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.

Lesley Hope

In: UA Magazine no. 20 - Water for Urban Agriculture, pp. 29-30

Owing to the importance of irrigated urban vegetable farming in Ghana, a number of research and development activities have been recently initiated to improve the safety of vegetables. The positive and negative impacts of these initiatives have already been widely documented (UA Magazine no. 8 and the article in no. 19 on this issue). This paper describes a number of low-cost risk-reduction interventions developed together with key stakeholders in the "farm to fork" continuum.

Sanderijn van Beek and Rebecca L. Rutt

In: UA Magazine no. 19 - Stimulating Innovation in Urban Agriculture

Uncollected solid waste is one of Kampala’s most visible environmental problems, and one of the main causes of environmental degradation within the city. While this poses a critical health hazard to the livelihoods of the urban poor, it also hinders economic growth and social achievement (Sengendo, 1994). However, amidst the gloom, there are local initiatives – developed by enterprising individuals and groups – which are helping to address waste problems through the creative reuse of organic waste in urban farming. Some of these innovations are rapidly becoming common practice; others are still experimental.

Jessica Alegre, Gordon Prain and Miguel Salvo

In: UA Magazine no. 19 - Stimulating Innovation in Urban Agriculture

Pig raising is an important livelihood activity in the District of Lurigancho Chosica, which is a low-income periurban neighbourhood located in the Rimac valley in the eastern part of the city of Lima. As many as 1600 families are thought to depend on this activity for some or all
of their income. Without organisation, technical support or regulation, they mostly operate in small clusters of informal livestock units perched on the arid hillsides of this desert city. This type of production raises concerns about public health risks and environmental pollution, and yet relatively simple changes in management can make pig raising a profitable, sustainable activity that can contribute
significantly to the well-being of urban and periurban families.

Bernard Keraita, Pay Drechsel, William Agyekum and Lesley Hope

In: UA Magazine no. 19 - Stimulating Innovation in Urban Agriculture

Irrigated vegetable farming is a common practice in and around many cities in low-income countries. It is also an important means for attaining urban food security and balanced diets, and it provides a livelihood to many urban dwellers. However, increasing contamination of irrigation water sources makes this practice a major risk factor for public health, especially as most vegetables grown are consumed raw. Urban vegetable farmers in Ghana use different water sources for irrigation, depending on the location of their farming sites. Surface water is most commonly used as it is easily accessible and thus most economical. Farmers collect it from streams, stormwater drains
and gutters with greywater. However, these water sources are usually heavily contaminated with untreated wastewater. 

Proceedings of the study visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa in 17-25 August 2005. Compiled and edited by Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF), ETC Urban Agriculture, Leusden, the Netherlands; Abalimi Bezekhaya, Cape Town, South Africa; and EU-ACP Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Ede,
the Netherlands.

H. de Zeeuw

Key note paper for the International Conference ”Urban Agriculture, Agro-tourism and City Region Development”, Beijing, 10-14 October, 2004

In: Irrigated Urban Vegetable Production in Ghana - Characteristics, Benefits and Risks by Emmanuel Obuobie, Bernard Keraita, George Danso, Philip Amoah, Olufunke O. Cofie, Liqa Raschid-Sally and Pay

In: Irrigated Urban Vegetable Production in Ghana - Characteristics, Benefits and Risks by Emmanuel Obuobie, Bernard Keraita, George Danso, Philip Amoah, Olufunke O. Cofie, Liqa Raschid-Sally and Pay