Magister Philosophiae - MPhil (LAS) (Land and Agrarian Studies)

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Browsing by Author "Aliber, Michael"

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    The role of night paddock manuring in the reduction of poverty and conflict amongst farmers and Grazers in small Babanki (Cameroon)
    (University of the Western Cape, 2009) Ndikintum, Ndjinyo Fouda; Aliber, Michael; NULL; Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences
    Agriculture and livestock production were the mainstay of the economies of many sub-Saharan African countries, including of Cameroon, in the 1970s. Things began to change with the discovery of petroleum products and natural minerals, and the push to industrialise. This led to a shift from agricultural production to other more 'beneficial' sectors. In the 1990s there was an 'imposed' liberalisation of the agricultural sector. This liberalisation was marked by a disengagement of most governments in developing countries from assisting agriculture. In Cameroon, disengagement was achieved by the promulgation of law No. 92/006 of 14th August 1992 and its decree of application No. 92/455/PM of 23rd November. This law encouraged the creation of common initiative groups which could independently pool their resources to increase agricultural production. Although there has been a shift to non-agricultural sectors in many sub-Saharan countries, on the whole, however, many rural areas in these nations have remained essentially agro-pastoral. nfortunately some rural areas, like Small Babanki in Cameroon, whose livelihoods are land-based are faced with soil erosion, population pressure and farmer/grazer conflicts which undermine the little economic gains made in these places. Rural-dwellers have resorted to several innovations to circumvent these constraints to agricultural production.
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    The role of night paddock manuring in the reduction of poverty and conflict amongst farmers and grazers in small Babanki (Cameroon)
    (University of the Western Cape, 2008) Ndikintum, Ndjinyo Fouda; Aliber, Michael
    Agriculture and livestock production were the mainstay of the economies of many sub-Saharan African countries, including of Cameroon, in the 1970s. Things began to change with the discovery of petroleum products and natural minerals, and the push to industrialise. This led to a shift from agricultural production to other more 'beneficial' sectors. In the 1990s there was an 'imposed' liberalisation of the agricultural sector. This liberalisation was marked by a disengagement of most governments in developing countries from assisting agriculture. In Cameroon, disengagement was achieved by the promulgation of law No. 92/006 of 14th August 1992 and its decree of application No. 92/455/PM of 23rd November. This law encouraged the creation of common initiative groups which could independently pool their resources to increase agricultural production. Although there has been a shift to non-agricultural sectors in many sub- Saharan countries, on the whole, however, many rural areas in these nations have remained essentially agro-pastoral. Unfortunately some rural areas, like Small Babanki in Cameroon, whose livelihoods are land-based are faced with soil erosion, population pressure and farmer/grazer conflicts which undermine the little economic gains made in these places. Rural-dwellers have resorted to several innovations to circumvent these constraints to agricultural production. Objectives of the research This research focused on an indigenous agricultural innovation called Cameroon. The innovation involves a partnership between farmers and grazers whereby farmers build paddocks around their farms, and cattle herders drive their herds into farms where they deposit their manure. The idea of the practice is that it enriches the soil of the farms, provides the herds access to good fodder, and reduces conflicts between crop farmers and grazers. The objective of the study was to investigate the role this agricultural innovation is playing in reducing poverty and farmer/grazer conflicts. The research focused on a community called Small Babanki located in the North-West Region of Cameroon. Research questions To gain accurate insight into the role played by NPM, answers were sought to the following questions: (i) What are the causes of farmer/grazer conflicts in Small Babanki and how are these conflicts manifested? (ii) What efforts have been made hitherto by stakeholders to resolve farmer/grazer conflicts and what were the outcomes of such interventions? (iii) What motivated the development of the NPM farming system and how does the system function? (iv) How has the introduction of NPM affected the occurrence of conflicts and the resolution of conflicts when they occur? (v) Has NPM contributed to increasing the output, income and the market value of the products of farmers and grazers? (vi) How have the asset bases of grazers and farmers changed and what additional livelihood options are available to them as a result of adopting NPM? (vii) What are the major constraints that hinder practitioners of the innovation from getting maximum returns from it? Data collection method The data collection method for this research involved a review of reports written on the innovation by NGOs promoting it. Within Small Babanki, a focus group discussion was held with farmers and an elaborate questionnaire was administered amongst 10 randomly selected farmer households and 10 randomly selected grazer households. Structured interviews were also held with key informants, such as local officials and traditional and religious leaders. Findings and conclusions The research supports the perception that, in Small Babakni, NPM benefits both crop farmer and grazer households by means of improving productivity, reducing poverty, and reducing conflict. Respondents indicated that generally speaking the asset base and livelihood options of practitioners of NPM are constantly improving. They also stressed that improvements in education, health, nutrition, land tenure and safety of shelter are indicative of the amelioration of their state of wellbeing, and this in large measure can be attributed to the adoption of NPM Measurement of poverty using the both the US$I/day and the national poverty line of 503.19 Cf'Azday revealed that cropping households are living on the fringes of poverty while grazing households tend to live just above the poverty line. However, going by information provided by respondents on their outputs, the proportion of what was consumed by the household, the proportion of what was sold and the proportion of what was retained enabled us to make an estimation of the cash and noncash incomes of both grazing and cropping households. It was discovered that at any point they seemed to have a significant noncash wealth reserve which could easily be converted into cash in order to meet daily expenses. Both the declarations of respondents and some official documentation suggest that NPM was contributing positively towards a reduction of conflicts between farmers and grazers in Small Babanki.
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    Smallholder farmers response to changes in the farming environment in Gokwe-Kabiyuni, Zimbabwe
    (University of the Western Cape, 2010) Chereni, Simbarashe; Aliber, Michael; Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies; Faculty of Arts
    Following Bryceson's article, 'De-agrarianisation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Acknowledging the Inevitable', and other related writings in the volume Farewell to Farms, rural development has become a contested academic and policy domain. One side of the debate is characterized by 'agrarian optimism', mirrored in various state policies and advice from the World Bank; the other side is typified by the de-agrarianisation thesis, which is sceptical regarding the agrarian path to rural development, because it doesn't accord with dominant trends. The main reasons given for the trend of de-agrarianisation are: unfavourable climatic trends, economic adjustments, and population growth. While the de-agrarianisation thesis seems to be a sensible proposition, it has failed to attract many disciples, evidenced by the continuation of current policy directions towards the agrarian optimistic path. The purpose of this study was to assess the applicability of the de-agrarianisation thesis in the Gokwe-Kabiyuni area of Zimbabwe, during a time when the nation went through climatic, economic and political crises. The idea was to assess the influence of such an environment to smallholder farmers in terms of livelihood strategies by observing trends in climate, education, occupation, and crop yields over the period. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to establish whether the de-agrarianisation process can be noted in two villages over the period 1990-2008. A comparative analysis of the experiences of smallholder farmers in these two villages revealed the existence of a cultivation culture and differential agrarian resilience depending on natural resource endowment and levels of infrastructural development, notwithstanding the involvement of the villagers in non-farm activities to diversify their livelihood portfolios.
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    Trends in women’s participation in agriculture at Tshiombo irrigation scheme, Limpopo province
    (2010) Thagwana, Mpfariseni Sylvia; Aliber, Michael
    The study explores trends in women’s participation in agriculture at Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme in Thulamela Municipality, Limpopo Province. The overall objective is to assess the trends in women’s participation in agricultural activities and to find out if this enhances their livelihoods. The study seeks to answer four core questions: 1) To what extent do women at Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme participate in agriculture, and what is the nature of their participation, e.g. in respect of labour provision, decision-making, and determining who benefits? (2) What are the main factors that over time lead men to withdraw from agriculture and women’s role in agriculture to become more prominent? (3) To what extent does women’s increased participation in production activities contribute to a better and more secure livelihood for themselves? (4) What are the main challenges women experiences in agriculture at Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme?Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in the collection and analysis of data, and a case study approach was used at three villages under study, namely Mutshenzheni,Matombotswuka and Maraxwe.The main research findings are: 1) over time, women have come to dominate farming at Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme to prevent poverty and therefore their participation improves food security in their households; 2) men’s decline in agriculture is attributed to water shortages, commitment to off-farm jobs and high production costs; 3) women are faced with a number of challenges in agricultural production which include amongst others water shortages, high input costs and lack of skill in marketing their products.The following recommendations were made: 1) government should seek ways of lowering the cost of ploughing services, whether this means encouraging farmers to return to animal traction, or encouraging more providers of tractor services, so that the prices are reduced through competition; 2) extension officers should encourage farmers to make more use of cow dung or other natural fertilizers, because this would assist in lowering input costs as well as benefiting the soil; 3) in terms of water shortages, the government is installing the floppy irrigation systems through Revitalization of Irrigation Schemes; however, in the interim,farmers should try to upgrade and maintain the storage dams which are currently not in use; 4)the re-introduction of water bailiffs could help to supervise and manage water, which in turn could ease water shortages and prevent conflict among farmers; 5) the Department of Agriculture should train women farmers in marketing skills. The study will be of primary benefit to amongst others, policy makers, scholars, and civil society organisations.