gardening, the Gauteng Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
is faced with a challenge of ensuring that the programme remains active and
sustainable, even after the support from government has ceased. The problem is
also highlighted in the study by Mwale et al. (2012) that despite the fact that the
government has initiated the establishment of agricultural community projects as
part of interventions for creating jobs and improving income levels, the lack of
monitoring mechanisms in the established projects leads to the non-sustainability of
these projects. The essence of the problem lies in identifying those factors affecting
sustainability of homestead food gardens in the Gauteng Province.
The Homestead Food Garden Projects are one of the programmes supported by
government which attempts to alleviate poverty in food insecure households. The
basic aim of the initiative is to teach people to grow vegetables and fruit trees on their
homesteads in order to supplement daily food requirements and secure extra income.
Despite the fact that the homestead food gardens are seen as a solution to food
security in the Gauteng Province and other parts of the world, the issue of
unsustainability and failure of these programmes after government support ceases
cannot be ignored. The Gauteng Province Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development has adopted the National Outcome-Based approach to enable effective
efficient implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of performance of its mandate.
In delivering to its mandate of addressing outcome seven of its strategic plan,
i.e. vibrant, equitable, sustainable rural communities contributing towards food
security for all, the department is compelled to align its programmes to the stipulated
outcome seven of the strategic plan. The outcome of the research would help
establish sustainable mechanisms of ensuring that homestead food garden projects
remain active and sustainable beyond the support period of the government. In doing
so, the research would help the department to address outcome seven of its strategic
plan, as well as the outcome statement of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s
programmes of action which is to develop a food secure Gauteng Province that is
sustainable in the region.
14.2 Aim and Objectives
The general aim of the study is to establish a sustainable mechanism for homestead
food gardens in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The following are the
objectives of this study.
• To identify socio-economic factors that influence sustainability of homestead
food gardens in the Gauteng Province.
• To recommend a sustainable mechanism for homestead food gardens in the
Gauteng Province.
14 Mechanism for Improving the Sustainability of Homestead Food Gardens. . .
305
is faced with a challenge of ensuring that the programme remains active and
sustainable, even after the support from government has ceased. The problem is
also highlighted in the study by Mwale et al. (2012) that despite the fact that the
government has initiated the establishment of agricultural community projects as
part of interventions for creating jobs and improving income levels, the lack of
monitoring mechanisms in the established projects leads to the non-sustainability of
these projects. The essence of the problem lies in identifying those factors affecting
sustainability of homestead food gardens in the Gauteng Province.
The Homestead Food Garden Projects are one of the programmes supported by
government which attempts to alleviate poverty in food insecure households. The
basic aim of the initiative is to teach people to grow vegetables and fruit trees on their
homesteads in order to supplement daily food requirements and secure extra income.
Despite the fact that the homestead food gardens are seen as a solution to food
security in the Gauteng Province and other parts of the world, the issue of
unsustainability and failure of these programmes after government support ceases
cannot be ignored. The Gauteng Province Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development has adopted the National Outcome-Based approach to enable effective
efficient implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of performance of its mandate.
In delivering to its mandate of addressing outcome seven of its strategic plan,
i.e. vibrant, equitable, sustainable rural communities contributing towards food
security for all, the department is compelled to align its programmes to the stipulated
outcome seven of the strategic plan. The outcome of the research would help
establish sustainable mechanisms of ensuring that homestead food garden projects
remain active and sustainable beyond the support period of the government. In doing
so, the research would help the department to address outcome seven of its strategic
plan, as well as the outcome statement of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s
programmes of action which is to develop a food secure Gauteng Province that is
sustainable in the region.
14.2 Aim and Objectives
The general aim of the study is to establish a sustainable mechanism for homestead
food gardens in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The following are the
objectives of this study.
• To identify socio-economic factors that influence sustainability of homestead
food gardens in the Gauteng Province.
• To recommend a sustainable mechanism for homestead food gardens in the
Gauteng Province.
14 Mechanism for Improving the Sustainability of Homestead Food Gardens. . .
305