Agriculture
Web spider abundance is affected by sheep farming in the Karoo
Impacts of livestock farming include effects on arthropods and a range of related ecological processes. Grazing by sheep may indirectly affect web spider populations by changing vegetation structures available for web construction, or directly by trampling the spiders or their webs. We tested these two potential impacts by surveying spiders along transects and found that…
Read MoreEffects of short-term intensive trampling on Karoo vegetation
Plant growth forms likely respond differently to disturbances such as trampling. We investigated the trampling effect of 1 600 sheep encamped at night in temporary enclosures (kraals, corrals or pens), which were relocated weekly. To examine trampling effects and regeneration rates of the various growth forms we compared vegeta- tion composition, canopy cover and foliar…
Read MoreSpatial, temporal and attitudinal dimensions of conflict between predators and small-livestock farmers in the Central Karoo
Conflict between predators and small-livestock farmers is a global phenomenon adversely impacting the preservation of wildlife, the well-being of livestock and human livelihoods. Such conflict is pervasive in the Karoo region of South Africa but its contemporary history and various causes remain poorly understood. In this study, we interviewed 77 small-livestock farmers in the Central…
Read MoreBy their own bootstraps: municipal commonage farmers as an emerging agrarian class in the Karoo
Municipal commonage land in South Africa is currently utilised by resource-poor black and coloured farmers. This paper analyses information from two case studies – the Karoo towns of Carnarvon and Williston in the Northern Cape. By comparing data between 2009 and 2018, we show that a significant number of these commonage farmers have increased their…
Read MoreConsumer perception of Karoo lamb as a product of origin and their consequent willingness to purchase
Consumers are increasingly concerned to know where food comes from and how it is produced. Since South African lamb is usually produced on natural pastures and in arid areas, certain breeds have been specifically bred for arid areas, such as the Karoo region, renowned for its high quality lamb. Consumer’s perceptions of Karoo lamb (bred…
Read MoreThe significance of traceability in consumer decision making towards Karoo lamb
As food markets have become more globalized, consumers have become more concerned about the origin of the foods they eat with a decreased confidence in the quality and safety of foods produced outside their local region or country. Traceability systems address this concerns and the importance of establishing a link between a product, producer and…
Read MoreThe food “quality turn” in South Africa: An initial exploration of its implications for small-scale farmers’
This article analyses the way the general turn from mass consumption to the increased qualitative differentiation of products – the “quality turn” – manifests in the South African agro-food system and explores its implications in terms of market access conditions for small-scale farmers in particular. While most retailers’ food quality positioning is in line with…
Read MoreA Status Quo Review of Climate Change and the Agricultural Sector of the Western Cape Province …
As a result of global climatic changes, the Western Cape faces a warmer future. This poses serious threats to agricultural commodities in the province, including sheep, goats and beef cattle. Changes in annual rainfall as well as changes to the spatial distribution, seasonal cycles and extremes in rainfall are also likely, even if the extent…
Read MoreA Critical Analysis of the South African Mohair Marketing System…
The primary marketing of south Africa mohair has been the topic of much discussions and it has become a contentious issue since producer prices became unusually unstable, producer returns increasingly uncertain, and production consequently began declining. This dissertation has aimed to structure these discussions and issues and to critically analyse the South African mohair marketing…
Read MoreGradients in vegetation cover, structure and species richness of Nama-Karoo shrublands…
1. Gradients of animal impact known as piospheres tend to develop around artificial watering points, particularly in arid zones. Such grazing gradients represent a potential opportunity for differentiating the long-term effects of livestock activity from other environmental patterns. In this study, the impact of watering point provision on the plant cover, species richness and community…
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