Microcredit and Investment for Urban Agriculture

Political and financial legitimacy are both essential for ensuring success and replication of urban agriculture (UA) experiences. Many urban producers do not have access to credit and investment programs, which restricts their opportunities for investing in more sustainable technologies, new crops, better breeds, and for acquiring materials or equipment that would help them to achieve greater productivity and higher incomes, and would enhance food security. Local governments must therefore: • Mobilize resources by allotting a portion of the municipal budget to UA activities. • Promote and facilitate access to capital by the poorer groups as a way to foster social inclusion and create conditions that are compatible with the technical and operating requirements of UA. • Complement funding programs with activities aimed at strengthening social organization, and provide technical assistance, training, and marketing support. This document provides guidelines and suggestions for developing and implementing local credit and investment programs for urban agriculture.