Food in/securities and mutual interdependencies in a Kenyan "slum": a study of the social impacts of an urban farming programme.

Vertigans, Stephen; Mueller-Hirth, Natascha

Abstract

Drawing upon fieldwork undertaken in a "slum" in Nairobi, this chapter explores how experiences of food in/securities contribute to mutual interdependencies. The longitudinal research commenced in March 2020, immediately prior to Covid being identified in Kenya, and ended after restrictions had been lifted in January 2023. Key findings include how urban farming helped reduce food insecurities within the wider community. The youth group responsible for this innovative food chain became integral in new forms of mutual interdependencies that incorporated other marginalised peoples. These different relationships resulted in the youths' status shifting from criminal "outsiders" to the "established"; and the wider community's views of the residential area changed from a stigmatised place to fear and avoid, to one of the safest, most desirable parts of the "slum".

Citation

VERTIGANS, S. and MUELLER-HIRTH, N. 2024. Food in/securities and mutual interdependencies in a Kenyan "slum": a study of the social impacts of an urban farming programme. In Lever, J., Smith Maguire, J. and Kapek-Goodridge, A. (eds.) Towards an Eliasian understanding of food in the 21st century: established foundations and new directions. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan; Springer [online], chapter 10, pages 183-200. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65774-0_10

• Online Publication Date: Nov 16, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2024
• Deposit Date: Nov 27, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 17, 2025
• Publisher: Springer
• Pages: 183-200
• Series Title: Palgrave studies on Norbert Elias
• Series ISSN: 2662-3102; 2662-3110
• Book Title: Towards an Eliasian understanding of food in the 21st century: established foundations and new directions
• Chapter Number: 10
• ISBN: 9783031657733
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65774-0_10
• Keywords: Food insecurity; Food security; Urban farming; Slums; Urban communities; Young people; Kenya
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2584330