Thesis (MSc (Dietetics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to contribute to the nutritional well-being of 0 - 24 month old children who attend primary health care clinics (PHC) in Duncan Village, an urban slum. This was to be achieved by first formulating essential nutrition-related message topics and second by formulating recommendations for optimising the accessibility of services, including nutrition-related messages, aimed at mothers attending PHC clinics in Duncan Village. In order to formulate targeted and relevant nutrition-related messages for mothers attending the PHC clinics (Phase I of the research) the need for more information on the six focus areas for intervention that were identified in the previous Duncan Village Day Hospital (DVDH) study" was determined. This was done through key-informant interviews and studying other relevant published research. Eleven research questions related to the six focus areas were subsequently formulated to guide further research. Non-scheduled structured interviews were conducted with mothers with children in specific age groups until data saturation was achieved. A total of 31 interviews were thus conducted at the homes of participants and observation data was also collected at the same time. Three focus groups with corresponding participant categories were also conducted to check the information obtained through the interviews. Two focus groups were conducted with grandmothers to serve as a further form of checking research but also to obtain a different perspective on the research questions. The data available for the formulation of the message topics was analysed qualitatively by hand. The focus areas and the research questions gave a specific focus to the analysis process and the unprocessed data was available in these broad predetermined categories. All the information from all sources (DVDH study, the non-scheduled structured interviews with mothers, focus groups with mothers and grandmothers and observation data) was studied, interpreted and integrated for each identified category. During this process key-factors, which need to be addressed in nutrition-related messages essential for the well-being of infants attending PHC clinics in Duncan Village, were identified. The final step in the analysis process was the formulation of message topics based on these key-factors. During the analysis process it became clear that some of the identified key factors were not suitable for the formu lation of nutrition-related message topics but rather give insight into the total context of the mothers attending the clinics in Duncan Village. It was evident that the information contained in the key factors could be used by health workers to identify and assist vulnerable mothers. These key-factors led to the formulation of relevant help topics. Eighteen main message topics and 16 help topics were formulated. The message topics included topics on: self-development, household food security, breastfeeding, good feeding practices, mothers' health and nutrition and hygiene practices. in Phase 2 of the study the accessibility of services, including nutrition-related messages, to mothers attending PHC clinics in Duncan Village was determined. This was done by determining how mothers inDuncan Village experience the clinics where they could be exposed to nutrition-related messages and by determining the experiences of health care workers with mothers as clients as well as with service delivery. This information was obtained through focus group discussions with different participant categories. These categories included mothers with children in the same age groupings as in Phase I who had either attended clinic for all the child's immunisations or who had not attended clinic for all the child's immunisations or who had attended clinics outside Duncan Village for immunisation purposes. Pregnant women who had either attended antenatal clinics or had not attended antenatal clinics were also included. The last participant category involved health workers. This category included health workers from the obstetric unit where mothers from Duncan Village give birth, the primary health care clinics and community health care workers. The data obtained was analysed with ATLAS/ti, computer software specifically designed for qualitative data analysis. Twelve code families were created during the analysis process, each family referring to a specific aspect of accessibility of services provided at the PHC clinics. A detailed description of each code family is presented after which six networks were compiled. The data and networks were used to create a framework for data interpretation. According to the framework it is proposed that the final elements in the process of providing accessible nutrition-related messages to clients at clinics are (1) that the clients must attend the clinic and (2) that appropriate nutrition-related messages must be available. Problems with interpersonal and organisational aspects of service delivery were found to be two of the most important aspects that influence accessibility of clinic services and therefore nutrition-related messages at the clinics. The last phase of the study (Phase 3) involved the formulation of recommendations to the relevant authorities about targeted and relevant nutrition-related message topics to be included in the education of mothers and pregnant women as well as recommendations to optimise accessibility of nutrition-related messages at the three PHC clinics in Duncan Village and the obstetric unit where mothers of Duncan Village give birth. A total of fifteen recommendations were formulated based on the frndings and recommendations of Phase I and Phase 2. These recommendations focus especially on the necessity for the municipality to create a health empowering environment at the clinics, on the provision of appropriate nutrition-related messages at the clinics and on the need to reach vulnerable mothers. The importance of involving the community in these processes was also emphasised in the recommendations. It is concluded that the implementation of the recommendations will contribute to the nutritional well-being of all young children in Duncan Village and could play an important role in realising the rights of children living in the area. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om 'n bydrae te maak tot die voedingswelstand van 0-24 maandoue kinders wat prirnere gesondheidsorg (PGS) klinieke in Duncan Village, 'n verarmde stedelike gebied, besoek. am die doel te bereik is daar eerstens beplan om essensiele voedingsverwante boodskappe te formuleer. Tweedens is daar beplan om aanbevelings vir die optimalisering van die toeganklikheid van gesondheidsorgdienste vir rna's wat die klinieke bywoon, insluitend die toeganklikheid van voedinsgverwante boodskappe, te maak. Voordat relevante voedingsverwante boodskappe vir rna's wat die klinieke in Duncan Village besoek, geformuleer kon word, was meer inligting nodig oor die ses fokusareas vir intervensie wat in die vorige Duncan Village Daghospitaal studie bepaal is. Die bepaling van watter inligting nodig was, is gedoen deur sleutelinformantonderhoude en die bestudering van ander relevante gepubliseerde navorsing. Na aanleiding hiervan is elf navorsingsvrae wat verband hou met die ses fokusareas geformuleer. Nie-geskeduleerde, gestruktureerde onderhoude is vervolgens met 111a's met kinders in spesifieke ouderdomsgroepe gehou totdat dataversadiging bereik is. 'n Totaal van 31 onderhoude is met respondente gehou by hul huise, waartydens die onderhoudvoerder ook sekere waamemingsdata ingesamel het. Drie fokusgroepe is ook met rna's met kinders in ooreenstemmende kategoriee gehou om die inligting na te gaan wat deur die onderhoude ingesamel is. Twee fokusgroepe is ook met oumas gehou om die data verder na te gaan maar ook om 'n ander perspektief op die navorsingsvrae te verkry. Die data wat verkry is, is kwalitatief met die hand geanaliseer. Die fokusareas en die navorsingsvrae het 'n spesifieke fokus aan die analiseproses gegee en die ongeprossesseerde data was beskikbaar in hierdie bree vooraf gedetermineerde kategoriee. Die inligting van aile bronne (DVDH-studie, die nie-geskeduleerde gestruktureerde onderhoude met die rna's, die fokusgroepe met die rna's en oumas asook die observasie data) is bestudeer, geinterpreteer en geintegreer vir elke geidentifiseerde kategorie. Gedurende hierdie proses is sleutelfaktore geidentifiseer wat aangespreek moet word in essensiele voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe wat gemik is om die voedingswelstand van klein kinders wat die PGS-klinieke in Duncan Village besoek te verbeter. Die finale stap in die analiseproses was die formulering van boodskaponderwerpe. Die onderwerpe is gebaseer op die geidentifiseerde sleutelfaktore Dit het duidelik geword tydens die analiseproses dat sommige van die sleutelfaktore nie geskik was vir die formulering van voedingsverbandhoudende boodskaponderwerpe nie, maar dat dit eerder insig verskaf in die totale lewenskonteks van die rna's. Die inligting in hierdie sleutelfaktore kan wei gebruik word deur gesondheidswerkers om kwesbare ma's te identifiseer en by te staan. Hierdie sleutelfaktore het dus tot die formulering van relevante hulpboodskappe gelei. Agtien voedingsverbandhoudende en 16 hulpboodskappe is geformu leer. Die boodskaponderwerpe sluit in onderwerpe oor selfontwikkeling, huishoudelike voedselsekuriteit, borsvoeding, goeie voedingspraktyke, gesondheid van die rna en voeding- en higienepraktyke. Tydens Fase 2 van die studie is die toeganklikheid van PGS dienste, insluitend voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe vir rna's, bepaal. Dit is gedoen deur te bepaal hoe mas in Duncan Village die kliniekdienste ondervind, waar hulle aan hierdie boodskappe blootgestel kan word asook die ondervindinge van die gesondheidswerkers met die rna's en die diensleweringsproses. Hierdie inligting is deur middel van fokusgroepbesprekings met verskillende deelnemerskategoriee ingesamel. Hierdie kategoriee het rna's ingesluit wat die klinieke in Duncan Village besoek het vir a.l die spesifieke kinders se immunisasies maar ook ma's wat nie kinders geneem het vir al hul immunisasies nie of wat hul kinders na klinieke buite Duncan Village geneem het. Swanger vroue wat die voorgeboortelike klinieke besoek het asook die wat nie die klinieke besoek het nie, is ook ingesluit. Die laaste kategorie wat betrek is, was gesondheidswerkers. Hierdie kategorie het werkers van die kraamafdeling van die nabygelee hospitaaI en die primere gesondheidsorgklinieke ingesluit. Beide professionele verpleegpersoneel en gemeenskapsgesondheids= werkers van die klinieke is betrek. Die data wat verkry is, is met ATLAS/ti, 'n rekenaarprogram spesifiek geskep vir die analise van kwalitatiewe data, ontleed. Twaalf kodefamilies is geskep tydens die analiseproses. Elke familie verwys na 'n spesifieke aspek van toeganklikheid van dienste by die klinieke. 'n Gedetailleerde beskrywing van elke kodefamilie is gegee asook ses netwerke. Die data en die netwerke is gebruik om 'n raamwerk vir data-intepretasie te skep. Die raamwerk postuleer dat die finale elemente in die proses van die verskaffing van toeganklike voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe by klinieke die volgende is: (1) kliente moet die kliniek besoek en (2) toepaslike voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe moet beskikbaar wees. Probleme met interpersoonlike en organisatoriese aspekte van dienslewering is geidentifiseer as die twee belangrikste aspekte wat toeganklikheid van kliniekdienste en daarom ook toeganklikheid van voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe beinvloed. Die laaste fase van die studie (Fase 3) het die formulering van aanbevelings aan die relevante owerhede behels Die aa.nbevelings handel oor die insluiting van toepaslike voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe by die gesondheidsonderrig van ma's en swanger vroue sowel as aanbevelings oor die optimalisering van toeganklikheid van dienste by die PGS klinieke en die kraamafdeling waar Duncan Village rna's geboorte gee. Vyftien aanbevelings gebaseer op die bevindinge van Fases I en 2 is geformuleer . Die aanbevelings fokus veral op die nocdsaaklikheid vir die plaaslike owerheid om 'n atmosfeer van gesondheidbemagtiging by die klinieke te skep, die nodigheid om toepaslike voedingsverbandhoudende boodskappe by die klinieke te verskaf en die belangrikheid daa.rvan om kwesbare rna's te bereik. Die noodsaaklikheid om die gemeenskap te betrek in hierdie prosesse is ook benadruk. Samevattend kan gese word dat die implementasie van die aanbevelings sal bydra tot die voedingswelstand van alle jong kinders in Duncan Village en dat dit 'n belangrike bydrae kan lewer tot die realisering van die regte van kinders in die area.

The main objective of the study was to investigate the marketing strategies needed for the development of a peanut agribusiness for small-scale farmers producing peanuts in the Vulamehlo District, southern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The study was part of the extension programme of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (KZNDAEA). Another aim of the study was to examine the market requirements for peanuts purchased from Vulamehlo farmers in relation to the processing and sale of peanuts and whether or not market outlets for peanut products in KZN were available. In addition, current links between farmers, peanut processors, agents and retailers were to determine, if the marketing of peanut butter produced by small-scale farmers could be improved. Small-scale farmers were targeted because they play an important role in rural areas for community development and for poverty alleviation and also to generate income. There is little research on small-scale agribusinesses. Small-scale farmers have unreliable supply chains and markets. The study was conducted between May and November 2005. The data for the development of agribusiness for small-scale farmers in the Vulamehlo district were gathered from four wards of Vulamehlo: Mkhunya, Qiko, Mzimlilo and Mazabangwane. Questionnaires, a focus group discussion and observation were used to collect data from farmers and informal processors of peanut butter. Interviews were conducted with informal traders, formal traders and a formal peanut butter processor, to collect information about their marketing of peanut products. Six peanut producing farmers’ associations out of ten were randomly selected from the list of farmers’ associations in the Vulamehlo District. Details were obtained from the Department of Agriculture office. The study found that the marketing requirements needing to be met by small-scale farmers include availability of adaptable certified peanut seeds, appropriate tools and equipments for cultivation, reliable supply of raw material, grading and testing of level of aflatoxin in peanuts, knowledge of processing regulation to food safety and hygiene, proper business and management skills and relevant technology and marketing information. The study revealed that there were no seed companies around Vulamehlo sold peanut seeds and there were no commercial peanut-producing farmers in KZN to assist small-scale farmers. Farmers were using manual tools for the peanut production process. This limited production and expansion and lowered the yield. Constant supply may be a problem for the business processing enterprises. The markets for Vulamehlo peanut producing farmers were informal and insecure. The peanut butter co-operative lacked processing equipment, processing know-how, energy-saving technology and marketing information. It is recommended that developing agribusiness linkages with suppliers, traders, farmers and processors would improve the small-scale farmers’ negotiating skills. The KZNDAEA should improve links with large-scale farmers, traders, suppliers and processors, in order to obtain more information on peanut production. Contamination, especially by aflatoxin, during the processing of peanut products should be eliminated. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

South Africa as other African countries has not been spared from the rural poverty. The South African government is trying to address this problem through various government departments. One such ministry trying to address rural poverty is the Ministry of Agriculture, working together with the provincial Ministries of Agriculture in different provinces. The provision of appropriate agricultural extension services is regarded as a tool that may be used to address rural poverty and development in South Africa’s rural areas. Appropriate extension services will depend on the knowledge management system applied by the organisation making it innovative and responsive to the needs of the farmers. The objective of this research was therefore to identify knowledge management systems applied by extension workers to support community garden farmers in the uMgungundlovu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. To address the objective, qualitative research methods, namely focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews, were used. In this research, it was evident that the extension workers were not efficiently managing knowledge within their department, among themselves as well as among the farmers. The extension workers have potential knowledge management methods in place, such as departmental meetings. However, the extension workers’ practices do not capture the true essence of knowledge management. There is no evidence that knowledge gained by extension workers during meetings and informal discussions in the organisation is translated into learning, which could lead to the development of new knowledge by the extension workers. The extension workers claimed that they are using appropriate methods to learn from the farmers and to share knowledge with them. However, the farmers do not believe that the extension workers make use of any methods to encourage knowledge sharing and learning. It is thus evident that extension workers do not integrate knowledge gained from the farmers into the improvement of their own agricultural extension practices. Agricultural extension organisations therefore need to adopt methods that encourage learning, reflection and engagement with the knowledge gained from the organisation and the farmers for real knowledge management to take place. This, in essence, will lead to the creation, sharing, utilization, absorption and transformation of knowledge. / Thesis (M.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Land reform in South Africa has not been very successful. The process of land delivery has been slow and livelihoods in South Africa are becoming increasingly vulnerable as land reform fails to meet its objectives. Since 1994, millions have been made homeless due to farm evictions that have counteracted the positive impact of land reform. Intensive debate has been initiated about the approach to land reform; however, current programme-specific information has been unreliable in providing insight into the impact of land reform projects that have been implemented. This thesis exammes the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme, to determine how it can be enhanced to improve the lives of the programme's intended beneficiaries. Monitoring and evaluation is examined as a tool for improving programmes. This research also explores some of the shortcomings of the current monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for land reform. It is proposed that the LRAD programme should have a comprehensive ME promulgation of appropriate new land reform policy. An LRAD project at Loteni in rural KwaZulu-Natal is used as a case study and exposes some of the contextual challenges for LRAD policy. The qualitative analysis given provides insight into some of the problems of implementing the programme and reveals challenges for extension support. As a result of this critique, some recommendations are provided for improving the performance of LRAD. Key among the recommendations made to enhance LRAD is a set of measurable indicators for each of the stated objectives of the LRAD programme. Adopting such indicators will enable the programme to contribute to the improvement ofthe lives and livelihoods of the intended beneficiaries ofLRAD. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Smallholder agriculture is faced with so many challenges despite all the policies and programmes that have been channelled towards ensuring improvement in this sector. Improving smallholder agricultural productivity requires that smallholder farmers gain access to reliable and adequate farmer support services such as physical infrastructures like good road network, functional irrigation facilities, extension services, finance and efficient marketing system. However, these support services are lacking in a vast majority of the rural communities in which the smallholder farmers live and work. This study is centred on governance within the food value chains, with specific focus on butternuts and chicken value chains;with a view to identifying those factors preventing smallholder farmers from accessing the mainstream market. Ciko and Mbozi villages in Mbashe local municipality were used as the research sites for the study. Data were collected across the two villages through sampling of 100 individual farming households based on random selection; questionnaires and checklist of questions were used as tools to access information from farmers through focus group discussions, personal interviews and key informants. In addition,Ciko Santrini project and foundation community project, which are the two agricultural community projects located within the study area were also investigated. Conceptual and analytical frameworks were employed in the research analysis. Williamson’s 4-level of social analysis and the sustainable livelihood frameworks were used to conceptualize the analysis. Inferential analysis was carried out using binary logistic regression and discriminant analysis with focus on butternuts and cSmallholder agriculture is faced with so many challenges despite all the policies and programmes that have been channelled towards ensuring improvement in this sector. Improving smallholder agricultural productivity requires that smallholder farmers gain access to reliable and adequate farmer support services such as physical infrastructures like good road network, functional irrigation facilities, extension services, finance and efficient marketing system. However, these support services are lacking in a vast majority of the rural communities in which the smallholder farmers live and work. This study is centred on governance within the food value chains, with specific focus on butternuts and chicken value chains;with a view to identifying those factors preventing smallholder farmers from accessing the mainstream market. Ciko and Mbozi villages in Mbashe local municipality were used as the research sites for the study. Data were collected across the two villages through sampling of 100 individual farming households based on random selection; questionnaires and checklist of questions were used as tools to access information from farmers through focus group discussions, personal interviews and key informants. In addition,Ciko Santrini project and foundation community project, which are the two agricultural community projects located within the study area were also investigated. Conceptual and analytical frameworks were employed in the research analysis. Williamson’s 4-level of social analysis and the sustainable livelihood frameworks were used to conceptualize the analysis. Inferential analysis was carried out using binary logistic regression and discriminant analysis with focus on butternuts and chicken production among the smallholder farmers in the study area to determine factors that could encourage farmers ‘access markets. The results showed that factors such as; assistance from government agency, partnerships with private and public institutions and farmers’ decision due to access to information were significant at 1% level for both butternuts and chicken production. On the other hand, factors such as provision of input subsidy and farmers’ membership of agricultural development projects are significant at 5% level. The findings suggest that adoption of any or combination of the significant factors could serve as good support structures for farmers and they could directly help them market their produce efficiently.

The problem that is researched in this study relates to the effectiveness of the extension model applied in the High Value Crop programme in improving rural livelihoods in the Eastern Cape. The extent of poverty in rural areas in the Eastern Cape motivated for the intervention of the Is‘Baya through the introduction of Integrated Village Renewal Programme (IVRP). The need to improve the quality of life of rural households through the promotion of agriculture and industry gave rise to the collaborative effort between the Is‘Baya Development Trust and Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in South Africa. The HVC programme was established to mitigate the effects of food shortage and poverty through the production of fruit trees, herbs and vegetables at household level. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this collaborative effort was carried out in four local municipalities of the OR Tambo District and these included: King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality (Zangci); Nyadeni municipality (Hluleka); Port St Johns municipality (Noqhekwana) and Ngquza Hill municipality (Hombe). An equal number of villages where Siyazondla was implemented by DRDAR were visited for the survey to relate the extension model applied with HVC. The villages visited included: OR Tambo (Mhlontlo local municipality) Xhokonxa village; Amathole (Amahlathi local municipality) Ndakana village, (Ngqushwa local municipality) Mgababa village and (Mbhashe local municipality) Mbanyana village. The broad objective of the study therefore, was to evaluate the effectiveness of the extension model applied on the HVC programme as well as to identify the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders involved in the model. The specific objectives of the study were to describe the HVC based extension model as it is currently organized and implemented in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa in relation to the erstwhile Siyazondla programme, to establish the effectiveness of the extension model in terms of skills transfer and capacity development, to determine the socio-economic impact of the extension model on the livelihood of involved households, to establish the extent to which the extension model has empowered women and youths and to study the factors that has contributed to the sustainability of the extension model. In carrying out this research and in line with the practice of Agricultural Research for Development (ARD), qualitative and quantitative methods of information gathering were applied. Group approach such as the Rural Rapid Appraisal (RRA) and the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods of data collection were used. These tools include semi-structured interviews, focus-group discussions, transect walks, seasonal calendars, key-informant interviews, resource maps and secondary data. A sample of 149 respondents was selected from eight villages in the OR Tambo and Amathole districts. The HVC model was analysed using qualitative approach, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The Is‘Baya/ARC extension model is thus said to be effective in meeting the objectives of the HVC programme due to the efficient transfer of skills and technology and its positive impact on the livelihood of the people. There was also an improvement of the income and food security status of the rural dwellers in O.R Tambo district. The regression analysis model was applied and the results of the model were significant to the highest income earned. Out of 22 explanatory variables fitted in the regression model, 12 were significant. The R² and adjusted R² are 73 percent and 68 percent respectively which shows the significance of the fitted variables in the model. The very high F value of 15.427 shows strong significance of the fitted variables to the model. The study therefore concluded that the HVC based extension model implemented by Is‘Baya and ARC was very effective in improving rural livelihoods. The study further recommended investment in infrastructure, market linkages, value adding, public-private partnerships, creation of tenure security, investigation of different funding sources, investment on agricultural research, extension of skills provided and implementation of similar model by the public sector.