The institutionalisation of urban community gardens in Cape Town, South Africa

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dc.contributor.authorKanosvamhira, Tinashe Paul
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-17T09:43:29Z
dc.date.available2025-01-17T09:43:29Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractUrban community gardens, once seen as a counter to neoliberal subjectivity, are now perceived as inadvertently reinforcing neoliberal dominance, challenging the progressive goals of urban gardening. This study investigates how the state shapes urban community gardens in alignment with neoliberal principles, potentially diluting their intended advantages. By analysing policies and interviewing state actors supporting urban gardening initiatives and activists, I argue that the state actively cultivates neoliberal subjectivities in these contexts. Unfortunately, state policies and projects often fail to address the root causes of food and nutrition insecurity in urban areas. This neoliberalisation of urban community gardening diminishes their potential to act as tools for advancing food justice in historically disadvantaged communities in Cape Town. Nevertheless, there is hope in the agency of gardeners who are not passive participants in this process. I conclude that relying on the state to implement projects for a more equitable food system may not be a dependable strategy. Instead, urban gardeners must carefully select their allies to effectively pursue their goals. The information, practices and views in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).
dc.identifier.citationKanosvamhira, T.P., 2024. The institutionalisation of urban community gardens in Cape Town, South Africa. Area, 56(2), p.e12911.
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/area.12911
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10566/19813
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherJohn Wiley and Sons Inc
dc.subjectCape Town
dc.subjectcommunity garden
dc.subjectneoliberalism
dc.subjectpolitical gardening
dc.subjecturban agriculture
dc.titleThe institutionalisation of urban community gardens in Cape Town, South Africa
dc.typeArticle

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