1,721,005 research outputs found
Agroforestry tree products (AFTPs): targeting poverty reduction and enhanced livelihoods
Full text linkAgroforestry tree domestication emerged as a farmer-driven, market-led process in the early 1990s and became an international initiative. A participatory approach now supplements the more traditional aspects of tree improvement, and is seen as an important strategy towards the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, promoting social equity and environmental sustainability. Considerable progress has been made towards the domestication of indigenous fruits and nuts in many villages in Cameroon and Nigeria. Vegetatively-propagated cultivars based on a sound knowledge of 'ideotypes' derived from an understanding of the tree-to-tree variation in many commercially important traits are being developed by farmers. These are being integrated into polycultural farming systems, especially the cocoa agroforests. Markets for Agroforestry Tree Products (AFTPs) are crucial for the adoption of agroforestry on a scale to have meaningful economic, social and environmental impacts. Important lessons have been learned in southern Africa from detailed studies of the commercialisation of AFTPs. These provide support for the wider acceptance of the role of domesticating indigenous trees in the promotion of enhanced livelihoods for poor farmers in the tropics. Policy guidelines have been developed in support of this sustainable rural development as an alternative strategy to those proposed in many other major development and conservation fora. <br/
Making the Invisible Visible: Ameliorating Poverty through Natural Resource Commercialisation
No full text[From Introduction] The majority of households in South Africa, especially those in the rural communal areas, live in abject poverty. Some 70% of rural households can be classified as poor, while 18-24% fall into the chronically poor category. Unlike many other developing nations, South Africa's rural communal areas are characterised by relatively poor availability of agricultural land, with only about 40% of rural households involved in field cropping. This results in high levels of integration and dependence on the cash economy. Unemployment levels are amongst the highest in the world at about 30%. Unemployment amongst women tends to be greater than amongst men resulting in a poverty rate amongst rural female-headed households of over 60%; double that of male-headed households. The scourge of HIV/AIDS is devastating already poor households' ability to cope. More than half of HIV/AIDS affected households have insufficient food (UNDP 2003). Impacts of the pandemic include not only the loss of income, but also increased expenditure particularly on medical care and funerals. The need to care for ill household members or orphaned children also limits the choices of occupation that other household members can pursue, and may restrict labour availability for food production. Household assets are often sold for cash eroding the few safety nets people have. HIV/AIDS is expected to contribute to a chronic impoverishment of 26-33% more households than would be the case in its absence (Aliber 2003).Endnote: This policy brief is based on the original brief made available for a workshop in August 2006. It is derived, amongst other sources, from the findings of nine case studies of local natural resource commercialisation undertaken as part of a project funded by the South Africa-Netherlands Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD), BP South Africa and the National Research Foundation (NRF). Case studies on woodcraft, furniture production, weaving, broom production and the sale of wild foods and traditional marula beer were completed by Zwoitwa Makhado (UWC), Sibongile Mavimbela (Rhodes), Taryn Pereira (Rhodes), Sheona Shackleton (Rhodes) and Jabulile Sithole (WSU). CIFOR with support from SIDA, provided the funding to share these findings with key stakeholders. The opinions expressed in these policy briefs are those of the author and research team and should not necessarily be attributed to funders and partner institutions
Ameliorating poverty in South Africa through natural resource commercialisation
Full text linkThis short policy brief advocates for more attention to be paid to the potential of natural resource commercialisation as a means to livelihood security and poverty alleviation in rural South Africa. It is one of a set of four policy briefs based on the findings of several case studies across the country
The significance of the local trade in natural resource products for livelihoods and poverty alleviation in South Africa
Full text linkWhat role can the commercialisation of natural resource products play in the efforts to reduce poverty and vulnerability and how can this be enhanced? With poverty alleviation at the top of the global development agenda, this is a question posed by many scholars, practitioners, donor agencies and government departments operating at the environment-development interface. However, recent commentary on this issue is mixed and ambiguous, with some observers being quite optimistic regarding the potential of these products, while others hold a counter view. This thesis explores the livelihood contributions and poverty alleviation potential of four products traded locally in the Bushbuckridge municipality, South Africa; namely traditional brooms, reed mats, woodcraft and a beer made from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea. A common approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, was used to investigate the harvesting, processing and marketing arrangements, sustainability and livelihood contributions of each product. The results illustrate that any inference regarding the potential of the trade to alleviate poverty depends on how poverty is defined and interpreted, and on whether the role of these products is assessed from a holistic livelihood perspective that includes notions of vulnerability, alternatives and choice, diversification and the needs of rural producers themselves. Overall, the products studied were key in enhancing the livelihood security of the poorest members of society, forming an important safety net and assisting in raising household incomes to levels equivalent to the wider population, but generally were unlikely, on their own, to provide a route out of poverty. However, there were notable exceptions, with marked variation evident both within and across products. Incomes often surpassed local wage rates, and a minority of producers were obtaining returns equivalent to or greater than the official minimum wage. Other benefits, such as the opportunity to work from home or to diversify the livelihood portfolio, were also crucial, with the trade representing different livelihood strategies for different households. When viewed within the context of rising unemployment and HIV/AIDS these findings assume greater significance. While the trades were complex and growth limited, livelihood benefits could be improved on a sustainable basis if the sector was given the attention and support it deserves
Livelihood benefits from the local level commercialization of savanna resources: a case study of the new and expanding trade in marula (Sclerocarya birrea) beer in Bushbuckridge, South Africa
Full text linkIn the face of economic hardship and poverty, rural people in South Africa and globally are increasingly turning to the natural resource base to generate income. One product that has recently entered into local commercial markets is a traditional alcoholic beverage brewed from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea (marula), commonly known as marula beer. It was rarely traded in the past due to customary taboos prohibiting its sale. In Bushbuckridge, Limpopo province, rural women have been selling marula beer in the business centres of the district and along the roadside since 1998. A survey of these markets was undertaken in 2002, to discover the commercialization process involved, from raw material harvesting to marketing, and to assess the importance of the trade for household livelihoods and poverty alleviation. Fifty-one traders were interviewed, who indicated that the sale of marula beer provides a vital source of income to several hundred households from amongst the poorest sector of the Bushbuckridge community. Of particular importance were the low barriers of entry to the trade, as the resource is abundant and freely accessible and there are few costs to produce marula beer. Incomes earned were modest, averaging a net R500 per season, and highly seasonal, but came at a critical point in the household calendar, after the festive season and when cash was required for the new school year. Income bridging, livelihood diversification, and the provision of a safety net for the poorest members of society are some of the key benefits of the beer trade
Socio-economic importance of Cymbopogon validus in Mkambati Game Reserve, Transkei
No full textThe socio-economic value of Cymbopogon validus (Tamboekie) in Mkambati Game Reserve was investigated. The total supply of grass within the Reserve was estimated and the possible effects of different management actions on this supply considered. Actual and potential demand (by neighbouring rural populations) was determined through a survey (involving formal questionnaires and informal interviews) of local harvesters. Demand was balanced against supply and an attempt made to express the value of the remaining grass in terms of potential revenue for the Reserve. Results indicated that local people are very dependent on the Reserve for thatching grass. The present demand is some 14 000 bundles p.a., representing approximately 18% of the supply. Calculation of potential demand indicated that most of the grass presently available may be required in the future. Until such time, considerable income could be derived from harvesting and selling excess grass. Management recommendations which will ensure a continued supply of grass to local homestead builders are considered
Making the invisible visible: ameliorating poverty through natural resource commercialisation: How can NGO's make a difference?
No full text[From Introduction] Some of the poorest rural people in South Africa are turning to the natural resource base for income generation. Using traditional skills they are converting a variety of wild resources into commodities that are sold in the market place. Wood and woven craft, medicines, fresh and processed wild foods, alcoholic beverages, building materials, fuelwood, dried mopane worms, cultural artefacts and brooms are just some examples of the array of natural resource products increasingly seen for sale in local and external markets. Many of the participants in this trade have minimal education, few assets to draw on, and little access to alternative sources of income or jobs. A significant proportion are women, with more than half heading their own households. Many come from households devastated by HIV/AIDS. The cash earned from selling natural resource products, however modest, is of critical importance to the households involved, preventing them from slipping deeper into poverty. “Since I have been making brooms my children no longer go to bed crying of hunger” observed one broom producer. NGOs, particularly those involved in rural development, can play an important role in assisting producers overcome some of the obstacles they face and in enhancing the opportunities to grow this informal sector.This policy brief is based on the original brief made available for a workshop in August 2006. It draws on, amongst other sources, the results of several case studies of natural resource commercialisation undertaken across South Africa. The project was funded by the South Africa-Netherlands Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD), BP South Africa and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The Center for International Forestry Research, with support from SIDA, provided the funding to share these findings with key stakeholders including government policy and decision makers
Cultural values of natural resources among the San people neighbouring Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa
No full textPublisher versionGlobally, cultural values of natural resources are increasingly recognised as important for local natural resource management and conservation in and beyond parks. The tendency has been to focus on the direct-use rather than the cultural values and importance of natural resources. The cultural values underlying natural resources (directly or indirectly used) and various natural resource-based activities, and the implications for conservation, remain little explored. Drawing from household surveys, in-depth qualitative interviews, observations and secondary data, we explore the cultural significance of natural resources and different land-use practices among the San people bordering Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa. Our findings illustrate that though cultural values are inextricably linked to resource use, they are not recognised by all community members. Further, cultural values arise from a diverse and sometimes conflicting array of values that punctuate individuals' lifestyles. A better understanding of context-specific cultural settings and the linkages between the cultural and material dimensions of resource use can lead to the development of interventions that can ensure effective conservation of both natural resources and culture
Perceptions of climate change and barriers to adaptation amongst commonage and commercial livestock farmers in the semi-arid Eastern Cape Karoo
No full textClimate change is expected to adversely affect agriculture in South Africa. A rise in variable and unfavourable conditions is likely to surpass the limits of current coping mechanisms of farmers, compelling them to implement more resilient adaptive measures to decrease their vulnerability to heightened risks. This study assessed the perceptions and understanding of climate change amongst livestock farmers in the semi-arid Eastern Cape Karoo and their responses to perceived changes and associated risks. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews revealed that, while commercial famers were well informed regarding global climate change, commonage farmers had little or no understanding of the phenomenon. Although changes in local climate parameters were identified by farmers, perceived changes were mostly ascribed to the expected climate variability of the region. It was found that commonage farmers are particularly vulnerable to future climate change, whereas commercial farmers, having experience in dealing with the already variable and marginal conditions of the region and facing fewer asset and informational constraints, possess a greater adaptive capacity to respond to projected changes. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that lack of funds, lack of government support and access to information on climate change and potential adaptation strategies are the main factors constraining farmers from adaptation.Keywords: adaptive capacity, climate variability, livestock farmers, vulnerabilityAfrican Journal of Range & Forage Science 2014, 31(1): 1–1
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