Feeding the Capital, Governing the Soil: Turning Urban Agriculture Policies and By-laws into Action in Dodoma City Council, Tanzania

Abstract

This paper assesses the implementation of national policies and city by-laws guiding urban agriculture (UA) activities in Dodoma City Council, Tanzania. It uses a convergent mixed-methods case-study design based on a survey of 300 urban farmers, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, direct observation, and documentary review. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, and chi-square tests, while qualitative data were analysed thematically and used to explain policy and implementation processes. The findings show that only 15.9 per cent of sampled urban farmers were aware of city planning initiatives, 25.4 per cent accessed extension services, 24.0 per cent accessed credit to start UA, 45.5 per cent had reliable water sources, and 24.4 per cent were aware of city regulations governing UA. These findings indicate that supportive national policy recognition has not been translated into effective local implementation, farmer awareness, reliable service delivery, or practical enforcement. The study recommends harmonising UA-related by-laws with land-use plans, designating suitable production zones, strengthening ward-level awareness, integrating UA into city plans and budgets, improving extension and financial services, and establishing a multi-stakeholder UA coordination platform. The paper contributes to urban policy by showing that UA governance requires more than regulation; it requires a participatory, service-supported, and enforceable framework that links urban livelihoods, food-system resilience, public health, and orderly land-use planning.