Sustainability of New Generation Commercial Farmers in South Africa: A North-West Province Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2024/v52n3a15635Keywords:
Economic Sustainability, Emerging Farmers, Environmental Sustainability, Rural Development, Social SustainabilityAbstract
In this study, factors hindering emerging farmers in South Africa from farming sustainably were explored from the perspectives of emerging farmers, commercial farmers, and industry experts. In addition, industry experts gave actionable recommendations on what can be done to counteract the problems faced. A mixed-methods research approach was followed, with data obtained via questionnaires and Logistical Framework Analysis. The farmers and industry experts identified several factors hampering emerging farmers' economic, environmental and social sustainability. Among these factors were difficulty accessing finance, lack of extension officer support, low profitability, not implementing sustainable agricultural practices, not supporting local communities, and a lack of social entrepreneurship. Industry experts put forth numerous actionable recommendations to improve emerging farmers' social, environmental and economic sustainability. Recommendations included, among other things, acquiring crop insurance, sharing machinery, owning title deeds, using subject-specific advice, mentoring and succession planning, and government policies to enhance female participation in agriculture.
Downloads
References
ACORD, OXFAM & ACTIONAID., 2011. The right to land and justice for women in Africa. Available from: https://www.africaportal.org/publications/the-right-to-land-and-justice-for-women-in-africa-african-womens-land-rights-conference/
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK., 2021. Digital Agriculture Profile - South Africa. Available from: https://www.afdb.org/en/documents/digital-agriculture-profile-south-africa
ALADEJEBI, O.A., 2021. Succession planning: A key to sustainable family business. Int. J. Bus. Manag. Soc. Sci., 2(7): 26-38.
BALBINO, L.C., KICHEL, A.N., DE ALMEIDA, R.G. & BUNGNSTAB, D.J., 2014. Integrated systems: What they are, their advantages and limitations. Embrapa.
BALL, B.C., BINGHAM, I., REES, R.M., WATSON, C.A. & LITTERICK, A., 2005. The role of crop rotations in determining soil structure and crop growth conditions. Can. J. Soil Sci., 85(5): 557–577.
BALMFORD, A., AMANO, T., BARTLETT, H., CHADWICK, D., COLLINS, A., EDWARDS, D., FIELD, R., GARNSWORTHY, P., GREEN, R., SMITH, P., WATERS, H., WHITMORE, A., BROOM, D.M., CHARA, J., FINCH, T., GARNETT, E., GATHORNE-HARDY, A., HERNANDEZ-MEDRANO, J. & HERRERO, F., 2018. The environmental costs and benefits of high-yield farming. Nat. Sustain., 1(9): 477–485.
BENBROOK, C., ZHAO, X., YÁÑEZ, J., DAVIES, N. & ANDREWS, P., 2008. New evidence confirms the nutritional superiority of plant-based organic foods. Critical Issue Report. Nutritional Superiority of Organic Food. The Organic Centre.
BENGTSSON, J., AHNSTRÖM, J. & WEIBULL, A.C., 2005. The effects of organic agriculture on biodiversity and abundance: A Meta-Analysis. J Appl Ecol., 42(2): 261–269.
BRADLEY, J.F., 2002. Twenty-five-year review of conservation tillage in the Southern U.S. perspective from the industry. Special Report No. 1.
BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION., 2013. Keeping food safe, sustainable and socially responsible. Food Portfolio, Hong Kong. Available from: https://www.bsigroup.com/LocalFiles/EN-HK/Food%20Portfolio%20Brochure.pdf
BUSARI, M.A., KAUR, A., BHATT, R., KUKAL, S.S. & DULAZI A.A., 2015. Conservation tillage impacts on soil, crop and the environment. ISWCR., 3(2): 119–29.
CLAASSEN, R., BOWMAN, M., MCFADDEN, J, SMITH, D. & WALLANDER, S., 2018. Tillage Intensity and Conservation Cropping in the United States. Economic Information Bulletin 197. Economic Research Service. United States Department of Agriculture.
COMNINOS, A., 2020. Paving the Way towards Digitalising Agriculture in South Africa. Available from: https://researchictafrica.net/project/paving-the-way-towards-digitalising-agriculture-in-south-africa/
CROPLIFE INTERNATIONAL., 2019. Evaluating crop protection container management programs. Available from: https://croplife.shorthandstories.com/container-management/
DANE, K., 2020. Farm Machinery Importance, Uses, And Types - Agriculturegoods. Agriculture Goods (blog). Available from: https://agriculturegoods.com/farm-machinery-importance-uses-and-types/
DAVIS, K., 2009. The Important Role of Extension Systems. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 2020 Vision Briefs.
DE KLERK, M., FRASER, F., FULLERTON, K., NEWMAN, M. & MANJE, L., 2013. The Status of Agricultural and Rural Financial Services in Southern Africa 2011. Zambia Country Report. Available from: https://finmark.org.za/system/documents/files/000/000/445/original/Rep_Status-AGriRuralfin_Zambia_FNL2.pdf?1614942787
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS., n.d. Agricultural Extension Officer. Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa. Available from: https://www.dffe.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/publications/EnviroCareerCards_part1.pdf
DING, Y., SCHOENGOLD, K. & TADESSE, T., 2009. The impact of weather extremes on agricultural production methods: Does drought increase adoption of conservation tillage practices? J. Agric. Resour. Econ., 34(3): 1–17.
DORWARD, A., KYDD, J. & POULTON, C., 2008. Traditional domestic markets and marketing systems for agricultural products. Development Report. Washington, DC: World Bank.
EL NEEL, F.A., 2018. The role of women in household food security among small scale farmers in gedarif and rahad localities of eastern Sudan. Int. J. Soc. Sci., 5(25): 2103–17.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION., 2000. Agriculture's Contribution to Rural Development. International Conference on Non-Trade Concerns in Agriculture. Discussion Paper Two. Available from: https://www.iatp.org/sites/default/files/Agricultures_Contribution_to_Rural_Development.htm
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION & IFAD., 2019. Communication Toolkit. Available from: http://www.fao.org/family-farming-decade/communication-toolkit/en/
GAAMAA, H., MAKANDA, K.C., MILLER, H.A., SPAHR, M. & PANOS, V., 2014. Access to finance for smallholder farmers: Learning from the experiences of microfinance institutions in Latin America. Washington D.C, World Bank Group. Avalailable from: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/229791468222870138/Acceso-a-las-finanzas-para-pequenos-productores-agropecuarios-lecciones-de-las-experiencias-de-instituciones-microfinancieras-en-America-Latina
GAUKER, C., 2010. The Impacts of Sustainable and Industrial Agriculture on Human Health. Food and Health.
GHORBANI, R., KOOCHEKI, A., JAHAN, M. & ASADI, G., 2008. Impact of organic amendments and compost extracts on tomato production and storability in agroecological systems. Agron. Sustain. Dev., 28: 307–311.
GOBIN, A., TARQUIS, A.M. & DALEZIOS, N.R., 2013. Weather-related hazards and risks in agriculture. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 13(10): 2599–2603.
GOMIERO, T., 2016. Soil degradation, land scarcity and food security: Reviewing a complex challenge. Sustainability., 8(3): 281.
HOFSTRAND, D. & JOHANNS, A.M., 2019. Understanding Profitability. Available from: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/html/c3-24.html
HORRIGAN, L., LAWRENCE, R.S. & WALKER, P., 2002. How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture. Environ. Health Perspect., 110(5): 445–56.
KARAYEL, D. & SARAUSKIS, E., 2019. Environmental impact of no-tillage farming. Environ. Res. Eng. Manag., 75(1): 7–12.
KARGAS, G., KERKIDES, P. & POULOVASSILIS, A., 2012. Infiltration of rain water in semi-arid areas under three land surface treatments. Soil Till. Res., (120): 15–24.
KENNEY, M., SERHAN, H. & TRYSTRAM, G., 2020. Digitalization and platforms in agriculture: Organizations, power asymmetry, and collective action solutions. ETLA Working Papers, 78. The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. Available from: https://ideas.repec.org/p/rif/wpaper/78.html
KIRSTEN, J. & SARTORIUS, K., 2002. Linking agribusiness and small-scale farmers in developing countries: Is there a new role for contract farming? Dev. South. Afr., 19(4): 503–29.
KISLAT, C., MENKHOFF, L. & NEUBERGER, D., 2013. The use of collateral in formal and informal lending. Beiträge zur Jahrestagung des Vereins für Socialpolitik 2013: Wettbewerbspolitik und Regulierung in einer globalen Wirtschaftsordnung - Session: Financial Frictions and Business Cycles, No. F02-V3, ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft, Kiel und Hamburg. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/79765
KRALL, S., 2015. What Is Sustainable Agriculture? giz - Deutsche Gesellschaft fur internationale Zusammenarbeit. Available from: https://www.giz.de/en/downloads/giz2015-en-what-is-sustain-agric.pdf
LAL, R., 2004. Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science., 304(5677): 1623–1627.
LAL, R., REICOSKY, D.C. & HANSON, J.D., 2007. Evolution of the plow over 10,000 years and the rationale for no-till farming. Soil Till. Res., 93(1): 1–12.
LEGG, W. & VIATTE, G., 2001. Farming systems for sustainable agriculture. OECD Observer. Available from: https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA76285696&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00297054&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E1906f64c
LEIGH, S. & WENTWORTH, J., 2017. POSTnote (557) Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture. Available from: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12457.70244
LIEBENBERG, A.J., 2002. Dry Bean Production. Pretoria, South Africa: Department of Agriculture. Available from: http://archive.org/details/liebenberg-2002-dry-bean-production
LIU, X., HERBERT, S.J., HASHEMI, A.M., ZHANG, X. & DING, G., 2006. Effects of agricultural management on soil organic matter and carbon transformation – a Review. Plant Soil Environ., 52(12): 531–43.
MONTGOMERY, D.R., 2007. Soil erosion and agricultural sustainability. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 104(33): 13268–72.
MTOMBENI, S., BOVE, D. & THIBANE, T., 2019. An analysis of finance as a barrier to entry and expansion for emerging farmers. Working Paper, CC2019/01. Available from: https://www.compcom.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/CC201901-Mtombeni-S-Bove-D-Thibane-T-An-analysis-of-finance-as-a-barrier-to-entry-for-emerging-farmers.pdf
MULLER, A., SCHADER, C., SCIALABBA, N.EH., BRÜGGEMANN, J., ISENSEE, A., ERB, KH., SMITH, P., KLOCKE, P., LEIBER, F., STOLZE, M. & NIGGLI, U., 2017. Strategies for Feeding the World More Sustainably with Organic Agriculture. Nat. Commun., 8(1): 1290.
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL., 2010. Toward sustainable agricultural systems in the 21st century. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.
NTSHANGASE, W.M., NGIBA, S.C., VAN NIEKERK, J.A. & ZWANE, E.M., 2016. The impact of succession planning on the sustainability of cane production by small-scale cane growers in the North Coast of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. S. Afr. J. agric. Ext., 44(1): 50–58.
OLUMAKAIYE, M.F. & AJAYI, A.O., 2006. Women's empowerment for household food security: The place of education. Hum. Ecol., 19(1): 51–55.
PADGITT, S., PETRZELKA, P., WINTERSTEEN, W. & IMERMAN, E., 2001. Integrated crop management: The other precision agriculture. Am. J. Altern. Agric., 16(1): 16–22.
PALM, C., BLANCO-CANQUI, H., DECLERCK, F., GATERE, L. & GRACE, P., 2014. Conservation agriculture and ecosystem services: An overview. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 187: 87-105.
PIMENTEL, D. & BURGESS, M., 2013. An environmental, energetic and economic comparison of organic and conventional farming systems. J. Integr. Pest Manag., 3: 141–66.
PROSPERI, P., ALLEN, T., PADILLA, M., PERI, I. & COGILL, B., 2014. Sustainability and food & nutrition security: A vulnerability assessment framework for the Mediterranean Region. SAGE Open., 4(2).
QUISUMBING, A.R., BROWN, L.R., FELDSTEIN, H.S., HADDAD, L. & PEÑA, C., 1996. Women: The key to food security. Food Nutr. Bull., 17(1): 1–2.
QWABE, N., 2014. Lending to small-scale farmers in South Africa: A Case for Best Practices in Formal Institutions. Masters thesis. University of Pretoria.
RANA, S. & CHOPRA, P., 2013. Integrated Farming System. Department of Agronomy, CSKHPKV, Palampur. Available from: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.32107.75047
RISHI, R. & PRIEBE, J., 2020. Agricultural insurance for smallholder farmers: Digital innovations for scale. Mobile for Development (blog). Available from: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/resources/agricultural-insurance-for-smallholder-farmers-digital-innovations-for-scale/
SABYASACHI, R. & SATPATI, S.K., 2013. Sustainable agriculture and food security. Paper presented at Advances in Agricultural Research towards Food Security and Environmental Sustenance, 1-3 September, Palli Siksha Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan. Available from: https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/22856/
SARRIS, A.H., 2001. The role of agriculture in economic development and poverty reduction: An empirical and conceptual foundation. Rural Development Strategy Background Paper Series, No. 2. Available from: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/649461468766828655/The-role-of-agriculture-in-economic-development-and-poverty-reduction-an-empirical-and-conceptual-foundation
SEUFERT, V., RAMANKUTTY, N. & FOLEY, J.A., 2012. Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture. Nature., 485(7397): 229–32.
SHUMAN, M., 2021. Going local: Creating self-reliant communities in a global age. Routledge.
SKREFSRUD, T.A., 2022. Enhancing social sustainability through education: Revisiting the concept of multicultural education. IntechOpen. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103028
SOUTH AFRICA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, 2016. 2nd South Africa Environment Outlook: A Report on the State of the Environment: Executive Summary. Available from: https://www.dffe.gov.za/sites/default/files/reports/environmentoutlook_executivesummary.pdf
ŠRŮTEK, M. & URBAN, J., 2008. Organic Farming. Encyclopedia of Ecology. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-008045405-4.00068-9
SULLIVAN, P., 2003. Applying the principles of sustainable farming (ATTRA). Available from: https://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/Applying_the_Principles_of_Sustainable_Farming.pdf
TAHAT, M.M., ALANANBEH, K., OTHMAN, Y. & LESKOVAR, D.I., 2020. Soil health and sustainable agriculture. Sustainability., 12(12): 1–26.
THE THEMATIC GROUP ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS., 2015. Planning and Implementing Action for Sustainable Agriculture. Available from: https://pdf4pro.com/amp/fullscreen/planning-and-implementing-action-for-sustainable-agriculture-62c674.html
TUOMISTO, H.L., HODGE, I.D., RIORDAN, P. & MACDONALD, D.W., 2012. Does organic farming reduce environmental impacts? - A meta-analysis of European Research. J. Environ. Manage., 112: 309–320.
UNITED NATIONS., 2018. Sustainable Development Goal 6: Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation. Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation. New York, United States of America: United Nations. Available from: https://www.unwater.org/app/uploads/2018/12/SDG6_SynthesisReport2018_WaterandSanitation_04122018.pdf
VAN NIEKERK, J.A., 2012. Redefining the role of the extension agent in commercializing South African agriculture: An Eastern Cape Case Study. Doctoral dissertation. University of the Free State.
VANLAUWE, B., CHIANU, J., GILLER, K.E., MERCKX, R., MOKWUNYE, U., PYPERS, P., SHEPHERD, K., SMALING, E., WOOMER, P.L. & SANGINGA, N., 2010. Integrated soil fertility management: Operational definition and consequences for implementation and dissemination. Outlook Agric., 39(1): 17–24.
WANG, Y.W., 2009. Sustainable agricultural practices: Energy inputs and outputs, pesticide, fertilizer and greenhouse gas management. Asia Pac. J. Clin. Nutr., 18(4): 498-500.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 J.A. Van Niekerk, P. Venter, E. Van Der Watt
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
.png){kind=spacer}