There are already more than two thousand organic gardens to be found in the slums around Cape Town in South Africa. The owners themselves have healthier food on the table and at the same time profit from the fast growing demands from the city for unsprayed vegetables.

By Clémence Petit-Perrot

Many of the gardeners have received a helping hand from Abalimi (‘the planters’ in Xhosa language), a local help organisation. Beginners have received their first seeds, manure and a two-month training from Abalimi, all for free. The local council have provided plots of land and the Ministry of Agriculture are digging wells in many places.

Hunger, the motivation

“Hunger is the motivation for many to ask for our help”, explains Rob Small, the founder of Abalimi. Fresh vegetables from the market are far too expensive for most of the inhabitants in the slums. Your own garden, even if it is of a few square meters, can provide a solution.”

Nomonde Ndamane (73), nourishes the eight members of her family and helps five of her neighbours, who are AIDS patients, with her green beans, courgettes, tomatoes and basil. “It is important that those suffering from AIDS eat vegetables on a daily basis”, Nomondo knows very well. “But a cabbage costs 14 rands each (1 euro) and a kilo of lemons 10 rands (70 euro cents).”

Over the past 25 years, Abalimi has helped to create 100 communal gardens and more than 2.000 private ones.

Simpler and cheaper

The choice to adopt a biological production is not only an ethical choice, says Small. “It is simpler and cheaper. Many here don’t know how to read. Therefore it is difficult for them to work with pesticides and synthetic manure. Everyone can find their way with compost.”

Whatever that is not used by the producers themselves is transported to the biological shops in the city with the help of Abalimi. Since end of 2008, the organisation has private clients in the city of Cape Town. 120 persons have already subscribed to have vegetables delivered weekly. The profit goes back to the producers.

The opportunities continue to rise. Between 2003 and 2007, the turnover for biological products has been multiplied by 80.