Abstract:
By 2022, 42.39% of the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) population was living in urban
areas. This urbanization correlates with increasing poverty, unemployment, food
insecurity, environmental pollution, and the prevalence of informal settlements.
These challenges worsened urban food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic
in SSA cities. This review analyzed the role of urban farming system as a pivotal
means to enhance urban food security, incorporating socioeconomic integration and
environmental sustainability. The analysis is grounded in a systematic review using
specific keywords, evaluating 46 articles and institutional reports related to the subject. The results revealed that 3.62% of SSA countries have implemented national
urban governance and policies with minimal focus on urban farming. Rapid urbanization, urban population growth, and climate change are key factors contributing
to cities’ vulnerabilities to food insecurity in SSA. Predominantly characterized by
horticultural practice, urban farming enhances the food supply system, nutritious
security, jobs and income generation, reduces transportation costs, promotes the consumption of fresh food, and mitigates food loss in cities. Despite its importance,
urban farming in SSA encounters several challenges: (i) urbanization governance
