Urban Agriculture:Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) Case-Study

Presentation to Agro-Ecology Conference, 28th

January 2019

Study Area

Philippi Horticultural Area as described in the Metropolitan Peninsula Guide Plan 1988

• Located within the Cape Flats District

• Greater PHA areas constitutes 3 168,65 ha

• Remaining core 1 884, 80 ha

• SE and SW quadrants – 586,1 ha

• Greater area includes 9 informal settlements

A Unique Growing Area• Urban commercial agriculture site in Cape Flats

District• Highly productive owing to combination of:

• climate, • water (highest yielding part of CFA) and• Soil

• Minimum 3 – 4 crop cycles p.a. & 28 vegetable types

• All year-round production• Lowest cost vegetable production • National food price regulator• Natural recharge and filtration function for CFA• Drought resilient• Irreplaceable within a radius of 120 km of CCT

Agricultural value-chain• Contributes approx. 3000 direct and 30 000 indirect low-skilled jobs • Current turnover of R 938 M p.a.

• Embedded in national (& global) agricultural value chains• Proximity to markets & lower carbon footprint• Proximity to airport

• Supplies both formal and informal markets & all income segments

• Core and strategic retail suppliers• Value-adding

• Supports regional economic competitiveness• Potential to GROW

PHA Under Threat

Pressures

• Planning and policy uncertainty• Crime and community safety• Land speculation• Land invasions• Environmental degradation:

• illegal dumping • Illegal and incompatible land use• high inputs • high land productivity with limited crop rotation

requires high inputs• Cemeteries, WWTW, un-serviced informal

settlements impacting on CFA

Instruments Available

National & Provincial legislation and Policy

Environment, water, waste, agriculture, climate change resilience, agrarian reform, food security, heritage

Local Government Powers and functions

Planning & land use management, Water, sanitation, human settlements, community safety, health, economic development, informal trader support, environmental management, waste management

Inter-Governmental Relations and Co-ordination

Provincial & national govt responsibilities for water, environment, human settlements, agriculture, community safety, economic development, social development – parastatal responsibilities e.g. ACSA & SAPS

Urban management instruments

Precinct management, MURP, area-based management

Recent Planning Designation

• Identified in the CCT’S MSDF 2018 as:• A Critical Natural Area with regional impact• A Unique Area, with overlays of Agricultural and

Heritage significance• Important for climate change resilience & food

and water security of the City• Need to be translated into district and precinct plans

PHA Socio-Economic Agricultural Plan

• Commissioned by WCDOA in June 2017

• Participatory study methodology

• Recommends the protection of the PHA for horticulture and reincorporation of the SW quadrant and SE quadrant (if legal challenge by the PHA Campaign is successful)

• Adopted by the Inter-Governmental Committee on the 4th June 2018

• Adopted by Provincial Cabinet on the 8th

August 2018

PHA Plan Implementation Mechanisms

Given the wide-range of public sector actors involved, and the need to mobilise resources and commitments from within the private and community sectors, a WOSA approach was recommended

This approach requires:

An Inter-Governmental Structure that can be broadened to include private and community sector stakeholdersA PHA precinct management entity

Key lessons from the PHA Case-Study

Provincial and City policy should be reviewed in light of global best–practice on urban agriculture

Urban agriculture contributes to urban resilience – water and food security & integrated human settlements

An inter-governmental effort is required to manage and support urban agriculture

Different urban agricultural activities require different types of support

Precinct management of urban assets such as the PHA is necessary

THANK YOU