Agriculture Archives - Arid Areas Research and Development

Is There a Case for Support for Smallholder Agriculture?

Is There a Case for Support for Smallholder Agriculture? A Response to Palmer and Sender , Doreen Atkinson , Journal of Contemporary African Studies, Volume 24, Issue 3 pp. 377-383 | DOI: 10.1080/02589000600976703 Introduction The paper by Kim Palmer and John Sender makes the following argument: Claim (i): Rural households are currently not benefiting much from agriculture. Claim…

What is the appropriate level of aggregation for productivity indices?

Conradie, B, Piesse, J and Thirtle, C (2009), What is the appropriate level of aggregation for productivity indices? Comparing district, regional and national measures, Agrekon, Vol 48, No 1, March. Abstract This paper examines the appropriate level of aggregation for the construction of total factor productivity (TFP) indices. The dataset covers the magisterial districts…

Perceptions of climate change and barriers to adaptation amongst commonage and commercial livestock farmers in the semi-arid Eastern Cape Karoo

Muller, C and Shackleton, SE (2013), Perceptions of climate change and barriers to adaptation amongst commonage and commercial livestock farmers in the semi-arid Eastern Cape Karoo, African Journal of Range & Forage Science. Click here for online version http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/10220119.2013.845606 ( you may need to pay for this item), or contact Sheona Shackleton at s.shackleton@ru.ac.za. Abstract…

The Contribution of Municipal Commonage to Local People’s Livelihoods in Small South African Towns

Davenport, N (2008), The Contribution of Municipal Commonage to Local People’s Livelihoods in Small South African Towns, MSc thesis, Rhodes University, Grahamstown. Abstract To redress past discrepancies in land tenure, the ANC government acknowledged that land needs to be made accessible to the previously disadvantaged, announcing that commonage would be a pillar of their…

The possibilities and pitfalls presented by a pragmatic approach

O’Farrell, De Lange, WJ, Le Maitre, DC, Reyers, B, Blignaut, JN, Milton, SJ, Atkinson, D, Egoh, B, Maherry, C, and Cowling, RM (2011), “The possibilities and pitfalls presented by a pragmatic approach to ecosystem service valuation in an arid biodiversity hotspot”, Journal of Arid Environments, 75 (2011), 612-623. Accessed at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196311000231 Abstract Arid regions…

Multi-functional landscapes in semi arid environments

O’Farrell, P, Reyers, B, Le Maitre, D, Milton, S, Ego, B, Maherry, A, Colvin, C, Atkinson, D, De Lange, W, Blignaut, J and Cowling, R (2010), “Multi-functional landscapes in semi arid environments: Implications for biodiversity and ecosystem services”, Landscape Ecology, vol. 25, no. 8, 1231-1246. Can be purchased at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10980-010-9495-9, or contact karoo@intekom.co.za. Abstract…

Making the most of what we’ve got

Taylor, S (2008), Making the most of what we’ve got: The commercial beneficiation of indigenous plant species in arid areas, Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State. Abstract The paper will explore some of South Africa’s efforts to find new products, crops and industries from local biodiversity, to encourage the search for novel indigenous…

Commonage in Philippolis

In the south western provinces of South Africa, municipalities own vast tracts of agricultural land. This phenomenon is primarily found in rural towns in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape and the Free State. Many municipalities inherited public land from their 19th century predecessors. In some cases, for example in Aberdeen in the United Kingdom, municipal commonage land was…

The Governance and Management of Commonages in three Small Towns in the Eastern Cape

Martens, C (2009), The Governance and Management of Commonages in three Small Towns in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, Masters thesis, Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown. Abstract Commonage is land that is usually found adjacent to a town, which is owned by the local municipality and acquired through state grants or, historically, through the church. Since…

Goat Rearing as a Livelihood Strategy of Turkana Pastoralists

Imana, C (2008), Goat Rearing as a Livelihood Strategy of Turkana Pastoralists in North West Kenya, Masters in Development Studies mini-thesis, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein. ABSTRACT The increasing human population, urbanization and the demand for a higher income, coupled with changing consumer preferences are creating a greater demand for livestock and their…