Peri-urban agriculture is a major source of income and food for the urban poor. It is subject to many constraints, the first one being pressure on land. Distant agricultural areas may be an alternative option relative to peri-urban areas supplying food to the cities. As shown by the vegetable chain supplying Brazzaville, rural and peri-urban areas are indeed complementary. Leaf-vegetables and temperate vegetables originate from peri-urban areas while local fruit-vegetables originate from village fields. Land constraints, but also transport, access to inputs and technical assistance are crucial to explain where production is located. Finally the historical analysis invalidates hypotheses of linear trends of peri-urban agriculture towards decline or development through intensification.
