Impact Of Urbanisation On Vegetable Cultivation And Supply in Zambia

The aim of this study therefore was to identify sources of key vegetables (Rape, Onion, Tomatoes, and Cabbages) supplied to the traditional markets in Lusaka as well as endeavour to understand the extent to which urbanisation had affected the production and supply of vegetables in Lusaka. This research revealed that urbanisation had caused loss of urban agriculture land in many parts of the city that were previously zoned as agricultural areas, consequently causing changing patterns of vegetable procurement and supply. Additionally, this study showed that planning for urban food security was not prioritised by local authority as food governance was done on an ad hoc basis and inundated by political interference and limited trading spaces which were mostly a source of conflict between market managers and vegetable farmers. Generally, the study found that governance challenges at Soweto market were negatively affecting urban food security as they inhibited accessibility, affordability and availability of vegetables for urban consumers, especially low income consumers who depended on traditional markets for their vegetable supply.