ISSN 2736-1578
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 11, November 2026 | pp. 253–266
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001363
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Ecofeminism, Urban Agriculture, and Women’s Food Sovereignty in Post-Industrial Cities
Names of Author: Makena Mwangi¹, Sofia Morales-Cruz², & Claire Laurent³
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; ²Department of Agroecology, National Agrarian University La Molina, Lima, Peru; ³Department of Geography, University of Lille, Lille, France.
Abstract:
Rapid urbanization, rising food prices, and supply chain disruptions have intensified food insecurity among low-income households in sprawling metropolitan areas across the Global South. In response, urban women’s collectives have transformed vacant municipal plots, rooftops, and peri-urban corridors into productive agroecological gardens that supply fresh vegetables for household consumption and local markets. However, insecure urban land tenure, municipal zoning bans on urban farming, and soil contamination threaten the sustainability of women-led urban agriculture. This paper examines how women urban farmers negotiate municipal land access and build community food resilience in Nairobi, Kenya, and Lima, Peru. Grounded in urban ecofeminism and food sovereignty theory, the study combines spatial garden audits with 50 interviews involving female urban growers. We advocate for municipal recognition of urban agriculture as vital green infrastructure and secure communal land leases for women’s farming groups.
Keywords: Urban agriculture, ecofeminism, food sovereignty, women’s collectives, urban land tenure, agroecology, Kenya, Peru
Manuscript Timeline: Received: October 07, 2026; Revised: November 05, 2026; Accepted: November 09, 2026; Published: November 16, 2026.
Citation: Mwangi, M., Morales-Cruz, S., & Laurent, C. (2026). Ecofeminism, Urban Agriculture, and Women’s Food Sovereignty in Post-Industrial Cities. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(11), 253–266. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001363