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As the city grows, where do the farmers go? Understanding Peri-urbanization and food systems in Ghana - Evidence from the Tamale Metropolis

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Abstract

The world continues to battle food insecurity due to persisting constraints with food production, distribution, storage, processing, consumption and waste management. The recent global food crisis redirected investment in new paradigms of food research to find innovative strategies of food production including urban and peri-urban agriculture. In the urbanised regions of Ghana, uncontrolled urbanisation and non-compliance with land use plans have further worsened the potentials for food production in the urban corridors. The effectiveness of urban food systems depends on efficient spatial and infrastructure planning mechanisms for spatial allocation to various land uses including green and agricultural zones. Using qualitative data and narratives, this paper studied urban farmers’ production systems in the Tamale Metropolis in Ghana. The study observed that as urbanisation increases, farmers are being pushed unto less favourable locations, farther villages or restricted to unauthorised public spaces in order to continue production. The absence of urban green belts reduces farming to flood plains and along public drains where wastewater is used for irrigation. The existing customary land ownership system makes it extremely difficult for urban planning institutions to preserve green spaces due to pressure from landowners for re-zoning into urban land infrastructure. To protect urban and peri-urban agricultural lands, there is the need for an urban agricultural policy and the mapping potential production areas.

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Notes

  1. The Tendaamba (singular—Tendaana) are the descendants of the pioneer migrants, and they are the ultimate authorities regarding land in their respective villages and towns (Kasanga 1995).

  2. The use of the terms stool and skin represents the symbols of authority of chiefs in Ghana. While the stool is the symbol of authority for chiefs in the southern part of Ghana, the skin (of an animal) is the symbol of authority for chiefs in the southern part. There is often the tendency in Ghana to refer to the chieftaincy of a particular area as the stool or skin. There are even verbal forms created: to enskin, to enstool; and derived nouns: enskinment and enstoolment.

  3. The term ‘kola money’ is used to refer to the lump sum payment made for the allocation of customary land in Ghana. In the past, acquiring land required greeting the chief or family head with kola. However, over the years as the demand for land increased, it became a practice that money was preferable to kola. Subsequently, the practice metamorphosed into presenting kola money to chiefs. These amounts vary across space and time in Ghana and may amount to cash payment equivalent to the economic value of land (see Delville et al. 2002). However, chiefs still maintain that this does not amount to a sale price or even a rent for land but a gift to use agricultural land or build a house. The story may be different from urban estates, where land market activities are quite brisk. It is common to have both the drink and drink money paid these days as well.

  4. As of 4th June 2012, UD$ 1 was quoted at Gh¢1.8777

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  1. Department of Real Estate and Land Management, University for Development Studies, Wa-Campus, Post Office Box UPW 3, Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana

    E. D. Kuusaana & J. A. Eledi

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  1. E. D. Kuusaana
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Kuusaana, E.D., Eledi, J.A. As the city grows, where do the farmers go? Understanding Peri-urbanization and food systems in Ghana - Evidence from the Tamale Metropolis. Urban Forum 26, 443–465 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-015-9260-x

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