Smallholder Farming Sector Research Articles

Factors affecting rural youth participation in the smallholder farming sector

Youth participation in agriculture across Africa remains notably low, failing to reflect significant investments made in the sector. Much of the discussion to date on factors affecting rural youth participation in agriculture has occurred in the absence of robust and compelling evidence. As a result, most policy decisions rely on misconcep­tions about youth intentions and involvement in agriculture, leading to ineffective strategies for increasing their participation. This study aims to examine the factors influencing rural youth partici­pation in agriculture, particularly in the context of smallholder farming. A pre-tested, structured ques­tionnaire collected data from 200 youths (aged 15 to 35 years) across three districts of Mashonaland East Province in Zimbabwe. Both inferential and descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data. The findings indicate that the future of agri­culture and food security in the study areas is uncertain, with more than 70% of the youth surveyed indicating they do not anticipate engaging in agriculture during the next five years. The factors associated with youth participation in agriculture were found to be multifaceted, encompassing demographic, economic, psychological, educa­tional, and technological dimensions. To enhance youth involvement in agriculture, the study recom­mends a shift from the traditional siloed approach to an interdisciplinary strategy that includes com­prehensive planning, investment, and decision-making.

Socioeconomic determinants of modern climate change adaptation of small-scale vegetable farmers in Bohlabela District, Mpumalanga Province

Climate change significantly impacts small-scale agriculture, with limited adaptation capabilities due to lack of access to advanced science and technology. Traditional methods are ideal, but modern adaptations require significant financial investment, affecting the smallholder under-resourced agricultural sector's economic activities. The study analyzed climate change adaptation drivers among small-scale vegetable farmers, using a representative sample of 244 farmers from four villages through face-to-face interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. Using the Logistic regression model, the results showed resources (extension services), institutional (association membership) and societal influence (farm produce theft, and animal trespassing in the farming plots) to be associated with the use of modern climate change adaptation measures in the study area. The study recommends expanding extension services, strengthening community policing, creating community grazing guidelines, and training farmers on climate change causes, social cohesion, and mitigation strategies to address farm produce theft and animal trespassing. The study contributes new knowledge to the discourse of climate change adaptation by providing empirical evidence pointing out the need to consider critical non-climate factors for farmers when making climate change adaptations interventions in the smallholder farming sector.

The Role of Cooperatives in Improving Smallholder Participation in Agri-Food Value Chains: A Case Study of One Local Municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Increases in demand for food, product development, and agribusiness growth provide new opportunities for smallholder farmers in the developing world. Yet, the smallholder farming sector is still confronted by numerous constraints, including low quality and lower levels of produce. Agricultural cooperatives and other farmer organisations have been identified as crucial vehicles to link smallholder farmers with the evolving food systems. However, little is known about their contribution to enhancing their members’ participation in sustainable agri-food chains. This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of agricultural cooperatives in empowering smallholder farmers to participate in sustainable agri-food chains in Eastern Cape, South Africa. In achieving this, the study adopted a multi-stratified sampling procedure to select 119 cooperative members in the study area. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a binary regression model. Our findings revealed that the majority (70%) of cooperatives were participating in crop production. Most (75%) of the cooperative members were old, with a mean average of 52 years. Additionally, the majority (93%) of members reported that agricultural cooperatives contributed positively to their livelihoods. The results of the probit model established that quality, quantity, level of education, and access to information influenced the level of participation in storage, processing, and distribution levels at different levels of significance. Although the findings of this research reported a positive contribution of cooperatives to their members, the study identifies a greater need for cooperatives to be inclusive of young people and improve government support. Also, the study recommends a blended financing model that will cater to smallholder farmers who do not have collateral. Finally, the study recommends that the current extension and advisory services be tailored to cater to the training needs of smallholder farmers.

Social media network analysis of Smallholder livestock farming communities in the United Kingdom

The creation of targeted policies and actions to help small-scale livestock keepers and reduce the risks associated with disease outbreaks in this sector is hampered by the scarcity of information about smallholder farmers. Smallholders play a crucial part in disease outbreaks containment, hence there is a need for better monitoring methods that take this population into account while gathering data. According to the literature, these communities frequently use social media as a channel for communication and information exchange. In this study we conducted social network analysis of an influential smallholder within the UK and visualised the user follower network. Additionally, we performed influential user analysis, Twitter user categorisation, and community detection to uncover more insights into the livestock farming networks. Our findings reveal distinct communities within the smallholder farming sector and identify influential users with the potential to impact information dissemination and animal health practices. The study also highlights the role of community structure in surveillance and control of animal diseases and emphasises the need for further research to refine our understanding of these communities and their unique characteristics. This work contributes to the growing body of literature on small-scale livestock farming in the UK and underscores the importance of incorporating smallholder communities into disease surveillance and control efforts.

Enhancing Veterinary Services for Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe: A Comprehensive Literature Review

In Zimbabwe, the smallholder farming sector holds over 90% of the country's livestock, playing a vital role in the rural economy. However, low productivity and livestock offtake persist due to various challenges, primarily stemming from animal diseases. This literature review examines veterinary services provision in the smallholder sector, focusing on the Zimbabwean context. Through a desktop review of published literature, the study investigates the evolution of veterinary services for smallholder farmers, the key actors involved, and their interactions. It also explores the challenges faced by farmers in accessing veterinary services and identify the gaps in and scope of service provision with a view to identifying ways of improving service delivery. The study showed that the arrangements for provision of veterinary services to the smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe was inadequate. The findings highlight the critical need for an integrated approach to service delivery, involving state veterinary services, the private sector, and community-based animal health workers. The paper concludes by offering recommendations on specific roles of each service provider within an integrated system to enhance service provision in the smallholder sector. This research contributes to the understanding of effective veterinary services and their role in supporting agricultural growth in Zimbabwe.

Awareness and Use of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Smallholder Farming Systems

Sustainable land management (SLM) practices are often touted as a vehicle for simultaneously increasing agricultural productivity and food security in rural areas. In Eastern Zambia, numerous initiatives such as the Zambia Integrated Forest Landscape Project (ZIFLP) have been implemented. Yet, empirical data suggest relatively low levels of SLM uptake in the smallholder farming sector. Therefore, the broad objective of this study was to estimate the relationship between smallholder farmer awareness of SLM technologies and land allocated to SLM at the farm level. We hypothesized the following: H1: Increased farmer awareness of SLM practices leads to more land allocated to SLM activities in Zambia’s Eastern Province; and H2: Adoption of specific SLM practices influences the extent of land allocated to SLM. Using an intra-household cross-sectional survey, data were collected from 761 randomly selected households from 11 chiefdoms of the Eastern Province. The Heckman selection procedure was used to analyze the study’s overarching hypothesis. Findings showed that farmers were generally conversant with SLM as a construct (>90%), with choices being influenced by gender. Conservation agriculture in the form of crop rotations, use of manure, mixed cropping, tree planting, and minimum tillage methods were the most commonly known SLM technologies among farmers. Findings also indicated that awareness is an important antecedent in the use of SLM practices (χ2 = 76.6, p = 0.00), with greater access to extension being positively associated with farmer awareness (p < 0.05). The land allotted to SLM hinged on crop diversity, ownership of different types of livestock, and access to agricultural extension. These findings suggest that long-term commitments to training farmers in SLM is critical. This will be achieved when there is coherence in the information on SLM being given to farmers by all the actors working in the region.

Unpacking the Determinants of Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption by Smallholder Farmers in Ward 10, Zvimba District, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is hard-hit by the negative effects of climate change. To employ Climate-smart agriculture in the smallholder farming sector, which bears the bulk of the country’s population, is the way to go. Based on Zvimba Ward 10 setting, the article analyses the factors influencing the adoption of CSA technologies. Using mixed methods, we collected quantitative and qualitative data from smallholder farmers using questionnaires and focus group discussions. Additional data was drawn from key informant interviews and field observation methods. A binary Logistic regression model was used to analyse the factors which influence the utilisation of CSA technologies. The use of drought-tolerant crops (20%), conservation agriculture (14%), planting of small grains (9%) and agroforestry (8%) are the major adopted technologies. They are mostly practiced on below 1 ha of land and for less than 5 years. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the adoption of CSA technologies was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced by the club membership, gender of the head of household and land size. The barriers to adoption in the study area are the high cost of inputs, inadequate knowledge of CSA, inadequate agricultural inputs, lack of access to credit, lack of capital, unreliable rainfall, and water scarcity for irrigation, labour shortages, weak extension services and lack of government support. The study recommends a holistic approach that blends conventional climate education with indigenous knowledge by various agencies to address the factors which hinder the successful adoption of CSA technologies.

Climate Change's Impact on Agriculture and Food Security: An Opportunity to Showcase African Animal Genetic Resources

One of the current issues facing humanity is ensuring sustained global food security in the face of devastating effects of climate change; this challenge is particularly pressing on the African continent. Here, I present an opinion piece identifying local animal genetic resources as "African leverage point" that provide the highest chances to cushion rural fork to climate change, enhance environmental sustainability and food security in Africa. When it comes to boosting food production, coping with climate change, or bolstering the delivery of a wide range of ecosystem services, I believe that African animal genetic resources are essential alternatives for the sustainable growth of the livestock industry and its contribution to food security. Africa needs to address the support and development of indigenous animal genetic resources in order to meet the basic food needs of more than 1 billion people, address numerous environmental issues with continental implications, and focus on more effective and resilient food systems with the greatest impact on food security. The indigenous animal resources diversity and support actions to this unique group could provide a boost in protein that is lacking to constitute healthy diets in Africa. The priorities of nonprofit organizations, foundations, governments, citizens' groups, and companies can be influenced by this leverage point in the African food system. Due to continuous food insecurity, which appears to be becoming worse with climate change and makes it even harder to accomplish the SDGs on the continent, Africa has paid a hefty price for being misled about the worth of its own animal genetic resources. To the contrary, it is highly improbable that a strategy to improve food security and rural livelihoods that undermines the utilization of indigenous animal genetic resources will be viable in long-term. If Africa makes an effort, is committed, and fully commits resources to putting indigenous animal genetic resources at the forefront of combating food insecurity and accelerating the achievement of SDGs, it can achieve more under the adverse prevailing climate change induce environmental conditions. Our personal opinion is that we would not have had the ongoing food problems, even in the face of climate change, if Africa had over the years implemented the necessary mechanisms to develop and promote local animal genetic resources. What lies ahead in terms of climate change effect on food security in Africa is anyone's guess – but whatever it is, promoting continental adapted indigenous animal genetic resources portfolio is ready to handle it. Development and promotion of African animal genetic resources should be part of a continental strategy to transform smallholder animal production by 2050, in line with the goals of achieving the SGDs, to improve rural household food security, and bringing rural economy prosperity, resilience, sustainability, and all other desired animal related food outcomes for rural healthy diets. African animal genetic resources are the most important but underutilized resource to address the issue of ongoing food insecurity. The responsible use of local animal genetic resources through climate smart animal husbandry practices also contributes to food security, rural development and increased employment opportunities. African genetic improvement programs involving indigenous animal genetic resources must be considered as regards to local agriculture and livestock development aspirations, appropriateness to local reality and livelihood security, as well as environmental friendliness. Animal agriculture will fill in the enormous gaps in the continent's food supply if this animal group receives adequate attention and is used integrated properly in crop and livestock systems which characterize smallholder farming sector in Africa. Because they have evolved over time to accommodate the various climatic conditions and environmental pressures on the continent, Africa's native animal genetic resources are particularly resilient. Indirectly, the impact of climate change offers a chance to use native animal genetics from Africa. The use of local animal genetic diversity has the potential to substantially improve Africa's food security landscape hence should be given special consideration for sociocultural, environmental, and economic aspects, and with regard for smallholder farmer-specific factors of interest. African animal genetic resources have contributed significantly to the food and nutrition security aspects of the millions of people in their communities of origin and custody in Africa. The purpose of the perception piece is to educate the reader about the fundamental mechanisms that control the use of continental animal genetic resources and how the outlook for these mechanisms can be manipulated in the future for the benefit of improving food security in Africa. The discussion provides in-depth insight into the pertinent literature in understanding the significance of local animal genetic resources in terms of their contribution to food security in Africa.

Can digitally‐enabled financial instruments secure an inclusive agricultural transformation?

AbstractResearch shows that risk management will be key if an agricultural transformation that includes the smallholder farm sector is to occur in sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia. While the smallholder farm sector has historically had poor access to financial and other risk management tools, digital technologies are rapidly impacting the cost and availability of savings, credit, and insurance services in remote rural regions. While these services are all different ways of moving money through time, and thus would seem to be substitutes for each other, they are characterized by quite different pre‐requisites in terms of trust and understanding, and in terms of required tangible and reputational assets. This observation suggests that resilience and an inclusive agricultural transformation might be best promoted by a flexible system that offers indexed risk management tools that can meet the needs of households that enjoy different assets and beliefs. This article lays out this logic and models the use and impacts of a system of flexible financial tools for risk management and an inclusive agricultural transformation. Key findings include that farmers will optimally combine all three financial instruments. The model also shows that these combined financial risk management tools are by themselves sufficient to induce agricultural intensification for less poor, but not for the deeply poor households who have already been decapitalized by shocks.

Determinants of water security in smallholder farming systems in South Africa: a review

Attaining water security is critical for enhancing agricultural production in many countries worldwide. In South Africa, water insecurity is one of the factors affecting agricultural production, especially in the smallholder farming sector. The review focused on factors that influence water security in smallholder farming systems in South Africa and also proposed possible solutions to improve the water security status for smallholder farmers. A search of published articles was conducted on Scopus and Google Scholar databases using the keywords water access, water security, water scarcity, smallholder farmers, smallholder agriculture and South Africa. The study identified various factors that contribute to water insecurity for smallholder farmers, including lack of adequate infrastructure, the poor performance of water infrastructure, lack of farmer involvement in water-related management activities and land tenure insecurity. Smallholder farmers also failed to acquire water-use licences. During periods of drought, they were unable to adopt strategies for improving water security. Recommendations include addressing issues related to infrastructure availability, water allocation and distribution, and the capability to operate, manage and maintain the infrastructure. The study also recommends that policy and decision-makers be acknowledged and address the impacts of droughts on water resource availability.

Digital trust substitution technologies to support smallholder livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa

Blockchain technology has the potential to reduce the need for trust and to ensure accountability and equity in smallholder agricultural development. We present two applications – one already in progress and one hypothetical - using blockchain to address market failures in the smallholder sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. First, we explore BanQu, a blockchain-based platform used by Anheuser-Busch InBev to create verified financial identities for smallholders along the supply chain. Second, we discuss a hypothetical blockchain application to improve the reliability of actors within smallholder dairy cooperatives. Blockchain applications in smallholder agriculture could be transformative, serving as substitutes for trust, but alone blockchain is not a solution to the multiple challenges facing the smallholder farming sector.

Classification and characterisation of smallholder farmers in South Africa: a brief review

The South African agricultural sector has experienced various transformation processes over the past 25 years, from a predominantly white commercial sector to a black focused sector with an emphasis on smallholder farming. The government is committed to supporting the smallholder farming sector through interventions that include land reform and access to water, amongst others. Despite these efforts, smallholder farmers remain vulnerable, especially during drought periods. Smallholder farmers are not homogeneous; instead, they are diverse, and their farming needs also differ according to their livelihood needs. Due to the diversity of smallholder farmers, it is difficult for the government to effectively respond to their needs. The 2015–2018 drought is a case in point. This paper assesses the challenges of defining and classifying smallholder farmers in South Africa. The complex Western Cape classification system is presented as a case study. The study concludes that there is a need for a simpler method of grouping the smallholder farmers based on their livelihoods to develop relevant support systems.

Microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities as influenced by tillage, crop rotation and residue management in a sweet sorghum cropping system in marginal soils of South Africa

Questions on sustainable and appropriate cropping systems for bioenergy sweet sorghum in the smallholder farming sector still exist. Therefore, a short-term experiment was carried out to study the influence of management on microbial biomass carbon (MBC), β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, and urease activities in a sweet sorghum cropping system in South Africa. Tillage [no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT)], rotation [sorghum-vetch-sorghum (S-V-S) and sorghum-fallow-sorghum (S-F-S)] and residue retention [0%, 15% and 30%] were evaluated. Tillage× rotation× residue management interaction influenced (P < 0.05) MBC whilst crop rotation residue influenced (P < 0.05) β-glucosidase. Tillage affected β-glucosidase (P < 0.05), acid phosphatase (P < 0.001), and urease enzyme (P < 0.01) while crop rotation only influenced acid phosphatase (P < 0.01). Residue retention affected acid phosphatase (P < 0.001) and urease enzyme (P < 0.001). NT + S-V-S+30% interaction resulted in the highest MBC content compared to CT + S-F-S+0%. NT+30% enhanced β-glucosidase activity, S-V-S enhanced acid phosphatase compared to S-F-S. MBC and enzyme activities were positively correlated with each other. Tillage and residue management were the main factors influencing soil biological indicators under bioenergy sweet sorghum in South African marginal soils in the short-term. Soil biological indicators were higher under NT and 30% residue retention respectively. NT + S-V-S+30% was a better treatment combination to enhance soil quality under bioenergy sweet sorghum in South African marginal soils.

Tailoring conservation farming to climate change in the smallholder farming sector: Case of lowveld areas in Zimbabwe

This study on tailoring conservation farming to climate change attempted to design and proffer ways that enhance the application of climate information in managing climate-related production risks among smallholder farmers. The study characterized climate hazards related to crop and livestock production in marginal areas of Zimbabwe based on field observations. The study was carried out using a participatory and interactive survey approach. The climatic related risks impinging on livestock and cereal production in communal areas were outlined. A tailored seasonal climate forecast system, based on farmers’ contextual knowledge and conventional approaches, for smallholder farmers aimed at providing information relevant for the management of climate-related production risks was developed. Thus, local knowledge which made farming possible in the past, through pre-season and intra-season farm management strategies under harsh climatic conditions needs to be appreciated and fused into new climate systems. The study recommends that Agricultural Extension Workers should communicate agro-meteorological information that is usable by conservation farmers to manage their food production from an informed position. Local Agricultural Extension Workers should identify and provide key local coping strategies where the tailored forecast could be useful to the farmers since they are strategically positioned in relation to the farmers’ environment.

Inorganic fertilization improves quality and biomass of Moringa oleifera L.

Moringa (Moringa oleifera L.) tree is being used for animal feed and human food as its leaves are an excellent source of amino acids and proteins. Moringa is indigenous plant of Pakistan, but its adaptation and production as agroforestry and fodder crop in smallholder farming sector is very low. Inorganic fertilization has been identified as a major limiting factor for moringa growth and quality of produce. A field experiment was conducted at the Directorate of Farms, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, to optimize NPK dose for healthy and quality produce of moringa. The experiment was comprised of four treatments—control (no fertilizer), 125:75:75 NPK, 100:50:50 NPK and 75:25:25 NPK kg ha−1—under randomized complete block design with factorial arrangements having four replicates. First harvest was taken in May and then applied with fertilizers. Results revealed that different harvesting time (months) significantly affected the number of branches, shoot dry weight, chlorophyll a and b contents, carotenoid contents, total phenolic contents, K contents and total soluble protein except shoot fresh weight. Regarding the fertilizer treatments, application of 125:75:75 kg NPK ha−1 produced total phenolic contents, K concentration and soluble proteins as compared to control and other treatments. Maximum growth, nutrient and biochemical attributes were observed in the month of August. In crux, for the maximum growth, nutrient and biochemical attributes, August is the best harvesting time using the 125:75:75 kg of NPK ha−1 as fertilizer dose.

The effect of fostering partnerships on broadening the food base: the role of cactus pear, an underutilised crop with unlimited potential – the South African perspective

The complexity of challenges to ensure sustainable food security and reduction of the impact of food production on the environment calls for more innovation in agriculture. The need to innovate emphasises the need for partnerships and joint ventures that will enable the role-players in agricultural value chains to ensure a sustainable agricultural sector. South Africa experiences significant socioeconomic challenges, including poverty, high unemployment rates, food insecurity and economic decline. These are compounded by adverse climatic factors. The effect of declining water resources, extended droughts, increased desertification and climate change on food security and economic growth prompted the South African government to develop policies and strategies that are targeted towards coordinated, multi-disciplinary, -institutional and -sectoral responses to critical national priorities. These priorities include job creation, skills and enterprise development, poverty alleviation, and food and nutrition security. Aligned to these strategies, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) acknowledged the importance of strategic partnerships for the development of appropriate solutions. The objective was to establish a collaboration centre on broadening the food base with the purpose of ensuring the availability of a wide range of nutritious crops. The methodology was to develop new/novel crops, food products and ingredients for enterprise development, value chains, income generation and job creation. The necessity for researchers to collaborate in addressing these complex problems is of overriding importance. By bringing expertise from various disciplines and organisations together and leveraging other important networks and partners at both national and international levels, the benefits of greater returns within agricultural value chains will be realised. Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia robusta) is increasingly becoming an important food, forage, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical crop in South Africa. It is a drought-tolerant crop used for a diverse range of applications. It was originally used mainly as a source of animal feed, but recent interest in its other potential uses saw the crop establish itself as an important multi-purpose crop, which opened up opportunities for the smallholder farming sector. Cactus pear was identified as a priority crop for research and development for the collaboration centre on broadening the food base. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the collaboration involved in developing this multi-functional crop within the context of the Sub-Sahara Africa Region Framework for Cactus Pear Research and Development. The establishment of the collaboration centre provided a sound foundation on which further partnerships could be explored and developed. Valuable lessons were learnt concerning the maintenance of multi-disciplinary research teams and challenges for the development and establishment of new value chains for new crops in a country.

Socioeconomic status connected imbalances in arable land size holding and utilization in smallholder farming in Zimbabwe: Implications for a sustainable rural development

Access to land and other natural resources are key means of driving rural people out of abject poverty. Inequalities in access to land and supportive services that ensure full utilization of land are therefore hurting in rural societies. This article enumerates and explain wealth-related imbalances in land size holding and utilization in Zimbabwe’s smallholder farming sector. It relies on cross-sectional household level data collected from 601 smallholder farming households randomly sampled from four districts. Disparities in land size holding and utilization are measured using the Erreygers corrected concentration index. A decomposition exploration is performed to determine the contributing factors to enumerated inequalities in land size holding and utilization. Results reveal a pro-poor distribution of inequalities in low and very low arable land size holding and also in low land utilization. Conversely, a pro-rich distribution of inequalities is observed in high land size holding and high land utilization. Wealth-related inequalities are evident in both men and women farmer groups, youth and non-youth farmer groups and in different geographic regions. A decomposition analysis show that observed inequalities in both land size holding and utilization are hugely explained by asset wealth. Other factors including access to extension, age of farmer, fulltime-farming status and geographic location were also found to minimally explain measured inequalities. In conclusion, low land size holding and low land utilization are phenomenon highly concentrated within the poorest segments of society in Zimbabwe whilst high land size holding and utilization are found within the more affluent population. Asset holding chiefly explain the disparities. Results suggest the need for decision makers in land allocation, distribution, re-distribution, and agrarian transformation in general, to deliberately concentrate on the most vulnerable and poorer segments of society. Such will have far reaching implications for rural transformation and development.

Review: Challenges and opportunities for revitalising smallholder irrigation schemes in South Africa

South Africa is classified as a water-scarce country, and depends on agriculture for food production. The irrigation sector is the largest consumer of water in the country, accounting for about 62% of water utilisation, but also losing 30–40%. Given the threat of drought and climate change, efficient irrigation systems have become a necessity, especially in the smallholder farming sector where most losses occur. Smallholder irrigation schemes (SIS) were developed to improve rural livelihoods through sustainable food production for food security and poverty alleviation, but these development objectives remain largely unfulfilled. The objectives of this review were to assess challenges facing SIS and explore opportunities for revitalising the schemes. The focus was on government policy and strategies to support smallholder farmers. A review of government policy showed that although the needs and interests of smallholder farmers are high on the national agenda, there is insufficient financial support to the sector, suggesting that smallholder agriculture is not really seen as a potential driver of the economy. The core focus of the government on repairing irrigation infrastructure while neglecting the soft components relating to capacity building has partly been blamed for the failure of SIS in South Africa. Capacity building is one of the missing links in smallholder irrigation development and many failures have been attributed to lack of adequately trained farmers and extension staff, particularly in irrigation water management. Land tenure insecurity has been singled out as a major institutional challenge leading to poor performance of irrigation schemes. The diversity of schemes means that different kinds of interventions are needed to respond to varying farmers’ needs, resources and agricultural contexts. These findings point to the need to balance the soft and hard components of the irrigation schemes for sustainability. It is therefore evident that the government needs to review its priorities in revitalisation of SIS. Land tenure policies allowing increased access to arable land need to be developed urgently, together with the promotion of alternative cropping systems that are suitable forthe smallholder farming sector.

Genetic variability of faba bean genotypes for chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae) resistance and yield

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) has high utility as a food and soil fertility improving crop. One of the major fungal pathogens of faba bean is Botrytis fabae, the causative agent of chocolate spot. The disease affects significantly the leaf, stem, pod and seed of faba bean compromise its productivity in the smallholder farming sector. Nonetheless, there are limited resistant/tolerant faba bean varieties available and disease control technology options. Therefore, it was prudent to evaluate faba bean landraces for chocolate spot resistance. Fifty landraces together with ten improved varieties were evaluated both in the field and in the greenhouse under natural and artificial inoculation with previously selected aggressive Botrytis fabae isolate (Iso-016) from West Gojjam, in Ethiopia. There were highly significant differences (p < 0.001) among the landraces for reaction to the disease and agronomic traits. Significant positive correlation was recorded between reaction of genotypes in the field and greenhouse disease data. The overall mean disease epidemics varied from 92.5 to 697.5 for the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC). The highest level of resistance was found in the ICARDA lines, ILB-4726, ILB-938 and BPL-710. Of all 18 landrace collections displayed significantly lower disease reaction than the susceptible check. However the resistance was moderate. The selected eighteen landraces will be recommended for use in breeding for chocolate resistance. Overall, resistance was highly heritable, suggesting that phenotypic selection can be exploited to improve chocolate spot resistance in faba bean varieties.

Mapping cassava food value chains in Tanzania's smallholder farming sector: The implications of intra-household gender dynamics

A gendered mapping of the structure and coordination (functioning) of traditional cassava value chains is important for marginalized groups such as women in rural development. In contrast to global high value chains, traditional food value chains and associated gender relations as well as power dynamics within households have received little attention. We conducted a cross sectional study in Kigoma, Mwanza, the coastal region, and Zanzibar Island in Tanzania. Data were collected through structured interviews conducted with 228 farmers, combined with key informant interviews, direct observations, repeated household visits, and literature review. The results of the study revealed that there are weak linkages within the cassava value chain, which is highly gendered. While production and processing nodes of the chain, which commenced from villages, were dominated by women and children, women were not well-integrated within high value nodes such as marketing in urban areas and cross-border trading, which were dominated by men. Transportation of cassava to highly lucrative markets was also dominated by men. Cassava processing was conducted at the household level as well as within small-scale cooperatives, with the major portion of this work being done by women. Supporting institutions were found to be involved in the supply of planting material, training, and the provision of processing equipment. In general, men played a prominent role in the control of resources, marketing, and income. In conclusion, the mapping of cassava value chains could help to identify avenues for understanding of poverty, enhancing food security, upgrading capacities, reducing gender inequality, and enhancing women's participation in marketing and income control in the cassava value chains.