Building Economic Complexity in the South African Fibrous Plant Economy

Haroon Bhorat, Francois Steenkamp, Caitlin Allen, Robert Hill and Christopher Rooney ()
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Christopher Rooney: Development Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town

Working Papers from University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit

Abstract: This paper focuses on the potential to develop fibrous downstream activities that stem from fibrous plant production on degraded mining land.2 To investigate the economic potential of these fibrous downstream activities, we apply an intensely cross-disciplinary approach, which allows us to address the following research objectives:3 firstly, we examine the economic complexity of the South African fibrous plant economy, with specific focus on bamboo, hemp and kenaf. Secondly, we identify potential diversification opportunities that would build economic complexity through the development of downstream options in the fibrous plant economy. Thirdly, we identify capabilities/constraints that enable/hinder the development of these downstream options. This in turn allows us to generate a set of micro-industrial policy recommendations.

Keywords: fibre-rich plants; fibrous biomass; economic complexity; product space; DPRU; downstream; jobs; micro-industrial policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 107 pages
Date: 2019-10
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published as DPRU DSI-NRF CoP Working Paper Series by the Development Policy Research Unit, October 2019, pages 1-107

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ctw:wpaper:copwp201904

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