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Book chapter Book chapter Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Multi-spatial livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa: rural farming by urban households - the case of Nakuru town, Kenya
Authors:Foeken, DickISNI
Owuor, Samuel O.ISNI
Book title:Mobile Africa: changing patterns of movement in Africa and beyond
Year:2001
Pages:125-139
Language:English
Geographic term:Subsaharan Africa
Subjects:rural-urban relations
urban agriculture
urban households
External link:https://hdl.handle.net/1887/4676
Abstract:Multispatial livelihoods refer to households with a livelihood foothold in both urban and rural areas. Although it is well-known that multispatial households are common in sub-Saharan Africa, the phenomenon has seldom been looked at from the urban household perspective. A review of the literature indicates that rural food and/or income sources are important for urban dwellers. This chapter presents data from a survey on urban farming carried out in Nakuru town, Kenya, in 1999-2000. These data concern size and location of rural plots, ownership and use of rural plots, their importance in qualitative terms, and differences between urban households having access to rural land ('rural farmers') and those who do not ('non-farmers'). The survey shows that over 60 percent of Nakuru households can be considered as having a multispatial livelihood. Although one-adult households and low-income households are relatively underrepresented in the survey, multispatial livelihoods may be particularly important for the latter group's food security situation. However, the results also indicate that rural farming by urban dwellers should be seen mainly in terms of 'opportunity' and not, like urban farming, in terms of 'necessity'. Bibliogr., notes, sum.
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