Fields of Friction. Practices and politics of irrigated urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Summary

Irrigated urban agriculture is widely practiced in cities across sub-Saharan Africa, often without receiving popular attention. This research examines the role of irrigated urban agriculture in the growing city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Farmers show a continuous part of what the city looks like and how it functions. Meanwhile, they get confronted with the loss of agricultural land, changes to the flows and qualities of their irrigation water, and conflicting ideas around what the city or what agriculture is supposed to look like. Showing this and delving deeper into the practices and politics of city-making, this research describes the Fields of Friction between irrigated agriculture and the city. These fields represent more than just the spaces for growing food; they are spaces where issues of access, equity, and sustainability are contested.