Urban agriculture is now being recognized as one of the activities with the potential to contribute towards socio-economic development in urban areas of the developing world. In Zambia, urban agriculture has played a key role as one of the key community responses to the after-effects of economic restructuring and therefore has the capacity to contribute in alleviating food insecurity and poverty. Consequently, urban agriculture should be seen as an essential element which can help to achieve Millennium Development Goal number one. The major aim of this study was to show the significance of urban agricult ure among households who practice this activity in Zambia. The paper draws from primary sources, more specifically the interview schedule which was conducted with 400 small-scale urban farmers in Lusaka, Kabwe Ndola and Kitwe. The major finding in this study is that urban agriculture does indeed contribute significantly towards household total income and access to cheap food, and consequently to poverty reduction. This observation holds true irrespective of the lack of support from all the levels of government and the numerous constraints which affect these farmers. The contribution of urban agriculture towards poverty alleviation can be further enhanced if the practice is recognized and supported by all key stakeholders.

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