Sustainable Agriculture in South Africa (SASA)

Sector

Agriculture

Project budget

The maximum budget for this project is € 1 million.

Organisations

This project has been developed by Stellenbosch University and Conservation South Africa (CSA). The tender for this project expired on 4 August 2011. Nuffic  has awarded this tender to Centre for Development Innovation (CDI), which has formed a consortium with Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART).

Project description

This project aims at strengthening the capacity of Stellenbosch University and Conservation South Africa in the area of sustainable agriculture education and training to benefit students, land users, commodity groups and extension service providers through major outputs such as an Msc programme, focused research, practical learning materials and short courses for Further Education and Training (FET).

More extension officers needed

In South Africa there is a nationwide lack of agricultural extension officers and capacity in sustainable agriculture at farmers level. This is partly due to a lack of tertiary research and education in sustainable agriculture.

Popularity and gender issues

Agriculture also suffers from a general lack of popularity as a career choice. In addition, agricultural producers and extension services do not address gender inequalities. Despite the fact that women play a crucial role in the agricultural sector, they are not well represented in decision-making positions and in tertiary education institutions.

Better market linkages are key

Finally, the incentive for change from conventional to sustainable agriculture is hindered by limited market linkages. The gap between government decisions, market needs and tertiary education output means that best practices are often not translated into good operational practices.

Promising partnerships

There are some multi-stakeholder partnerships that engage in agricultural practices that not only focus on enhancing soil fertility, crop production and animal health, but also look at farm economy, society and the natural landscape from a holistic point of view.

Some of the most prominent partnerships are the Business and Biodiversity Initiatives (BBIs), promoted and monitored by CSA and World Wildlife Fund South Africa. They have resulted in over 400,000 hectares of improved land management. However, conventional farming practices remain mainstream, partly because those responsible for research, extension services and management guidance are not equipped to support or manage sound alternatives.