From local initiatives to coalitions for an effective agroecology strategy: Lessons from South Africa

Stephen Greenberg, Scott Drimie, Bruno Losch () and Julian May
Additional contact information
Stephen Greenberg: SAFL - Southern Africa Food Lab
Scott Drimie: SAFL - Southern Africa Food Lab
Bruno Losch: UMR ART-Dev - Acteurs, Ressources et Territoires dans le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - UPVM - Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UM - Université de Montpellier
Julian May: UWC - University of the Western Cape

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Abstract: Agroecological food system transformation remains marginal in South Africa despite numerous policies, plans and programmes favouring sustainable agriculture. Problems of weak budgets, fragmented interventions and lack of coordination reflect the power dynamics in the prevailing food system, dominated by large-scale conventional agriculture and agribusiness. The paper provides an in-depth case study of the importance of promoting agroecological transitions. Following a qualitative research methodology based on a literature review for context, preparatory discussions with local contact points, and semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with local actors in the field, the paper describes, analyses and characterises the agroecological transitions in the Overberg District in the Western Cape. It considers the broader policy, discursive and organisational landscape of agroecology followed by an in-depth analysis of the site drawing on key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The results demonstrate that local stakeholders are positioned to better connect food and nutrition issues with human health, biodiversity, climate change, natural resource management, and local development. As a result, transformative dynamics could emerge from local projects and programmes. Several lessons and recommendations are drawn to contribute to the policy debate. These highlight the potential of multi-actor coalitions which can develop from specific agroecological initiatives and activate positive dynamics, bringing in multiple interventions of municipalities.

Keywords: food systems; transformation; transitions; place-based; Afrique du Sud; agroécologie; systèmes alimentaires; gestion des ressources naturelles; sécurité alimentaire; systèmes agroalimentaires; agriculture durable; politique agricole; diversification; politique alimentaire; conservation de la diversité biologique; agroécosystème; développement durable; politique de développement; durabilité (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05181494v1
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Published in Sustainability, 2023, 15 (21), pp.15521. ⟨10.3390/su152115521⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05181494

DOI: 10.3390/su152115521

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