South Africa: encouraging sustainable smallholder agriculture
Concentrates on the black smallholder farming sector. Policy objectives should include:
- Resource Conserving Technologies: re-orientation away from large scale farmers, consideration of goals other than high input/output (risk management, labour input, gender). More participatory methods in areas such as soil conservation
- Sustaining local institutions: capacity building for farmers associations; partnership links between smallholder farmers and service providers
- Creating an Enabling Environment: increase in capacity and practical experience at all levels, especially for those smallholders benefiting from the land reform programme better access to input and marketing services; extension of credit to smallholders
Makes recommendations for reorganisation of extension services, farmer involvement in research, land reform, incentives for soil/water conservation, NGO involvement, community participation, training, coordination.
- Authors: M. Whiteside
- Updated on: August 30, 2007 South Africa, Africa South of SaharaEurope, Africa South of SaharaEurope,
