Role of Smallholder Farmers in Food Supply to Urban Consumers During Covid-19 Pademic:

Case of Kinale and Magumu Farmlands

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a study that analysed the role of smallholder farming in food supply while revealing the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on smallholder farmers as they complied with containment measures imposed by the government. Purposive sampling was used to collect data in Kinale and Magumu farmlands and the nearby Soko Mjinga Food Market. Findings show that smallholder farming produces food for own consumption and income from the sale of surplus produce to urban consumers. Nairobi Metropolitan region is the main destination of food supply from the farmlands with Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu being the other main food market destinations. Notably, Covid-19 impacted negatively on food production and urban-rural flows. The article concludes that smallholder farming and food flow from the farms to urban consumers confirm urban-rural relations are critical linkages that sustain the interdependence of urban and rural areas. It recommends planning for urban-rural relations in terms of rural farmlands territories, food markets, sites and city spaces.