Improving market access for Cape Town urban farmers

The document identifies that urban agriculture (UA) in Cape Town is often viewed only as a food security solution rather than a viable economic activity. It highlights that small urban farmers are frequently locked out of formal markets due to a lack of economies of scale, high investment requirements, and insufficient business management skills. To overcome these, the report suggests the use of formal co-operatives to aggregate produce, the adoption of specific food safety accreditations (such as SAGAP or GlobalGAP), and the development of local physical markets like agrihubs and farm stalls. It also emphasizes the role of online marketplaces and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture's Market Access Programme in bridging the gap between producers and off-takers.

• Urban agriculture (UA) provided 22,284 job opportunities and contributed R2.66 billion to the total gross value added (GVA) of the Cape Town metro in 2019.
• Small urban farmers face significant barriers to market entry, including a lack of economies of scale, high investment requirements, and a lack of specialized business and financial management knowledge.
• The document identifies several urban farming business models, ranging from socially-driven projects like school and home gardens to commercially-driven operations such as Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), which can produce high-value commodities with reduced resource use.
• To access formal markets and retailers, urban farmers must implement food safety and traceability standards; the most widely accepted private sector certification is GlobalGAP, while SAGAP is a cost-effective option for local and regional markets.
• Forming formal co-operatives allows urban farmers to aggregate output and leverage economies of scale, though such co-operatives in South Africa are prone to failure due to poor management, lack of transparency, and insufficient funds.
• Developing local physical markets, such as farm stalls and agrihubs, can reduce transaction costs and delivery logistics for farmers in peri-urban areas who cannot access major retailers.
• Online marketplaces and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture's Market Access Programme (MAP) provide critical support for branding, price transparency, and connecting farmers with off-takers.
• Significant food loss occurs in South Africa's agricultural supply chain, with 5.1 million tonnes lost at primary production and post-harvest stages; improving cold chain and logistics management is essential for profitability.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Improving market access for Cape Town urban farmers. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Industry-Brief-Improving-market-access-for-Cape-Town-urban-farmers.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Improving market access for Cape Town urban farmers. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Industry-Brief-Improving-market-access-for-Cape-Town-urban-farmers.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Improving market access for Cape Town urban farmers |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Industry-Brief-Improving-market-access-for-Cape-Town-urban-farmers.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendimproving, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Improving market access for Cape Town urban farmers}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Industry-Brief-Improving-market-access-for-Cape-Town-urban-farmers.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }