this situation may change in the coming years.
In Cape Town there is a large (~2500ha) area of agricultural land called the Philippi Horticultural Area, which is highly contested. It is historically farmland, is predominantly zoned for agriculture, and has a rural or peri-urban character even though it lies within the municipal boundaries. There is an economic development initiative (PEDI) funded by local government to help support small-scale commercial farming there and to provide improved market access within the Philippi region.
b.) Do local authorities participate in farm performance and, if so, how?
No.
c) Is there a target local policy for urban agriculture activities as part of city planning?
There is an urban agriculture policy from 2007 that is out of date. A revised policy was in process of being drafted in 2013 but was never completed. A new policy development process is in its early stages, informed by the Resilience Strategy that was adopted by the local government last year. Local government tends to view agriculture as a provincial government (or national government) mandate. The predominant local government interest has typically been in economic development terms with a focus on agri-processing and food production for export. Perspectives among local officials and politicians are shifting somewhat, which creates new opportunities for more supportive policies, but it remains to be seen what will result from the process currently underway.
The local planning department is working on some innovative pilot projects, including one that puts urban agriculture at the centre of a 'carbon-neutral pilot village / sustainability campus' led by a newly formed Urban Sustainability Unit within the department. The impact of this unit or these projects on planning policy remains to be seen.