Livestock Farmer Demography and Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change and Variability in Limpopo and Mpumalanga Province of South Africa

The study investigated the demographic characteristics of smallholder livestock farmers in Limpopo and Mpumalanga Province of South Africa and their effect on the capacity of the farmers to adapt to climate change and variability. Respondents were mainly heads (58.7%) and parents (25.7%) to heads of households and were mostly male (63.4%) with good health (97.8%) associated with high adaptive capacity to climate change and variability. Regarding socio-economic status, four in five (81.5%) of the livestock farmers had only secondary education at most, and incomes were generally low, probably associated with low capacity to adapt to climate change and variability. On the contrary, the quality of housing for the livestock farmers was either top (48.5% of farmers) or medium (47.4%). Some 45.9% of farmers owned 4 to 5 rooms, 44.5% owned six or more rooms, with 88.5% of them having financed their houses. Almost all the respondents (97.3%) had access to electricity, and these suggest the high capacity to adapt to climate change and variability. With regards to aspects of livestock farming, one male (40.1% of households) and female (39.3%) member was fit to work in farming, livestock was owned by heads (52.9% of the households) and by children (29.0%), affirming the high capacity to adapt to climate change and variability. Almost all respondents (99.2%) used communal land, had fewer livestock, lacked training (99.5%), never belonged to a farmers’ union (99.7%) or a producer organization (100.0%), and had no access to financial support from the government (99.2%) associated with low adaptive capacity. The findings of the study revealed that demographic factors had different influences on the capacity of smallholder livestock farmers to adapt to adverse effects of climate change and variability on the farming enterprises. This was true for all the three types of demographic factors studied, namely: personal characteristics, economic status, and aspects of livestock farming.

Download Full-text

Sustainability of Livestock Farming in South Africa. Outlook on Production Constraints, Climate-Related Events, and Upshot on Adaptive Capacity

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12072582 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 2582

Author(s):

Oluwaseun Samuel Oduniyi ◽

Theresa Tendai Rubhara ◽

Michael Akwasi Antwi

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Adaptive Capacity ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

National Development ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Livestock Farming ◽

Model Estimate ◽

Production Constraints ◽

Livestock Farmers ◽

Production Output

The practice of pasture-based livestock farming systems in South Africa is susceptible to climate-related events, low production output, income fluctuation, and by extension poor adaptive capacity. Understanding the importance and gravity of sustainable livestock farming through adaptive capacity has been identified as a tool to cope in the face of the climate-related event which extends to production output. It is to this end, that the study explored the adaptive capacity and the socioeconomic determinants that influence this capacity used by the pasture-based livestock farmers in the study area. Random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 277 pasture-based livestock farmers in the study area from and their responses concerning on demography, farm-based characteristics, production constraints and adaptive capacity were used. Data were analyzed, in which the descriptive statistics, composite scores, and the extended ordered probit model were used to establish the results. The findings revealed the adaptive capacity score of low, moderate, and high to be 40.1%, 43.7%, and 16.2% respectively. Correspondingly, the model estimate revealed the significant factors that affect the adaptive capacity to include: the use of labor (p < 0.05), other sources of income (p < 0.05). Conversely, the age of the farmers (p < 0.05) and landowners (p < 0.01) was found significant but had a negative relationship to adaptive capacity. By implication, the study concluded that there is a need for fruitions of policies that support farmers’ socioeconomic behavior to engage more in adaptive capacity and to improve the Sustainable Development Goals of the united nation as well as vision 2030 of the National Development Plan.

Download Full-text

Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture by Communal Livestock Farmers in South Africa

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su131810468 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (18) ◽

pp. 10468

Author(s):

Lerato Molieleng ◽

Pieter Fourie ◽

Ifeoma Nwafor

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

South Africa ◽

Modern Technology ◽

Livestock Farming ◽

Animal Agriculture ◽

Livestock Farmers ◽

Communal Areas ◽

The Government ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

The Impact

The importance of adopting modern technology in agriculture, especially in a changing climate, cannot be underestimated in Africa. The aim of this review was to highlight the past and the status quo with regard to the adoption of current farming practices in relation to climate-smart agriculture (CSA) by communal livestock farmers in South Africa. The impact of animal agriculture on climate change was also deliberated. Different internet search engines and databases, like Google Scholar, EBSCO Host, Science Direct, etc., and peer-reviewed articles, books, and government and academic reports were employed to provide information to adequately address the aim. Keywords like “the impact of climate smart agriculture on communal livestock farmers”, “communal livestock in South Africa”, “communal farming and technology adoption”, etc. were used for the search. Various issues pertaining to the impact of animal agriculture on climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and implementing CSA in livestock farming were extensively discussed. The findings indicated that there is limited research on the adoption of CSA by communal livestock farmers in South Africa. The review concluded that strategies to adopt modern technology in communal areas should address the issues to enhance knowledge of farmers and all stakeholders, through increasing awareness, trainings, and skills programs. The government should build local capacity in innovative and affordable water and agricultural solutions, and reliable financial mechanisms should be in place to implement innovative sound technologies in communal areas.

Download Full-text

The impact of climate change on net revenue and food adequacy of subsistence farming households in South Africa

Environment and Development Economics ◽

10.1017/s1355770x14000540 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 327-353 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Byela Tibesigwa ◽

Martine Visser ◽

Jane Turpie

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

South Africa ◽

Subsistence Farming ◽

Livestock Farming ◽

Impact Of Climate Change ◽

Mixed Crop ◽

Net Revenue ◽

Livestock Farmers ◽

The Impact ◽

Farming Households

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of climate change on poor households across South Africa who practise subsistence farming to supplement their household income and dietary requirements. We consider three production systems: specialized crops, livestock and mixed crop-livestock farming. In general, we find specialized crop farmers to be the most vulnerable, while mixed crop-livestock farmers appear to be least vulnerable, suggesting that crop-livestock diversification is a potential coping strategy among poor subsistence farming households. We observe qualitatively similar results when we use self-reported food adequacy as the outcome. Furthermore, predicted impact shows that the climatic changes will be mildly harmful at first but will grow over time and lead to a 151 per cent loss in net revenue by the year 2080. Interestingly, we observe that crop farmers receive higher revenue when land is owned by the household, while on the other hand, livestock farmers earn more revenue when the land is communal.

Download Full-text

Analysis of smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability in south Wollo, north east highlands of Ethiopia: An agro-ecological system-based approach

10.21203/rs.3.rs-106882/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yimer Mohammed ◽

Kindie Tesfaye ◽

Menfese Tadesse ◽

Fantaw Yimer

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Adaptive Capacity ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Scale Level ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Micro Scale ◽

Climate Change And Variability ◽

North East ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

Abstract Background: Climate change and variability has been significantly affecting the Ethiopian agricultural production and thereby smallholder farmers livelihoods. The level of vulnerability varied across agro-ecological zones (AEZs). Identification of difference in the level of vulnerability of a system is important in selecting appropriate and effective adaption options to climate change. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the level of vulnerability of agricultural communities to climate change and variability at micro-scale level in five agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of south Wollo, north east highlands of Ethiopia. Data was collected from a representative of 502 sample households from five AEZs through multi stage random sampling methods. Focus group discussion and key informant interviews were also carried out to supplement and substantiate the quantitative data. The indicator based approach was used to empirically calculate vulnerability. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to give weight for indicators and generate index of vulnerability contributing factors. Results: The results showed that each of the vulnerability contributing factors (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) varied across the AEZs. M3, SM2 and SM3 are the most exposed AEZs but having a relatively better adaptive capacity whereas M1, M2 and M3 are the most sensitive AEZs with relatively low adaptive capacity to climate variability and change. Overall, SM2 is the most vulnerable AEZ which exhibited high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity followed by M1. Conclusions: The study explored sources and levels of vulnerability to each agro-ecology. Since the study is conducted at micro-scale level, it helps decision makers and development partners to have context-specific understanding of the impact of climate change and variability and design appropriate adaptation measures to address the specific situations.

Download Full-text