Ever heard of Kibera vertical farms? These are not perhaps the designer skyscraper greenhouses you might imagine, but rather sacks filled with soil. However, Kibera dwellers are able to grow tomatoes, spinach and kale in those sacks which, together with ugali and eggs, from Kibera-kept chickens, make a nutritious meal.
Kibera dwellers who practice agriculture are able to provide food for themselves and even make some money from selling the surplus. It has not always been like that. It was only after the adoption of the Nairobi Urban Food Bill in 2014 that urban agriculture became legalized in Nairobi. Now urban agriculture provides 20% of Nairobi’s eggs and vegetables, which is a big number for any city because cities rely on food imports from rural areas.
Blogpost by Ekaterina Bessonova, #CFS43 Social Reporter.
This post is part of the live coverage during the 43rd session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). This post is written by one of our social reporters and represents the author’s views only.