Urban-horticulture-for-a-better-environment-A-case-study-of-Cotonou,-Benin精品.pdfVIP

ARTICLE IN PRESS Habitat International 30 (2006) 558–578 /locate/habitatint Urban horticulture for a better environment: A case study of Cotonou, Benin a b, Berend Brock , Dick Foeken aInterchurch Peace Council, The Hague, The Netherlands bAfrican Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands Abstract Farming in town, be it livestock or crop production, is often considered detrimental to the urban environment. Less well known are the beneficial effects of farming for the urban environment. Both the positive and negative effects have been poorly researched. This paper deals with urban horticulture in Cotonou (Benin) and focuses on the role this sector plays in relation to two urban environmental aspects, namely solid waste and liquid waste. The sector was found to be currently contributing to a better environment in various ways and, potentially, the benefits could be even greater. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Urban horticulture; Urban environment; Urban waste; Cotonou Introduction Urban agriculture (UA) can be defined as ‘‘any agricultural activity within the administrative boundary of an urban centre’’ (Foeken Owuor, 2000, p. 12). One particular type of UA is dealt with in this paper, namely horticulture or, to be more precise, the production of vegetables and ornamental plants. Urban horticulture and the urban environment are closely related but the way this relationship is perceived often differs. Urban managers and policy-makers are inclined to Corresponding autho