ISSN 2375-1177
Research Article
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security Vol. 1 (3), pp. 054-059, September, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Reducing poverty and food insecurity by applying in-field rainwater harvesting (IRWH): How rural institutions made a difference
M. N. Baiphethi*1, M. F. Viljoen1, G. Kundhlande1, J. J. Botha2 and J. J. Anderson2
1Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.
2Agricultural Research Council-Institute for Soil, Climate and Water, Private Bag X01, Glen, 9360, South Africa.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +27514013551. Fax: +27514013473.
Accepted 9 April, 2013
Abstract
Various studies have being carried out to address the problems of rural poverty and agricultural development with mixed outcomes. While some of the proposed measures for increasing agricultural productivity and poverty alleviation have yielded some promising results, there is growing consensus on the need for a comprehensive approach which also looks at the institutional and socio -cultural environment as determinants of rural farm/households' livelihood. The paper aims at exploring the role of rural institutions in the adoption and sustainability of productivity-enhancing technologies among small-scale farmers using Thaba Nchu in the Free State, South Africa, as a case study. The paper attempts to explain an observed widespread adoption by small-scale farmers in Thaba Nchu in the Free State Province, of in-field rainwater harvesting (IRWH) techniques that was recently introduced in the area. This was achieved by using data from the experiences and observations of a multidisciplinary team consisting of agronomists, agricultural economists and sociologist from the University of the Free State (UFS) and Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and farmers from the area. The paper concludes that the participation of local farmers, particularly through local community groups, played important roles in achieving a more widespread adoption of IRWH techniques. This suggests that both formal and informal rural institutions can play important roles in ensuring acceptance of new production practices by small-scale farmers and these institutions should be included in the design of an effective agricultural extension program. Furthermore, institutional reform should be considered in policy interventions that promote poverty and food insecurity reduction.
Key words: Productivity-enhancing, Thaba Nchu, multidisciplinary, agronomists, socio-cultural.
M. N. Baiphethi, J. J. Botha and J. J. Anderson, G. Kundhlande, M. F. Viljoen
Page: 54 - 59
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJAFS/1008Research Article
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security Vol. 1 (1), pp. 015-020, July, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Household food security in a coastal rural community of South Africa: Status, causes and coping strategies
S. Ndhleve1*, L. Musemwa2 and L. Zhou2
1Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Centre, Walter Sisulu University. Nelson Mandela Drive Campus,
Private Bag X 1, Mthatha, 5100, RSA.
2Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Centre, University of Fort Hare, P. Bag X1314, Alice 5700, RSA.
*Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected].
Accepted 22 April, 2013
Abstract
Food insecurity is a challenge in rural South Africa. This paper employed descriptive statistics, household food accessibility index, and ordinal regression analysis on a sample of 159 randomly selected households to model the risk of inadequate access to food among households in a coastal-rural community of Hamburg, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data was collected using household questionnaire survey. Inadequate access to food is elusive across all the villages in Hamburg as an insignificant proportion of the respondents were reported to have adequate access to food. This study showed that 9% of the households experience severe inadequate access to food, while 78% have moderate access to food and 13% have access to adequate food. Various differences were noticed between the socio-economic statuses of the three groups. Following risk modeling criteria, inter-alia, purchasing food from the market, accessing food from the environment, income level, receiving social grants, having a professional job, owning a business and practicing farmers emerged as the major predictors of adequate access to food. The results reinforce the importance of social grants, promotion of small businesses, farming and continued support of rural education, and recommend them as important in improving food access in Hamburg community.
Key words: Agriculture, adequate access to food, food insecurity, global food security index, risk modeling, risk of inadequate access to food.
L. Musemwa and L. Zhou, S. Ndhleve
Page: 15 - 20
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJAFS/1010Review
African Journal of Agriculture and Food Security Vol. 1 (1), pp. 001-014, July, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Review
Revitalisation of smallholder irrigation schemes for poverty alleviation and household food security in South Africa: A review
M. Fanadzo
Department of Agriculture, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Private Bag X8, Wellington, 7654, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected].
Accepted 1 March, 2013
Abstract
There seems to be a general consensus that improving agriculture and enhancing agricultural productivity through irrigation will remain a key strategy for rural poverty alleviation in most of the low income countries, where the majority of the rural poor depend directly or indirectly on agriculture. Nevertheless, Smallholder Irrigation Schemes (SIS) in South Africa have performed poorly and have not delivered on their development objectives of improving rural livelihoods through sustainable crop production for food security and poverty alleviation. For a long time, dilapidated irrigation infrastructure was viewed as the single major cause of the poor performance and the government invested huge sums of money towards repairing infrastructure. Consequently, research and expenditure tended to focus on irrigation infrastructure, but often this proved fruitless because the human capital was not developed to effectively utilise and maintain the infrastructure. Recent research, however, has identified weak institutional and organisational arrangements and poor technical skills of farmers as probably the major factors leading to underperformance of most SIS. It is therefore recommended that crop production approaches including farmer training be considered alongside all other issues during revitalisation of SIS to improve on performance.
Key words: Farmer management skills, food security, institutional and organisational arrangements, poverty alleviation, revitalisation, smallholder irrigation schemes.
M. Fanadzo
Page: 1 - 14
https://doi.org/10.46882/AJAFS/1006