The main actors in urban microfarming are often women. It turned out that in all compounds having been examined in Lusaka, women are to a greater extent involved in cropping and gardening than men. Production of staple food prevails in the wet season, and vegetable production in the dry season. Microfarming obviously contributes to household food security in town, directly by providing food, and indirectly by generating income. The plant species found in the urban plots reflect the purposes of microfarming, the accessibility of seed and the preferences of the consumers as well as market demands.
Farmers grow traditional vegetables such as sweet potatoes and pumpkins.
Exotic vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, rape and chinese cabbage are found in almost all gardens. In Lusaka, garden size decreases with increasing population density. The walking distance to sources of water is much farther in the high-density areas, which makes microfarming more difficult there. Within the high-density squatter areas, vulnerability in terms of food security differs. In some cases, small homegardens help to decrease vulnerability by buffering risks of food shortages and by diversifying the household's sources of livelihood.