Journal articles on the topic 'Rooibos tea industry – South Africa'

Sustainability standards and certifications increasingly represent multi-billion-dollar brands that partner with corporate firms. We employ the case of South Africa's Rooibos tea industry to analyze the impacts of this shift. Examining five sustainability initiatives, our research focuses on small-scale farmers and the power dynamics shaping their involvement. The Rooibos initiatives engaged multiple approaches, but none realized sustainable outcomes. Third-party and corporate efforts exposed producers to risk and reified dependency, industry actions did not achieve intended goals, and a shared leadership project failed to address material barriers to participation. Yet examples of good practice offer insight into the types of policies needed to improve outcomes. These include shifting from a hierarchical to a relational orientation by reducing certification costs, extending support services, and ensuring inclusivity in planning and governance. We conclude by arguing that markets are a perilous tool for development. Sustainable trade systems nevertheless illustrate the promise of market-based sustainability, as these are providing marginal groups with a platform to demand more equitable arrangements.

Cepek, Michael. 2018. Life in Oil: Cofán Survival in the Petroleum Fields of Amazonia. Austin: University of Texas Press. 302 pp. ISBN 978-1477315088.Choné, Aurélie, Isabelle Hajek, and Philippe Hamman, eds. 2017. Rethinking Nature: Challenging Disciplinary Boundaries. Abingdon; New York: Routledge. xiv + 268 pp. (Paperback) ISBN 978-1-138-21493-4.Davis, Diana K. 2016. The Arid Lands: History, Power, Knowledge. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 271 pp. ISBN 978-0262034524.Gissibl, Berhard. 2016. The Nature of German Imperialism: Conservation and the Politics of Wildlife in Colonial East Africa. New York: Berghahn Books, 2016. 374 pp. ISBN 978-1-78533-175-6.Ives, Sarah. 2017. Steeped in Heritage: The Racial Politics of South African Rooibos Tea. NC: Duke University Press. 272 pp. ISBN 978-0-8223-6986-8.Martínez-Reyes, José. Moral Ecology of a Forest: The Nature Industry and Maya Post-Conservation. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. 216 pp. ISBN 978-0816531370.Powell, Dana E. 2017. Landscapes of Power: Politics of Energy in the Navajo Nation. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 336 pp. ISBN 978-0822369943.Raygorodetsky, Gleb. 2017. The Archipelago of Hope: Wisdom and Resilience from the Edge of Climate Change. New York: Pegasus Books. 336 pp. ISBN: 978-1681775326.Wright, Christopher, and Daniel Nyberg. 2015. Climate Change, Capitalism, and Corporations: Processes of Creative Self-Destruction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 254 pp. ISBN 978-1107435131.

Global demand for rooibos tea is increasing whereas yields are decreasing in the primary production area of Clanwilliam, South Africa. Commercial rooibos producers report that tea yields decline over time following the initial clearing of the natural fynbos veld. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate soil and plant quality in cultivated rooibos plantations of various ages (1–60 years) and adjacent, wild rooibos stands in pristine fynbos in the Clanwilliam area. Soil chemical and physical properties, plant total biomass, tea yields, foliar elemental contents, extent of root nitrogen (N) nodulation and mycorrhizal colonisation were assessed. The most prominent soil quality changes at the oldest cultivated sites compared with pristine fynbos soils were an increase in soil phosphorus (P) from 1.3–1.7 mg kg–1 to 4.0–17.0 mg kg–1, a general decline in total carbon from 0.14–0.29% to 0.09–0.10% and decline in total exchangeable basic cations from 0.64–0.78 cmolc kg–1 to 0.34–0.51 cmolc kg–1, and a concomitant increase in exchangeable aluminium (Al) from 0.10–0.30 cmolc kg–1 to 1.03–1.83 cmolc kg–1. Foliar N : P ratios notably declined at the cultivated sites (12 : 0 – 20 : 1) compared with pristine fynbos sites (27 : 1 – 33 : 1), indicating foliar P accumulation and lack of N. Soil P was strongly negatively correlated with rooibos root mycorrhizal colonisation. The decline in soil organic matter and basic cations, especially potassium (K), was most strongly correlated with the decline in rooibos shoot biomass yields at cultivated sites. These findings highlight the significant role of soil quality in declining yields of rooibos tea in the Clanwilliam area. Management practices should be implemented that increase soil organic matter and essential basic cations such as K, and soil P and exchangeable Al levels should be monitored.

South Africa has a traditional heritage of using indigenous herbal teas, and the demand for herbal teas motivated by the functional health benefits has far exceeded global supply. This has led to worldwide interest in the sensory characteristics and volatile compound characterisation of herbal drink formulations. The objective of this study was to investigate the descriptive sensory analysis and volatile compounds of bush, special, honeybush and rooibos tea and the blend of bush tea with special, honeybush and rooibos, respectively. The trained sensory panel scored each tea sample for aroma, taste, aftertaste and mouthfeel attributes using sensory evaluation practices. Compound identification was performed by gas chromatography connected to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results of the study demonstrated that rooibos and honeybush tea had an overall sweet-caramel, honey-sweet, perfume floral and woody aroma while bush tea and special tea depicted green-cut grass, dry green herbal and astringent/dry mouth feel. The GC-MS analyses depicted the following compounds 2-furanmethanol, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, D-limonene, dihydroactinidolide, linalool, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, and phytol. The blending of bush tea with rooibos and honeybush tea toned down its astringent mouth feel. Compounds identified in this study may be useful markers for potential herbal tea sensory characteristics.

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), widely known as a herbal tea, is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa (SA). It produces a wide range of phenolic compounds that have been associated with diverse health promoting properties of the plant. The species comprises several growth forms that differ in their morphology and biochemical composition, only one of which is cultivated and used commercially. Here, we established methodologies for non-invasive transcriptome research of wild-growing South African plant species, including (1) harvesting and transport of plant material suitable for RNA sequencing; (2) inexpensive, high-throughput biochemical sample screening; (3) extraction of high-quality RNA from recalcitrant, polysaccharide- and polyphenol rich plant material; and (4) biocomputational analysis of Illumina sequencing data, together with the evaluation of programs for transcriptome assembly (Trinity, IDBA-Trans, SOAPdenovo-Trans, CLC), protein prediction, as well as functional and taxonomic transcript annotation. In the process, we established a biochemically characterized sample pool from 44 distinct rooibos ecotypes (1–5 harvests) and generated four in-depth annotated transcriptomes (each comprising on average ≈86,000 transcripts) from rooibos plants that represent distinct growth forms and differ in their biochemical profiles. These resources will serve future rooibos research and plant breeding endeavours.

This article discusses the potential for humanizing production and trade relations by extending action research to multilateral commodity networks. Participatory action research and Fairtrade certification both promote social justice, but the first faces difficulties in terms of scalability, while the second experiences challenges in terms of producer support. As conventional research has failed to deliver methods for improving services, we worked with small-scale farmers in South Africa’s rooibos tea industry to meet this gap. Responding to producer concerns regarding market and certification access, we conducted a participatory research, training, and networking program to establish a farmer leadership network within the rooibos industry. Despite the challenges involved in advancing participation in an arena marked by complex power relations, our work helped stakeholders establish trust, improve knowledge, and begin addressing issues. By incorporating commodity network analysis into action research methodology, our model facilitates both community and organizational development, offering a multilateral framework for collaborative inquiry.

Twelve new species in a new genus, Geelus gen.n. are described, 10 species from a confined area in the north- and south-western parts of South Africa and two from Namibia. The genus has been recorded from 35 plant species in 18 families, with one species Geelus dundraad collected on Rooibos Tea, Aspalathus linearis (Fabaceae), which is indigenous to South Africa and cultivated commercially. The 12 new species are Geelus driehoekdraad sp.n., G. drietanddraad sp.n., G. dundraad sp.n., G. haakdraad sp.n., G. kinkeldraad sp.n., G. lemdraad sp.n., G. nektanddraad sp.n., G. platdraad sp.n., G. slangdraad sp.n., G. stompdraad sp.n., G. viertanddraad and G. vurkdraad sp.n. This new genus is allied to the Bonaspeiini, in the Deltocephalinae based on the broad lorum, apically expanded clypellus, dorsal side of the pygofer deeply and broadly incised, large sclerotized segment X, smooth merging of face and crown and Y-shaped connective with short stem. A MaxEnt distribution model based on 19 bioclimatic variables confirmed that the South African species occur within a confined region in the south-western parts of southern Africa.

AbstractThe 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its 2010 Nagoya Protocol brought about a breakthrough in global policy making. They combined a concern for the environment with a commitment to resolving longstanding human injustices regarding access to, and use of biological resources. In particular, the traditional knowledge of indigenous communities was no longer going to be exploited without fair benefit sharing. Yet, for 25 years after the adoption of the CBD, there were no major benefit sharing agreements that led to significant funding streams for indigenous communities. This changed with the signing of the Rooibos Benefit Sharing Agreement in South Africa, described in this paper. As the authors report, the Rooibos Agreement is a superlative in two respects. It is the biggest benefit sharing agreement between industry and indigenous peoples to date. It is also the first industry-wide agreement to be formed in accordance with biodiversity legislation. This article is a co-production between traditional knowledge holders, the lawyer who represented their interests, the Co-Chair of the Nagoya Protocol negotiations, and an ethicist who analyzed the major challenges of this historic agreement. With no precedent in the benefit sharing world, the agreement stands as a concrete example of the ‘art of the possible.’ Although the rooibos case is unique in a number of aspects, the experience offers many transferable insights, including: patience; incrementalism; honesty; trust; genuine dialogue; strong legal support; a shared recognition that a fair, win-win deal is possible; government leadership; and unity amongst indigenous peoples. Such ingredients of success can apply well beyond southern Africa.

Aspalathus linearis (Burm. F.) R. Dahlg., commonly referred to as Rooibos tea, grows naturally in nutrient-poor, sandy, acidic soils (pH 3–5.3) with high aluminum concentration ranging from 110 to 275 μg Al g−1in the Cederberg’s mountainous areas in South Africa. Earlier studies found significant differences in Al concentration in organs of A. linearis, with roots having higher amounts (1262–4078 μg Al g−1), suggesting that the plant is capable of accumulating excess Al in acidic soils. Identification of the mineralogical constituents of organs of A. linearis using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the presence of an Al–Si complex (aluminosilicate or hydroxyaluminosilicate (HAS) species) in the shoot and root, possibly to internally ameliorate Al toxicity. In addition, A. linearis has specialized cluster roots that exude Al-chelating organic acid ligands such as citric, malic, and malonic acids. Organic acids can bind strongly to Al in the plant and rhizosphere to reverse its phytotoxic effects to the plants. Field and glasshouse studies revealed significant differences in pH between rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soils of A. linearis and also showed that roots of the plant release OH−and HCO3−anions to raise rhizosphere pH possibly to immobilize Al through complexation. Furthermore, A. linearis is easily infected by arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) fungi, but mycorrhizal associations are known to inhibit transport of metallic cations into plant roots. These features of A. linearis are perceived as good indicators for bioremediation; and the plant could, therefore, be a suitable candidate for phytoremediation technologies such as phytoaccumulation, phytostabilization, and phytodegradation. The environmental and economic implications of the potential of A. linearis to bioremediate Al-contaminated soils are briefly discussed. Furthermore, this review briefly highlights future studies investigating the utilization of the shoot of A. linearis as adsorbent for the removal of trace and (or) heavy metal from aqueous solutions.

Tea (Camellia sinensis [L.] O. Kuntze) is a plantation crop, grown commercially in Asia, Africa, and South America. Among biotic threats to tea production, diseases caused by fungal pathogens are most significant. Worldwide, tea plants are challenged by several root, stem, and foliar diseases. Foliar diseases, blister blight, gray blight, and brown blight are particularly important as they adversely affect the bud and the two youngest leaves, causing loss of harvestable shoots. Over the past several decades, climate change and field management practices have influenced the risk of crop damage by several fungal pathogens, as well as the development and spread of diseases. Management interventions, such as the adoption of good cultural/agronomic practices, use of fungicides and microbial biocontrol agents, plant defense elicitors, and deployment of resistant cultivars, have mitigated damage to tea plants caused by fungal diseases. A clearer understanding of knowledge gaps and the benefits of plant disease management strategies available is needed. The present article reviews the prevailing knowledge of major fungal pathogens of the tea crop, their genetic variability, the damage they cause and its economic impact, and the need for new disease management strategies as climate change intensifies. We will also emphasize important knowledge gaps that are priority targets for future research.

Creighton Connolly (2017) Landscape political ecologies of urban ‘swiftlet farming’ in George Town, Malaysia. cultural geographies 24(3): 421–439. DOI: 10.1177/1474474016684128. The journal would like to make the following correction: Endnotes 45-69 should be revised as follows: 45. Geografia, George Town Land Use and Population Survey. 46. Following Malaysian independence in 1957, the new Malay government renamed all streets in Malaysia’s colonial enclaves such as George Town. However, many of the old names are still commonly used by residents, hence my reference to both. 47. This attitude on behalf of government officials in Malaysia has also been documented by other scholars, see K.Mulligan, S.J.Elliott and C.Shuster-Wallace, ‘The Place of Health and the Health of Place: Dengue Fever and Urban Governance in Putrajaya, Malaysia’, Health & Place, 18, 2012, pp. 613–20. 48. On a more recent visit to George Town in August, 2016, EYS still had hundreds of swiftlets flying in and out, nearly 3 years after the deadline for closure of swiftlet farms inside the WHS. Given the political and economic influence of the EYS company, it is conceivable that they will be able to continue operating the swiftlet farm for the foreseeable future. 49. According to George Town’s Special Area Plan (2011), category II buildings are those ‘of special interest that warrants every effort being made to preserve them’. See State Government of Penang (SGP), Draft Special Area Plan, George Town: Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca (Penang: SGP, 2010). 50. This incident was (allegedly) triggered by the export of fake birds’ nests with dangerous nitrite levels to China from Malaysia, and resulted in the near collapse of the swiftlet farming industry, given that China has always been the primary market for EBNs. This episode demonstrated how the physical landscape in one place can be dramatically influenced by political-economic changes elsewhere. See Connolly, ‘A Landscape Political Ecology of ‘Swiftlet Farming’ in Malaysian Cities’, chapter 4; C.Thorburn, ‘The Edible Birds’ Nest Boom in Indonesia and South-East Asia’, Food, Culture and Society, 17, 2014, 535–53. 51. MBPP (Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang), ‘Laporan Industri Dan Premis Burung Walit Di Dalam Tapak Warisan Dunia George Town’ (George Town, Penang, Jabatan Warisan, 2013), np. 52. George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), Draft Guidelines for Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) World Heritage Cities of Melaka and George Town (Penang, 2010), pp. 76–7, < www.gtwhi.com.my/index.php/regulate/2015-01-21-04-01-01/2015-01-21-04-18-59 > 53. Note, this excludes Penang and Malacca, where heritage was the largest concern, due to the UNESCO World Heritage listing in both cities. 54. On an earlier visit to Taiping, I came across a hotel which operated a swiftlet house on the top story, while the bottom three stories were rented out to human occupants (!) 55. J.Lepawsky and R.C.Jubilado, ‘Globalizing Kuala Lumpur and Rationalizing the Street’, In S.G.Yeoh (ed.), The Other Kuala Lumpur (London: Routledge, 2014), pp. 22–37. 56. T.K.Ho, ‘Swiftlet Rearing in Town a Health Threat’, The Star, 6 February 2009, p. N49. 57. Quoted in anonymous, ‘Chow: Swiftlet farms being phased out’, The Star, 14 April 2013, n.p. 58. Mulligan et al., ‘The Place of Health and the Health of Place’. 59. Duckett-Wilkinson, correspondence, 15 December 2010. 60. Duckett-Wilkinson, correspondence, 5 May 2011. 61. Indeed, Duckett-Wilkinson has spoken to several local doctors in George Town about this issue, who have verbally confirmed that cases of lung disease are ‘disproportionate’ in Georgetown (Duckett-Wilkinson, interview, 22 October 2013). 62. Duckett-Wilkinson, Open Letter, 20 June 2010; citing M.L.DeWitt, ‘cryptococcus’, < http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/215354-overview > 63. Anonymous, ‘A health hazard not many are aware of’, New Straits Times, 9 September 2009, n.p., print. 64. In: R.Nathan, ‘“More Seminars” Plan for Bird’s Nest Farmers’ The Star, 6 June 2003, p. 13. 65. See Mulligan et al., ‘The Place of Health and the Health of Place’; T.Bunnell, ‘Re-Viewing the Entrapment Controversy: Megaprojection, (Mis)Representation and Postcolonial Performance’, GeoJournal, 59, 2004, pp. 297–305. 66. Carpiano, ‘Come Take a Walk with Me’. 67. M.Gandy, ‘Marginalia: Aesthetics, Ecology and Urban Wastelands’, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 103(6), 2013, pp. 1301–16; A.Loftus, ‘Working the Socio-Natural Relations of the Urban Waterscape in South Africa’, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 31(1), 2007, pp. 41–59; E.Swyngedouw, ‘The City as a Hybrid – On Nature, Society and Cyborg Urbanization’, Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, 7(2), 1996, pp. 65–80. 68. See, for example, Mitchell, The Lie of the Land; D.Matless, Landscape and Englishness (London: Reaktion Books, 1998). 69. See, for example, P.Y.Hung, Tea Production, Land Use Politics, and Ethnic Minorities: Struggling over Dilemmas on China’s Southwest Frontier (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015); Neumann, ‘Political Ecology III’; Walker and Fortmann, ‘Whose Landscape?’.