Difficult Roads Leading to Beautiful Destinations? Articulating Land Reform’s Contribution to Rural Livelihoods in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

This study deployed qualitative research methodologies to gather both secondary and empirical data that enabled analysis of the extent to which the land reform program has contributed to the livelihoods of small-scale emerging farmers in the surroundings of Bela-Bela Municipal Area, Limpopo Province. The study found out that financial resources are a big challenge, with most of the farmers being unable to raise the capital needed to invest in the farming enterprise. In addition, most of the ‘emerging farmers’ do not have the know-how and experience needed to run a commercial farm. Overall, the study enabled us to conclude that the land reform projects have not only had limited impact on the livelihoods of the majority of the beneficiaries, instead, the reforms have left the country-side facing a real risk of increasing food insecurity. This suggests that a wide-ranging programme of land reform is a necessary but not sufficient condition for meaningful transformation of the livelihoods of the households involved. More groundwork still needs to be done by government and other development agencies to ensure availability of proper post-land transfer support systems for the emerging farmers.
Source: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts ABC - Category: Science Source Type: research