Ninth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

One of the global trends that profoundly impacts on solutions to food and nutrition security is rapid global urbanisation. Gravitating towards a “good and clean” lifestyle, people living in urban areas normally leave the state, and a few stakeholders respond to the food security measures and hinder cities food self-sufficiency. They abandon their roles as food growers, and such behaviour threatens food security, especially in cases where the government is not always able to sustain the needs. In South Africa, with particular reference to gardening, “food gardening” is quite rare. Against this backdrop, this paper presents results on a qualitative based investigation aimed at understanding people’s practices and preferences in relation to food gardening in Cape Town. The data collection methods included document analysis, interviews, and participant observation. Using critical discourse analysis and habitus issues, the paper analyses the various opinions and practices on food gardening. It reveals the kind of standards that exist for defining gardening in general that hinder the practice of growing food by individuals. It also notes that commodification of gardening as a practice of the affluent discourages people to expand and transform gardening into meaningful productions towards food security. The paper contributes to the gap of literature in food security studies by focussing on small land use discourses which could possibly influence people’s practices around taking ownership in food production in this era where food insecurity is also rapidly becoming a cause of concern, especially in the African cities.