The status and characteristics of the 302 smallholder irrigation schemes found in South Africa are discussed and knowledge on South African smallholder irrigation schemes generated by the Water Research Commission (WRC) over a period of nearly 20 years is reviewed. Themes covered include planning, design and technology; plot-holders and their...

The year 2011 has been proclaimed the International Year of Forests (in brief “Forests 2011”) and it is being celebrated under the theme “Forests for People”. This is truly a remarkable theme. One cannot come close to covering all of it in a single edition of Nature & Faune as...

As population density increases and available natural resources diminish, tensions and competition increase among stakeholders for access to land for farming and animal husbandry as well as access to forest, fishery and wildlife resources. The scramble for resources involves communities, economic interest groups, governments and the private sector as they...

Small‐scale
 agriculture
 is
 one
 of
 the
 few
 tools
 available
 to
 support
 improved
rural
 livelihoods
on
a
 significant
 scale
in
South
Africa.
Access
 to
output
markets
is
a
key
 obstacle
 for
 small
 farmers
 in
 generating
 higher
 incomes.
 Thus,
the
 rise
 of
modern
 markets
 (supermarkets
 in
 particular)
 is
 generally
 viewed
 as
 positive
 for
 the
 rural
 poor,
 although
 most
 commentators
 accede
 that
 there
 are
 challenges
 to
 be
 overcome
 in
 obtaining
 access
 to
...

This paper argue that a class-analytic perspective centred on the key concepts of ‘petty commodity production’ and ‘accumulation from below’ is essential for understanding the differentiated character and diverse trajectories of small-scale agriculture within capitalism. The paper explores the policy implications of such a class-analytic approach, and proposes that land...

This study is a response to a request from those developing the Second Economy Strategy to help identify the key elements of an implementable programme to support the smallholder sector. At the core of the exercise was a set of case studies of ‘best practice’ – that is, of smallholders...

Water productivity in smallholder rain-fed agriculture is of key interest for improved food and livelihood security. A frequently advocated approach to enhance water productivity is to adopt water harvesting and conservation technologies (WH). This study estimates water availability for potential in situ WH, and supplemental water demand (SWD) in smallholder...

This paper uses the sustainable livelihoods framework to explore the contribution of smallholder production to food security in some sub-Saharan African countries and relates it to the South African case. Noting that many of the world’s hungry are smallholder farmers, it is clear that food insecurity is closely linked to...

Permaculture Trainers Reference Manual.

The first objective was to develop a comprehensive picture of each project in terms of its membership, its activities and its internal organisation. The second was to situate the projects within their wider context, which included the local community, local government (represented by officials and councillors of local and district...

Over the coming decades, global change will have an impact on food and water security in significant and highly uncertain ways, and there are strong indications that developing countries will bear the brunt of the adverse consequences, particularly from climate change. This is largely because poverty levels are high, and...

With likely long-term changes in rainfall patterns and shifting temperature zones, climate change is expected to increase the frequency of climate-related shocks, such as floods and droughts in Sub-Saharan Africa. For farm households, an increase in the frequency of climate-related income shocks could lead not only to lower expected income,...

Agricultural production remains the main source of livelihood for rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing employment to more than 60 percent of the population and contributing about 30 percent of gross domestic product. With likely long-term changes in rainfall patterns and shifting temperature zones, climate change is expected to significantly...

This study analyzes five marine protected areas (MPAs) in South Africa, which span three of the country’s four coastal provinces, namely, the Langebaan Lagoon MPA, the Maputaland MPA, the St Lucia MPA, the Tsitsikamma MPA and the Mkambati MPA. A biological, conservation-oriented fisheries science dominates the agendas of these MPAs....

In this latest edition of the Dimitra Newsletter, as in previous editions, we highlight the importance of access by rural populations, and particularly women, to information and communication. The ability to access information and to share it through dissemination and networking is crucial in order to combat inequality, malnutrition and...

Considering water as an economic good entails, among other requisites, properly assessing the cost incurred by supplying and managing the resource, and the required infrastructure thereof. Regarding irrigation, the International Commission for Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) set up a method for assessing the full financial costs, in the form of...

This paper proposes to discuss the current vulnerability of the southern African region to climate variability, the projected impacts of climate change and the various strategies and policies that are being deployed to address climate issues, focussing mainly on the agricultural sector. The potential role of research and technology in...

The value of wild edible vegetables in food security has not been given sufficient attention in South Africa. Consequently, there are no formal interventions that seek to encourage people to use traditional vegetables as sources of essential nutrients. Studies on the role of wild leafy vegetables in food security could...

Diversity among smallholders farming 1.28 ha plots at Dzindi Irrigation Scheme in the Thulamela Local Municipality of Limpopo Province; South Africa is investigated by applying farming style theory. Farming styles refer to specific farming strategies, which are conscious responses of farmers to the prevailing ecological and socioeconomic conditions. The specific...

Exporting deciduous fruit from the Western Cape Province of South Africa to markets in Europe, North America and Asia contributes significantly to the province's Gross Domestic Product. The main export producers are large-scale farmers. Even with the change in discriminatory legislation and practices in South Africa after 1994, few smallholder...