Production of various edible crops in the residential parcels is of great importance in terms of direct access to food by urban households. This paper aimed to determine the degree of participation of men and women head households in the management of activities within the home gardens. An investigation coupled with the observations targeted 170 households in ten districts of the city in January 2016 to compare the valued area, the objective, the access to the seeds, the type of fertilizers used, crops grown and the active manpower. The results showed that 88 % of women and 78% of men produced mainly vegetables for subsistence and family sharing. The principal mode of access to the seed is the purchase but the self-production is presented to be the surest mode. Gender resorts less to the chemical inputs and 42 % men and 54 % of the women valued the household wastes to produce a diversity of culture of which most important are the amaranth and the marrow (26%) for the men and 31% among women, who more over remain more active in the maintenance of the domestic gardens. Whereas 39 % of men and 32% of the women mention the dry season like major hurdle to produce all the year, 53 % women and 45% of men seek to maintain their gardens in a productive state by watering. Adoption of the ecological agro practices in its entirety could make the gardens more sustainable.

The poverty which shakes the DR Congo and the province of Katanga in particular is the basis of social problems. It is known that poverty is accentuated in rural areas where the labour market in industry and services remain almost non-existent. To provide for household needs, household heads cope by seizing opportunities available in their areas. The present paper focused on rural income and household expenditures in order to apprehend rural poverty in two villages of Kipushi territory. This paper followed three objectives, especially the determination of the sources of incomes, the comparison between female and male headed household's income and the identification of the main household expenditures. To arrive there, an investigation aimed 80 household heads taken in a random way in 2 villages namely Mimbulu and Kamarenge. The results reveal that the majority of household heads are males. The main sources of income identified are agriculture, petty trade of agricultural products, charcoal production and artisanal mining. Artisanal mining provides the highest monthly income (US$ 150-158.3). No significant difference was observed between the two villages compared but a deep gap has been noted between the male and female headed households (P=0.016). The main posts of expenditures are food (72%), children's education (21%) and health (7%). The relevance of these results is that looking at income level and its different sources provides rich insights to help improve the understanding of poverty in rural areas.

This study was initiated with an aim of studying the food consumption of the rural population in the current context of the territory of Kipushi in Katanga province. Its objective was to characterize food consumption of the population of Mimbulu. It was a question of identifying and of quantifying food, of identifying the local measurement units and converting them into weight units. To arrive there, 80 people, generally women were questioned during the investigations. The combination of the qualitative and quantitative methods was important in this study to leave people interviewed express their opinions on their food modes. The results obtained show that the maize ''fufu'' constitutes fundamental meal and it is generally accompanied by the cassava leaves, marrow leaves, sweet potato leaves, amaranth and the fish. The consumed quantity of maize by household is 1711 grams per day or 244 grams per person per day. These leafy vegetables indicated above are consumed by order of 88 g, 93g, 78 g and 86 g per day by person. The quantity of food is estimated at by the rural people in terms of local measuring units (mbeketi, kwaker sipa) and in bunch or heap for vegetables. To analyze the safety and the food consumption of rural household returns to think or If need be to explore temporally the complexity and the diversity of the family farms, mail source of food in rural area.

Income is an indicator and one of measurements used in the studies of poverty. Poverty in rural areas covers deep disparities according to social characteristics' (gender, education, occupation…) of the household head. This work aims to contribute to the studies on the poverty dynamics in rural area. Its main goal is to analyze the variability of incomes according to social profile of the households head in rural area in Katanga. Methodologically, 123 households taken in a random way were surveyed in 3 villages of Kipushi namely Kanyameshi, Makwatsha and Mimbulu. Five types of households are identified according to their professions (farmers 54%, craftsmen 11%, tradesmen farmers 18%, civil servants 5%, and farm labourers 12%). There are the agri tradesmen who earn more income (1320$) per year and 25% of the farmers, of the farm labourers, civil servants and the craftsmen realize nearly similar incomes. The marital status did not influence the income but the widowers have low income (703$) per year and 25% of them do not reach 465. 6$.As for the education, a significant difference is observed between the levels (p=0,011).If the academics have higher incomes followed by the illiterates, however, 25% of the latter have less of 450$ per year. Being given that the rural incomes seem to be fluctuating and liable to several risks, to increase them surely, these results plead for a rural development which passes first of all by an agricultural development, sector of more opportunities.

The food value and the socio-economic importance of vegetables explain their increasing importance in urban agriculture at Lubumbashi. This research is preliminary study on the consumption of vegetables. Its objective is to compare the consumption of two types of cabbage, namely Chinese cabbage and head cabbage. To attain that goal, a survey was conducted between June and July 2014 among households of Congo district in the Rwashi commune (municipality), and in Kabecha district and Bel-air II in the Kampemba commune. The results reveal that for the majority (50%) of households surveyed, household size varies between 5 and 7 persons. For 60% of households, their monthly income varies between 100 and 200 US$. As for consumption, 73.5% of households consumed vegetables frequently (2 to 5 times per week). 73% of households had chosen Chinese cabbage because is cheaper than head cabbage and always available on market, whereas 27 % affirmed that head cabbage is the best for their consumption because is good for their health and smells good. However, 80% of households affirmed to prefer head cabbage to Chinese cabbage for its taste. These results constitute an incentive message to local farmers to orientate their production according to the preferences, needs and the appreciation of consumers. One limit of this study is that the sampling has not been wide so that its generalization can be inferred for all of Lubumbashi. Secondly, neither the quantity of cabbage consumed nor the parts of income allocated to purchase it have not been determined.

The marketing of vegetables makes it possible to distribute the incomes between all the actors intervening in the chains and constitutes a means of fighting against poverty and the food insecurity in urban area. This article aims to indicate the profitability and the constraints of the cabbage marketing in Lubumbashi. To arrive there, 30 sellers of cabbages were surveyed at the markets Radem, Rwashi and Congo. The studied parameters relate to the socio demography, the costs of acquisition of cabbages, the selling prices, the incomes, tax and the encountered difficulties. The results showed that there are more saleswomen with 93,3% and 86,7% respectively of cabbages of China and headed cabbages having experience more than five years. The total costs of marketing's relate to the acquisition of cabbages, transport and daily tax. For a quantity of 10 kg sold a day on retail, the incomes generated by cabbages of China and headed cabbages are of order of 3, 8 and 6, 8$ and the related benefits are 1, 2 and 2, 5$.It is the headed cabbage which proves to be more profitable but for the two types just like of other market garden produces, it is the absence of the means of transport, modern conservation and the structuring of the markets which constitute difficulties of their marketing in Lubumbashi. However the marketing of the market-gardening products comprises significant stakes related to the development of urban agriculture and the orientations of the truck farming channels.

The objective of this work was to carry out a financial profitability analysis of truck farmings especially those of cabbages of China and headed cabbages in Lubumbashi in order to encourage the truck farmers to invest in these cultivations. The studied parameters relate to the socio demography, the production costs, the surface, the output, selling the prices, the incomes and the profit margins. The results showed that there are 86, 7% women in the production of cabbage of China and 53% men for headed cabbage. The main production cost of cabbage returns to the agricultural inputs, respectively 78% and 84,5% for cabbage of China and headed cabbage. The occasional paid labour presents 22% and 15,5% successively for cabbage of China and headed cabbage. On a surface of 15m2, the headed cabbage generates a benefit of 23,1±2,4 $ whereas the cabbage of China gives 13,6±1,7 $ of it. Each dollar invested for cabbage of China and headed cabbage brings back respectively 2,3 and 2,7$. The headed cabbage appears profitable because it translates a financial rate of profitability of 275% ˃230,5% for cabbage of China. Nevertheless; the possibility of producing cabbage of China 3 or 4 times a year makes it competitive. The limit of this study is that we cannot assess land cost, cost of agricultural materials and family labour because of the phenomenon of mutual aid at the truck farmers