Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo has handed over more than 42 food gardens to communities in need of sustainable food sources.
The projects provide support for informal farmers as well as job opportunities.
According to City Parks spokesperson, Jenny Moodley, the zoo has taken to heart the National Development Plan’s commitment to ensure that no one in the city goes hungry.
“Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo has handed over 42 food gardens to schools and orphanages since 2012,” she said.
Moodley explained that the urban agricultural project is part of the city’s plan to ensure that residents can meet their food needs.
“The food garden initiative also helps to raise environmental awareness among destitute communities, provides employment and helps to provide continuous and sustainable food security,” she added.
Lakeside Park in Orange Farm is the most recent food garden to be handed over; here the community comprises mostly informal farmers.
“Residents informally farmed the land earmarked for development, so the city’s initiative has taken care to not dispossess these farmers and has included them in the project, providing supportive infrastructure and information on more efficient farming methods to grow more and better quality food,” said Moodley.
