A not-so-unique initiative for the world but certainly new for South Africa is the Johannesburg Housing Company’s (JHC) approach to food insecurity. Three buildings in Hillbrow and downtown Johannesburg were earmarked to become pilot projects for green roof food gardens. This practice has become popular especially in the United States and is slowly taking hold in this country.

JHC took the decision to embark on this initiative to contribute to the government’s greening strategy of reducing carbon dioxide by 42% and creating green cities by 2014.

Makhulong A Matala, an arm of the Johannesburg Housing Company approached Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA), South Africa’s first social enterprise tackling food security, climate change awareness and national greening, to discuss their mandate within the Johannesburg Housing Company.  As their work focuses on the provision of community development services to the JHC’s community, the project fitted in squarely with their mandate at the JHC.

JHC’s greening strategy has always been to facilitate the greening of lifestyles within our cities. Their vision was pairing this greening strategy with poverty alleviation and food security. Food gardens are the perfect choice as they provide the opportunity to keep the buildings clean through the recycling of unwanted waste and dirty water and using those as a fertiliser for the gardens, as well as provide a source of healthy, organic veggies.

An invitation was extended to all interested tenants to participate in the food gardens project to learn a skill, regardless of their level of education or where they come from. For the families living in the buildings, it was a godsend. The project members can now feed their families, and the permaculture skills taught can be cascaded throughout the communities living in such close proximity. These gardens will generate income for unemployed youth, men and women should they choose to sell the excess produce.

Helping communities to grow food is probably the best possible way to assist with the problems associated with poverty. A competition between the three participating buildings (Carr Gardens, Lake Success and New Hampstead) is scheduled to take place at the end of 2012 or early in 2013. To mentor and guide members beyond this, regular workshops will continue into 2013 until the facilitation of the gardens will become the tenant’s entire responsibility.

For more information contact Verena@trees.org.za or call (011) 656 9803.