Chapter 3: Barriers to Small-Scale Farming: Institutional and Market Failures
5.10 Crop Production and the Pathway from Poverty
Ma Santos also said that once a month farmers’ meetings are held. She likes attending these meetings as they are able to voice their concerns. If they are struggling to pay for seeds for instance then ACAT’s community volunteer will try to get some for them or try to lend them tools they may need. Further, these community volunteers who are trained through ACAT also go around to their crops at times and helps give information on ways to grow certain seeds properly, and on diseases.
Overall, the respondents were yearning to learn more. The widespread consensus was that there is not enough information available to them. They want to be able to grow more crops such as cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli, lentils, green beans, herbs for perfume and rice.
They need to learn how to plant these, what soil to use, how much water, and when to grow these. They also want to learn more on what seeds to re-use.
the respondents. It has above all given them hope for a better future as the respondents felt this cultivation has lifted their spirits. This physiological effect has motivated the respondents to believe in themselves and their ability to create a better life for their family.
Thandi explains that since growing crops she feels a sense of freedom as she is independent of others and proved to herself she can be successful. Shelia commented that after her first successful harvest she had a renewed since of hope and purpose in life. Jabu explained that from growing crops he realized he could take good care of his family as he is able to put up a fight against poverty. Thembinkosi explained that he has witnessed a successful harvest change the mind set of members to the point where they believe they are able to do something, and are smiling for the first time. Sipho said that since he started farming nothing but good things have come to his family. Nancy explained that following the death of her sons and being unemployed she had given up on life. Once she received guidance from ACAT and was able to reap a successful harvest she felt her life was given back to her as she could provide for her family.
Along with the positive physiological effects crop production has had a very concrete impact and allowed the respondents to feed their family, it has benefited the health of their family, and has allowed money to be used on other necessities such as schooling. It has also provided a source of income, and has been used to trade. It has also benefited the community as some of the respondents gave some of their surplus to local crèches and primary schools.
Table Nine shows how the harvested crops are being used by the respondents. In order to gauge its use all the respondents in the focus groups were given a hundred stones and told that they represent all their crops produced in one growing season. The respondents then came up with a list of options of how their crop production was being used each growing season. Here four options arose: the crops were eaten by them and their family, they sold them, they traded them, or they gave them away to neighbors, friends, and crèches/schools.
They then were asked to envision that the 100 stones were their entire crop production for their last growing season and to distribute the stones into the four options on a proportional basis according to how they used their crops. The amount of stones placed under each option was then averaged amongst the eight focus group members who completed this activity. The results show, therefore, that on average 58% of the crops produced during the last growing season where eaten by the respondents and their family members, while on average 26% was sold, 8% traded, and 7% given away. This is consistent with the definition of a smallhold
farmer as they produce mostly for consumption sometimes selling a marginal amount of their surplus (Machethe and Mollel 2000).
This table alludes to the poverty reduction elements of small-scale agriculture. The ability to be able to eat a new variety of food is reflected in the rising health and food security aspects discussed below, which positively benefits human capital. The crops that are traded benefit one’s social capital, as for instance two respondents were able to sell to a large commercial grocery store. Also, more than a marginal amount is being traded and given away. This represents potential social capital for the future as neighbors, and school children are able being fed.
Table Nine: How Crop Production is being Used
5.10.1 Sustaining the Human Capital: Increasing Food Security and Health
The majority of the respondents said they produced a sufficient amount of each of the vegetables they grew in order to feed their family but would like to grow a greater variety as the total production did not meet subsistent needs for their household. This is consistent with small-scale agricultural production patterns in South Africa (Andrew, Ainslie, and Shackleton 2003).
For all respondents their ability to feed their family was their greatest motivation for growing crops and gave them their greatest satisfaction. It was also noted that the health of their family has improved. Ma Santos explained that ever since she was able to grow more than just maize she has been able to produce for her family so that they can survive. Her children are healthier as she notices a difference in their appearance and they are not getting sick as much. They are also not complaining about starving or eating the same thing over and over.
Betty commented that her children are now able to eat a proper meal and no longer have to eat the same thing every night. She is proud that she can provide more food for her family.
She is also proud that this has helped their health as they do not complain of being sick as much. Khethiwe explained that since she is unemployed this is her source of survival as it provides food and income for the family.
EAT SELL TRADE GIVE AWAY
58 26 8 7
5.10.2 Sustaining the Financial Capital: Providing Flexibility with Budgeting
Along with providing food, crop production has also of course allowed money to be spent elsewhere. For Betty this made a big difference in her life as she explained she was able to send her child to school because of the money saved on food. Other respondents commented that they were able to spend more money on other food items such as meat. Or, that they were able to buy toiletry items such as soap on a more regular basis.
5.10.3 Building Potential Social Capital: Surplus Selling, Trading, and Giveaways All of the respondents sold some of their surplus crops for income in the 2008 growing season. However, this was not significant for two of the respondents as they sold less then R25 to neighbors and stated that for now they have just enough for consumption. As for the other respondents they earned anywhere between R200 and R2000 in surpluses last year.
The average was around R 337. The most common points of sale were at pension points and selling locally to neighbors. It should be noted that the marginal amount of surplus sold locally reflects small-scale agricultural production patterns in South Africa (Andrew, Ainslie, and Shackleton 2003).
Two of the growers, who had among the largest plot of land devoted to crop production, sold their surplus to a large commercial grocery store named Boxer. This was made possible as Sipho’s friend worked for Boxer and encouraged him to speak to the manager. Fellow ACAT member Jabu also accompanied him when he went. Boxer now buys from them and picks up there produce from their home.
Some of their produce also went to trading. The most common item traded was in exchange for other foods such as other vegetables and fruit, or seeds. In one instance, a respondent gave a gardener food in exchange for help with making the beds for planting. Also, two of the respondents said they gave some of their maize to the local grinder so they did not have to pay for their maize to be grinded. This saved them R50 for a 50kg bag. Two of the respondents also traded their food in exchange for borrowing their neighbors’ wheelbarrow.
Additionally, their produce also was given away to neighbors who were desperate for food and to local schools to improve health. Respondents such as Ma Santos reflected that she would love to start a community initiative where surplus food was able to be channeled to those really battling hunger. She also wished she had a lot more surplus so that the local
schools were able to receive a greater amount of nutritional food. A common theme among the respondents was their desire to be able to give away more to the community.
5.10.4 Towards a Pathway from Poverty
Overall, the production of crops had significantly impacted their lives. Every single respondent alluded to the fact that being able to grow crops had a major impact on their livelihood. The ability of this land-based strategy to play a critical role in the survival and health of the respondents’ households, and in reducing vulnerability was also similarly found in studies done by Andrew, Ainslie, and Shackleton (2003). Further, the respondents said they would like to expand their production so that they could have more of a surplus to sell, be able to create employment in their community, and be able to give more of their surplus to schools and those in desperate need. Also, one of the respondents commented that she would like to be able to grow more of a surplus so that she is able to stop her road maintenance job since it does not pay well.