Land Tenure Security and Urban Agriculture: Focusing on the Vegetable Cultivation in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

Land tenure insecurity is one of the challenges facing urban dwellers given the increasing demand on land as the population increases in Tanzania. The main objective of this study was to examine the tenure security within urban agriculture on access to land. Specifically, it assessed different ways farmers’ access land for cultivation, the extent of land security among farmers, and implications of land tenure insecurity on vegetable cultivation. The study employed a cross-sectional design whereby snowball sampling was used to select 69 male and female vegetable farmers at the open space in Morogoro Municipality. Data was collected through household survey, in-depth interviews, observation and informal conversation. Results indicated that farmers access land through informal means by renting from the landlords who have legal land rights. Hence, social relationships have become important to access land while close relationship with the landlord determine the extent of land security a farmer has. Lastly, land tenure insecurity not only affects gardener’s vegetable cultivation but also creates uncertainty and hatred between farmers and their landlords. It is therefore imperative to integrate urban agriculture into urban development planning to enhance land tenure security of farmers since it has become permanent economic activity.