Work

The urban poor: profile and constraints affecting their participation in allotment gardens

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Rapid global urbanisation has seen a growing number of urban poor who lack natural endowments to cope with food shortages. Broadening their safety nets merits urgent political attention but requires understanding their profiles. A survey among 88 urban poor in Benin found that they had low educational and income levels, overcrowded and unsanitary housing conditions, and limited access to social services and health facilities; 76 per cent of them were food insecure, influenced by city, gender, ownership of a motorbike, and access to health facilities. Engaging them in allotment gardens requires farming skills, financial capital, and safety issues.

Source: Development in Practice

DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2022.2066066