Runtom i världen finns många modeller, mål och visioner för en hållbar utveckling, och många av dessa kan kopplas till jordbruk. Livsmedelsproduktion är en av de viktigaste industrierna vi har och är även källan till en stor del av utsläpp, färskvattenanvändning, övergödning och annan problematik kring miljö, ekonomi, levnadsvillkor och mycket mer. För att säkra en hållbar utveckling för samhället i stort är alltså produktionen av mat en viktig pusselbit, men utvecklingen de senaste hundra åren har gått mot en intensifiering, globalisering och mekanisering av jordbruket utan dess like. Som en motreaktion på detta har flera alternativa livsmedelssystem utvecklats med olika skalor, utgångspunkter och resultat. Ett av dessa system är konceptet Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), eller andelsjordbruk som det kallas på svenska. Konceptet utvecklades redan på 60-talet i Europa och Japan och kom till USA på 80-talet där det sedan dess har expanderat enormt, men i Sverige är det fortfarande relativt nytt och kunskapen kring andelsjordbruk är liten. De flesta av det 50-tal CSA-gårdar som finns i landet har tillkommit de senaste åren och för konsumenter, lagstiftare och jordbrukare finns ännu inte det forskningsunderlag som krävs för att fatta beslut kring och släppa fram utvecklingen av konceptet. Detta arbete ämnar att lyfta fram de sätt som CSA-modellen kan bidra till en hållbar utveckling. Detta genom att genomföra en litteraturstudie om modellen och hållbara livsmedelssystem i allmänhet och sedan koppla resultaten till de uppsatta målen för hållbar utveckling som finns på global, nationell och lokal nivå. Från resultaten görs även jämförelser med en fallstudie-referens, CSA-gården Under Tallarna i Södertälje. Resultaten indikerar att CSA har mycket att bidra med i flera aspekter av hållbar utveckling. Utöver hållbar produktion av livsmedel finns det nyttor bland annat inom hälsa, ekonomi, utveckling av landsbygd, lokalsamhällen och kultur. För att uppnå de satta hållbarhetsmålen krävs en omställning av livsmedelssystemet och det konventionella jordbruket i dess kärna. Resultatet av studien visar att CSA-konceptet, med stöd från intressenter i och kring livsmedelssystemet, har potential att möjliggöra en sådan omställning. / Around the world there are many models, goals and visions for sustainable development, and many of these can be linked to agriculture. Food is vital for humans and thus food production is one of the most important industries we have. It is also the source of a large part of emissions, fresh water use, eutrophication and other problems concerning the environment, economy, living conditions and much more. Thus, to ensure sustainable development for society as a whole, sustainable food systems are an important piece of the puzzle, but the development over the past hundred years has gone towards an intensification, globalization and mechanization of agriculture like never before. As a response to this, several alternative food systems have been developed with different scales, starting points and results. One of these systems is the concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) (Swe. Andelsjordbruk). The concept was developed in the 1960s in Europe and Japan and came to the USA in the 80s where since then the number of CSA-farms has increased to thousands, but in Sweden it is still relatively new and the knowledge about this form of cooperative agriculture is small. Most of the 50 or so CSA farms in the country have started in recent years and for consumers, legislators, and farmers, the research that has been done in other countries has yet to be done in Sweden in order to allow them to make decisions and open up for further development of the concept. This work aims to highlight the ways in which the CSA model can contribute to sustainable development. This is done by conducting a literature study of the model and sustainable food systems in general and then linking the results to the set goals for sustainable development that exist at global, national and local level. Aswell as comparing to a case study reference, a CSA-farm in Södertälje called Under Tallarna. The results indicate that CSA has much to contribute in several aspects of sustainable development. In addition to sustainable production of food, there are benefits, for example, in health, economy, development of rural areas, local communities, and culture. Achieving the set sustainability goals requires a transformation of the current food system and the conventional agriculture at its core. The result of the study shows that the CSA concept, with the support of stakeholders throughout the food system, has the potential to facilitate such a transition.

Water is the source of life. Leonardo da Vinci, constructor of the drainage system of a swamp area north of Rome, said that “water is the blood of the soil”. Without water there is not fertile soil and without any of them there is no harvest. Sustainable Agriculture Management is all about how to develop and improve the use of different resources to make agriculture more sustainable. This study is about how to apply this concept into the study area. The Balkhash Lake is among the biggest lakes on earth, but due to unreasonable water utilization, the lake is facing the same fate as the Aral Sea. The lake belongs to the Ili Balkhash Basin IBB that is shared by two countries; Kazakhstan and China. Most of the water (around 80%), that feed the lake, come with the Ili River that is born on the Chinese side. Most of the water is used for agriculture purposes. Now the Chinese Government want to increase the irrigated area and develop more projects that require more water. If this is done without any improvement in the agriculture management, the IBB is under threat. The irrigation systems in the study area are very precarious. The farmers are isolated with almost no possibility to participate in the development process. The government is not interested in any research in water issues and the information that can be found about water consumption and cultivated area are proven to be far from reality. A difficult situation facing the above mention problematic. The agriculture area can grow but the water management in the Upper Ili Basin needs to be reviewed and improved. Just by doing small changes like changing rice cultivation for a crop with a higher water productivity the amount of water that can be saved is considerable. Or by importing virtual water from a region with a higher water productivity. But first a general recognition from the Chinese side about water shortage is necessary. The Ili Balkhash Basin can be sustainable if it is treated as a whole. The boundaries of the system need to be set around the whole basin. A partial view of the basin can be dangerous and jeopardize the subsistence of the natural environment of the area. When the carrying capacity of the basin is measured, the only way to grow is under this threshold. In this case, by improving water productivity with better agriculture management.

El tomate nativo peruano forma parte de la agrobiodiversidad del Perú, actualmente su conservación y producción la llevan a cabo los agricultores, quienes lo acogen como parte de sus otros cultivos luego de que las semillas de estas especies de tomate nativas caen en sus chacras o huertos. La preocupación que se tiene es que debido a la falta de cultivo y a las condiciones climáticas del Perú estas no se conserven adecuadamente. Es por lo que, a raíz de esta problemática, se desarrolló una investigación de tipo experimental, mediante la implementación de un Sistema IoT, con el fin de conservar mejor estas especies en un ambiente que ofrezca mayor control y monitoreo en tiempo real. Este consistió en el desarrollo de un circuito el cual fue colocado dentro de la Greenhouse, el cual tenía conectado sensores y actuadores, este emitía los datos captados por los sensores y el estado de los actuadores hacia un aplicativo móvil. Este proyecto se realizó con un cultivo de 5 ejemplares de Solanum lycopersicum variedad Cerasiforme, con el cual se obtuvo un rendimiento mayor de un 4.17% por parte del grupo experimental. / The Peruvian native tomato is part of the agrobiodiversity of Peru, currently its conservation and production is carried out by farmers, who welcome it as part of their other crops after the seeds of these native tomato species fall on their farms or orchards. The concern is that due to the lack of cultivation and the climatic conditions of Peru, these are not properly preserved. That is why, as a result of this problem, an experimental type of research was demonstrated, through the implementation of an IoT System, in order to conserve better species in an environment that offers greater control and monitoring in real time. This will consist of the development of a circuit which was placed inside the Greenhouse, which had sensors and actuators connected, this would emit the data captured by the sensors and the status of the actuators to a mobile application. This project was carried out with a culture of 5 specimens of Solanum lycopersicum variety Cerasiforme, with which a yield greater than 4.17% was obtained by the experimental group.

As climate change continues to increase global temperatures and change precipitation patterns, water systems have come under increased pressure, especially from the agricultural sector. These climate effects on agricultural systems have been found to be much greater for small-scale producers and small-island developing nations. As such, the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean island nation with a deep agricultural culture dominated by small-scale farms is especially vulnerable. As a result, there has been a global call to promote more precise and efficient irrigation practices, such as drip irrigation systems, however, these systems most often require an external energy source. With one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas being energy production, renewable energy should be used to truly have a sustainable irrigation system. Solar-powered drip irrigation systems (SDIS) have been heavily researched and been found to be technically feasible and economically viable, however, the techno-economically optimal configuration is highly dependent on the context in which they are applied. Therefore, this thesis aims to research and present a techno-economically optimal design methodology for SDISs for small-scale Dominican farms. To do so, firstly an in-depth literature review and market analysis were conducted where it was found that a fixed PV array coupled with an AC-powered, variable speed pump should be used. Additionally, the exact pump should be chosen from those locally available that best match the drip irrigation system head and flow rate characteristics. However, the literature pointed to no clear conclusion regarding if and what type of energy storage is best for SDIS. Thus, using the case study of a 1, 2, and 3 ha plot of plantains at Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal (CEBIVE) located on the outskirts of Santo Domingo, the minimum-sized feasible configuration options for a direct-driven SDIS (no storage) along with a battery bank and an elevated water tank were found. These configurations were sized using developed algorithms in Python that used hourly historical weather data from 2010 through 2023 and compared according to their respective net present costs (NPC) over 25 years and initial investment costs. Overall, it was found that for a 2 and 3-ha farm plot size, a direct-driven system was techno-economically optimal. Meanwhile, for a 1 ha farm plot, although the direct-driven system minimizes the SDIS systems NPC, the initial investment cost was found to be minimal for one of the feasible battery configurations (2 350W PV panels plus 1 kWh of lithium-ion battery capacity). In this case, the NPC of the battery configuration was 36.8% more than the direct-drive system, however the initial investment cost was 15.7% less. Ultimately, the use of direct drive versus a lithium-ion battery bank in an SDIS system for Dominican farms under 1 ha depends on the available capital resources of the farmer and whether they are able to put up sufficient initial capital or would rather pay less upfront and more over time. Noting that the sizing of the feasible SDIS configuration was conducted using historical weather data and climate change is expected to increase temperatures and change precipitation patterns in the future, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to gauge the impact of using historical data on the drawn conclusions. The analysis found that the decision as to what type of energy storage to use in an SDIS is not affected by accounting for climate change. However, using historical data to size an SDIS affected by climate change would likely result in an undersized system, given the predicted lifespan of 25 years of such a system. As such, additional research is needed to properly account for climate change effects in proper sizing techniques for SDIS systems for the Dominican Republic. Furthermore, future research should be focused on determining for larger Dominican farms whether multiple small-scale SDIS systems studied in this research or a large SDIS system should be implemented and whether such a system has a different techno-economical design. / När klimatförändringarna fortsätter att öka de globala temperaturerna och förändra nederbördsmönstren, har vattensystemen hamnat under ökat tryck, särskilt från jordbrukssektorn. Dessa klimateffekter på jordbrukssystem har visat sig vara mycket större för småskaliga producenter och små ö-nationer i utveckling. Som sådan är Dominikanska republiken, en karibisk ö-nation med en djup jordbrukskultur dominerad av småskaliga gårdar, särskilt sårbar. Som ett resultat har det funnits en global uppmaning att främja mer precisa och effektiva bevattningsmetoder, såsom droppbevattningssystem. Dock kräver dessa system oftast en extern energikälla. Eftersom energiproduktionen är en av de största bidragsgivarna till växthusgaser, bör förnybar energi användas för att verkligen ha ett hållbart bevattningssystem. Solkraftdrivna droppbevattningssystem (SDIS) har undersökts grundligt och visat sig vara tekniskt genomförbara och ekonomiskt lönsamma, men den tecno-ekonomiskt optimala konfigurationen är starkt beroende av sammanhanget där de tillämpas. Därför syftar denna avhandling till att undersöka och presentera en tecno-ekonomiskt optimal designmetod för SDIS för småskaliga dominikanska gårdar. För att göra detta genomfördes först en djupgående litteraturöversikt och marknadsanalys där det konstaterades att en fast PV-matris kopplad till en AC-driven variabel hastighetspump bör användas. Dessutom bör den exakta pumpen väljas från de lokalt tillgängliga som bäst matchar droppbevattningssystemets huvud- och flödesegenskaper. Dock pekade litteraturen inte på någon tydlig slutsats om ifall och vilken typ av energilagring som är bäst för SDIS. Därför, med hjälp av en fallstudie av en 1, 2 och 3 hektar stor platanodling vid Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal (CEBIVE) beläget i utkanten av Santo Domingo, fann man de minimistorlekar för möjliga konfigurationsalternativ för ett direktdrivet SDIS (utan lagring) tillsammans med ett batteripaket och en upphöjd vattentank. Dessa konfigurationer dimensionerades med hjälp av utvecklade algoritmer i Python som använde timvisa historiska väderdata från 2010 till 2023 och jämfördes enligt deras respektive nuvärdeskostnader (NPC) över 25 år och initiala investeringskostnader. Totalt sett fann man att för en gårdsplott på 2 och 3 hektar var ett direktdrivet system tecno-ekonomiskt optimalt. Samtidigt, för en gårdsplott på 1 hektar, även om det direktdrivna systemet minimerar SDIS-systemets NPC, fann man att den initiala investeringskostnaden var minimal för en av de möjliga batterikonfigurationerna (2 350W PV-paneler plus 1 kWh litiumjonbatterikapacitet). I detta fall var NPC för batterikonfigurationen 36,8% mer än det direktdrivna systemet, men den initiala investeringskostnaden var 15,7% mindre. I slutändan beror användningen av direktdrift jämfört med ett litiumjonbatteripaket i ett SDIS-system för dominikanska gårdar under 1 hektar på de tillgängliga kapitalresurserna hos jordbrukaren och om de kan ställa upp tillräckligt initialt kapital eller föredrar att betala mindre i början och mer över tid. Med tanke på att dimensioneringen av den genomförbara SDIS-konfigurationen genomfördes med hjälp av historiska väderdata och att klimatförändringar förväntas öka temperaturerna och förändra nederbördsmönstren i framtiden, genomfördes en känslighetsanalys för att bedöma effekten av att använda historiska data på de dragna slutsatserna. Denna analys visade att beslutet om ifall och vilken typ av energilagring som ska användas i ett SDIS inte påverkades, men att använda historiska data för att  dimensionera ett SDIS skulle troligen resultera i ett underdimensionerat system med tanke på livslängden på 25 år. Därför behövs ytterligare forskning för att korrekt ta hänsyn till klimatförändringseffekter i lämpliga dimensioneringstekniker för SDIS-system för Dominikanska republiken. Dessutom bör framtida forskning fokusera på att avgöra om för större dominikanska gårdar flera småskaliga SDIS-system som studerats i denna forskning eller ett stort SDIS-system bör implementeras och om ett sådant system har en annan tecno-ekonomisk design. / A medida que el cambio climático continúa aumentando las temperaturas globales y alterando los patrones de precipitación, los sistemas hídricos han estado bajo una mayor presión, especialmente desde el sector agrícola. Se ha encontrado que estos efectos climáticos en los sistemas agrícolas son mucho mayores para los pequeños productores y las naciones insulares en desarrollo. Por lo tanto, la República Dominicana, una nación insular del Caribe con una profunda cultura agrícola dominada por pequeñas fincas, es especialmente vulnerable. Como resultado, ha habido un llamado global para promover prácticas de riego más precisas y eficientes, como los sistemas de riego por goteo, sin embargo, estos sistemas a menudo requieren una fuente de energía externa. Siendo la producción de energía una de las mayores contribuyentes a los gases de efecto invernadero, se debe utilizar energía renovable para tener un sistema de riego verdaderamente sostenible. Los sistemas de riego por goteo alimentados por energía solar (SDIS) han sido ampliamente investigados y se ha encontrado que son técnicamente factibles y económicamente viables, sin embargo, la configuración óptima desde el punto de vista tecno-económico depende en gran medida del contexto en el que se aplican. Por lo tanto, esta tesis tiene como objetivo investigar y presentar una metodología de diseño tecno-económicamente óptima para SDIS en pequeñas fincas dominicanas. Para hacerlo, primero se realizó una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura y un análisis de mercado donde se encontró que se debería utilizar una matriz fotovoltaica fija acoplada con una bomba de velocidad variable alimentada por corriente alterna. Además, la bomba exacta debe ser elegida entre las disponibles localmente que mejor se adapten a las características de la cabeza y el caudal del sistema de riego por goteo. Sin embargo, la literatura no señaló una conclusión clara sobre sí y qué tipo de almacenamiento de energía es mejor para SDIS. Por lo tanto, utilizando el estudio de caso de una parcela de 1, 2 y 3 hectáreas de plátanos en el Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal (CEBIVE) ubicado en las afueras de Santo Domingo, se encontraron las opciones de configuración mínima viable para un SDIS de accionamiento directo (sin almacenamiento) junto con un banco de baterías y un tanque de agua elevado. Estas configuraciones fueron dimensionadas utilizando algoritmos desarrollados en Python que utilizaron datos meteorológicos históricos por hora desde 2010 hasta 2023 y se compararon según sus respectivos costos netos presentes (CNP) durante 25 años y los costos de inversión inicial. En general, se encontró que para una parcela de 2 y 3 hectáreas, un sistema de accionamiento directo era tecno-económicamente óptimo. Mientras tanto, para una parcela de 1 hectárea, aunque el sistema de accionamiento directo minimiza el CNP de los sistemas SDIS, se encontró que el costo de inversión inicial era mínimo para una de las configuraciones de batería viables (2 paneles fotovoltaicos de 350W más 1 kWh de capacidad de batería de iones de litio). En este caso, el CNP de la configuración de la batería era 36.8% más que el sistema de accionamiento directo, sin embargo, el costo de inversión inicial era 15.7% menos. En última instancia, el uso de un sistema de accionamiento directo frente a un banco de baterías de iones de litio en un sistema SDIS para fincas dominicanas de menos de 1 hectárea depende de los recursos de capital disponibles del agricultor y si pueden aportar suficiente capital inicial o prefieren pagar menos al principio y más con el tiempo. Teniendo en cuenta que el dimensionamiento de la configuración viable de SDIS se realizó utilizando datos meteorológicos históricos, y pronosticando que el cambio climático aumente las temperaturas y cambie los patrones de precipitación en el futuro, se realizó un análisis de sensibilidad para evaluar el impacto de utilizar datos históricos en las conclusiones obtenidas. Este análisis concluyó que la decisión sobre qué tipo de almacenamiento de energía utilizar en un SDIS no se ve afectada por el cambio climático. Sin embargo, el uso de datos históricos para dimensionar un SDIS afectado por el cambio climático probablemente daría lugar a un sistema subdimensionado, dada la vida útil prevista de 25 años de dicho sistema. Por lo tanto, es necesario seguir investigando para tener en cuenta los efectos del cambio climático en las técnicas de dimensionamiento de los sistemas SDIS en la República Dominicana. Además, la investigación futura debería centrarse en determinar, para las fincas dominicanas de mayor tamaño, si deberían implantarse múltiples sistemas SDIS a pequeña escala estudiados en esta investigación o un gran sistema SDIS, y si dicho sistema tiene un diseño tecno-económico diferente.

Most smallholder farmers in South Africa are characterized by poor resources such as land, labour and capital while they play an important role in poverty alleviation especially in poor rural areas. Smallholder farmers are increasingly recognized because of their contribution to household food security. The world markets are increasingly being integrated due to globalization and liberalization. As a result, smallholder farmers are facing increasing market competition, not only in international markets but in local markets as well. However, smallholder farmers often face a number of barriers to accessing these markets arising in part from the tightening of food safety and quality standards requiring compliance with phytosanitary and sanitary standards and growing power of supply chain integration. Furthermore, the viability of these smallholder producers is constrained by institutional obstacles which include lack of access to information, high marketing and transaction costs and low quality and lack of critical volume in the absence of bulking up arrangements, etc. These barriers have contributed to the exclusion of smallholder/small-scale farmers from formal markets. In order to address these obstacles and speed up the pace of agrarian reform many support schemes (farmer support programmes) are now being designed to specifically address market access and value chain issues through unique co-innovation arrangements to improve the farmer’s access to profitable international chains. A number of farmer support programmes (FSP) have been implemented in South Africa to reduce the risk of a lack of capacity and a lack of economic and/or financial experience in smallholder farms. Intervention measures have been instituted to these smallholder farmers to assist them to move out of poverty through agricultural production. The aim of this study was to understand the roles played by farmer support programmes in addressing income and welfare levels and sustainability of smallholder farmers in South Africa. Eighty nine (89) farmers were interviewed for this study and almost half (49%) of them received support from various organizations while 51% of the sampled farmers did not receive any support. The study was designed to compare the two groups between the treated and control group to assess the impact of these programmes.Using a Tobit and Propensity Score Matching technique, potential diffusion effects were eliminated between farmers supported by Farmer Support Programmes and farmers that did not belong to support services. The latter was selected from comparable communities with no agricultural support services. Findings from the Tobit regression and propensity score matching are consistent across the two methods, suggesting that being a member of any agricultural support programme has a significant positive impact on income and welfare of smallholder farmers.Farmer Support Programmes and collective marketing activities such as the collection and sale of members’ products appear to have a significant and positive impact on smallholder welfare of those farmers engaged in them. In the second analysis the study tested the types of arrangements that farmers would adopt to market their produce. From the results it was established that those farmers who were supported by institutional arrangements or FSP had better access to markets than those farmers who operated as individuals. Marginal effects are used to show the degree to which farmers chose a particular marketing channel or institutional arrangement that these farmers take when trying to access better paying markets. Then the final analysis is on factors that determine the extent to which collective action contribute to farmers’ income and market access. A number of variables (age, distance to the market, region the farmers are located) were evaluated using the multinomial regression model. Empirical results suggest that among South African cooperatives, those established in KwaZulu-Natal and partly in the Eastern Cape and upon the voluntary initiative of farmers are more sustainable and have access to better paying markets both locally and internationally than the other areas. The results also show that NGO-supported cooperatives have a longer life span than Government controlled cooperatives.

No description available.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Local food systems are growing in scope and impact in communities around the world in an attempt to solve many of the environmental, social, and economic costs of global food production and conventional food chains. Communities may attain greater sustainability by reconfiguring their relationship to agriculture and food but critics of local food systems doubt its ability to fundamentally change the predominant global agricultural system due in part to the limited transformative range. Furthermore, local food systems are often viewed in reference to “food miles”, a concept that is oversimplified and ignores the complexity of food supply chains. This paper is motivated by these larger debates about local food systems and addresses a local food system in Portland, Oregon. The research for this paper is based on interviews conducted in the restaurant and farming sectors in the Portland area in an effort to learn what motivates restaurants and farms to engage in local partnerships, the challenges and opportunities they face selling and buying local food, and the practices along their food supply chains. The objective of this study is to understand the degree to which restaurant farm partnerships in Portland are supporting a sustainable local food system and to help identify strategies and opportunities for more restaurants and farms to engage in local partnerships. Furthermore, this research provides pragmatic examples for other communities interested in stimulating a local food system based on direct marketing. The findings of this study suggest Portland’s restaurant farm partnerships are making a small, yet significant effort to encourage innovative environmental and social practices, address the sustainability of urban and rural Portland, and deepen the food miles debate. Further efforts need to be made by the restaurant farm partnerships in Portland to expand on restaurant’s sustainable practices, find more innovative transportation means, and improve consumer education.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis uses local narratives to explore relationships between agrarian landscapes, agrarian land use practices and the traditional cultural perspectives of traditional amaMpondo farming communities living along Pondoland‟s Wild Coast, on the East Coast of South Africa. This endeavour is based on theories that propose that human behaviour, including agrarian practice, is influenced by complex socio-cultural factors that shape cultural values, knowledge and world-views, and that are reflected in cultural narratives, and these influence the way different cultures relate to the surrounding environment. As a consequence of these cultural influences, different cultures use and shape the landscape in unique, culturally determined ways. Consequently, in human impacted landscapes attention needs to be paid to how cultural world-views, practices, customs and value systems influence the land use practices of the people inhabiting those landscapes. Amongst traditional communities with a long history of habitation within particular landscapes, traditional land use practices and customs, including agrarian practices, need to be understood from the perspective of the opportunities and constraints that particular environments present. Literature shows that a failure to understand relationships between culture and land use can led to the imposition of unsuitable development practices and policy on traditional cultures, and this can undermine cultural, agricultural and ecological diversity and lead to unsustainable models of development (Naveh, 1995; Antrop, 2005; Antrop, 2000; Capra, 2003; Capra, 1996; Nusser, 2001; Harding, S. 2006). Given the need to address development and agricultural practices that perpetuate unsustainable land use, an understanding of the nature of influencing relationships between landscape, land use and culture is particularly important Despite the debilitating influences of a colonial history, many rural communities along the Pondoland Wild Coast still retain a strong sense of cultural identity that has deep roots in a traditional agrarian system, and this has given rise to a unique indigenous landscape. This study of traditional amaMpondo farming communities presents an opportunity to gain insights into how different cultural perspectives might shape and utilize the landscape and lead to alternative land use systems than the dominant industrial norm. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis gebruik plaaslike narratiewe om die verhoudings tussen agrariese landskappe, landbou grondgebruik en die tradisionele kulturele perspektiewe van tradisionele amaMpondo boerdery gemeenskappe wat langs die Pondolandse Wildekus, aan die ooskus van Suid-Afrika voorkom te verken. Hierdie strewe is gebaseer op teorieë wat voorstel dat menslike gedrag, insluitende agrariese praktyk, beïnvloed word deur die komplekse sosio-kulturele faktore wat kulturele waardes, kennis en wêreldbeskouings vorm, en wat weerspieël word in die kulturele verhale, wat dan weer invloed het op die wyse waarop die verskillende kulture verband hou met die omliggende omgewing. As gevolg van hierdie kulturele invloede, maak verskillende kulture in unieke, kultureel bepaalde wyse gebruik van die landskap. Gevolglik, in landskappe wat deur die mens beïnvloed word, moet aandag geskenk word aan hoe kulturele wêreldbeskouings, praktyke, gewoontes en die waarde stelsels die mense in hierdie provinsies se landgebruik be-invloed. Tradisionele praktyke en kulture waaronder agrariese praktyke ingesluit is, moet in die tradisionele gemeenskappe wat 'n lang geskiedenis het van habitasie binne bepaalde landstreke, verstaan word vanuit die perspektief van geleenthede en beperkings wat hierdie besondere omgewings verteenwoordig. Litteratuur toon dat die versuim om die verhoudings tussen kultuur en grondgebruik te verstaan, kan lei tot die oplegging van ongeskikte ontwikkelings praktyke en beleid op tradisionele kulture. Dit kan' n kultuur-, landbou-en ekologiese diversiteit ondermyn en lei tot onvolhoubare modelle van ontwikkeling (Naveh, 1995; Antrop, 2005; Antrop, 2000, Capra, 2003; Capra, 1996; Nusser, 2001; Harding, S. 2006). Om die behoefte te vul wat ontwikkeling en landbou-praktyke wat nie-volhoubare grondgebruik perpetueer, is 'n goeie begrip van die aard van die beïnvloedings verhoudings tussen landskap, grondgebruik en kultuur veral belangrik. Ten spyte van die kreupelende invloed van 'n koloniale geskiedenis, het baie landelike gemeenskappe langs die Wildekus van Pondoland nog steeds' n sterk gevoel van kulturele identiteit wat diep wortels in 'n tradisionele agrariese stelsel het. Dit het aanleiding gegee tot' n unieke inheemse landskap. Hierdie studie van die tradisionele amaMpondo boerdery gemeenskappe bied 'n geleentheid aan om insig te verkry in hoe verskillende kulturele perspektiewe van die landskap kan vorm en gebruik maak en lei tot' n alternatiewe grondgebruik as die dominante industriële norm.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The main aims of this thesis were to assess the sustainability of the original Green Revolution (GR) farming methods for small-scale farmers in developing countries, to identify alternative farming methods which may be more sustainable and to comment on the New GR for Africa, currently being promoted by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). A key element of the thesis was primary research done in India, in order to gather the experience of selected small-scale farmers in that country who had converted from GR to low-external input farming methods. The experience of the farmers in India was used to highlight points made in the thesis. Both primary and secondary data were used to inform the study. Firstly, a literature review was conducted in order to assess the original GR, identify alternative farming methods and gather information on the New GR for Africa. In order to assess sustainability, a framework was developed which defined sustainability at a global level and also at the level of the individual small-scale farmer. This framework was based on a discussion of sustainable development and the sustainable livelihoods approach. Key elements of GR and alternative farming methods were identified and assessed according to this framework. Secondly, primary data was gathered in India from a group of small-scale farmers who had taken part in a programme by a nongovernmental organisation called Dharamitra. The data was collected through semistructured interviews and participant observation techniques. This data was used in order to illustrate points made in the literature review. The study concluded that many elements of farming methods from the original GR are unsustainable, both globally and at the level of the small-scale farmer. The main findings were that GR farming methods caused damage to the environment and in particular made small-scale farmers reliant on external inputs. Alternative farming methods which used organic and low external input approaches were found to enhance and preserve the environment, while at the same time being more affordable for small-scale farmers. The experience of the farmers interviewed in India confirmed these findings and provided a useful illustration of concepts presented from the literature review. Lastly, the New GR for Africa was found to present elements of the original GR which are unsustainable for small-scale farmers, especially in terms of the reliance that would be created on external inputs. The study concluded with recommendations around the need to promote farming methods to small-scale farmers which promote better care of the environment and are better able to promote sustainable livelihoods, namely organic or low external input methods. Recommendations were also made regarding the need for further research into the influence of AGRA’s policies and documentation of sustainable farming practices in Africa.

Thesis ((MPhil (Sustainable Development Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main aims of this thesis were to investigate the benefits and limitations of local food economies in promoting sustainability through a review of the literature and an assessment of the current status of the food production, distribution and consumption in Stellenbosch in order to make recommendations for promoting greater sustainability through Stellenbosch‟s food system. A review of the literature found that the modern food system has promoted the externalisation of social and environmental costs to the detriment of food, livelihood and environmental security for communities across the world. Whilst localisation of the food system does not conclusively result in reduced contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, it tends to promote greater sustainability through the building of community networks and embeddedness that increase the potential for strengthening community resilience, accountability and the internalisation of social and environmental costs. Challenges in the near future of population growth, urbanisation, climate change, intensifying environmental degradation and peak oil are expected to drastically alter the ways in which we are able to produce and distribute food. Local food economies are presented as an alternative food system that builds social, economic and environmental capital at a community level whilst increasing community resilience to future shocks and threats. Research into the current status of production, distribution and consumption for Stellenbosch found that the region currently produces predominantly wine grapes and other deciduous fruit for export, whilst relying on imported food produce from other regions for consumption. High levels of food insecurity are recorded for areas within Stellenbosch and findings are presented on the food requirements for a nutritionally optimal diet for the region. Productive potential of the land and urban zones are translated into potential yield and compared with current and nutritionally optimal food demand. The findings suggest that Stellenbosch has the potential to produce enough food to meet all local requirements (both current and nutritionally optimal) but this would require drastic shifts in land use. A discussion is presented on optimal land use, comparing production of wine grapes for export with food production for local consumption. The conclusions drawn from the thesis suggest that in the context of current food, livelihood and environmental insecurity and future vulnerability as a result of increasing demand, climate change and peak oil, local food economies have a vital role to play in promoting sustainability. Stellenbosch is currently vulnerable with a high dependency on export markets for local produce and imported produce for local consumption. Building a stronger local food economy in Stellenbosch has the potential to create opportunities to address challenges of poverty and inequality, build resilience and promote environmental sustainability. The recommendations of the thesis are to boost local production of key food crops suitable to the region, actively invest in the strengthening of local distribution networks that connect local producers more directly to local consumers and to build a local food movement with consumers through education and awareness. Several opportunities for further scholarship are presented. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van hierdie tesis is om voedselekonomieë as 'n instrument van volhoubaarheid aan te moedig. Spesifiek gekose literatuur en 'n ondersoek na die huidige voedselproduksiesituasie, verspreiding en die verbruik van voedsel in Stellenbosch is gebruik om voorstelle te maak vir verhoogde volhoubaarheid in die toekoms deur die gebruik van die voedselsisteem in Stellenbosch. Uit die literatuurstudie is gevind dat moderne voedselsisteme neig na die eksternalisasie van sosiale- en omgewingskostes en dus die sekuriteit van voedsel, lewensonderhoud en 'n gesonde omgewing vir gemeenskappe reg oor die wereld bedreig. Die lokalisering van voedselsisteme beteken nie noodwendig dat die vrystelling van uitlaatgasse wat tot aardverwarming bydra verminder word nie, maar dit dra wel by tot volhoubaarheid deur gemeenskapsnetwerke en gemeenskapsbande te versterk. Sterker gemeenskappe dra verder by tot meer veerkragtige herstel en moedig aanspreeklikheid en die internalisasie van sosiale- en omgewingskostes aan. Uitdagings in die nabye toekoms, soos populasiegroei, verstedeliking, klimaatsverandering, die intensifisering van omgewingsdegradering en die olie-piek, gaan die manier hoe voedsel geproduseer en versprei word drasties verander. Plaaslike voedselekonomieë word dus as 'n alternatiewe voedselsisteem voorgestel, omdat dit sosiale-, ekonomiese- en omgewingskapitaal opbou op gemeenskapsvlak en dit 'n meer veerkragte herstelvermoë gee om effektief te reageer op toekomstige skokke en bedreigings. Navorsing oor die huidige produksie, verspreiding en gebruik van voedsel in Stellenbosch het bevind dat die streek hoofsaaklik wyndruiwe en ander sagte vrugte produseer vir die uitvoermark, terwyl dit op invoere staatmaak vir plaaslike gebruik. Hoë vlakke van voedselonsekerheid in areas in en om Stellenbosch is aangeteken en die bevindinge word aangebied in terme van die optimale voedsame dieet vir die omgewing. Die potensiaal vir die produktiwiteit van landelike en stedelik gebiede in Stellenbosch word vertaal as die potensiële oes en word vergelyk met huidige en die optimale voedsame voedsel aanvraag. Daar is in die navorsing bevind dat Stellenbosch die potensiaal het om genoeg voedsel te produseer om in alle plaaslike vereistes (beide huidiglik en optimaal voedsaam) te voldoen, met 'n drastiese verandering in grondgebruik. Voorstelle word v gemaak oor die optimale gebruik van grond deur die produksie van wyndruiwe vir uitvoer te vergelyk met voedselproduksie vir plaaslike gebruik. Die gevolgtrekkings dui daarop dat die huidige voedsel-, lewensonderhoud- en omgewingsonsekerheid, tesame met 'n toekomstige kwesbaarheid as gevolg van verhoogde aanvraag, klimaatsverandering en die olie-piek, beteken dat plaaslike ekonomieë 'n belangrike rol gaan speel in volhoubaarheid. Stellenbosch is tans kwesbaar omdat dit staatmaak op uitvoer van plaaslike produkte en op ingevoerde produkte vir plaaslike gebruik. Deur 'n sterker plaaslike voedselsisteem te bou, kan Stellenbosch geleenthede skep om armoede en ongelykheid aan te spreek, 'n veerkragtige herstelvermoë te bou en omgewingsvolhoubaarheid aan te moedig. Die voorstelle in hierdie tesis sluit in om plaaslike produksie van sleutel voedselgewasse wat volhoubaar is te verhoog, om aktief te bele in die versterking van plaaslike verspreidingsnetwerke wat plaaslike produseerders en gebruikers direk verbind en om 'n plaaslike voedselbeweging daar te stel deur gepaste opvoeding en bewusmaking. Verskeie geleenthede bestaan vir verdere navorsing.