Agricultural Employment Scenarios
by ALIBER, M., BAIPHETI, M. & JACOBS, P., 2009Another Countryside? Policy Options for Land and Agrarian Reform in South Africa, Chapter 6, Ed. Ruth Hall, PLAAS, School of Government, University of Western Cape, April 2009
Agriculture is often held up as a sector in which much employment can be created. However, employment on commercial farms in South Africa has been in long-term decline. SA’s high unemployment rates draw us to question if this trend can be halted, or better, reversed. Another question is whether there are alternative ways in which…
read more >>Measures to Increase Food Production and Mitigating Against Increased Food Prices: The Malawi Case Study
by BAIPHETI, M., 2008Research Report. Centre for Poverty Employment and Growth, Human Sciences Research Council
The economy of Malawi is highly dependent on agricultural production, and development initiatives in the country have mostly relied on better agricultural production. The agricultural sector is largely comprised of smallholder farmers who produce primarily for own production and market only the surplus. As in other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the productivity of the smallholder…
read more >>Development of evidence based policy around homestead food production
by GOLDMAN, I, HART, T, JACOBS, P, MOHLABI, KALONGE, S & MULLINS D, 2010Research report prepared by the HSRC for Programme to Support Pro-Poor Policy Development, 10 January 2010
Many South Africans are food insecure and suffer from nutrient deficiencies. Homestead food production is one element of a strategy for combating food insecurity in both urban and rural areas. NGOs and the government attempt to promote homestead production; however, the scale and impact of such support are not known. Practitioners of urban agriculture indicate…
read more >>Strategies to Support South African Smallholders as a Contribution to Government’s Second Economy Strategy (2 Volumes)
by ALIBER, M, 2008Research Report. Centre for Poverty Employment and Growth, Human Sciences Research Council
This is Volume 1 of the study ‘Strategies to Support South African Smallholders as a Contribution to Government’s Second Economy Strategy’. In this study, Aliber et al. assess the key elements of an implementable programme to support the smallholder sector in South Africa. The study identifies successful smallholders in different settings, and examines the factors…
read more >>Contribution of Smallholder Production to Food Security: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
by MATSHE, I, 2009Research Report. Centre for Poverty Employment and Growth, Human Sciences Research Council
Matshe explores the contribution of smallholder production to food security in sub-Saharan Africa and relates it to the South African case. Food insecurity is closely linked to the livelihood strategies of small-scale farming households. However, part of what drives food insecurity is poverty, and addressing smallholder food security should include innovations that mitigate internal constraints…
read more >>The contribution of subsistence farming to food security in South Africa
by BAIPHETI, M & JACOBS, P, 2009Research report, Centre for Poverty Employment and Growth, HSRC 31 March 2009
Poor households obtain food from markets, subsistence production and transfers. In the past, rural households produced most of their food, while urban households purchased most of theirs. However, both urban and rural households have increased their dependence on market purchases, for up to 90% of their supplies. Consequently, food expenditure can reach 60–80% of total…
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