ABSTRACT:

There seems to no universally accepted definition of urban agriculture. But in this paper, we adopt the restricted definition that it is the practice of raising crops or raising livestock within the boundaries of the city or metropolis area, which includes production in peri-urban areas, and excludes commercial farms or households located outside urban boundaries. The paper argues that the major goal of urban agriculture is to supplement purchased food with farm production and also to improve access to food by raising household income if the farm products are sold. The paper shows how the significance of urban agriculture can be measured and argues that urban agriculture improves the food security status of urban areas. It defines food security in terms of food availability, food access and food utilization and adds that attainment of food security implies that all households have access to food supplies needed to meet their basic requirements for nutrition and health. The paper proceeds to assess the effect of urban agriculture on child care-giving in urban areas and offers suggestions for adequate care-giving. If finally provides a seven point guideline for policy and research.