IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/quageo/v41y2022i4p57-72n5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Challenges of Urban Garden Initiatives for Food Security in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Author

Listed:
  • Ishak Norziha

    (Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

  • Abdullah Rosazlin

    (Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

  • Rosli Noor Sharina Mohd

    (Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

  • Majid Hazreenbdul

    (Centre for Population Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

  • Halim Nur Sa’adah Abdul

    (Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

  • Ariffin Fazilah

    (Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia)

Abstract

Sustainable urban farming is a strategy to improve food availability and food access, and to support food security for the urban population in Malaysia. However, the development of these activities has been affected by several constraints. This article aims to identify the challenges faced by urban farmers in Kuala Lumpur. The challenges of practicing urban gardening were categorised into five groups (technical, resource-related, economic, social and environmental factors). Data were collected via a questionnaire survey distributed to 106 urban farming practitioners from 17 urban gardens in Kuala Lumpur and were analysed using descriptive analysis by tabulating the frequency and percentage. The result showed that highly fluctuating weather, problems with access to available land and financial problems were the main challenges faced by urban farmers in Kuala Lumpur. Furthermore, difficulty in access to a financial institution, lack of commitment and the increased number of pests were also the problems faced by the urban garden. Availability of technical factors is the least issue in this study. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the challenges of urban gardens and socio-demographics. The result showed that there was a weak correlation between technical factors of educational level (r = 0.225) and race (r = 0.210), respectively, as well as between race and social factor (r = 0.201), while there was a moderate correlation between age and environment factor (r = −0.410). There is a need for further work, and comprehensive research should be conducted to capture what actions can be taken to create a policy-making space for urban farmers.

Suggested Citation

  • Ishak Norziha & Abdullah Rosazlin & Rosli Noor Sharina Mohd & Majid Hazreenbdul & Halim Nur Sa’adah Abdul & Ariffin Fazilah, 2022. "Challenges of Urban Garden Initiatives for Food Security in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 41(4), pages 57-72, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:quageo:v:41:y:2022:i:4:p:57-72:n:5
    DOI: 10.14746/quageo-2022-0038
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2022-0038
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.14746/quageo-2022-0038?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kathleen Brüssow & Anja Faße & Ulrike Grote, 2017. "Implications of climate-smart strategy adoption by farm households for food security in Tanzania," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(6), pages 1203-1218, December.
    2. Pourjavid, Soraya & Sadighi, Hassan & Fami, Hossein Shabanali, 2013. "Analysis of Constrains Facing Urban Agriculture Development in Tehran, Iran," International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development (IJAMAD), Iranian Association of Agricultural Economics, vol. 3(1), March.
    3. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, 2009. "Food security: definition and measurement," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 1(1), pages 5-7, February.
    4. Saeed Solaymani, 2018. "Impacts of climate change on food security and agriculture sector in Malaysia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1575-1596, August.
    5. Jonathan Ali Ogwuche & Owoicho Christopher & Dahiru K Muhammed, 2018. "Environmental Issues and Food Insecurity in Africa," International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 12(5), pages 140-147, - July.
    6. Esther Sanyé-Mengual & Isabelle Anguelovski & Jordi Oliver-Solà & Juan Montero & Joan Rieradevall, 2016. "Resolving differing stakeholder perceptions of urban rooftop farming in Mediterranean cities: promoting food production as a driver for innovative forms of urban agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(1), pages 101-120, March.
    7. Barthel, Stephan & Isendahl, Christian, 2013. "Urban gardens, agriculture, and water management: Sources of resilience for long-term food security in cities," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 224-234.
    8. Generoso, Rémi, 2015. "How do rainfall variability, food security and remittances interact? The case of rural Mali," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 188-198.
    9. Sarah Taylor Lovell, 2010. "Multifunctional Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Land Use Planning in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(8), pages 1-24, August.
    10. Mrinila, Singh & Keshav, Lall Maharjan & Bijan, Maskey, 2015. "Factors impacting adoption of organic farming in chitwan district of Nepal," Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society (AESS), vol. 5(01), pages 1-12, January.
    11. Mrinila, Singh & Keshav, Lall Maharjan & Bijan, Maskey, 2015. "Factors impacting adoption of organic farming in chitwan district of Nepal," Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society (AESS), vol. 5(01), pages 1-12, January.
    12. Adedayo, A & Tunde, A. M., 2013. "Challenges of Women in Urban Agriculture in Kwara State, Nigeria," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 2(3).
    13. Zezza, Alberto & Tasciotti, Luca, 2010. "Urban agriculture, poverty, and food security: Empirical evidence from a sample of developing countries," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 265-273, August.
    14. Noriah Othman & Rabiatul Adawiyah Latip & Mohd Hisham Ariffin, 2019. "Motivations for sustaining urban farming participation," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 15(1), pages 45-56.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marilyne Chicoine & Francine Rodier & Fabien Durif, 2023. "The bright and the dark side of commercial urban agriculture labeling," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1153-1170, September.
    2. Chethika Gunasiri Wadumestrige Dona & Geetha Mohan & Kensuke Fukushi, 2021. "Promoting Urban Agriculture and Its Opportunities and Challenges—A Global Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-22, August.
    3. Hyungkyoo Kim & Kyung Sun Lee & Jae Seung Lee & Saewon Lee, 2018. "Exploring Outdoor Solar Potential in High-Density Living: Analyzing Direct Sunlight Duration for Urban Agriculture in Seoul’s Residential Complexes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-15, August.
    4. Leslie Gray & Laureen Elgert & Antoinette WinklerPrins, 2020. "Theorizing urban agriculture: north–south convergence," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(3), pages 869-883, September.
    5. Oh, Joo-seok & Kim, Sei-yong, 2017. "Enhancing urban agriculture through participants’ satisfaction: The case of Seoul, Korea," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 123-133.
    6. Alexandra T Tapsoba & Pascale Combes Motel & Jean-Louis Combes, 2019. "Remittances, food security and climate variability: The case of Burkina Faso," CERDI Working papers halshs-02364775, HAL.
    7. Nguyen Cong Dinh & Takeshi Mizunoya & Vo Hoang Ha & Pham Xuan Hung & Nguyen Quang Tan & Le Thanh An, 2023. "Factors influencing farmer intentions to scale up organic rice farming: preliminary findings from the context of agricultural production in Central Vietnam," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 749-774, September.
    8. Bliss, Sam & Egler, Megan, 2020. "Ecological Economics Beyond Markets," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    9. Anna Trembecka & Anita Kwartnik-Pruc, 2018. "An Analysis of the Changes in the Structure of Allotment Gardens in Poland and of the Process of Regulating Legal Status," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-20, October.
    10. Monica Allaby & Graham K. MacDonald & Sarah Turner, 2021. "Growing pains: Small-scale farmer responses to an urban rooftop farming and online marketplace enterprise in Montréal, Canada," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 677-692, September.
    11. Hilal Erkuş & Yavuz Selim Alkan & Gülşah Tırış, 2024. "Deliberative Democracy and Making Sustainable and Legitimate Development Plans: The Case of the Antalya Kırcami Agrihood," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-29, March.
    12. Wanglin Yan & Rob Roggema, 2019. "Developing a Design-Led Approach for the Food-Energy-Water Nexus in Cities," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(1), pages 123-138.
    13. Goździewicz-Biechońska, Justyna & Brzezińska-Rawa, Anna, 2022. "Protecting ecosystem services of urban agriculture against land-use change using market-based instruments. A Polish perspective," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    14. Poulsen, Melissa N. & McNab, Philip R. & Clayton, Megan L. & Neff, Roni A., 2015. "A systematic review of urban agriculture and food security impacts in low-income countries," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 131-146.
    15. Zhao, X. & Tillotson, M.R. & Liu, Y.W. & Guo, W. & Yang, A.H. & Li, Y.F., 2017. "Index decomposition analysis of urban crop water footprint," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 348(C), pages 25-32.
    16. Shahin Keynoush & Ehsan Daneshyar, 2022. "Defining a Pedagogical Framework for Integrating Buildings and Landscapes in Conjunction with Social Sustainability Discourse in the Architecture Graduate Design Studio," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-27, April.
    17. Vieira, Thiago Almeida & Panagopoulos, Thomas, 2024. "Urban agriculture in Brazil: Possibilities and challenges for Santarém, eastern Amazonia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    18. Kazemi, Fatemeh & Hosseinpour, Nazanin, 2022. "GIS-based land-use suitability analysis for urban agriculture development based on pollution distributions," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    19. Ayambire, Raphael Anammasiya & Amponsah, Owusu & Peprah, Charles & Takyi, Stephen Appiah, 2019. "A review of practices for sustaining urban and peri-urban agriculture: Implications for land use planning in rapidly urbanising Ghanaian cities," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 260-277.
    20. Francisco Tomatis & Monika Egerer & Adriana Correa-Guimaraes & Luis Manuel Navas-Gracia, 2023. "Urban Gardening in a Changing Climate: A Review of Effects, Responses and Adaptation Capacities for Cities," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:quageo:v:41:y:2022:i:4:p:57-72:n:5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.