African Indigenous Vegetables in Urban Agriculture - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844077152 ISBN 13: 9781844077151

Publisher: Routledge, 2009

Synopsis

This book provides a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge of the potential and challenges associated with the multiple roles, use, management and livelihood contributions of indigenous vegetables in urban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Indigenous species have multiple advantages, including low input requirements, adaptability to African environments, high nutritional value and marked biodiversity, cultural and local food security significance. This book provides evidence that, in spite of being overlooked, in many African cities indigenous vegetables are still widely used, cultivated and marketed. It goes on to consider their potential to contribute to income generation and poverty alleviation of the growing numbers of urban dwellers in sub-Saharan Africa, whilst promoting urban greening and sustainability.

About this title

Review:

'The twenty- one contributors to this book represent a broad variety of institutions, mostly African, and fields ranging from ethnobotany and horticulture to nutrition, economics, sociology, and soil science. This diverse expertise has allowed authoritative presentation on many different facets of the subject. In short, the volume is both informative and inspiring; it is highly recommended for those interested in sustainable agriculture (on any continent) or African ethnobotany.' - Wendy Applequist, Economic Botany

'Offers a comprehensive synthesis of all the issues surrounding indigenous vegetables in urban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa' - CTA Spore

'All chapters contain valuable information in key fields of interest.' -  David Gibbon, The Journal of Experimental Agriculture, Vol 46 (2), 2010

'A useful publication'- IZWA

About the Author:

Charlie Shackleton is Head of the Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University (South Africa). Margaret Pasquini is a research officer at CAZS Natural Resources, Bangor University (Wales, UK). Axel Drescher is Professor at the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at the Department for Physical Geography (IPG), University of Freiburg (Germany).

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1844077152
• ISBN 13: 9781844077151
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 344
• Editor: Shackleton Charlie M., Pasquini Margaret W., Drescher Axel W.