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In the wake of expanding urbanization and increased urban unemployment, backyard crop production has become an
important approach to urban food security. In view of this, the paper examined households' socio-economic
characteristics that affected backyard crop production in Osun State,Nigeria with a view to identifying the factors
driving backyard cropping as well as the constraints to its extension among urban households. Data were collected
from 105 respondents with the aid of structured questionnaire across the major urban communities in the four geopolitical
zones in the State. The result showed that average age of backyard farmers was 49±29years with6 years
farming experience. Both the male and female headed households were involved in the practice and have average
household size of 6±2 members. The practice is observed mostly among the self-employed households and mainly
done to provide food supplements(63%) as well as fresh vegetables (37%) for the households. Regression analysis
showed that age, sex, educational status, household size, economic status of children, land acquisition method and
membership of association, significantly affected backyard crop production. Vegetative destruction of crops by goat
and livestock (50.0%), lack of sufficient farmland (20.0%) and low soil fertility (15.7%) were constrained backyard
crop production in the study area. Policies that abrogate communal extensive livestock and goatrearing,sensitize the
social associations about the benefits of backyard cropping, and ease the process of land access among households in
the urban communities are necessary to improve the practice of backyard crop production in the Osun State.
Keywords: backyard farming, public policy, urbanization, household nutrition, vegetable production, community,
poverty alleviation.