Aquaculture (the farming of aquatic organisms ,including fish, molluscs, aquatic plants and other aquatic products) in sub-Saharan Africa has good potential due to increasing demand for fish and other aquatic products, the decline in marine and freshwater fisheries, favourable natural conditions for fish farming and the availability of relatively low-priced land and labour. The development of aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa has received much policy and donor attention over the past 30 years, but generally the results have been disappointing.

This is a series of 5 Policy Briefs produced under the EU funded PAPUSSA (Production in Aquatic Peri-urban Systems in Southeast Asia) project, a collaborative reserach project of European organisations and Asian partners in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and Bangkok in Thailand (www.papussa.org). Elaboration: Marielle Dubbeling, ETC Urban Agriculture (m.dubbeling@etcnl.nl); language editing: William Lesschen; Graphic design: Zonacuario, Quito, Ecuador.

Since the start of the first RUAF programme until now, many RUAF Publications have been published. On this page, you will find links to the the RUAF Publications available online, subdivided per type of publication. If you are looking for non-RUAF publications, you should search our bibliographic database. If you are looking for a certain Urban Agriculture Magazine article, please go to the Urban Agriculture Magazine section of this website.

Stuart Bunting, David Little and William Leschen

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

The status of urban aquaculture is assessed in this chapter and the most important literature and knowledge sources are discussed providing a comprehensive overview that highlights challenges facing decision-makers, planners and stakeholders in developing policies, programmes and management strategies that facilitate sustainable, equitable and safe urban aquaculture. The prevailing characteristics of existing urban aquaculture activities are described and the associated benefits are discussed. The recognised constraints and emerging threats to urban aquaculture are then presented. Following this assessment important knowledge gaps and challenges facing planners, managers and other stakeholders are identified and potential approaches to deal with the issues raised are proposed.

René van Veenhuizen

In: Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities

Attention to urban agriculture has increased markedly during the last couple of decades. The number of activities to promote urban agriculture at international, national and local level has grown, but urban farmers in many cities in the world still struggle to get their main survival strategy recognised by city authorities. The demand of policy makers and local practitioners for inspiring examples of successful policies and actions in cities is therefore growing. Urban agriculture contributes to a wide variety of urban issues and is increasingly being accepted and used as a tool in sustainable city development. Currently the challenge is its integration into city planning and facilitation of its multiple benefits for urban inhabitants. This book seeks to present the current state of affairs regarding urban agriculture and sustainable urban development.