Food Security and Urban Agriculture in Stellenbosch: a Case Study of Policy Failure
Jansen van Vuuren, Elzeth (2016-03)
ENGLISH SUMMARY: The surface of the Earth is dominated by human activity placing pressure on biodiversity and its capacity to ensure a safe and stable environment for human food production. At this stage the Earth is dominated by human industry and agriculture in such a way that, for the first time in history, it has a dramatic impact on food security and biodiversity. Increasing pressure to produce more food and unstainable agricultural methods are placing pressure on the natural resources agriculture depends on. The reason for this conflict is as a result of unsustainable human population growth, lack of appropriate development, inappropriate sustainable policies, planning and greed.
Urban Agriculture offers a potential and viable tool to increase food security and biodiversity on a local scale. Urban Agriculture can increase sustainability and urban resilience by addressing complex challenges in a holistic manner. Stellenbosch was selected as a focus area for this case study since the challenges and dynamics are common to other areas in the Western Cape as well in South Africa. This paper motivates for Stellenbosch as a pilot area to determine what form of urban agriculture provides a holistic combination that increases food security and sustainability. This paper identifies key resources available within Stellenbosch to ensure such a projects success.
Policies have been critically analysed and local development plans were found to be inadequate and inappropriately focused. Local development plans do not focus on the critical issues, specifically food security, as informed by the Millennium Development Goals Report or the Sustainable Development Goals. These gaps are highlighted within the ambit of this thesis.
In this light, Stellenbosch is aiming and working towards a goal of becoming the greenest municipality and the innovation capital of South Africa. The findings in this thesis address the shortcomings and inadequacy of policy or the total lack thereof. The main aim is to analyse a variety of urban agriculture projects identifying similarities in order to formulate a solution to urban food crises and to move towards true sustainable innovation within an urban space.
AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die bruikbare oppervlak van die Aarde word nou deur mense-aktiwiteit oorheers, wat ŉ impak op sowel biodiversiteit as voedselproduksie het. Tans word die Aarde sodanig deur mensebedrywighede en landbou oorheers dat dit vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis ŉ dramatiese impak op voedselsekerheid en biodiversiteit het. Dit bemoeilik die mens se kapasiteit om voedsel te vervaardig, wat tot vernietiging van biodiversiteit lei. Die redes vir hierdie uitdaging is onvolhoubare groei van die mensebevolking, gebrek aan geskikte ontwikkeling, ontoepaslike volhoubaarheidsbeleide en beplanning, en gulsigheid.
Stedelike landbou bied potensiale en lewensvatbare oplossings vir uitdagings verbonde aan voedselsekerheid en biodiversiteit. Stedelike landbou kan volhoubaarheid en stedelike weerstandigheid laat toeneem deur komplekse probleme in ‘n omvatbare manier op te los. Stellenbosch is as die fokus van hierdie gevallestudie gekies, aangesien die uitdagings en dinamika in hierdie dorp soortgelyk is aan dié in ander gebiede, in sowel die Wes-Kaap as in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie tesis motiveer Stellenbosch as ‘n gevallestudie om te bepaal watter vorm van stedelike landou ‘n holistiese kombinasie bied vir ‘n toename in voedselsekerheid en volhoubaarheid. Hierdie studie identifiseer hulpbronne wat Stellenbosch besit om sulke projekte uit te voer.
Beleide is krities ontleed en plaaslike ontwikkelingsplanne is gevind onvoldoende en sonder die geskikte fokus te wees. Plaaslike ontwikkelingsbeplanning, wat op beleid geskoei is, fokus nie spesifiek op die kritieke kwessies wat ŉ impak op voedselsekerheid het soos gerig deur die Millennium-ontwikkelingdoelwitte of Volhoubare-ontwikkelingsdoelwitte nie. In hierdie tesis word hierdie gapings uitgelig.
Stellenbosch se doel en strewe is om die groenste munisipaliteit asook die voorstaander van innovasie te word. Die bevindinge van hierdie tesis is daarop gemik om sowel die tekortkominge, onvoldoendheid en gebrek van geen beleide aan te pak. Die hoofbevindinge is gerig daarop om verskeie stedelike voedsel projekte te analiseer met die doel om ooreenkomste te identifiseer en ‘n oplossing te formuleer vir stedelike voedselkrisis as ook ware volhoubare innovasie in ŉ stedelike ruimte.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98669