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A socio-economic survey of the Amatola Basin: interim report / Development Studies Working Paper, no. 2Bekker, S B, De Wet, C, Manona, C W January 1981 (has links)
Early in 1981, Professor S. Bekker of Rhodes University was invited to attend a meeting of the Amatola Basin Steering Committee of the Agricultural and Rural Development Research Institute (ARDRI) at the University of Fort Hare. At this meeting, Professor Bekker was invited to undertake a socio-economic survey of the Amatola Basin. The Board of the Institute of Social and Economic Research at Rhodes University gave Professor Bekker permission in February 1981 to undertake the research project on condition that it was conducted in the fashion this Institute usually requires. It was subsequently agreed that the survey, known as 'Amatola Basin VII: Socio-economic survey', was to establish the basic demographic, kinship, consumption and employment patterns of the residents of the Amatola Basin. Practices and traditions related to dry land agriculture would also be identified / Digitised by Rhodes University Library on behalf of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)
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The socio-cultural factors affecting the participation of women in agricultural development: Khezana village in Alice districtMajali, Vuyiseka January 2012 (has links)
The study sought to investigate socio-cultural factors that contribute to the invisibility of women in agricultural activities at Khwezana village, Alice district. The present study was underpinned by a people’s –centered developmental approach paired with the feminist perspective based of ethnographic research methods, participant observation and basic individual interviews. The study mainly focused on female residents of the village, those who are active in agriculture and also those who are not practicing crop production. Rural women of South Africa have historically played a significant role by contributing in the sustainable livelihoods of the country as well as their communities. However, it has been revealed that there are factors that impede the participation of women in agricultural development. The study revealed that socio-cultural factors such as limited access to land, access to credit (due to tradition and culture circumstances), limited education and culture change in general are the major factors that significantly influence the low agricultural activity in the study village.
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Effect of biochar and phosphorus fertilizer application on selected soil properties and agronomic performance of chickpea (Cicer arietium)Lusibisa, Siphiwe Gloria 05 1900 (has links)
MSCAGR ( Soil Science) / Department of Soil Science / See the attached abstract below
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The physical and social benefits of urban agriculture projects run by non-governmental organisations in Cape TownOlivier, David William 04 1900 (has links)
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Urban agriculture (UA) has always been practised in African urban centres. Only since the turn
of the twentieth century, however, have development researchers turned their attention to its
potential as a sustainable source of food security. Notwithstanding the initial optimism in this
regard, many have questioned whether UA is viable and whether it does deliver the benefits that
many espouse. This is because most of the benefits are evaluated in terms of their economic
viability or amount of produce grown to sustain a family, and often ignore what benefits may be
found beyond this. What this dissertation argues is that there are a range of physical and social
benefits that accrue from UA that cannot necessarily be measured. Research on the ground
suggests that the benefits of UA are more complex than supposed, as confirmed by a number of
qualitative case studies on UA in Africa.
Much attention is given to the food security and income dimensions of UA. There are, however,
also ecological, empowerment and gender dimensions. Throughout Africa, UA is used primarily
for food and economic security, through eating produce and trading it on the informal market.
The economic benefits of UA, however, are least available to the poor and to women, due
primarily to resource limitations, tenure insecurity and patriarchal cultures. While such findings
suggest that the benefits of UA bypass those who need them most, it is found that these
limitations may be overcome with support from non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
NGOs play a key role in promoting sustainable livelihoods. This is achieved through injections
of resources and investing in human and social capital. In Cape Town, UA has been supported
by NGOs for many years. More recently, local government has supported this effort with a UA
policy that legitimises public support through resource donations and the provision of land. The
question this dissertation sought to investigate was to what extent UA is contributing to the
livelihoods of those living in Cape Town‟s largest low-income area, the Cape Flats. As many of
the UA projects in Cape Town are run by NGOs, the focus was on a selection of these projects.
In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were held with NGOs and cultivators
throughout the Cape Flats. Four different types of cultivation feature, namely home cultivators,
cultivation groups, institutional cultivators and garden centres. Home cultivators operate on a
small scale on the property around their dwelling, while cultivation groups and institutional
cultivators use larger tracts of land. Cultivation groups operate independently, usually on council
land, while institutional cultivators cultivate on behalf of the institution whose land they use. All
cultivators are supported by the NGO‟s garden centres, the administrative hub of their UA
programme.
The findings show that some benefits of UA relate largely to the type of UA being practised. For
home cultivators, UA strengthens relationships and expands networks. Institutional plots teach
children to care for the environment. The economic and food security benefits of UA are evident
in formal groups, and NGO-led local garden centres play a supportive role for all cultivators.
Other benefits are felt by all cultivators. For example, cultivators from all types stated that UA
had taught them to eat healthily and to care for the environment, and all cultivators felt an
increased sense of self-worth. Furthermore, all cultivators gave produce away to those around
them. A prerequisite for these benefits, however, is successful cultivation, which is only possible
with the training and support offered by the NGOs.
The findings suggest that NGOs are vital both for ensuring that UA has the greatest impact in
low-income areas and for avoiding the limitations of UA that are evident throughout Africa.
Nevertheless, the uptake and sustainability of UA in Cape Town are limited by bureaucratic
hurdles to land access, limitations of donor funding and widespread attitudes of dependency in
its target areas. It is therefore likely that the expansion of UA in Cape Town will remain slow
until such limitations are addressed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Stedelike landbou (SL) is nog altyd in die stedelike sentrums van Afrika beoefen. Dis egter eers
sedert die begin van die twintigste eeu dat ontwikkelingsnavorsers aandag geskenk het aan SL se
potensiaal as ‟n volhoubare bron van voedselsekerheid. Ondanks die aanvanklike optimisme in
hierdie verband, het baie bevraagteken of SL moontlik is en of dit die voordele wat baie
voorstaan, oplewer. Dit is omdat die meeste van die voordele geëvalueer is in terme van hul
ekonomiese potensiaal of die opbrengs om „n familie te onderhou en ignoreer dikwels watter
ander voordele daar mag wees. Wat hierdie proefskrif betoog is dat SL 'n verskeidenheid fisiese
en sosiale voordele inhou, wat nie noodwendig gemeet kan word nie. Navorsing op grondvlak
dui daarop dat die voordele van SL meer kompleks is as wat veronderstel word, soos bevestig
deur 'n aantal kwalitatiewe gevallestudies van SL in Afrika.
Baie aandag word aan die voedselsekerheid en inkomste dimensies van SL gegee. Daar is egter
ook ekologiese, bemagtigings- en geslagsdimensies. Regdeur Afrika word SL hoofsaaklik vir
voedselsekerheid en inkomste gebruik, deurdat die produkte geëet word en op die informele
mark verhandel word. Arm mense en vroue put egter die minste ekonomiese voordele uit SL,
hoofsaaklik as gevolg van hulpbronbeperkings, verblyfregonsekerheid en patriargale kulture.
Terwyl sulke bevindinge daarop dui dat die voordele van SL diegene omseil wat hulle die
meeste nodig het, is daar gevind dat hierdie beperkings deur ondersteuning van nieregeringsorganisasies
(NRO‟s) oorkom kan word.
NRO‟s speel ‟n belangrike rol in die bevordering van ‟n volhoubare lewensbestaan. Dit word
bereik deur middel van skenkings van hulpbronne en belegging in menslike en sosiale kapitaal.
In Kaapstad is SL vir baie jare al deur NRO‟s ondersteun. Onlangs het die plaaslike regering
hierdie poging ondersteun deur ‟n SL-beleid wat openbare steun deur helpbronskenkings en die
voorsiening van grond legitimeer. Die vraag wat hierdie proefskrif ondersoek het, is in watter
mate SL bydra tot die lewensbestaan van diegene wat in Kaapstad se grootste laeinkomstegebied,
die Kaapse Vlakte, woon. Omdat baie van die SL-projekte in Kaapstad deur
NRO‟s bestuur word, was die fokus op ‟n seleksie van hierdie projekte.
Diepte-onderhoude en fokusgroepgesprekke is met landbouers en NRO‟s dwarsoor die Kaapse
Vlakte gehou. Vier verskillende tipes landbou kom voor, naamlik tuislandbouers,
landbougroepe, institusionele landbouers en tuinsentrums. Tuislandbouers werk op ‟n klein skaal
op die grond rondom om hulle woning, terwyl die landbougroepe en institusionele landbouers
groter stukke grond bewerk. Landbougroepe werk onafhanklik, gewoonlik op grond wat aan die
standsraad behoort, terwyl institusionele landbouers namens die instansie wat se grond hulle
gebruik, verbou. Alle landbouers word deur die NRO-tuinsentrums ondersteun. Hierdie
tuinsentrums dien ook as die administratiewe sentra van die NRO‟s se SL-program.
Die bevindinge toon dat die voordele van SL verband hou met die tipe SL wat beoefen is. Vir die
tuislandbouers versterk SL verhoudings en brei dit netwerke uit. Institusionele tuine leer kinders
om vir die omgewing te sorg. Die ekonomiese en voedselsekerheidsvoordele van SL was
duidelik in formele groepe, en die NRO-tuinsentrums speel ‟n ondersteunende rol vir al drie
tipes. Die landbouers het ook ander voordele ervaar. Byvoorbeeld, alle soorte landbouers het
genoem dat SL hulle geleer het om gesond te eet en vir die omgewing te sorg en ook dat hulle ‟n
verhoogde gevoel van eiewaarde ervaar. Verder het al die landbouers van hulle oes aan mense
rondom hulle weggegee. ‟n Voorvereiste vir hierdie voordele was egter suksesvolle verbouing,
wat net moontlik was met die opleiding en ondersteuning wat deur die NRO‟s aangebied is.
Die bevindinge dui daarop dat NRO‟s noodsaaklik is om te verseker dat SL die grootste impak
in lae-inkomstegebiede kan hê, en om die beperkings van SL wat dwarsdeur Afrika duidelik is,
te vermy. Nogtans word die opname en volhoubaarheid van SL in Kaapstad beperk deur
burokratiese prosedures met betrekking tot toegang tot grond, beperkings van donateurs op
befondsing en ‟n wydverspreide staat van afhanklikheid in die teikengebiede. Dit is dus
waarskynlik dat die uitbreiding van SL in Kaapstad stadig sal bly totdat sodanige beperkings
aangespreek is.
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An investigation into the options and prospects of family farming in South Africa : implications for agricultural policySchulze Ehring, Michael 03 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa the racial and agricultural policies aimed at national food self-sufficiency
created an agricultural structure dominated by large, mechanised farms that are owned and
operated by a small number of individuals or companies. New agricultural policy should
therefore focus more on peasant farming in the subsistence sector in order to promote the
development of sustainable small-scale farming units. The liberalisation of agricultural
markets resulted in a fundamental change of political and economic framework conditions
for the commercial agricultural sector. Failure to adapt has led to significant inefficiency
and financial problems in commercial agriculture.
This thesis initially focuses on the general question of the efficient organisational form of
agriculture. With reference to the German agricultural structure, family farming will be
identified as a superior organisational form and the utility optimal factor allocation of this
organisational form is explained with the aid of the agricultural household theory.
South Africa's agricultural structure is marked by extreme dualism, which was caused by
political intervention in the labour and capital markets. The current liberal agricultural
policy framework makes commercial agriculture in particular seem inefficient and gives
reason to question the current organisational form of South African agriculture.
Besides the basic socio-political objectives, the growth objective is one of the most
important factors in the development of subsistence agriculture. The contribution of
agriculture is not restricted to food production. In fact, the factor contribution is important
in achieving economic growth, especially in developing countries.
Future developments in the South African agricultural sector will be strongly influenced by
the international market. In this respect South Africa, Germany and many other Western
industrialised countries are undergoing a similar transformation process that corresponds
with the spatial agricultural land use in location theory. Location rent implies differing
costs for the use of land, and this is the case for the development of different agricultural
systems depending on their distance from the market. The family farming model can be
considered as having failed in the South African economy, except in some niche markets.
The number of family farms is in fact growing, but there is also a tendency towards more
large-scale industrialised agricultural units. The subsistence sector will remain dominated by family farming in the future, although the
agricultural household represents a kind of survival institution in these areas. Despite all
problems in the subsistence sector, there is no alternative to family farming, and
development of subsistence farming is only foreseeable within the framework of family
farming. Subsistence farming as a social security system could, however, decline in
importance in the future. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika het die klem op voedselselfversorgenheid, wat voortgevloei het uit rasse- en
landbou-beleidsrigtings, veroorsaak dat die landbou struktureel gedomineer is deur groot,
hoogs gemeganiseerde plase wat besit en bedryf is deur 'n klein aantal individue of
maatskappye. Die fokus van landboubeleid in die toekoms behoort dus te wees op
kleinboere om te verseker dat 'n volhoubare struktuur van klein plase daargestel word.
Hierdie verandering moet gepaard gaan met die proses van libelarisering van die
landbousektor, wat fundamentele veranderings in die bedryomgewing van die sektor
teweeg gebring het. Tot op datum het die gebrek aan vordering hiermee verskeie probleme
in die kommersiële sektor tot gevolg gehad.
Hierdie studie begin met die algemene vraag oor die struktuur van 'n doeltreffende
landboustelsel, dus die doeltreffende organisasievorm. Die ondervinding van die Duitse
landbou word gebruik om te wys op die relatiewe doeltreffendheid van die familieboerdery
as kern vorm. Die teorie van die huishouding word gebruik om om te wys op die beter
vermoë van familieboerdery om hulpbronne optimaal te allokeer.
Politieke inmenging in die kapitaal en arbeidsmarkte het aanleiding gegee tot 'n hoë mate
van dualisme in die Suid-Afrikaanse landbousektor. Die bestaande liberale beleid het ook
verskeie ondoeltreffendhede in die kommersiële sektor ontbloot, en dus is daar 'n groter
bevraagtekening van die huidige organisasievorms in die sektor.
Die doelwit van groei blyeen van die belangrikste doelwitte in die landbou, ten spyte van
die heersende klem op basiese sosio-politieke doelstellings. Die bydrae van die landbou
strek verder as bloot voedselverskaffing, en sluit ook in verskeie ander faktorbydraes, veral
in ontwikkelende lande.
Verdere ontwikkelings in die Suid-Afrikaanse landbou sal sterk beinvloed word deur
veranderings in die wêreldmark. In hierdie opsig is Suid-Afrika besig om dieselfde soort
van transformasie te ondergaan as lande soos Duitsland en ander van die nywerheidslande.
Die sterkste invloed sal na verwagting gevoel word in terme van die ligging van landbouproducksie.
Die implikasie is dat afstand van die mark al hoe meer belangrik gaan word in
besluite oor die optimale organisasievorm. In hierdie opsig het Suid-Afrika 'n agterstand as
gevolg van die gebrek aan aandag vir die ontwikkeling van volhoubare familieboerderye.
Ten spyte hiervan groei die aantal familiboerderye teselfdertyd as die groei in die aantal
groot korporatiewe plase, hoofsaaklik as gevolg van die oor-aanbod van arbeid. Die verwagting is dat familiboerdery sal bly domineer in die bestaanssektor, al het dit meer die
aard van 'n laaste uitweg aangeneem vir baie gesinne. Ten spyte van sy probleme, is daar
geen alternatiewe organisasievorm in die ontwikkelende landbou wat ook kan bydra tot die
sukses van die sektor nie. Die verwagting is egter ook dat familieboerdery as sosiale
verskynsel sal afneem in belangrikheid.
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An analysis of the financial implications of different tillage systems within different crop rotations in the Swartland area of the Western Cape, South AfricaKnott, Stuart Charles 04 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The pressure on the world’s natural resources is increased by an expanding global
population. The majority of the growth is expected to take place in Africa and Asia. This
creates the need for sustainable agricultural practices. To sustain food security, the limited
natural resources must be utilised efficiently to optimise agricultural productivity.
Conservation agriculture (CA) is one of the most holistic sustainable agricultural practices
yet. It reduces environmental degradation, and concurrently it could enhance farm
profitability. The practice of CA is able to improve food security while sustaining the
environment for the benefit of future generations of both consumers and producers. A large
proportion of the commercial grain producers in the Western Cape have adopted CA to
varying degrees. A purer form of CA practice is continually pursued to realise its full benefits.
Adoption has taken place in the absence of any policy support framework directed to CA,
and thus, has been market driven. The reasons for and rates of CA adoption in other regions
of the world differed, but was mostly successful, which highlights the driving forces behind
adoption of CA in the Middle Swartland.
The physical/biological benefits of CA are well known. The financial implications of the
various systems within CA, at farm-level are still unknown. This study implements trial data
from Langgewens experimental farm to evaluate the financial implications of various farming
systems over an extended period.
Farm systems are complex, consisting of numerous interrelated components. A whole-farm
budget model is developed within a systems approach to compare various farming systems
designed within CA principles. A trustworthy whole-farm model providing an accurate
representation of a real life farm requires insight across many scientific disciplines. Multidisciplinary
group discussions are used to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge. To
serve as a basis for comparison, the whole-farm model was based on a typical farm within
the Middle Swartland relative homogeneous farming area. Trial data on crop rotations and
tillage systems from Langgewens experimental farm served as starting point for the
research. The data was fitted for use in financial analysis and as input to the typical farm
model. A key role of the inter-disciplinary expert group was to ensure that data and the model
design accurately reflect the underlying physical/biological processes of CA.
The financial evaluation of the various farming systems showed that conventional
agricultural practices of monoculture and deep tillage are financially unsustainable. Farming
systems under conventional tillage returned negative net present values (NPV) and an
internal rate of return on capital investment (IRR) lower than the real interest rate. This
implies that investment in conventional tillage will ultimately lead to financial losses. The
financial benefits of CA are directly related to improved soil health, lower weed and pest
stress and improved yields. The CA farming systems were less susceptible to variations in
external factors, highlighting the resilience of the system that incorporates crop rotation and
no-till. The farming systems operated under conventional practices are expected to be
unsustainable over a long-term period of 20 years. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Opsomming
Die druk op die aarde se natuurlike hulpbronne word verhoog deur ʼn groeiende wêreld
populasie. Die meeste van die groei word verwag in Afrika en Asië. Dit skep die nodigheid vir
volhoubare landboupraktyke. Om voedselsekerheid te volhou moet die beperkte natuurlike
hulpbronne doeltreffend benut word om landbouproduksie te optimeer.
Bewaringslandbou is die mees holistiese volhoubare landboupraktyk tot op hede. Dit
verminder omgewingsdegradasie terwyl boerderywinsgewendheid kan verbeter. Die praktyk
van bewaringslandbou is in staat om voedselsekuriteit te verbeter terwyl die omgewing
onderhou word tot voordeel van toekomstige generasies van beide produsente en
verbruikers. ʼn Groot gedeelte van kommersiële graanprodusente in die Wes-Kaap het
bewaringslandbou teen verskillende intensiteit aangeneem. ʼn Suiwer vorm van
bewaringslandbou word deurlopend nagejaag om die volle voordeel daarvan te benut. Die
aanneming van bewaringsboerdery het sonder regeringsbeleid plaasgevind en was dus
markgedrewe. Bewaringsboerdery is in ander wêrelddele vir verskillende redes aangeneem,
maar was meestal suksesvol. Dit beklemtoon die beweegrede vir die aanneming van
bewaringslandbou in die Middel Swartland.
Die fisies/biologiese voordele van bewaringslandbou is wel bekend. Die finansiële
implikasies van verskillende stelsels binne bewaringslandbou op plaasvlak is nog nie bekend
nie. Hierdie studie gebruik proefdata van Langgewensproefplaas om die finansiële
implikasies van verskillende boerderystelsels oor die langtermyn te evalueer.
Boerderystelsels is kompleks en bestaan uit interafhanklike komponente. ʼn Geheelplaas
begrotingsmodel is binne ʼn stelselsraamwerk ontwikkel om verskillende stelsels wat binne
bewaringslandboubeginsels ontwerp is, te evalueer. ʼn Geloofwaardige geheelplaasmodel
wat ʼn akkurate weerspieëling van realiteit verskaf benodig insig van verskeie wetenskaplike
dissiplines. Multidissiplinêre groepbesprekings is gebruik om die gaping tussen die
verskillende dissiplines te oorbrug. Die basis vir vergelyking wat gebruik is, is ʼn tipiese plaas
in die relatief homogene boerderygebied van die Middel Swartland. Proefdata van
verskillende gewasrotasie- en bewerkingstelsels is as die vertrekpunt vir die studie gebruik.
Die data is pasgemaak vir finansiële ontledings en om te dien as inset vir die
geheelplaasmodelle. ʼn Kern rol van die interdissiplinêre ekspert groep was om te verseker
dat die data en die model-ontwerp die onderliggende beginsels van bewaringslandbou
reflekteer.
Die finansiële evaluasie van die verskillende boerderystelsels wys dat konvensionele
landboupraktyke met monokultuur en diepbewerking nie finansieel volhoubaar is nie.
Boerdery stelsels onder konvensionele bewerking genereer ʼn negatiewe netto huidige
waarde en ʼn opbrengs op kapitaal investering wat laer as die inflasie vlak is. Dit beteken dat investering in konvensionele uiteindelik tot finansiële verlies kan lei. Die finansiële voordele
van bewaringslandbou is direk geassosieer met verbeterde grondgesondheid, laer onkruid
en plaag-druk en beter opbrengste. Die bewaringslandbou boerderystelsels is ook minder
blootgestel aan veranderinge in eksterne faktore wat die gehardheid van die stelsels wat
gewas-wisselbou en geenbewerking inkorporeer, beklemtoon. Die boerderystelsel onder
konvensionele praktyke sal na verwagting nie volhoubaar wees oor ʼn langer periode van 20
jaar nie.
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The use of treated effluent for agricultural irrigation in the Bottelary River area: Effluent quality, farmers perception and potential extent.Rui, Li January 2005 (has links)
The Bottelary River area is located in a Mediterranean climate region, where the agricultural sector plays an important role. During the dry summer season, there is not enough precipitation to meet the agricultural irrigation requirements. Some farmers extract river water which is practically the final treated effluent from the Scottsdene Wastewater Treatment Works to irrigate crops. This research investigated the use of treated effluent for agricultural irrigation in this area, particularly focused on the effluent quality, farmers perception, and the potential extent.
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Assessment of human consumption of wild and cultivated plants in Kanana, a gold mining town in North West ProvinceBubala, Jubilee 22 July 2014 (has links)
This study evaluated potential health risks associated with the consumption of commonly consumed leafy vegetables, Amaranthus hybridus (tepe), Brassica oleracea (cabbage) and Spinacia oleracea (spinach) in the gold mining town of Kanana in North West Province, where these three plants were the most commonly consumed. Structured interviews were conducted with 40 households to determine their socioeconomic status and the consumption patterns of vegetables (cultivated and wild plants). Along with interviews, plant samples were sampled in home gardens and at various harvesting locations in the wild for chemical analysis. Finally, analysis of mercury content in the sampled three leafy vegetable species was performed to ascertain the contributions of the vegetables to the dietary mercury intake among a predominantly young and poor subpopulation of Kanana, which was found to be largely dependent on state welfare grants and on the cultivation and gathering of wild plants for survival.
The study found that all three leafy vegetable species under analysis had mercury concentrations that exceeded the maximum permitted by the World Health Organisation. The highest mean mercury concentrations were found in A. hybridus 0.287μg/g dry mass and the lowest in S. oleracea 0.128μg/g dry mass. Equally, mercury ingestion through the three leafy vegetables by adults in the surveyed subgroups of Kanana exceeded thresholds prescribed by the (2007). Based on consumption patterns, dietary mercury intake by adults exceeded the recommended limits by one order of magnitude, with yearly dose exceeding by as much as four and three orders of magnitude. Long term mercury exposure can cause damage to the central nervous system and chronic intoxication. The surveyed subpopulation is therefore exposed to health risks from mercury toxicity. To ensure food safety and to protect the residents from metal toxicity, awareness programmes are recommended to educate communities living in the vicinity of mines to avoid the areas of highest contamination, such as the artisanal mine dumps and (in this case) the Schoonspruit stream, and to control the artisanal use of mercury. Alternative vegetable gardening methods such as vegetable container gardening using unpolluted soil can also be implemented for the community. In addition, remediation of all the sites where local people cultivate vegetables and gather edible wild plants should be considered where feasible. The insights gained through the study should be used to inform local land use planning and create awareness among personnel from local regulators and development agencies. The insights can also be used to inform environmental management planning processes, risk mitigation and social impact assessment for industries in the region, in particular those involved in mining.
Keywords: consumption patterns, gold mining, human health risk, leafy vegetables, mercury.
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Measuring growth potential: a geo-archaeological study of settlement location selection and associated land management practices in Bokoni, MpumalangaSolomon, Lauren Leontine January 2016 (has links)
A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2016. / The economy of Bokoni was centred on farming, with terrace agriculture playing
a fundamental role in the construction and location of village sites. This
dissertation examined the recursive relationship between soil chemistry and site
location at three Bokoni sites: Doornkop, Khutwaneng and Kranskloof. These
sites represent the three different phases of occupation in Bokoni. Analysis
focused on the correlation of Ca, Mg, K, P, NH4, NO3, CEC and %C to the site
contexts. At a macro scale there are substantial similarities with regards to the
geology and the soil chemistry; suggesting a strong preference for locating village
sites on relatively nutrient rich clay soils. On a more localised scale chemical
analysis of the different contexts of these sites (i.e. domestic areas, central
enclosures, terraces and non-archaeological areas) explored the agricultural
potential of the soil in the various areas. These analyses showed a distinct
difference in agricultural potential of soils in stone walled areas. This profile was
the result of the nutrient contribution from the underlying soils in combination
with either enrichment at the time of occupation, or the ongoing influence of the
stone walled structures on the soils. The enrichment of soil in residential sites,
whether intentional or accidental, could explain why Bokoni villagers continually
reused sites during the earlier part of the sequence, before violence repeatedly
disrupted settlement, and thus choice of settlement location, in the area. / LG2017
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The use of treated effluent for agricultural irrigation in the Bottelary River area: Effluent quality, farmers perception and potential extent.Rui, Li January 2005 (has links)
The Bottelary River area is located in a Mediterranean climate region, where the agricultural sector plays an important role. During the dry summer season, there is not enough precipitation to meet the agricultural irrigation requirements. Some farmers extract river water which is practically the final treated effluent from the Scottsdene Wastewater Treatment Works to irrigate crops. This research investigated the use of treated effluent for agricultural irrigation in this area, particularly focused on the effluent quality, farmers perception, and the potential extent.
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