Nelson Obirih-Opareh and Theophilus Otchere-Larbi

In: UA Magazine 16 - Formulating Effective Policies on Urban Agrilculture

More than 40 percent of Ghana’s 20 million people lived in urban areas in 2000, and the country’s urban population was growing at an estimated 4 percent per annum (GSS, 2000, Cofie et al. 2003), with some cities growing at an annual rate of up to 4.4 percent. This increase is taking place at a time when the rural population is aging and agricultural productivity in the rural areas is declining. As a result, an increasing number of city dwellers have resorted to urban agriculture, using urban runoff/wastewater and vacant open spaces for food production. These activities contribute to the food supply, employment creation and livelihood support in Accra.