Academic literature on the topic 'Agriculture – Economic aspects – Nigeria, Western'

Agriculture is fundamental to the growth and development of any Nation. In most developing economies, agriculture constitutes a major economic activity of the people either as producer, seller or marketer. Agriculture serves as the main foreign exchange earnings and major source of revenue for the government. It is against this background that this study investigates Agricultural policies and rural development in South Western Nigeria, 1945-1960. It examines the governmental Agricultural Policies adopted in the colonial period geared towards achieving increased agricultural production and the various strategies employed by the Regional government towards achieving the set goals. The paper went further to assess the extent to which the objectives were achieved, and what factors impeded the attainment of set goals. The paper adopts historical and descriptive method in analysing issues raised. The paper conclusively observed that the greater emphasis placed on the production of cash crops at the expense of food crops largely contributed to the food insecurity that is now prevalent in Nigeria. The paper made some recommendations on how Agricultural production could be improved upon and be made to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of Nigerian economy.

necessary to ensure the livelihoods of those leaving the agricultural sector and to supplement the incomes of those working in agriculture. I research rural development in four settlements in Hajdú-Bihar County, in Balmazújváros, Hortobágy, Tiszacsege and Egyek, all bordering Hortobágy National Park.There are many alternative income sources in settlements in the Hortobágy area, such as organic farming, production herbs, hungaricums, small animals and arts and crafts, as well as rural tourism. Rural tourism is not for subsistence, but a supplementary income source, mainly available during the summer time. I made a survey of rural hosts in the four examined settlements, and according to my results, I constructed a model reflecting the cost-benefit relation, as well as the payment period conditions of rural tourism. I am going to show whether it is worth dealing with rural tourism, and if yes, under what conditions. Rural tourism contributes to the maintenance of rural modes of living, in this way it has significant cultural, economic, ecological and social aspects, as well. It is crucial for settlements to create the appropriate conditions needed for joining rural tourism, if it is worth joining at all, and to realise investments for all these. Rural tourism has strict requirements for the levels of environment, infrastructure and services. Studying the Western-European practices, Hungary is lagged behind in the conditions of rural tourism and rural hosts have done their activities mainly out of necessity and not to maintain traditions. Rural tourism may result in success only by co-operation and over the long-run.

Abstract Multifunctionality is one of the most important aspects of the sustainable development. There are essentially two approaches to the analysis of multifunctionality. One is to interpret multifunctionality as a characteristic of an economic activity. The second way of interpreting multifunctionality is in terms of multiple roles assigned to agriculture. In this view, agriculture as an activity is entrusted with fulfilling certain functions in society. Social functions are linked to employment and income generation in rural areas and hence sustaining the viability of rural communities and maintaining rural society. The study focuses on social aspect of multifunctional agriculture in Kopanice region located in western part of Slovakia near borders with Czech Republic. The region is according to OECD regional typology being considered as intermediate one approaching the category of predominantly rural region. In spite of the fact, that the share of the primary sector in economy of the region is decreasing, the agriculture still plays an important role from aspects of employment and building of social capital. The paper evaluates the influence of external and internal factors on the development of social capital in the selected region and authors will focus mainly on the impact of local stakeholders and policy measures. The interaction between relevant stakeholders as public sector, civil society, local business sector and primary sector is expected to be beneficial for development of social capital.

Like elsewhere in Nigeria and Africa, the imposition of colonial rule on Batombuland and the incursion of western ideas produced profound socio-cultural, economic and political changes in the Batombu society. However, unlike several Nigerian and African peoples whose histories have received extensive scholarly attention, the history of the Batombu has attracted very little scholarly attention. Thus virtually neglected, the Batombu occupies a mere footnote position in the extant historiography of Nigeria. This is the gap this article seeks to fill. It examines the impact of colonialism and western civilisation on Batombu’s political, social, economic and cultural institutions and concludes that as profound and far-reaching as these changes were some important aspects of the indigenous institutions and traditional practices of the people survived.

The Post World War II years witnessed increasing involvement of international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the social and economic transfiguration of the Third World nations. Nigeria as a developing economy did attract the attention of the Ford Foundation to the development of her social sector particularly. The paper examined the Ford Foundation engagements in all facets of the Nigerian educational system, namely, primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The resultant findings revealed that despite its constraints, the huge investments of the Ford Foundation in the areas of comprehensive high school education, teaching and research as well as information and communication technology, no doubt, helped in identifying and nurturing the potentials of Nigerian students for academic, technical or general education. The paper concluded that the involvement of the Ford Foundation in Nigerian educational development helped, in no small way, in re-directing the course of Nigeria’s educational system. It recommended that Nigeria government should redouble its efforts towards providing an enabling environment that will attract more credible NGOs like Ford Foundation and encourage them to play effective role not only within the educational sector but also in other key sectors such as agriculture, health, science and technology to assist the country achieve the much touted Millennium Development Goals.

The study was carried out to determine the economic impact of climate change on cocoa producing states in south western states, Nigeria using Ricardian analytical procedure. The specific objectives were to: analyze the economic impact of climate change on cocoa production, estimate the marginal impact of climate change on net cocoa farm revenue in the areas of study, find out whether there is a significant mean difference in climatic variables among the cocoa producing states in the south-west Nigeria and make useful recommendations based on findings. Data were sourced from CBN bulletin, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), spanning 1981 - 2015. Model specification was based on Ordinary Least Square (OLS) multiple regression technique using Ricardian framework on net revenue. Data obtained were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that 11, 47 and 77% of the variations in net revenue from cocoa production were explained by rainfall and temperature for Oyo, Ondo and Osun states respectively. The study also affirms that the climatic (rainfall and temperature) and non climatic (area, producer price, yield and technology) variables accounts for 98%, 97% and 96% of the variations in net revenue per hectare of cocoa production respectively in Oyo, Ondo and Osun states. The study further showed that there was a significant difference in climate change over time across the cocoa producing states at 1% level of probability. The study indicated that climatic changes culminated in economic losses/benefits of about ₦27.63million (₦3.50million), ₦5.6million (₦14.90million) and ₦1.3million (₦5.8million) respectively across the states amidst varying marginal economic losses of ₦1billion (Ondo) and benefits of ₦10.08 and ₦270.48million (Oyo and Osun States) in the study area. Based on these, it was concluded that climatic changes over time are not the only parameters that accounted for economic losses and benefits, other factors also contributed. It was recommended that low-yielding cocoa trees, which have exceeded optimum production ages be replaced with the high-yielding ones alongside farmers should cultivate cocoa varieties that are tolerant to climate change in the area of consideration, ab initio.Keywords: Climate change, Cocoa, Ricardian, Production, Economic impact.

Infrastructure development Infrastructural development is a key requirement for the development of any nation as it is an indispensable tool in facilitating growth and development. The usefulness of infrastructure cuts across many varying sectors relevant to development including health, education, agriculture, telecommunication, power, etc. as well as the sustenance of economic growth and preservation of the environment for sustainable economic development. This article takes a look at the critical areas/aspects of infrastructure for the purpose of judging the level of accomplishment of the Vision 2020. The sectors examined are: power supply, transportation, information communication and technology (ICT), education, health, agriculture, land use management, rural and urban development, water supply and waste management. By and large, Nigeria can not be said to have met her tall, yet laudable goals of the vision 2020, largely as a result of inadequacies in governance, policies and other factors. There is a great need for significant improvement in the political will of the government of the day to commit to the goals and aspirations of the nation for rapid development.

AbstractThe problems facing farmers in the Esperance Sandplain region of Western Australia—salinity, herbicide resistance, wind erosion, and plant disease—are highly interrelated. Unless the biological, economic and social aspects of the problems are examined in an integrated way, no sustainable system will be found. Similarly, agricultural teaching and research must become much more integrated if they are to address agricultural and environmental problems satisfactorily. This will require changes in the structure of university and research institutions and in the rewards for research and teaching.

Sustainable management of water resources is imperative in the Western Balkan (WB) region, due to the seasonal, spatial and quality distribution of these resources. This paper analyzed water consumption and associated relationships between the economic sectors in Macedonia in 2005, based on input–output (IO) analysis. Using an environmentally extended IO framework, water consumption was investigated by developing several indicators. Disaggregation of the agriculture sector into 11 sub-sectors, combined with backward and forward linkage analysis, allowed us to identify rice, fruits, grapes and wine, other crop and cattle production as key water-consuming sub-sectors. The developed indicators revealed a high proportion of direct water consumption in agriculture and some other non-agricultural sectors such as mining and quarrying, other mining and quarrying products, food products and beverages as well as electrical machinery, which imposed significant pressure on natural water resources in Macedonia. Therefore, changes in production technology and specializations in Macedonia toward less water-intensive options are needed to ease the pressure on natural water resources. Extending the existing water pricing policy to capture economic, social and environmental aspects should also be considered. Moreover, the development and construction of water accounts and the disaggregation procedure have valuable implications for the WB countries. Applications elsewhere following this Macedonian example can provide a meaningful understanding of the role of water and interdependencies at regional level and increase awareness of the water resource availability at trans-boundary scale.

Africa is a net importer of food, especially cereal grains, despite the importance of agriculture in the continent. The agricultural growth in Africa has been undermined by low investment in agriculture, poor infrastructure, high population growth rate, and low adoption of technologies. The agri-food value chain in many African countries will benefit from the adoption of appropriate technologies that are available in the digital landscape to leverage the agricultural sector, make it more attractive to the teeming youth population, and to reverse rural-urban migration. Attention to indigenous cereal grains and other crops that are grown locally and processed into different local foods would ensure food security. However, the availability of these crops in the market is often reduced due to damage before harvest by pests and predators leading to economic losses for farmers. In this article, we review the literature from a multidisciplinary perspective on the relevance of African indigenous food grains to food security in general and we highlight the potential application of drones to increase the yield of cereal grains in three regions of the continent—eastern, western, and southern Africa.

Most scholars of female farmers of sub-Saharan Africa have come to agree that the transition from subsistence to market agriculture has hurt women's independent agricultural enterprises and incomes. Research conducted among a group of farmers known as the Kofyar of central Nigeria provides a case study which runs counter to this general consensus. Kofyar women have not suffered a loss of economic or social independence with the introduction of cash-cropping but have in fact embraced the new opportunities of the markets to produce crops for sale independently of their households. The Kofyar farming system as a whole is outlined, and the system of independent production is described within this context. The recent history of the Kofyar is sketched including, most importantly, their migration into an agricultural frontier, the adoption of yams as the primary cash crop, and the evolution of a complex set of mechanisms for mobilizing labor. The role of women in the cooperative labor network and in household labor is described and women's important contributions to all types of labor are linked to their access to labor for their own independent production. One of the basic arguments is that Kofyar women are prospering relative to other African women because their labor has been so crucial to the agriculture of the Kofyar both before and since the introduction of cash-cropping. The other basic argument for Kofyar women's relative success is that they are successfully exploiting the flexibility inherent in their farming system to maximize their own production. The use of intensive techniques such as intercropping and taking advantage of the flexibility in the timing of certain agricultural tasks on their major crops of groundnuts and yams are examples of this strategy. Women have, in other words, evolved a system of independent production which fits around rather than competes directly with male/household farming. The dissertation goes on to place women's independent farming within the broader social system by analyzing differences between women in marriage and childbearing statuses and histories. Regular differences in magnitude of independent production are found between women with contrasting social characteristics (e.g. age, marital status, divorce history, numbers of children). The portrait of the most prosperous woman is sketched. Kofyar women's activities are seen as an essential part of Kofyar development. The system in general has become more prosperous and women as important contributors to that prosperity are also benefiting as individuals from these changes.

This thesis explores the manner in which the conflict in the oil-rich Niger Delta in Nigeria is represented in western Anglophone media. Large oil reserves in the Niger Delta have contributed millions of dollars towards the growth of Nigeria's export economy. Despite this, the Niger Delta is the least developed region in the country and is characterised by high rates of inequality. Residents of the Niger Delta have been outraged by the lack of action on the part of the Nigerian government and multinational oil corporations. Their discontent over the inequalities in the region has resulted in the proliferation of armed groups and militants who often use violent and criminal tactics to communicate their disgruntlement. This thesis closely examines the representations of the violent insurgency in the Niger Delta by conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis of 145 news texts selected from four western Anglophone newspapers from 2007 to 2011. The depiction of the conflict as it appears in the four newspapers is discussed in relation to an overview of scholarly literature which explores the portrayal of Africa not only in western media, but also in other forms of western scholarship and writing. The research undertaken in this study reveals that to a significant extent representations of the Niger Delta conflict echo and reflect some of the stereotypical and age-old negative imagery that informs meanings constructed about the African continent. However, the analysis of the news texts also shows that there are certainly efforts amongst some newspapers to move beyond simplistic representations of the conflict. The disadvantage however, is that these notable attempts tend to be marred by the use of pejorative language which typically invokes negative images associated with Africa. This study argues that the implications of these representations are highly significant as these representations not only affect the way in which the conflict is understood, but also the manner in which the international community responds to it.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa, land reform and the development of upcoming farmers are part of the country’s transformation objectives. The development of upcoming farmers into commercial farmers therefore requires the growth of sustainable agri-businesses. Unfortunately, limited success has been achieved in terms of land reform and the country is far from its set targets. This study examined the factors that gave current successful, upcoming commercial farmers the advantage to grow their businesses up to a certain level. Data was collected through interviews with farmers, mentors, transformation managers and governing bodies such as Agri-West Cape. Interviews on the farms gave the researcher the opportunity to observe underlying factors that can influence their businesses. The objective of the study was to determine the critical success factors that relate to the success of upcoming commercial farmers in the Western Cape. The results identified a number of success factors, some of which were unexpected and in contrast with some of the literature sources. All the cases covered in this study – i.e. successful, upcoming commercial farmers in the Western Cape – used different business models and emphasised the importance of proper management. They also used their detailed business plans as a handbook for successful farming, and acknowledged the important role of mentors. Only a mentor-farmer relationship based on trust and respect worked in the end. The mentors took on coaching roles that were not limited to farming activities but included an equally important people development component. A sustainable market was identified as one of the critical success factors for successful upcoming commercial farmers. One of the biggest hurdles for upcoming farmers was financial management. Hence, they required dedicated financial management to be sustainable. One of the main outcomes of the study was the importance of the personal profile of the farmers and their understanding of the opportunity. Focusing on short-term financial gains resulted in failure. All the farmers in the case studies displayed a deep understanding of the long-term goal of their businesses and their role in that. Transformation, land reform and building an equal society in South Africa are burning points for the nation. The success of upcoming farmers helps to build confidence that the hard work is paying off.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Agricultural financing has a wide and deep history in Nigeria, owing to the fact that the Nigerian economy has huge potentials for growth especially from its agriculture sector which is the second largest contributor to GDP. Since the establishment of the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme over 30 years ago, the total sum of 647,351 loans amounting to over N34 billion have been disbursed to farmers as at 2009. The result from this study shows that the guarantee scheme has been effective in providing agricultural financing as well as stimulating agricultural production in Nigeria. More specifically, the study found that, out of the five variables used in the models to determine agricultural performance, the credit finance provided under the ACGS and foreign exchange rates was found to be statistically significant to agricultural output. The credit provided under the ACGS has a significant effect on aggregate output; it was also found that the crop and the fishery subsectors are significantly affected by the credit finance provided under the ACGS, due to their short gestation period. However, the livestock and forestry subsectors do not have an immediate significant relationship with the credit finance due to their long gestation period; rather, they have a significant relationship with the depreciation of foreign exchange rates. A major policy implication from the study is that the government should continue to promote and support the operations of the ACGS to encourage farmers to invest their best efforts in agricultural production in Nigeria for food production and for enhanced agricultural export.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The amalgamation of the two large industries, agriculture and tourism, created a new industry called agritourism. Current farming practices are not securing employment opportunities for farm workers, and this situation will be aggravated by the increased economic pressures on farming. Agritourism is seen as a diversification option which could assist in creating jobs for the vulnerable and unemployed farm community, while at the same time create financial incentives to the farmer. This study specifically focused on the advantages which could be derived from agritourism, with Sen’s Capabilities Theory being used as frame of reference when determining the non-financial benefits accruing to the local community on the farm. A qualitative research approach was followed and information was gathered through interviews, observations and being embedded in the researched spaces. Two case study sites were used for primary research, Keisies Cottages (situated outside Montagu) and Tierhoek Cottages (situated outside Robertson). The management approach applied on the farms play an important role in developing the farm workers’ capabilities, entitlements and functionings as articulated in Sen’s Capabilities Theory. The two South African agritourism case study sites were found to follow some of the international trends identified during the literature review of this study but also offered new findings relevant to the South African context. Although agritourism is seen as a diversification strategy to ensure survival for most farmers, such strategies offer both financial and non-financial benefits to the broader farming community while having the potential to create a refuge for urban dwellers and assist visitors to reconnect with the farmers and their produce. This research contributes to the South African agritourism literature, which is currently limited. By highlighting some of the advantages of this industry, this research could also assist farm owners who are considering agritourism as a diversification strategy.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: `n Nuwe industrie genaamd agritoerisme word geskep wanneer twee groot industriee, landbou en toerisme, amalgameer. Huidige landbou praktyke verseker nie werksgeleenthede vir plaaswerkers nie, en hierdie situasie sal vererger word deur verhoogde ekonomiese druk op landbou. Agritoerisme word gesien as a diversifiserings opsie wat kan help om werksgeleenthede te skep vir die weerlose en werklose plaaswerkers. Hierdie studie het veral gefokus op die voordele wat geskep word deur agritoerisme, en Sen se Vermoëns Teorie is gebruik as verwysingsraamwerk wanneer die niefinansiële voordele ondersoek is van die plaasgemeenskap. `n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gevolg en inligting is ingesamel deur middel van onderhoude, obserwasies en om in die navorsingsspasie te wees. Twee gevallestudie liggings is gebruik vir die primêre navorsing, Keisies Cottages (geleë buite Montagu) en Tierhoek Cottages (geleë buite Robertson). Die bestuursbenadering wat gevolg word op die plase speel `n rol in die ontwikkeling van die plaaswerkers se vermoëns, aansprake en funksionerings, soos bespreek in Sen se teorie. Die twee Suid-Afrikaanse gevallestudie liggings het sommige internasionale tendense gevolg soos wat geidentifiseer is tydens die literatuur studie, maar het ook unieke Suid- Afrikaanse bevindinge tot gevolg gehad. Alhoewel agritoerisme gesien word as `n divesifisering strategie wat oorlewing verseker vir meeste plaaseienaars, bied hierdie strategie finansiële en nie-finansiële voordele aan die breër plaasgemeenskap, terwyl dit die potensiaal het om `n toevlugsoord te skep vir stadsbewoners en dit kan help om besoekers met boere en hul produkte te skakel. Hierdie navorsing dra by tot die Suid-Afrikaanse agritoerisme literatuur wat tans beperk is. Deur sommige voordele van hierdie industrie te beklemtoon, kan hierdie navorsing boere leiding bied wat agritoerisme oorweeg as diversifiseringsstrategie.

This thesis is the study of a single farm, Klaver Valley in the Darling district, 1812 - 1898. Chapter One provides a physical view of Klaver Valley from 1812 to 1898 showing the changes in the landscape and production of grains, wine and wool over the period. It argues that these changes occurred as a direct result of external market forces. Chapter Two focuses on the changes which occurred in the labour process from the early 1800s to 1898, arguing that the main impetus for change came from mechanisation of harvesting in the 1820s and 1850s. Chapter Three explores the notion of a capitalist farmer and argues that Duckitt and later Ruperti can be categorised as capitalist farmers. The main thrust of their progressive capitalization occurred before the 1850s and it did so as a result of the system of informal credit which existed at farm level among farmers, allowing for re-investment and survival of cash flow. Chapter Four studies the process of proletarianisation which accompanied the capitalist development of the farm and its farmers. While taking account of the existence of a small number (3) of sharecroppers on the farm in the 1840s, 1870s and 1890s, this chapter argues that by the early 1830s, the farm was operating on the back of fully proletarianised labour. Composition of the labour force, wages and tasks, the work of women and the change from resident and permanent to casual labour from the 1820s to the 1890s, form some of the main focuses of this chapter. Chapter Five explores the nature of the relationship between the farmer and workers from 1829 - 1898, the two increasingly alienated from each other by the encroachment of the overseer. It argues that capitalist relations of production developed in the context of paternalism throughout although it was increasingly shaped by the cash-oriented relationship.

Dissertation (PhD (Agric))--Stellenbosch University, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the structural imbalances of the wheat industry of the Western Cape Province and, with due recognition of a changing environment, to develop an effective strategy for the industry. It was found that the origins of the structural imbalances could be detected in the interaction between policy, technological and demand factors and is not unique to the specific industry. The farm problem provides an explanation for the instability of and downward pressure on wheat prices as well as the sluggish adaptation to environmental change experienced in the wheat industry. Internationally similar problems led to a whole range of policy measures. Relatively unique to South African agriculture, but not only to the Western Cape wheat industry, is the circumstances that gave rise to the current dual structure of the domestic agricultural sector. The origins of these circumstances could be traced back to the Dutch settlement of the Cape in 1652 and the resulting measures was later upheld under British rule. After the commercialisation of the local agricultural sector following the discovery of diamonds in South Africa, certain measures were lobbied for at the end of the 19th Century to protect white farmers. These measures were expanded in the 20th Century and gave rise to the particular duality along ethnic lines of the South African agricultural sector. If it is accepted that the structural problems of the wheat industry are the result of political, policy, technological and demand factors, the question of the potential future role of the sector, and more specifically the wheat industry, can be asked. It was established that agriculture is a natural catalyst for economic development through the provision of food, foreign exchange, manpower, and capital formation as well as a market for industrial produce. Whereas the potential exists, agriculture has not yet fulfilled this role in Southern Africa due to inconsistent domestic policy, adverse trade regimes, inappropriate technology and problems encountered in the management of development. This potential role of agriculture has been quantified for the Western Cape Province. In the development of a strategy for an industry it is imperative to evaluate the future economic and social environment. It was verified that in the next phase of economic development, towards information societies, agriculture would still fulfil the functions previously mentioned. However, a new and more esoteric role relating to identity could be added to this list in an information society. Given the important role of agriculture as described in the previous section, intuition would lead one to expect that government would play an important role in alleviating the structural problems of the Western Cape wheat industry. However, contrary to this intuitive expectation it was found that, in alleviating the problems of the Western Cape wheat industry, government intervention will be largely limited to creating a favourable enabling environment. In getting to this conclusion the theory of welfare economics, public choice and politician - voter interaction were explored. The traditional wisdom has it that in searching for a Pareto-optimal state, or at least a second-best solution, pressure group activities may play an important role. This is seen as important due to the difficulties, as indicated by Arrow's impossibility theorem, in transforming individual preferences into political preference functions. However, numerous examples have shown that pressure group activities may only playa marginal role in influencing the final outcome. The underlying structural characteristics of the national and provincial economies may be a more important determinant. This became more certain as the way politicians perceived agriculture before and after the 1994 political transition was analysed. It follows that a strategy for the wheat industry of the Western Cape will take the global, social, policy, natural and consumer environment into account and both the strategy and the industry will have to be self-reliant. It was argued that a solution would be found in changing the slope (elasticity) of the demand and supply functions for agricultural produce. With the aid of a spatial model developed the impact of the different elements of the strategy on the profitability of wheat production in the Western Cape was evaluated. This model took into consideration the yield potential for wheat, the gross and net margin of wheat production, spatial dispersion, transport costs and also made provision for different intermediate markets. It was found that each of the components of the strategy would substantially contribute to a more profitable wheat industry for the Western Cape. The combined effect of the strategy would result in a 97 percent decrease in the area where wheat production is unprofitable. Profitable production of wheat would be possible on 99,3 percent of the total area that is suitable for rainfed wheat production. The production of wheat would be highly profitable at a margin of more than R200 per ton on more than 1,1 million hectares (77,1% of the total area). It is concluded that, while taking the global, social, policy, natural and consumer environment into account and without relying on government, a strategy could be developed that will rectify the structural problems of the Western Cape wheat industry.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie proefskrif was om die strukturele wanbalanse van die koringbedryf in die Wes- Kaap Provinsie te ondersoek en, om met erkenning aan 'n veranderde omgewing, 'n effektiewe strategie vir die bedryf te ontwikkel. Dit is bevind dat die oorsprong van die strukturele wanbalanse uit die interaksie tussen beleid-, tegnologiese- en vraagfaktore spruit en dat die wanbalanse nie uniek is tot die bedryf nie. 'n Verklaring vir die onstabiliteit van- en afwaartse druk op koringpryse, sowel as die trae aanpassings van die bedryf by omgewingsveranderings, word deur die plaasprobleem gebied. Soortgelyke probleme het globaal tot 'n verskeidenheid van beleidmaatreëls aanleiding gegee. Wat wel uniek is tot die Suid-Afrikaanse landbou, maar nie tot die plaaslike koringbedryf nie, is die omstandighede wat tot die huidige dualistiese struktuur van die landbou sektor aanleiding gegee het. Die oorsprong van die omstandighede kan teruggespoor word tot die Hollandse besetting van die Kaap in 1652 en die gepaardgaande maatreëls wat ook onder Britse bewind in stand gehou is. Na die kommersialisering van die plaaslike landbou sektor, wat op die ontdekking van diamante in Suid- Afrika gevolg het, is bepaalde maatreëls aan die einde van die 19de eeu deur drukgroepe beding ten einde blanke boere te beskerm. Hierdie maatreëls is in die 20ste eeu uitgebrei en het die unieke dualiteit op etniese gronde van die Suid-Afrikaanse landbou sektor tot gevolg gehad. Met aanvaarding daarvan dat die strukturele wanbalanse van die koringbedryf die resultaat is van politieke, beleid, tegnologiese en vraag faktore, kan dit gevra word of die sektor, en meer spesifiek die koringbedryf, nog 'n rol te speel het. Dit is gevind dat landbou 'n natuurlike katalisator vir ontwikkeling kan wees deur die verskaffing van voedsel, buitelandse valuta, mannekrag, kapitaal vorming en 'n mark vir industriële goedere. Ten spyte van die bestaande potensiaal kon landbou nog nie hierdie rol in Suidelike Afrika vervul nie, hoofsaaklik as gevolg van inkonsekwente binnelandse beleid, onvriendelike handelsomgewings, nie-geskikte tegnologie en ontwikkelingsbestuur probleme. Die potensiële rol van landbou in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie is gekwantifiseer. Dit is belangrik om tydens die ontwikkeling van 'n strategie vir 'n bedryf ook die toekomstige ekonomiese en sosiale omgewing in aanmerking te neem. Dit is bevestig dat in die volgende fase van ekonomiese ontwikkeling, dié van 'n inligtings gemeenskap, landbou steeds die voorgenoemde funksies sal vervul. 'n Nuwe en meer esoteriese funksie, gefokus op identiteit, kan egter in 'n inligtingsgemeenskap tot die lys toegevoeg word. Gegewe hierdie belangrike rol van landbou kan intuïtief verwag word dat die owerheid bereid sal wees om 'n belangrike bydrae te maak tot die verligting van die strukturele probleme van die Wes- Kaapse koringbedryf. Teenstrydig met hierdie intuïtiewe verwagting is egter bevind dat owerheids betrokkenheid hoofsaaklik beperk sal wees tot die skepping van 'n gunstige en bemagtigende omgewing. Ten einde hierdie gevolgtrekking te bereik is welfaart ekonomie, publieke keuse en politici - kieser interaksie teorie bestudeer. Volgens tradisionele denke kan drukgroep aktiwiteite 'n belangrike rol speel in die soeke na 'n Pareto-optimale staat, of ten minste in die soeke na 'n tweede-beste oplossing. Weens probleme in die transformasie van individuele voorkeure na politieke voorkeur funksies, soos beskryf deur die onmoontlikheidsteorie van Arrow, word hierdie aktiwiteite as belangrik geag. Veelvuldige voorbeelde dui egter daarop dat drukgroep aktiwiteite slegs 'n marginale rol kan speel in die beïnvloeding van finale uitkomste. Dit blyk dat onderliggende eienskappe van die nasionale en provinsiale ekonomië meer bepalende faktore kan wees. Hierdie vermoede is bevestig namate die politieke persepsie van die landbou voor en na die 1994 politieke transformasie geanaliseer is. Uit die voorafgaande is dit duidelik dat 'n strategie vir die koringbedryf van die Wes-Kaap die internasionale, sosiale, politieke, natuurlike en verbruikers omgewing in aanmerking sal moet neem. Dit is ook duidelik dat beide die strategie en die bedryf self onderhoudend sal moet wees. Dit word aangevoer dat 'n oplossing gevind kan word indien die helling (elastisiteit) van die vraag en aanbod funksies van landbouprodukte aangepas kan word. Met behulp van 'n ruimtelike model wat ontwikkel is, is die impak van die verskillende elemente van die strategie op die winsgewendheid van koringproduksie in die Wes-Kaap geëvalueer. Hierdie model het onder meer die opbrengs potensiaal van koring, die bruto en netto marge van koringproduksie, ruimtelike verspreiding, vervoerkoste en verskillende intermediêre markte in aanmerking geneem. Dit is bevind dat elk van die elemente van die strategie beduidend tot winsgewende koringproduksie in die Wes-Kaap kan bydra. Die strategie kan daartoe lei dat die oppervlakte met nie-winsgewende koringproduksie met 97 persent sal afneem. Koring kan winsgewend verbou word op 99,3 persent van die area geskik vir droëland produksie. Terselfdertyd sal koring, teen 'n marge van R200 per ton, hoogs winsgewend verbou kan word op nagenoeg 1,1 miljoen hektaar (77,1 persent van die totale area). Ten slotte blyk dit dat, met inagneming van die internasionale, sosiale, politieke, natuurlike en verbruikers omgewing, en sonder dat op owerheids ondersteuning staatgemaak word, 'n strategie ontwikkel kon word wat die strukturele wanbalanse van die Wes-Kaapse koringbedryf kan oplos.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Poverty, which was traditionally a rural phenomenon, has become one of the main drivers behind people migrating to urban areas. It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of the global population lives in cities while the current annual growth rate of cities in sub-Saharan Africa is almost double the worldwide average. The provision of food for the growing number of poor urban citizens is a major challenge, which needs to be addressed by city authorities. As most of the urbanised poor are exposed to agriculture due to their rural backgrounds, agriculture should be viewed as a possible solution to the challenge of urban food security for the urban poor. Put differently, feeding a growing urban population living in poverty will be one of the major humanitarian and political challenges of the next century. This implies that increased pressure will be put on urban agriculture for food production inside or close to cities, especially in developing countries where poor transportation infrastructure between the cities and rural areas creates problems for food supply. This research explores the significance of urban agriculture as one of the solutions to urban poverty. The aim of this research report is to critically analyse the concept of urban agriculture and how it can contribute to urban renewal and the alleviation of poverty for the urban poor. It focuses particularly on the scope, problems and challenges of urban agriculture in the high density settlements of Khayelitsha-Mitchell’s Plain in Cape Town where widespread poverty and high unemployment intensifies the need for low cost food production for poor households. The research takes into account the lessons learned in the past and looks at the role government, individuals, community organisations, NGO’s and corporate South Africa can play in expanding urban agriculture. We look at the different types of urban agriculture and the various success factors and potential pitfalls in implementing strategies of urban agriculture. This research also takes a closer look at the various problems faced by those keen to utilise urban agriculture opportunities. This research indicates that urbanisation is inevitable and has a negative impact on the poverty levels of urban citizens due to the migration of the rural poor. This is relevant to the Western Cape and in particular, to the Cape Town townships of Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain, due to the accelerating migration from the rural Eastern Cape. The City of Cape Town is doing a fair amount of work in the field of urban agriculture through the Urban Agriculture Policy it adopted in 2007. However, this research concludes that urban agriculture in Africa, including South Africa, still does not receive the necessary recognition or support when compared to the developed world.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rapid urbanisation, coupled with growing per capita incomes and a rapid rising middle class, is triggering rapid growth in urban food markets. Despite these opportunities, agriculture in South Africa is confronted with diminishing profit margins due to direct production cost increasing at rates above the revenue generated from agricultural products. This research assignment has aimed to define the attributes of an effective agricultural value chain in South Africa, given the challenges faced. To achieve this goal, the research focus was on the results of an in-depth analysis of the Dutoit Group’s deciduous fruit value chain. To be able to perform a value chain analysis it is of utmost importance to first understand the meaning of the concepts as well as their origin and the evolution of their application. This is achieved through a comprehensive study of literature. Three value chain analysis tools were used for the research. These tools were an industry analysis, value chain maps and benchmarking. Through the literature review the importance and relevance of these three tools were also explored and reasons provided why they can be regarded to be adequate for a proper in-depth analysis. An overview of the Dutoit Group’s history, focusing on the specific key events influencing the evolution of their value chains, is also discussed together with their business philosophy, business model and main accomplishments. This is done to provide context to the environment in which the value chain analysis process was performed. The main focus of the fourth chapter is the application of the three value chain analysis tools on the Dutoit Group’s deciduous fruit value chain, utilising primary and secondary data collected through interviews with specific value chain actors, observations, management information and literature obtained from the public domain. Through the application of the three value chain analysis tools the effectiveness of the Dutoit Group’s deciduous fruit value chain was evaluated, and strengths and weaknesses identified. The research results showed that the Dutoit Group’s internal deciduous fruit value chain has been effective in addressing the risk of diminishing profit margins. In addition the results showed that the key attributes of an effective value chain which are able to address the current challenges are defined as effective integration, strong relationships between value chain actors, high levels of productivity and strong leadership.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The pressure on the world’s natural resources is increased by an expanding global population. The majority of the growth is expected to take place in Africa and Asia. This creates the need for sustainable agricultural practices. To sustain food security, the limited natural resources must be utilised efficiently to optimise agricultural productivity. Conservation agriculture (CA) is one of the most holistic sustainable agricultural practices yet. It reduces environmental degradation, and concurrently it could enhance farm profitability. The practice of CA is able to improve food security while sustaining the environment for the benefit of future generations of both consumers and producers. A large proportion of the commercial grain producers in the Western Cape have adopted CA to varying degrees. A purer form of CA practice is continually pursued to realise its full benefits. Adoption has taken place in the absence of any policy support framework directed to CA, and thus, has been market driven. The reasons for and rates of CA adoption in other regions of the world differed, but was mostly successful, which highlights the driving forces behind adoption of CA in the Middle Swartland. The physical/biological benefits of CA are well known. The financial implications of the various systems within CA, at farm-level are still unknown. This study implements trial data from Langgewens experimental farm to evaluate the financial implications of various farming systems over an extended period. Farm systems are complex, consisting of numerous interrelated components. A whole-farm budget model is developed within a systems approach to compare various farming systems designed within CA principles. A trustworthy whole-farm model providing an accurate representation of a real life farm requires insight across many scientific disciplines. Multidisciplinary group discussions are used to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge. To serve as a basis for comparison, the whole-farm model was based on a typical farm within the Middle Swartland relative homogeneous farming area. Trial data on crop rotations and tillage systems from Langgewens experimental farm served as starting point for the research. The data was fitted for use in financial analysis and as input to the typical farm model. A key role of the inter-disciplinary expert group was to ensure that data and the model design accurately reflect the underlying physical/biological processes of CA. The financial evaluation of the various farming systems showed that conventional agricultural practices of monoculture and deep tillage are financially unsustainable. Farming systems under conventional tillage returned negative net present values (NPV) and an internal rate of return on capital investment (IRR) lower than the real interest rate. This implies that investment in conventional tillage will ultimately lead to financial losses. The financial benefits of CA are directly related to improved soil health, lower weed and pest stress and improved yields. The CA farming systems were less susceptible to variations in external factors, highlighting the resilience of the system that incorporates crop rotation and no-till. The farming systems operated under conventional practices are expected to be unsustainable over a long-term period of 20 years.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Opsomming Die druk op die aarde se natuurlike hulpbronne word verhoog deur ʼn groeiende wêreld populasie. Die meeste van die groei word verwag in Afrika en Asië. Dit skep die nodigheid vir volhoubare landboupraktyke. Om voedselsekerheid te volhou moet die beperkte natuurlike hulpbronne doeltreffend benut word om landbouproduksie te optimeer. Bewaringslandbou is die mees holistiese volhoubare landboupraktyk tot op hede. Dit verminder omgewingsdegradasie terwyl boerderywinsgewendheid kan verbeter. Die praktyk van bewaringslandbou is in staat om voedselsekuriteit te verbeter terwyl die omgewing onderhou word tot voordeel van toekomstige generasies van beide produsente en verbruikers. ʼn Groot gedeelte van kommersiële graanprodusente in die Wes-Kaap het bewaringslandbou teen verskillende intensiteit aangeneem. ʼn Suiwer vorm van bewaringslandbou word deurlopend nagejaag om die volle voordeel daarvan te benut. Die aanneming van bewaringsboerdery het sonder regeringsbeleid plaasgevind en was dus markgedrewe. Bewaringsboerdery is in ander wêrelddele vir verskillende redes aangeneem, maar was meestal suksesvol. Dit beklemtoon die beweegrede vir die aanneming van bewaringslandbou in die Middel Swartland. Die fisies/biologiese voordele van bewaringslandbou is wel bekend. Die finansiële implikasies van verskillende stelsels binne bewaringslandbou op plaasvlak is nog nie bekend nie. Hierdie studie gebruik proefdata van Langgewensproefplaas om die finansiële implikasies van verskillende boerderystelsels oor die langtermyn te evalueer. Boerderystelsels is kompleks en bestaan uit interafhanklike komponente. ʼn Geheelplaas begrotingsmodel is binne ʼn stelselsraamwerk ontwikkel om verskillende stelsels wat binne bewaringslandboubeginsels ontwerp is, te evalueer. ʼn Geloofwaardige geheelplaasmodel wat ʼn akkurate weerspieëling van realiteit verskaf benodig insig van verskeie wetenskaplike dissiplines. Multidissiplinêre groepbesprekings is gebruik om die gaping tussen die verskillende dissiplines te oorbrug. Die basis vir vergelyking wat gebruik is, is ʼn tipiese plaas in die relatief homogene boerderygebied van die Middel Swartland. Proefdata van verskillende gewasrotasie- en bewerkingstelsels is as die vertrekpunt vir die studie gebruik. Die data is pasgemaak vir finansiële ontledings en om te dien as inset vir die geheelplaasmodelle. ʼn Kern rol van die interdissiplinêre ekspert groep was om te verseker dat die data en die model-ontwerp die onderliggende beginsels van bewaringslandbou reflekteer. Die finansiële evaluasie van die verskillende boerderystelsels wys dat konvensionele landboupraktyke met monokultuur en diepbewerking nie finansieel volhoubaar is nie. Boerdery stelsels onder konvensionele bewerking genereer ʼn negatiewe netto huidige waarde en ʼn opbrengs op kapitaal investering wat laer as die inflasie vlak is. Dit beteken dat investering in konvensionele uiteindelik tot finansiële verlies kan lei. Die finansiële voordele van bewaringslandbou is direk geassosieer met verbeterde grondgesondheid, laer onkruid en plaag-druk en beter opbrengste. Die bewaringslandbou boerderystelsels is ook minder blootgestel aan veranderinge in eksterne faktore wat die gehardheid van die stelsels wat gewas-wisselbou en geenbewerking inkorporeer, beklemtoon. Die boerderystelsel onder konvensionele praktyke sal na verwagting nie volhoubaar wees oor ʼn langer periode van 20 jaar nie.

AbstractClimate change contributes significantly to the looming food insecurity in the rain-fed agricultural countries of Africa, including Nigeria. There is a gender dimension in climate change impacts and adaptation strategies along Agriculture Value Chain (AVC) in Nigeria. The chapter gender analyzed the aspects of climate change impacts; identified the indigenous and expert-based artificial adaptation strategies; assessed the gender differences in the adaptation strategies; and provided the gender implications of the indigenous adaptation strategies among actors along the AVC. The chapter adopted a value chain-based exploratory design with gender analysis as the narrative framework with Gender Response Theory as the theoretical background. There were gender differences in the production, economic, and social dimensions of the climate change impacts along the AVC. The indigenous climate change adaptation strategies were availability, low cost, and easily accessible; hence they were popularly adopted by male and female AVC actors. The adopted indigenous adaptation strategies challenged the social relations, influenced reordering of social and gender relations, participation, and power relation among the male and female actors along the AVC.

“Novel foods” indicates all those foods that do not fall within the traditional western diet. The authors underline that there is an important economic potential linked to this new sector. After having introduced the topic by identifying what is meant by new food, food sustainability, and entrepreneurship in this sector, the analysis focuses on the qualitative aspects of novel foods. The authors emphasize the advantages of these sources, their qualities, and the impact on the environment. In this chapter, the authors demonstrate that novel food sources can be a substitute for other food that require production processes, and thus make a big impact on the environment. After figuring out the advantages of novel food sources, the authors analyze some success stories from the companies that already operate in this area. They also investigate existing business models on the novel food market and the way they operate and create wealth. Summarizing the results of their research, the authors underline the economic potential of the new foods exploitation in the Mediterranean area.

Since the invention, the mobile phone is becoming more and more popular to lead the communication sector and it has been the spirit of personal communication from the beginning of 80s. Furthermore, developing countries which have always been on the search for affordable communication solutions found mobile communication the most popular method. Low cost communication, infrastructure, and maintenance are some of the key reasons that make mobile technologies popular in developing countries. Statistics depict that the usage of short messages is one of the main communication method in developing countries and most of the organizations are using SMS (Short Message Service) as a tool to assist people, especially in African and Asian continents. Sri Lanka, as a developing country, has a unique culture which has emerged scaling many centuries, mixing with various neighboring cultures. Recently the western cultural influence has dramatically changed the various cultural aspects of the urban population. The rapid economic growth, the changes in agriculture based economic environment, advances in communication and media, and globalization trends has transformed the cultural experiences of Sri Lankans. Taking into account the speedy progress of the mobile technology, especially the SMS, the evolution of the Sri Lankan way of living which has absorbed the culture that has developed with the use of mobiles, and the long literary history where poetry had played a major role in communication, we are observing the suitability of the Blogwall system, an interactive system which operates on user SMS and provides opportunities for creative poetry by combining visual art and poetry.