The use of sustainable agricultural methods amongst smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa

Abstract

There is increasing concern over the role that modern agricultural methods play in the degradation and destruction of natural resources such as water, soil, forests, and microorganisms, and the wider environment. Modern agricultural production methods, though they are effective at catering to the present generation’s needs, have been found to pose threats to future farming activities. As a result, there have been widespread calls for farmers to use sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) as an alternative to traditional farming practices. Despite this, there seems to be limited knowledge of the extent to which smallholder farmers in South Africa have done so. This study investigates the use of SAPs by 130 smallholder farmers in a rural community in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The findings show that the majority use SAPs such as intercropping and crop rotation and that there is a low prevalence of mineral and pesticide use, both of which are considered unsustainable to the environment and the health of people and other resources. The findings also show that manure is not widely used as an alternative to chemical fertilizers and that the use of electricity as a form of energy for cooking and lighting is prevalent. These findings are useful for policymakers keen on encouraging the successful implementation of SAPs in South Africa.

Keywords:

• usage
• agriculture
• farming
• South Africa
• sustainable agricultural practices

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Roughly 45 million people are living in South Africa, a number that is growing at about 2% per year (2014 figure). If this trend persists, there will be nearly 82 million people living there by the year 2035, all of whom will be dependent on the same level of natural resources, which are already under pressure (Knot et al. 2014). Around 19 million people, or just fewer than 50% of the total population, are regarded as poor. Most of these live in rural areas. What’s more, close to 14 million people are said to be food insecure and the unemployment rate is estimated to be around 30%.