Over the past 20 years, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has seen 4,3% growth in annual agricultural output, the highest of any region in the world. Most of this growth has come from area expansion, not input intensification or increased productivity. Despite this growth, 73 million people remain acutely food-insecure.
There is an urgent need to support sustainable agricultural intensification across a wide segment of the rural farm population, while at the same time enabling rural dwellers to exit agriculture if it is not a viable livelihood option.
Studies of structural transformations in Asia show how the adoption of new farm practices and technologies helped boost agricultural labour productivity. In turn, this provided farm households with more disposable income, which they tended to spend on local consumables. As a result, new employment opportunities in the non-farm sector were created. This helped to pull marginal farm households out of agriculture and into more remunerative non-farm enterprises.
However, this vision of rural transformation is complicated by the severe resource constraints faced by many people in rural SSA, and the fact that markets for insurance and credit are often absent or unavailable to poor households.
Livelihood and investment decisions are inseparable from concerns over food security for many farm households in SSA. This tends to push them towards production choices that minimise short-term consumption risks but are often low in return and aligned with subsistence.
Denne historien er fra October 15, 2021-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 15, 2021-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Understanding eye conditions in horses: causes and first aid
A horse can get a swollen eye from bumping it against a tree, shaking its head to keep flies away, or even snake venom
IPM requires a completely different mindset
You need to investigate any beneficial insects that may appear on your plants, or you can purchase them
Does parrot farming protect wild species?
Those in favour of commercial captive breeding argue that breeding parrots to sell can relieve pressure on wild populations. Researchers Neil D'Cruze and Rowan Martin review the evidence.
Bacterial and fungal diseases of garlic
Garlic can be prone to bacterial and fungal diseases, and it's important that farmers are proactive in preventing infection and practise appropriate management. Magda du Toit reports.
Responsible wastewater management: a crucial part of farming
The inadequate management of waste water is a challenge that the agriculture sector needs to deal with. Magda du Toit spoke to experts in waste and water management about a cost-effective treatment system.
Technology that can help protect South Africa's farms
Farm attacks, murders, livestock and crop theft, and other rural crimes are a growing concern in South Africa. As a result, more and more farmers are turning to advanced security technology to protect their lives, properties, and livelihoods. Sinenhlanhla Mncwango spoke to experts about the security strategies that producers can adopt to combat these threats.
The impact of theft on farms in South Africa
A high number of livestock are being stolen every year in South Africa. Insurance is expensive and farmers are battling to find solutions to the problem, says Dr Lindie von Maltitz, agricultural economics lecturer in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State.
Staying afloat amid the cost-price squeeze
John Hudson, head of agriculture at Nedbank Commercial Banking, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the importance of environmental and social sustainability for a prosperous agriculture sector.
Free State has no reason to mark Transport Month
Free State Agriculture (FSA) is very concerned about the extremely poor state of rural paved and gravel roads in the province and has very little, if anything, to celebrate during Transport Month, which takes place every October.
SA's food system ‘vulnerable to climate change'
The Just Transition Agenda for Food System Policymaking in SA webinar, hosted by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) in October, highlighted the role that South Africa’s food system plays in contributing to climate change and how vulnerable it is to the impact thereof.
