Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Farmers Pertaining to Agro-biodiversity in the Shiselweni Region, Eswatini, Southern Africa

Patricia J Musi,Michael T Masarirambi,Ndumiso Mafu

doi:10.19026/crjss.10.5918

Abstract

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Farmers Pertaining to Agro-biodiversity in the Shiselweni Region, Eswatini, Southern Africa

Highlights

Eswatini is located in Southern Africa, it is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and shares a border with South Africa and Mozambique, it has a total area of 17 360 km2 (Vilakati, 1997)
Over 70% of the country's total population depends on subsistence farming for their livelihoods on communal Swazi Nation Land (SNL) which has been radically handicapped by a struggling economy where many survive on only one dollar per day, with one in three people being undernourished and affected by the recent drought (Thompson, 2010)
Other farmers practiced subsistence farming where they only grew crops for their family consumption but they were involved in off-farm activities as a source of income while other participants were working as civil servants while others were working for private organizations

Summary

Introduction

Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) is located in Southern Africa, it is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and shares a border with South Africa and Mozambique, it has a total area of 17 360 km (Vilakati, 1997). Over 70% of the country's total population depends on subsistence farming for their livelihoods on communal Swazi Nation Land (SNL) which has been radically handicapped by a struggling economy where many survive on only one dollar per day, with one in three people being undernourished and affected by the recent drought (Thompson, 2010). Eswatini has been facing successive years, 2015 and 2016, of below normal rainfall following poor cropping season which was characterized by long dry spells and uneven rainfall distribution which had a negative effect on subsistence farming. The impacts of the El Nino induced drought compounded an already delicate situation of depleted water and soil moisture reserves, poor grazing conditions and a poor harvest as at the end of the 2014, 2015 season (NDMA, 2016). Deforestation promotes low soil carbon sequestration, increasing volatilization, thermal impact and severe land, water and air degradation (Duruigboet al., 2013)

Objectives

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion