Peri Urban Agricultural Land

This book tackles the issues of transformations linked to galloping urban growth, and changes in the organization and management of peri-urban land, a key link in a country's development. Peri-urban horticulture is being undermined by urban sprawl, which is gnawing away at and absorbing marginal areas destined for working the land. Large fields have disappeared in the grip of new housing developments. With no government policy aimed at stabilizing market gardeners in peri-urban areas, land tenure insecurity appears to be a handicap to legume production. Faced with land pressure, market gardeners squat on marginal areas, undeveloped land, unfinished buildings, roadsides and irrigation canal drains. Banguise's urban sprawl is to the detriment of peri-urban agriculture, the first major conflict between rural and urban space. Agriculture is set to disappear in Bangui's urban areas.