Africa's urban farmers

Even though Wangari lives in Kenya's capital, she is able to reap hundreds of dollars a year in profit from cash crops grown with the help of relatives. Her initial stake - drawn from her nursing wages of about $350 a month - has long since been recovered.

Wangari is one of thousands of urban workers in Kenya - and one of hundreds of thousands, even millions, across Africa - who are increasing their incomes through absentee agriculture. With prices for basic foodstuffs at their highest levels in decades, many urbanites feel well rewarded by farming.