Perceptions of Smallholder Farmers towards Organic Farming in South Africa

Solomon Eghosa Uhunamure, Zongho Kom, Karabo Shale, Nthaduleni Samuel Nethengwe and Jacobus Steyn
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Solomon Eghosa Uhunamure: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Zongho Kom: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa
Karabo Shale: Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Nthaduleni Samuel Nethengwe: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa
Jacobus Steyn: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: In South Africa, smallholder farming is an important aspect of livelihood. More so, organic farming is increasingly becoming popular among farmers. However, many studies undertaken focused on the trade possibilities of the industry leaving the farmers’ perceptions underrepresented. This study, therefore, aims to capture the farmers’ opinions by evaluating the critical factors and policy implications of organic farming in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A total of 220 semi-structured questionnaires were administered to smallholder farmers in the province. The results revealed that organic farming is gaining recognition according to 82.8% of the participants, and 86.6% believed that organic farming has high-profit returns. However, 88.4% of the respondents agreed that the required standards for organic farming are too restrictive while a further 74.6% indicated that organic farming certification is difficult to obtain. The results also indicated a statistically significant difference in the perceived benefits of organic farming ( p ≤ 0.001) and access to markets ( p = 0.042). Based on the results, the study suggests more awareness, training and ease of certification as a way forward in changing the perceptions of the farmers in the province.

Keywords: agriculture; compost; farmers’ certification; food production; organic farming; smallholder (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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