Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) | University of the Western Cape (original) (raw)

Books by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS)

The book presents results of the Defragmenting African Resource Management (DARMA) Project coveri... more The book presents results of the Defragmenting African Resource Management (DARMA) Project covering Lake Chilwa basin in Malawi.

The central theme is that in order to ensure resource base sustainability, research and management within the basin should adopt an ecosystems approach. Presently, research and management of the basin is sector-based, hence resource user conflicts are increasing. User demand for various resources is increasing rapidly mainly due to population increase and lack of alternative economic activities thereby presenting challenges to sustainable resource management. Specific areas of sectoral interconnections are highlighted and defragmentation options suggested.

This book is an output of the Defragmenting African Resources Management (DARMA) Project. Lake Ka... more This book is an output of the Defragmenting African Resources Management (DARMA) Project. Lake Kariba and its environs are a complex transboundary ecosystem with multiple, competing and often contested resource uses. The individual chapters in the book describe the current sectoral approach to natural resource management, the interconnections, and the need to adopt an ecosystem approach. The book is an essential reading for students, researchers, academics and managers in the environmental and natural resources sectors interested in advancing the ecosystems approach in management of commons in general and Southern Africa in particular.

South Africa: Livelihoods after Land Reform is the South African component of a broader three-cou... more South Africa: Livelihoods after Land Reform is the South African component of a broader three-country study (also including Zimbabwe and Namibia) on Livelihoods after Land Reform (LaLR). The aim of LaLR is to measure the impact of land reform, but above all it is to understand that impact – how and why impacts materialise or fail to materialise in relation to different circumstances, distinct implementation approaches, and diverse types of intended beneficiaries.

Progressive agrarian transformation has rhetorically encompassed a shift to small-scale agricultu... more Progressive agrarian transformation has rhetorically encompassed a shift to small-scale agriculture in South Africa since at least 1994 when the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) proposed reorienting agricultural support towards small-scale production. However, material support for this shift only really took off in 2009 when government and agribusinesses converged on a strategy to integrate small-scale growers into value chains — mainly in the form of contract farming. Using original case study material, Smallholders and Agro-Food Value Chains in South Africa
draws lessons from the value chains integration strategy and various innovative models developed to support it. Case studies range from agribusiness-sponsored sub-contracting projects to strategic partnership agreements on restitution farms and welfarist urban agricultural projects in the heart of Johannesburg. The book reflects on who might benefit from the value chains integration strategy: Will it only serve a narrow, relative elite, of small-scale black farmers? Or can the strategy potentially widen the base of small-scale producers so that they become a significant force in South Africa’s agricultural sector?

Burning fields, demonstrations and clashes between police and farm workers: in 2012, farms in Sou... more Burning fields, demonstrations and clashes between police and farm workers: in 2012, farms in South Africa’s Western Cape province witnessed a wave of anger and violence during protests against low wages and poor living conditions. Old patterns of ownership and power still produce tense human relations on many of the forty thousand private farms in South Africa. For farm workers and dwellers, tenure insecurity, harsh living conditions or forced evictions have persisted in the democratic era. This study of commercial farms in Limpopo examines how recent changes – economic restructuring, land reform and migration – are affecting people living on farms, as seen through the eyes of workers, dwellers, managers and owners. Here women, men and children strive to defend their tenure, livelihoods and justice on farms that are being shaped by local and global economic forces. Stark contrasts between constitutional rights and lived realities exist.

Profound changes are needed but there is no panacea. The book presents four future scenarios and discusses the dynamics of conflicts and opportunities that each scenario may bring. Progress will require both struggle and pragmatism: workers and dwellers need the power to organise and negotiate; farmers and farmer organisations have to reconcile production with fair and sustainable social relations; state institutions must lead and provide resources for change; and the public has to engage with rural issues and the making of a less divided countryside.

This report covers a period in which PLAAS sought to clarify and consolidate its vision, and elab... more This report covers a period in which PLAAS sought to clarify and consolidate its vision, and elaborate an agenda for research, policymaking, teaching and training that emphasises the centrality of the dynamics of chronic poverty and structural inequality in South Africa. The particular emphasis is on understanding how the workings of agro-food systems can either perpetuate structural poverty and marginalisation — or alleviate it. Within this broad field of investigation, our work focuses on the dynamics of marginalised livelihoods in agro-food systems; particularly livelihoods which are vulnerable, structurally excluded or adversely incorporated: those of farm workers, small and subsistence farmers, artisanal fishers and fishing communities, and the informally self-employed, in urban and in rural contexts.

‘Inclusive business models’ have recently attracted renewed interest, as part of wider debates ab... more ‘Inclusive business models’ have recently attracted renewed interest, as part of wider debates about growing agricultural investment in developing countries. This report discusses joint ventures in South Africa’s agricultural sector, where land reform beneficiaries entered into a range of joint ventures with commercial partners. The specifics of South Africa's experience of inclusive business models are linked to its history and recent land reform programme. The report provides a cautionary tale for international debates about inclusive business models, while also identifying more promising models that are now starting to emerge.

Decentralised Land Governance: Case Studies and Local Voices from Botswana, Madagascar and Mozamb... more Decentralised Land Governance: Case Studies and Local Voices from Botswana, Madagascar and Mozambique reviews the literature on decentralised land governance in Southern Africa, highlighting key issues and challenges of ‘land governance from below’. The case studies illuminate decentralised land governance practices and outcomes, as located in the social, legislative and institutional contexts of Botswana, Madagascar and Mozambique. Supplementing existing research on the selected country cases, the authors undertook comprehensive and in-depth interviews with selected key informants who illuminate the problems and responses. The book provides analysis and further reflection on key lessons from the country cases.

Through a range of voices representative of key stakeholders in local land governance, the book aims to exchange knowledge of experiences and practices at country-level. Decentralised Land Governance: Case Studies and Local Voices from Botswana, Madagascar and Mozambique is a source for land practitioners, scholars and policy makers, stimulating informed and evidence-based policy debate – in the relevant sectors and, more broadly, in society – about the merits and demerits of decentralised land governance.

Review of Land Reforms in Southern Africa, 2010 documents experiences with decentralised land ref... more Review of Land Reforms in Southern Africa, 2010 documents experiences with decentralised land reforms in eleven countries in Southern Africa. Compiled with the support of various in-country experts, the review provides land policy information, tracks the progress of the various national land programmes underway, and monitors women's land rights in a decentralised context. Real accounts and direct analysis of current situations, shifts and outcomes from those directly involved in policy-making, implementation or land reform advocacy provide a rich source for on-going regional learning in the field. This guide to land reform policy and practice in Southern Africa is an invaluable contribution to land reform debates and will be relevant to everyone working on land issues in the region.

Another Countryside? asks fundamental questions about the nature of land reform in South Africa a... more Another Countryside? asks fundamental questions about the nature of land reform in South Africa and locates this within a wider agrarian reform agenda. The intention is to spark general debate over alternatives rather than prescribe detailed blueprints for an alternative approach. The book is divided into three sections. The first section deals with foundational questions about land policy, reviews existing policy approaches and their variants, documents what is known about their outcomes, and critically assesses emerging alternatives; the second section deals with the economic and political context and dynamics that should inform or are likely to shape the formulation of alternatives; and the third section presents policy recommendations and their implications. This book attempts to look beyond the current shifting sands to analyse the ideas, methods and models that have shaped land reform, and to ask probing questions about its purpose and nature. One of the main concerns explored through this process, and reflected in this book, is the absence of – and need for – a wider vision for the agrarian restructuring that land reform is to bring about. This book is a contribution to the evolving conversation in South African society about what a changed agrarian landscape would look like, and how it can be achieved.

Papers by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS)

This policy brief argues that to progress community based natural resource management in Zimbabwe... more This policy brief argues that to progress community based natural resource management in Zimbabwe, emphasis needs to shift from decentralisation towards full devolution beyond the Rural District Councils (RDCs) alongside an increase in capacity of local-level institutions (including RDCs) to fulfil original roles and obligations. Transparency of community-based natural resource management processes is needed, including an equalling of power between the institutions of accountability and investors involved. Partnerships between central government, local government, communities, and investors are needed to ensure suitable and equitable communication is received by all parties. It is also vital to increase project emphasis on alleviating poverty and reducing the need for communities to focus solely on their survival so that they can be fully involved.

Policies promoting biofuels development through financial incentives in Europe and in the United ... more Policies promoting biofuels development through financial incentives in Europe and in the United States of America are major drivers of the ‘land rush’ in many African countries. Yet, we know that most of the first projects have not achieved their intended objectives on the ground. Amidst these controversial and failed investments, which continue to hold large tracts of land in Africa, the G8 initiative called the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is trying to attract substantial new private investment in agriculture in ten African countries. The New Alliance focuses on public-private investments, with host governments offering large tracts of land to investors. These land-based investments follow similar patterns to unrealised ambitions of biofuels investments. Given the evidence of negative impacts of biofuels investments on rural communities’ access to and control of land, water and forests, the New Alliance implementing partners need to consider lessons from the biofuels rush, and take different pathways to avoid such impacts.

In this volume, case studies of small-scale fishing activity in 12 selected rural communities are... more In this volume, case studies of small-scale fishing activity in 12 selected rural communities are presented. The case study methodology was were designed to provide the primary information required to address the project aim ‘to develop appropriate management processes and governance systems for inland fisheries in dams, including the roles and responsibilities of individual households, groups in rural villages and relevant authorities (at tribal, local, provincial and national level).” Small-scale fishing for livelihood purposes in some form was present on most (77%) of water bodies
sampled. Most small-scale fishers are poor, but their livelihood strategies are diverse including:
• A primary livelihood of last resort;
• Part of a diversified semi-subsistence livelihood;
• A specialist occupation; and
• Part of a diversified accumulation strategy.
In certain localities, a significant daily income could be generated covering family living costs. All fish were sold fresh to local markets and/ or consumed by the fisher families. The value chain was short with no evidence observed of postharvest value addition. Rural community members also practised recreational fishing, and the fish caught was mainly consumed.

A strong sense of a “common pool resource” right was expressed by all local communities, despite varying levels of use by different parties, including outsiders. A variety of governance and management organisations were observed, including ‘no management’ (e.g. Nandoni and Masibekela), minimal management (Zeekoevlei, Middle Letaba), traditional institutions (Lake Fundudzi), blended government and traditional institutions (Makuleke), contested management (Pongola Dam, Voëlvlei, and Roodekoppies), state-led co- management (Flag Boshielo) and “top-down” management (Driekoppies). The case studies documented in this report illustrate that small scale fishing on inland waters is a widespread livelihood activity based on common pool resources, which has been marginalised by the lack of recognition of its socio-economic value, particularly as a food security safety net and economic opportunity net for rural communities. The testimonies of communities demonstrate that the lack of formal fishing rights for livelihood purposes perpetuates Apartheid and Colonial era legacies of inequity in resource access. The research results demonstrate that small-scale and recreational fisheries have the potential to support the creation of rural livelihoods and decent jobs, provided a policy with clear social and economic objectives is developed. Such a policy will have to be developmentally orientated, based on the historical disadvantage and lack of capacity experienced by rural communities.

South Africa’s inland fishery resource endowment has been overlooked as a means of supporting sus... more South Africa’s inland fishery resource endowment has been overlooked as a means of supporting sustainable livelihoods in the democratic era, lacking a guiding policy and legislation aligned with the country’s rightsbased Constitution. The absence of an equitable inland fishing governance framework with defined use rights has resulted in growing unmanaged and unsustainable fishing practices, conflicts between resource users, and the perpetuation of Colonial- and Apartheid-era exclusion of rural communities from livelihood and economic opportunities linked to aquatic natural resources. In response to this problem, the Water Research Commission launched a solicited research project entitled “Baseline and Scoping Study on the Development and Sustainable Utilisation of Storage Dams for Inland Fisheries and their Contribution to Rural Livelihoods” to provide a knowledge base to inform the development of policy and institutional arrangements for inland fishery governance.

The study found that the relatively low production potential of South African inland water bodies precludes the development of industrial or large-scale commercial fisheries on inland waters. Recreational and small-scale subsistence and artisanal fishing for livelihoods purposes are thus the optimal forms of inland fishery utilisation for maximal socio-economic benefit. From a fisheries management perspective, state and private hatcheries could enhance fishery production in specific circumstances such as 1) the re-stocking of temporary waters that dry up during periods of drought, 2) the stocking of trout in approved “green zoned” waters in terms of the NEMBA-AIS regulations and 3)for indigenous fish conservation purposes. It was recommended that there would be no point in stocking hatchery reared fish if 1) the target wild populations are self sustaining with adequate recruitment from natural spawning or 2) the target fishery or aquaculture enterprise is not economically viable or offers no food security or welfare benefit. A wider multi-purpose role for state hatcheries is recommended to support fishery and aquaculture development, including extension, training, environmental education, and research. The lack of public sector human capacity and skills to manage inland fisheries was identified as a primary constraint to the establishment of appropriate institutional and organisational structures to promote a developmental approach to inland fisheries based on co-management. The reasons for this are two-fold, arising from, firstly, the lack of a policy to manage inland fisheries as an economic sub-sector and livelihood activity, and secondly, modern fishery governance norms which have shifted dramatically over the last decade from a biological resource orientation to a user-centred one requiring new management skill sets. Human resource capacity building and skills requirements for government officials were assessed and training strategies and resources identified.

International and regional guidelines and frameworks on land governance provide a useful roadmap ... more International and regional guidelines and frameworks on land governance provide a useful roadmap for African states to follow to improve governance of the tenure of land, fisheries, forests and other natural resources. These resources remain the basis of the
livelihoods of most rural African citizens, yet they are also increasingly prized by private investors. To avoid a large-scale resource grab by corporate interests, the FAO and AU have appealed to African states to implement these guidelines so as to strengthen land and resource rights, providing legal recognition and institutional support for indigenous, customary and other informal property rights.
To implement such reforms will require strong leadership from line ministries responsible for land rights and land administration, as well as adequate resourcing from national budgets and development partners.

Until these systems are in place, rural communities are likely to remain unaware of their rights and responsibilities under FAO, AU and other guidelines. The three cases from Tanzania, Malawi and Namibia show how urgently African farmers and other rural citizens need information regarding their rights and entitlements, and support to engage with external investors so as to either give or withhold their consent for new investments and, where they wish to partner with private sector partners, to leverage beneficial terms and establish inclusive business partnerships. These are the ways in which improving governance of land tenure underpins sustainable rural livelihoods.

Only with these measures in place can resource grabs be avoided and private investment be channelled into inclusive agricultural development.

This paper presents an examination of the major trends in South African international trade in ag... more This paper presents an examination of the major trends in South African international trade in agricultural products between the years 1996 and 2013. The analysis covers three broad areas: (1) the changing weight of key trading partners in South Africa’s overall agricultural trade regime; (2) changes in the major products being traded with the rest of the world; and (3) changes in the products being traded with each of its key trading partners. The paper begins by analysing the changes in the total export and total import values to and from the trading partners identified above, and the changing shares of total value held by each partner. The next section focuses on the major products traded in terms of value – both how the composition of the product profile has transformed, and the main sources of the trade in these products. Finally, each trading partner is given individual focus. The EU remained the dominant source of imports and the dominant destination for exports throughout the period. The import market shifted dramatically away from the US and Africa toward Brazil and China. In the export market, the presence of the USA, Japan and MERCUSOR receded whilst Africa and China underwent strong growth. The top two export destinations, the EU and Africa, dominated the market by a significant margin, accounting for well over half of total export value throughout. Rice and wheat were the dominant products within the import market throughout the period, whilst the position of poultry meat strengthened and sunflower-seed oil receded. In poultry meat imports, the USA saw sharp decline, whilst South America and the EU underwent a very strong rise. The major shifts in the export market were away from sugar and titanium oxide, and towards fresh fruit and wine.

This paper aims to understand the political and legal dynamics involved in aspects of local gover... more This paper aims to understand the political and legal dynamics involved in aspects of local government in Botswana as exemplified by legislative enactments. Mawhood (1985) suggests that such structures are charged with specific functions, for which specific scopes of authority are conferred. The land boards of Botswana are one such example. The paper concludes that there is a need to retrace the steps up to the inception of the Tribal Land Act (TLA), and to examine aspects of the act itself, as well as its implementation and consequent effects and flaws. Local government and governance are not achievable only by legislation and rule-making. Legitimisation is also a key element. If land tenure transformation, use and administration in Botswana via the medium of the land board system is to continue, it calls for a re-look at the whole question of land and its centrality in development and the lives of the citizenry and, therefore, the role of the land boards.

The attached position papers were written by researchers based at the Institute for Poverty, Land... more The attached position papers were written by researchers based at the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), University of the Western Cape, and at the Centre for Law and Society, University of Cape Town. They were distributed to the 2000 people who attended government’s National Land Tenure Summit in early September 2014.

Also attached is a newspaper article on aspects of the summit written by Ruth Hall of PLAAS and published in the Daily Dispatch on 10 September 2014, and a newspaper article by Tara Weinberg of CLS, published in the Sunday Independent on 28 September 2014.

This policy brief tackles a number of key issues around reopening the restitution claim process i... more This policy brief tackles a number of key issues around reopening the restitution claim process including:

1. Restitution to date has been slow and many rural land claims are not yet finalised
2. Ungazetted and yet-to-be-finalised land claims are at risk from new claims
3. Many new land claims are likely to be for cash compensation, or tribal claims led by chiefs, and contribute little to rural transformation
4. Parliament should enact regulations to ring-fence existing land claims

The purpose of this themed working paper is to explore social security for lone mothers in South ... more The purpose of this themed working paper is to explore social security for lone mothers in South Africa in a number of different ways. The paper draws from material emerging from 30 focus groups which were undertaken in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape provinces in South Africa.1 Section 1 contains a review of current social security provision in South Africa in terms of how it provides for the needs of lone mothers. Section 2 contains material from the focus groups on lone mothers’ accounts of applying for, receiving, and having the Child Support Grant – a form of social assistance intended for the needs of the children for whom they care rather than their own needs. Section 3 presents results from the focus groups in relation to women’s views about how a grant for their own needs would help to protect and respect their dignity. The main picture to emerge was that the Child Support Grant (CSG) does little to enhance lone mothers’ sense of autonomy as the grant is not intended for their own material needs and is so small as to have only a small impact on their poverty status; for some women the CSG is emblematic of their lack of autonomy as it signifies their lack of income and lack of paid work. There was no evidence that the CSG enhanced lone mothers’ self‐esteem, but rather the grant causes them to be the object of competing views of how the grant should be spent, both within their families and the community. Powerful accounts were given of how they are not treated with respect, particularly during the CSG application process, but also in the context of their status as a CSG beneficiary within the community. Furthermore, the burdensome application process involving unclear eligibility criteria and lengthy queuing is experienced as detrimental to dignity and conveys the message to the applicants that they are not regarded by government as being worthy of better treatment.

Only with these measures in place can resource grabs be avoided and private investment be channelled into inclusive agricultural development.

The purpose of this themed working paper is to explore lone mothers’ accounts of what dignity mea... more The purpose of this themed working paper is to explore lone mothers’ accounts of what dignity means in the context of their lives and how the experience of poverty and inequality impacts on their sense of dignity. The paper explores whether people thought that – in the context of very high levels of unemployment ‐ some additional form of social assistance might be a worthwhile poverty alleviation measure that would help to protect and respect people’s sense of dignity, or whether it might serve to further erode people’s sense of dignity. This working paper presents findings from thirty focus groups which were undertaken in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape provinces in South Africa. One hundred and ninety‐eight lone mothers of working age took part in the focus groups. People spoke of living ‘at the bitter end of inequality’, with a few women in the Eastern Cape expressing acceptance of their lot, though the vast majority across both provinces regarding their plight as unacceptable. People spoke most expansively about the negative impact on their dignity of living in shacks or single‐room houses, and of lacking adequate sanitation. Whilst some women compared themselves mainly with people with whom they had grown up, others had a wider reference group particularly if they had worked as domestic workers for wealthy households. The material provides striking and personal accounts of the many and complex ways in which ‘dignity in practice’ is experienced by low income lone mothers, and demonstrates clearly that the low income lone mothers who took part in the focus groups regarded poverty and inequality as having a negative impact on dignity.

Lone Mothers Working Paper 1, Jul 2014

The purpose of this document is to define the group of people whom we are considering as part of ... more The purpose of this document is to define the group of people whom we are considering as part of the project ‘Lone Mothers in South Africa: The role of social security in respecting and protecting dignity’. Lone mothers embody the societal expectations of caregiver and breadwinner – roles which are difficult to reconcile even if there is financial support from the state. Lone mothers typically have a low level of educational qualifications and in the context of high unemployment, any paid work is likely to be insecure and poorly paid, such as involvement in the Expanded Public Works Programme or domestic work, which often falls short of the ‘productive and decent employment’ Millennium Development Goal. Even if employment opportunities are available, state provided childcare facilities are inadequate in many areas, and even if private provision is physically accessible, it is usually unaffordable for low income families and so challenges are faced at every turn whether in work or not in work. Recent research indicates that lone mothers in South Africa experience particularly high levels of poverty, and suffer financial (and often physical) insecurity which is compounded by a lack of autonomy. In addition and as will be elaborated elsewhere, this group internationally and within South Africa are often the focal point for debates around the undeserving poor, dependency culture, perverse incentives and the unsustainability of the social security budget, and are often the object of negative sentiment in the media.

Lone Mothers Policy Brief 3, Jul 2014

Dignity is a foundational value in South Africa’s Constitution and was described as very importan... more Dignity is a foundational value in South Africa’s Constitution and was described as very important by the focus group participants. Examples of dignity ‘in practice’ include being valued, respected, able to fulfil important roles in life, and able to provide for oneself and others. Many examples were provided of ways in which poverty erodes dignity. The Child Support Grant (CSG) was found to be helpful in protecting dignity as it is a contribution to the cost of raising a child. However many women reported ways in which the CSG is detrimental to their sense of dignity including issues with the application process, negative attitudes towards them as CSG recipients within their communities, and the small amount of the grant which does not adequately cover the needs of a child. Overall the CSG was seen as an expression of social solidarity or Ubuntu. Many participants stressed the need for jobs but in the absence of sufficient employment opportunities there was strong support for the idea of providing social grants to caregivers, as currently working age caregivers are only entitled to social assistance if they are disabled.

Lone Mothers Policy Brief 2, Jul 2014

There is no social security for low income caregivers of working age in South Africa unless they ... more There is no social security for low income caregivers of working age in South Africa unless they are disabled. However many caregivers interact with the social security system as recipients of the Child Support Grant (CSG) for their beneficiary children. The CSG plays a vital role in the lives of low income families and many studies have demonstrated its positive impacts. This study explores ways in which the recipients experience the CSG as protective or erosive of their dignity in order to identify ways to ensure that people’s constitutional right to have their dignity protected and respected plays a central role in social security policy design and implementation. The CSG was experienced by many caregivers as protective of dignity in three main ways: by reducing poverty, by helping them to fulfil the role of looking after their children, and more indirectly by enabling caregivers to use the grant in dignity-enhancing ways in their social networks. However, the CSG was also experienced by many as erosive of dignity in three main ways: issues to do with the application process, negative societal attitudes towards CSG recipients, and the small amount of the CSG. The balance of positive and negative experiences varied by recipient and context, reflecting the complexity of dignity as a lived phenomenon.

FAC Working Paper 106, Aug 2014

Since the launch of the Kilimo Kwanza (‘Agriculture First’) slogan in 2009, the Tanzanian governm... more Since the launch of the Kilimo Kwanza (‘Agriculture First’) slogan in 2009, the Tanzanian government has been part of efforts to inject foreign capital into its country’s agricultural sector. A range of domestic and international players have developed plans to facilitate private acquisition of farmland; increase investment in irrigation and value addition; deepen the penetration of agribusiness; and bring more of Tanzania’s smallscale farmers into commercial agriculture, particularly through outgrower arrangements. The plans include the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor project (SAGCOT),a public–private partnership focused on Tanzania’s south-central region, and Big Results Now, which aims at achieving rapid progress in commercialisation and other agricultural policies in priority crops. One of the areas of Tanzania in which development is planned, the Kilombero Valley, already has a nucleus–outgrower sugarcane business. This working paper presents findings from a study of the sugarcane business in Kilombero. The paper argues that a dramatic but poorly planned expansion of the outgrower sector, combined with farmer services being transferred or reduced, has created wealth but also systemic weaknesses that are linked to falling returns for many outgrowers and a wider problem of land scarcity. The solution to these problems lies with the state, the company and associations of cane growers, as well as sugar industry regulatory institutions.

Lone Mothers Policy Brief 1, Jul 2014

Dignity is a foundational value in South Africa’s Constitution and is also experienced as a psych... more Dignity is a foundational value in South Africa’s Constitution and is also experienced as a psycho-social phenomenon. Dimensions of dignity were explored with almost two hundred low income female caregivers and the impact of poverty on dignity was examined. Dignity is experienced in many different ways that are both intensely personal and relational. Dignity is linked to women’s sense of identity, and the dimensions of worthiness, self-esteem, self-respect and autonomy are important aspects of dignity in practice. Low income women provided accounts of how poverty was experienced as erosive of all of these dimensions of dignity. In the absence of sufficient employment opportunities or comprehensive social security, many of the ways in which low income women attempt to survive poverty were experienced as erosive of dignity. Examples included dependence on relatives, undertaking demeaning casual work in the community, begging, and transactional sex. - See more at: http://www.plaas.org.za/plaas-publication/LM_PB1_dignity#sthash.ov32h37x.dpuf

This project was inspired by research undertaken for the South African Department of Social Devel... more This project was inspired by research undertaken for the South African Department of Social Development (DSD) about attitudes to employment and social security. During the fieldwork for that programme of research, participants in focus groups repeatedly made the unprompted point that poverty eroded their sense of dignity. Given that the South African Constitution declares that people have inherent dignity and that dignity should be protected and respected, this project was dedicated to exploring the role that social security currently plays in relation to people’s sense of dignity. Specifically the research explored whether social assistance, as a financial transfer to low income people, serves to help to protect and respect people’s dignity, or conversely whether there are ways in which the country’s social security arrangements serve to undermine people’s dignity.

Lone mothers were selected as an area of interest because they embody the societal expectations of caregiver and breadwinner – roles which are difficult to reconcile even if there is financial support from the state. Lone mothers typically have a low level of educational qualifications and in the context of high unemployment, any paid work is likely to be insecure and poorly paid. If employment opportunities are available, state provided childcare facilities are inadequate in many areas,
and even if private provision is physically accessible it is usually unaffordable for low income families, and so lone mothers face challenges at every turn whether in work or not in work.

The research results suggest that social security provision must be extended to recognise and responde to poverty and inequality as threats to human dignity. There must be public debate about the adequacy of the Child Support Grant challenging the false dichotomy of ‘independent self‐upliftment’ versus passive social grant receipt; and acknowledging and dealing with stigma and the discourse of dependency. This report also recommends improvements to specific aspects of the grant administration process, including the need to: clearly communicate eligibility criteria to potential applicants, remedy the systemic issues that make grant application and receipt onerous and undignified, retain a firm focus on training and managing officials in an ethos of service, and finally, remove the Child Support Grant's means test.

FAC Policy Brief 76, Aug 2014

Sugarcane outgrower schemes are central to several policy and donor strategies for driving agricu... more Sugarcane outgrower schemes are central to several policy and donor strategies for driving agricultural growth and reducing poverty, including the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor project in Tanzania (SAGCOT). But field research into the outgrower component of Kilombero Sugar Company, Tanzania’s largest and best regarded sugar producer, demonstrates a pressing need for change. Sugarcane production in Kilombero has had benefits for farming households as well as the local and national economy. However, unsustainable expansion and governance issues in the outgrower scheme have created new risks. There are pressures on food security as a result of a decline in land for food crops, and on incomes, particularly when outgrowers’ cane remains unharvested and farmers’ payments are delayed. These problems have been aggravated by the importation of foreign sugar into the country. For this industry to provide its maximum benefits to the economy and to the household, a policy, legal and institutional framework is needed that provides greater efficiency, accountability and transparency, as well as greater security for all participating stakeholders. There are lessons for the sugar industry, as well as donors and investors of ongoing and future agribusiness developments in Tanzania.

LDPI Working Paper 56, Aug 7, 2014

Beginning in the mid-1970s through to the 1980s, Tanzania experienced a severe socio-economic cri... more Beginning in the mid-1970s through to the 1980s, Tanzania experienced a severe socio-economic crisis. In an attempt to turn things around the abating economy and accelerate economic growth, the government embarked on a broad range of radical policy, legislation, and institution reforms, which opened doors for foreign direct investments (FDIs) and further initiatives have been taken to create an enabling environment for investments to flourish in the country. This paper provides highlights and an analysis of the legal framework governing investment in Tanzania, discusses the context of investment within the existing legal framework, provides an overview of land acquisition procedures, and gives analysis of some land deals. The findings show that mixed procedures, some of which are not guided by laws, are currently used to acquire land for investment in Tanzania. Moreover, no clear definition of what public interest insinuates is given either in the constitution or in the land laws. Information asymmetry is a critical problem in land deals in Tanzania. Land acquisition and compensation practices are currently poor and have serious flaws in the way community consultations are carried out, including political interference, lack of transparency, lack of affected parties’ (individuals and local communities) awareness of the process, and lack of productive engagement between investors and local communities. Poverty and illiteracy of the local community has been used to the advantage of the local elites, politicians, and investors in negotiating land deals.

As a subset of the adult population, lone mothers of working age face many challenges which, alth... more As a subset of the adult population, lone mothers of working age face many challenges which, although faced by others, are thrown in sharp relief as a consequence of the competing societal expectations that they should not only simultaneously be caregivers and actively participate in the labour force, but that they should also achieve this in a context of high poverty and unemployment. An additional challenge is that low income lone mothers of working age fall outside the social security arrangements unless they are disabled, and yet are regarded by many as benefiting from state provision because of the Child Support Grant (CSG) which is intended for the needs of children. The CSG plays multiple roles in relation to dignity and helping lone mothers to provide for their children, yet was also perceived by many as being so small as to have little impact on the protection of their dignity as caregivers. The process of applying for CSG was described by many as being detrimental to dignity, as was the opprobrium associated with their status as CSG recipients. Nevertheless, the use of the CSG as an income stream contributed positively and in dignity‐enhancing ways to the lives of many of the informants. The notion of passive grant receipt is largely unsupported by the evidence; it is a formulation that is erodes recipient’s dignity, so there is a need to reframe the poles of public debate concerning social grant receipt.

Research Update 5

The study employs an array of cross-disciplinary methodologies. These include the analysis of the... more The study employs an array of cross-disciplinary methodologies. These include the analysis of the available literature on global drivers and resource scarcity, multi-scale interviews and explore the perception of the local communities. Geo-referenced mapping draws on available datasets (Land Matrix and others) and verified by country teams. Details of different institutional arrangements in each case study – leases, contracts, financial, policy and regulations – are to be determined through document analysis and multi-scale interviews of different actors. In the second year of the project, livelihood impacts will be analysed using a common methodology with special attention to gender analysis, through a combination of qualitative methods (including life histories) and qualitative methods (including household surveys).

Umhlaba Wethu 15, Oct 2012

This bumper issue of Umhlaba Wethu looks at arguments around whether or not land reform is still ... more This bumper issue of Umhlaba Wethu looks at arguments around whether or not land reform is still necessary in South Africa. It also takes a closer look at the rejection of the Traditional Courts Bill by numerous civil society organisations, and reports on a survey of smallscale farmers in Swellendam.

This fact sheet argues that dealing with food and nutritional insecurity in South Africa will req... more This fact sheet argues that dealing with food and nutritional insecurity in South Africa will require measures that go well beyond increasing food production and educating consumers. While Big Food delivers cheap food to the urban and rural poor, it also delivers ill health. Concerted action needs to be taken to restructure value chains in ways that allow for more opportunities for labour absorptive and inclusive growth; and policy makers will need to explore how the food environment could be shifted to make healthier options and choices more available and affordable to poor South Africans.

Fact Check 4, Mar 2013

Many land reform projects have improved the incomes and livelihoods of those who received land – ... more Many land reform projects have improved the incomes and livelihoods of those who received land – despite inadequate government support for planning and production, and in the face of severe resource constraints.

Fact Check 3, Mar 2013

Arguments that state land should be used to meet land redistribution targets are misleading. Very... more Arguments that state land should be used to meet land redistribution targets are misleading. Very little state land is suitable for this purpose. Official data from 2002 show that only 2% of the total of 12.6 million ha of state-owned land is suitable for land reform.

Fact Check 2, Mar 2013

A comprehensive study of the demand for land carried out in 2005/6 reveals that one third of blac... more A comprehensive study of the demand for land carried out in 2005/6 reveals that one third of black South Africans want access to land for food production, and another 12% want land for a variety of other reasons (Aliber et al, 2006). Nearly half (48%) of those wanting access to land, want only 1 ha or less.

Fact Check 1, Mar 2013

Over-simplified accounts of how land is distributed misrepresent the current dispensation. It is ... more Over-simplified accounts of how land is distributed misrepresent the current dispensation. It is often claimed that:
1. In 1994, as a result of colonial dispossession and apartheid, 87% of the land was owned by whites and only 13% by blacks. By 2012 post-apartheid land reform had transferred 7.95 million hectares into black ownership (Nkwinti 2012), which is equivalent, at best, to 7.5% of formerly white-owned land. Whites as a social category still own most of the country’s land and redressing racial imbalances in land ownership is land reform’s most urgent priority.
OR
2. The post-apartheid state currently owns a quarter of the country and redistributing this should be land reform’s first priority. When this is added to the 7.95 million hectares already acquired through land reform, plus the significant though unknown amount of land blacks are buying privately, the discrepancies between white and black ownership are sharply reduced and in some provinces may even be equitable.

There are elements of truth in both claims, but the overall picture is considerably more complex, with important implications for land policy.

The Transition Lab took place at the Irene Dairy farm on the 27 to 29 January 2014. The primary p... more The Transition Lab took place at the Irene Dairy farm on the 27 to 29 January 2014. The primary purpose of the Transition Lab was for involved stakeholders to take stock of what transpired in this initial phase of the SSCA project, and to prepare for shifting their attention to a subsequent phase of prototyping innovations defined in the first phase. The first day of the transition lab was devoted to training innovation team leads and one “champion” from their respective innovation groups in the kind of leadership that would be needed in their teams going forward, while also introducing them to the concepts of social prototyping and action learning. The second day opened the lab up to all members of the innovation teams and focused on presentations that elucidated the findings of the SSCA project to date. The third day was an opportunity for teams to look forward, to not only progress the design of their innovations’ prototypes but also to crystallize the goals and values at the core of their projects.

The second Innovation Lab took place at the Irene Dairy farm, on 21-22 October 2013. The primary ... more The second Innovation Lab took place at the Irene Dairy farm, on 21-22 October 2013. The primary purpose or this second Innovation Lab was for participants to build on the ideas, relationships and commitments made during the first Innovation Lab. This first innovation lab provided an opportunity to understand the landscape of smallholder farming in southern Africa with a deeper, more nuanced, or simply different, perspective in order to envision new innovations or help renew or bolster existing efforts. Seven innovations emerged from this first Innovation Lab. The key purpose of the second Innovation Lab was to create the condition for being truly productive in the spirit of experimentation and risk-taking, and as a testing space of not just of ideas but of new and different ways of working together.

"A number of recent government policies and bills seem to suggest that land may increasingly be t... more "A number of recent government policies and bills seem to suggest that land may increasingly be transferred into the hands of traditional leaders and other elite strategic partners, rather than to communities, who will instead have conditional tenure and perhaps remain permanent tenants of the state.

Prompted by these recent policies, NGOs, CBOs, academic institutes/centres and community members came together to develop a strategy and responses pertaining to communal land tenure, farm worker tenure, smallholder farmers, land redistribution, restitution, rural development and agrarian reform.

These discussion are outlined in this report"

Proceedings of the Second Innovation Lab, 2013

Workshop report, 2013

The ‘Farm Worker’s Living and Working Conditions’ Workshop was held on 19 September 2013 at the S... more The ‘Farm Worker’s Living and Working Conditions’ Workshop was held on 19 September 2013 at the School of Government, University of Western Cape. It brought together over 30 participants from the farm worker and researcher fraternity to consider the critical questions that are framing the debates on farm workers.

This report sets out to try and capture key elements from this interchange of comparative perspec... more This report sets out to try and capture key elements from this interchange of comparative perspectives and identify issues for policy and practice which emerged from the four thematic areas shaping the conference deliberations. The conference was broad and interdisciplinary in scope. It combined five plenary sessions and 43 panels organised into thematic clusters which also included a focus on the experiences of other countries in Southern Africa including Zimbabwe, Namibia and Malawi. These sessions provided multiple and frequently divergent perspectives which illuminated the conference focal areas – the legacy of the 1913 Natives Land Act, land and agrarian reform policy in southern Africa, the multiple meanings of land and ecological challenges - in strikingly different ways.

The conference illuminated the many ways in which South Africa remains a land divided. It highlighted the profound changes in the structuring of the agrarian economy. It charted the rise of global food and commodity chains and the intense concentration in the control over land and productive resources associated with global industrial agriculture production. The rise of agribusiness was accompanied by mounting ecological and human costs which remain poorly understood.

The conference deliberations reveal the complex interplay of historical and contemporary factors which shape the social, political, economic and ecological context in the centenary of the 1913 Native Land Act. It is clear that undoing the legacy of the Land Act extends far beyond attempts to correct the skewed nature of the ownership and control over land. Attempts to confront the consequences of the Land Act have to proceed on many fronts. Researchers, civil society activists and practitioners must find ways to address the immense concentration of wealth, assets and power that characterise the global economic system. Research must expose the toxic ecological impacts of this system that drive climate change and the broader, concealed but mounting crisis in nature. We must reverse the distortions of tenure and governance systems which impact on the lives and undermine the rights of millions of South Africans. This also requires a careful examination of the trajectories shaping agriculture, natural resource use and land based livelihoods.

The market access learning journey to Northern KwaZulu-Natal was designed to explore the possibil... more The market access learning journey to Northern KwaZulu-Natal was designed to explore the possibilities and dilemmas of integrating smallholder farmers into commercial supply chains and to inform relevant policy frameworks. The learning journey aimed to achieve this by facilitating exposure to, and engagement with, some of the key issues and acting as a catalyst for innovation where opportunities presented themselves. This purpose was achieved through visiting a number of smallholder farmers, market intermediaries and facilities that enable farmers to consolidate, pack and process products for the market. The activities on the learning journey were designed to stimulate dialogue about the role of the private sector, government and civil society in enabling smallholders to access markets

Report on an International Symposium, Dec 2012

PLAAS has a strong history of engagement in policy making, and aims consciously to broaden its au... more PLAAS has a strong history of engagement in policy making, and aims consciously to broaden its audiences, encourage self-reflection and promote dialogue on issues of poverty and inequality. This symposium aimed to stimulate conversation between researchers, communicators and policy makers. The two-day event saw lively discussion on the nature and role of ‘evidence’, dominant methodologies in social science research, and ways to make ‘sense’ and meaning of data. Through the exchanges of experience and research some fresh, innovative frameworks were brought forward which enable a more critical, realistic approach to the policy making nexus, with a specific focus on the politics of poverty research and pro-poor policy development. As some of these frameworks, and continued networking and sharing ideas around these issues find traction in our practice, it is hoped the outcomes from the symposium may contribute to an improved understanding of the interests, values, ideologies, and other dimensions of stakeholder interests that inform the interactions on this terrain.