Revisiting Urban Food Security Systems in Dakar: A Study of Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture Adoption Over Three Years

Urban food security systems in Dakar, Senegal have been under study for their effectiveness in addressing local agricultural needs and improving community well-being. Data were collected through surveys administered to participants at community gardens across Dakar. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative survey data with qualitative interviews provided comprehensive insights into the adoption trends and factors influencing garden participation. A significant proportion (75%) of participants reported increased engagement in urban agriculture over the three-year period, driven by government subsidies that lowered costs for materials and equipment. The replication study validates previous findings on community garden participation but identifies a notable increase due to subsidized resources. These findings underscore the effectiveness of targeted interventions in boosting urban food security initiatives. Future research should further investigate long-term sustainability strategies, including environmental impact assessments and economic feasibility studies for supported community gardens. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.