Investigating the Influence of Agricultural Extension Service Providers (AESPS) on Building Inclusive Food Systems Through Underutilised Indigenous Foods Education: A Case Study

Abstract

South Africa, a rich tapestry of diverse communities, is home to at least nine major ethnic groups (Zulu, Xhosa, Bapedi [North Sotho], Batswana, South Ndebele, Basotho [South Sotho], Venda, Tsonga, and Swati). Each group, deeply rooted in their culture and traditions, consumes a unique array of foods. Often considered indigenous, these foods are sourced from the wild and grown using traditional production techniques. The literature indicates indigenous foods have been a staple in many parts of the country for centuries. Although this study's findings are based on three districts in northern KwaZulu-Natal, similarities have been noted in previous studies conducted within and across regions, particularly in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The research methodology involved using the Chi-square test method, a correlation analysis, and the computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software package Atlas. Ti. These methods were used to determine the existing relationship between extension services and the production of underutilised indigenous food crops (UIFCs). Theoretical findings then corroborated the statistical data. This research's findings imply that while several agricultural extension service providers (AESPs) advise on the production and utilisation of UIFCs, the inverse was true of others. Participants indicated that much of the knowledge passed to them mainly involved exotic vegetables such as Spinacia oleracea and Brassica oleracea and excluded local foods such as Bidens pilosa and Momordica foetida. One of the emerging themes was AESPs' invisibility in communities, which was found to be a contributing factor to non-inclusive food systems. Thus, the study contributes to the knowledge domain by outlining a need for AESPs' visibility in communities and accentuates opportunities that AESPs miss in not participating in building inclusive food systems. The paper concludes by recommending the inclusion of UIFCs in the continued professional development (CPD) of AESPs, wherein the significance of UIFCs would be enshrined.