Invasive plants - friends or foes? Contribution of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) to livelihoods in Makana Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Sheona Shackleton, David Kirby and James Gambiza

Development Southern Africa, 2011, vol. 28, issue 2, 177-193

Abstract: The negative impacts of invasive alien species on the environment are well documented. However, despite the predominantly negative perceptions associated with invasive species, it is evident that a number of these plants have been part of the landscape for generations and have numerous commercial and non-market uses. Consequently, there is a need for research that considers the impact of invasive species on the livelihoods and well-being of local communities. The authors investigated the contribution that the trade in prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), an invasive alien species, makes to the household income streams of poor trading households. The research highlights the apparent conflict of interests and trade-offs that exists between local traders, for whom the sale of the prickly pear provides a livelihood source, and the South African Government, who are actively seeking to remove the plant from the landscape.

Keywords: poverty; livelihoods; local trade; invasive species; Opuntia; prickly pear (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2011.570065

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