This paper argues that the degree to which urban farming associations organize is related to the rate of
urbanization, specifically demographic changes, the institutional landscape in which they operate, the
environmental context, as well as underlying economic structure or local economic base. These structural
conditions in turn impact the characteristics of urban agricultural associations; specifically their membership,
how they relate to other institutions, the issues they face, and the economic and social roles they
play. We utilize semi-structured interviews of farmer associations and interviews with government offi-
cials in Moshi and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, two cities that differ in terms of their urbanization patterns
and economic, environmental and institutional context, to better understand the nature of the relationship
between urban agricultural organizations and the context in which they operate. We find that the
manner in which groups organize, the economic role they play, the issues they are concerned with,
and the degree to which they collaborate are quite variable. These differences are exacerbated by urbanization
patterns that impact the role and functioning of urban agricultural organizations by placing pressure
on resources such as available land and water and increasing demand for the products of urban
farmers.