Urban Market Gardening, Characteristics, Spatial Dynamics, and Creation of Employment in the cities of Bamako and Sikasso (Mali)

In Mali, the market gardening sector is considered a priority in the strategic framework for growth and poverty reduction, and in the national plan for agricultural investment and food and nutritional security. However, areas devoted to market gardening are in the process of being converted into building zones. These practices are increasingly controversial and are likely to affect vegetable production, which is an important component of daily diets and a major source of income in towns. This study made use of structured questionnaires for household surveys and remote sensing. Descriptive statistics were used in order to identify the means by which this activity could be characterized, assess the spatial dynamics, and create employment. The results of the spatial analysis showed that market gardening regressed in Bamako from 1990 to 2020 by -53.83%, while it progressed in Sikasso from 1990 to 2010 (by 20.9%), and regressed by -4.83% in 2020. The majority of the farms identified are characterised by low sustainability, with the agro-ecological dimension being the limiting factor, along with the reduction in surface area. Improving the “Soil Fertility”, “Spatial Organization” and “Good Agricultural Practices” components will improve the overall sustainability of urban market gardening in Mali. The socio-territorial sustainability of production is characterised by poor organisation of urban market gardeners and a lack of capacity building, low financial autonomy, and a lack of hygiene and safety in production activities (especially watering). To ensure the sustainability of market gardeners in Bamako and Sikasso cities, it is crucial to promote integrated soil fertility management with the use of improved seeds.