Disability & Urban Agriculture –
An innovative approach
Project Overview
Dr Maria Kett
Assistant Director
Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development
Centre
University College London
m.kett@ucl.ac.uk
28 May 2013
Background to the Cross Cutting Disability
Research Programme
• Three year programme funded by
UK Department for International
Development
• Aims to create links across other
DFID-funded research
programmes to improve inclusion
of persons with disabilities in key
areas of international
development research
• Participatory process to select
partners and areas for research
Background to the project
• Growing need for urban and periurban agriculture
• Limited inclusion of persons with
disabilities
• Barriers faced by persons with
disabilities:
–
–
–
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Lack of knowledge
Environmental barriers
Access to land
Social and cultural stigma
Research Aims
Aims:
1) To research the meaningful inclusion of persons with
disabilities in urban and peri-urban agricultural (UPA)
practices as an important component of improving
livelihoods and food security for persons with disabilities
and;
2) To employ and evaluate innovative approaches to create
awareness and changes in practice that will provide
insight into how to more effectively include persons with
disabilities in UPA with particular reference to improved
food security and nutrition.
Research Objectives
•
To measure the extent to which persons with disabilities living in periurban areas rely on agriculture as a form of livelihood support
•
Identify the opportunities and challenges for persons with disabilities
in the production and marketing of agricultural produce
•
Assess the links between urban agricultural projects and improved
food security and nutrition
•
Identify barriers that exist; the mechanisms available to allow access
to garden areas and the skills needed by persons with disabilities and
other stakeholders to undertake such project.
Core Components
• Quantitative and qualitative research
• Advocacy
• Capacity building
• Hands-on learning
Partnerships and Collaborations
• Leonard Cheshire Disability
(UK and East Africa)
• Research into Use (RiU)
• Real Impact
• African Centre for
Technology Studies (ACTS)
• Well Told Story
What does the research provide?
 Socioeconomic data about persons with disabilities and their families
in a selected peri-urban settlement
 A snapshot of the livelihoods, food security and nutrition status of
persons with disabilities and their families living in urban/peri-urban
areas
 A more in-depth understanding around issues of livelihoods, food
security and nutrition for persons with disabilities and their families
living in urban areas
 An opportunity to link research to policy and support the inclusion of
persons with disabilities and the families in agricultural-based policies
and interventions
Outputs
•
Storyline in Shujaaz
•
Background paper
•
Briefing paper
•
Dissemination events (Kenya
and London)
•
Journal articles/features
Intended Outcomes
• Positive change in policies to support the inclusion of
persons with disabilities in agricultural practices
• More persons with disabilities becoming engaged in
agriculture as a means of livelihood support
• Change in understanding about healthy eating and
cooking practices in participants and other stakeholders
• Identification of areas for further research – for example
on the benefits of inclusive agricultural practices
Conclusions
• Major development agencies, such as DFID have targeted
agriculture, nutrition and food security as key priority research
areas.
• It is vital that small-scale, sustainable development initiatives such as
garden projects are disability-inclusive.
• There is a clear need for organisations and advocates to work
more closely together on these issues
• Agricultural NGOs and relevant agencies must receive appropriate
training to support people with disabilities in urban agriculture.
• More detailed studies are needed to identify agricultural practices,
and understand food security, nutrition and livelihoods for persons with
disabilities.
• There is a need for an established research and evidence base for
disability-inclusive agricultural interventions
Thank You!