The City’s Mayoral Committee for Urban Management Alderman Grant Twigg, launched the City’s Food Gardens Project, yesterday, Monday, 14 December 2020, with a focus on promoting home gardens.
The Food Gardens Project forms part of the City’s Urban Management Support Programme’s initiative to establish sustainable food gardens which will aid in addressing food insecurity in vulnerable areas and It is earmarked to commence in January 2021.
‘Approximately R3 million has been budgeted for this project. It will go towards targeted beneficiaries for the use of farming kits that will include seeds, fertilizer, equipment, training and skills development amongst others,’ said Alderman Twigg.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reaffirmed the need for urban farming programmes as many households have been impacted negatively and need food relief during this time. Home gardens are also becoming an increasingly important source of food and a mechanism for job creation.
This initiative is underpinned by a skills development programme that will ensure that beneficiaries who are managing urban food gardens are equipped with the appropriate skills and for future employment thereby creating job opportunities in the sector.
‘The aim is to involve a few hundred backyard and urban farms in this urban farming project from across the city which comprises all twenty-four subcouncils. This is a huge undertaking and a project that I am extremely excited and proud to be a part of,’ said Alderman Twigg.
Each of the subcouncils was asked to identify 30 participants to start up food gardens. Assessments of the gardens are currently underway.
The Food Gardens Project will provide support to new and existing farmers that is not limited to backyards, schools, open spaces around City-owned buildings, churches, NGOs, clinics and libraries, that require no capital costs.
‘This project is aimed at encouraging households to start their own food production units. Owning your garden offers great potential for improving a household’s food security. This includes direct access to nutritionally rich foods, savings on food bills and fall-back food provision during lean periods,’ said Alderman Twigg.