The significance of the local trade in natural resource products for livelihoods and poverty alleviation in South Africa
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Poverty -- South Africa Rural poor -- South Africa Natural resources -- South Africa Selling -- Handicraft South Africa -- Commerce
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4776 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011731
- Description: What role can the commercialisation of natural resource products play in the efforts to reduce poverty and vulnerability and how can this be enhanced? With poverty alleviation at the top of the global development agenda, this is a question posed by many scholars, practitioners, donor agencies and government departments operating at the environment-development interface. However, recent commentary on this issue is mixed and ambiguous, with some observers being quite optimistic regarding the potential of these products, while others hold a counter view. This thesis explores the livelihood contributions and poverty alleviation potential of four products traded locally in the Bushbuckridge municipality, South Africa; namely traditional brooms, reed mats, woodcraft and a beer made from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea. A common approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, was used to investigate the harvesting, processing and marketing arrangements, sustainability and livelihood contributions of each product. The results illustrate that any inference regarding the potential of the trade to alleviate poverty depends on how poverty is defined and interpreted, and on whether the role of these products is assessed from a holistic livelihood perspective that includes notions of vulnerability, alternatives and choice, diversification and the needs of rural producers themselves. Overall, the products studied were key in enhancing the livelihood security of the poorest members of society, forming an important safety net and assisting in raising household incomes to levels equivalent to the wider population, but generally were unlikely, on their own, to provide a route out of poverty. However, there were notable exceptions, with marked variation evident both within and across products. Incomes often surpassed local wage rates, and a minority of producers were obtaining returns equivalent to or greater than the official minimum wage. Other benefits, such as the opportunity to work from home or to diversify the livelihood portfolio, were also crucial, with the trade representing different livelihood strategies for different households. When viewed within the context of rising unemployment and HIV/AIDS these findings assume greater significance. While the trades were complex and growth limited, livelihood benefits could be improved on a sustainable basis if the sector was given the attention and support it deserves.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Poverty -- South Africa Rural poor -- South Africa Natural resources -- South Africa Selling -- Handicraft South Africa -- Commerce
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4776 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011731
- Description: What role can the commercialisation of natural resource products play in the efforts to reduce poverty and vulnerability and how can this be enhanced? With poverty alleviation at the top of the global development agenda, this is a question posed by many scholars, practitioners, donor agencies and government departments operating at the environment-development interface. However, recent commentary on this issue is mixed and ambiguous, with some observers being quite optimistic regarding the potential of these products, while others hold a counter view. This thesis explores the livelihood contributions and poverty alleviation potential of four products traded locally in the Bushbuckridge municipality, South Africa; namely traditional brooms, reed mats, woodcraft and a beer made from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea. A common approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, was used to investigate the harvesting, processing and marketing arrangements, sustainability and livelihood contributions of each product. The results illustrate that any inference regarding the potential of the trade to alleviate poverty depends on how poverty is defined and interpreted, and on whether the role of these products is assessed from a holistic livelihood perspective that includes notions of vulnerability, alternatives and choice, diversification and the needs of rural producers themselves. Overall, the products studied were key in enhancing the livelihood security of the poorest members of society, forming an important safety net and assisting in raising household incomes to levels equivalent to the wider population, but generally were unlikely, on their own, to provide a route out of poverty. However, there were notable exceptions, with marked variation evident both within and across products. Incomes often surpassed local wage rates, and a minority of producers were obtaining returns equivalent to or greater than the official minimum wage. Other benefits, such as the opportunity to work from home or to diversify the livelihood portfolio, were also crucial, with the trade representing different livelihood strategies for different households. When viewed within the context of rising unemployment and HIV/AIDS these findings assume greater significance. While the trades were complex and growth limited, livelihood benefits could be improved on a sustainable basis if the sector was given the attention and support it deserves.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Trade in reed-based craft products in rural villages in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Pereira, Taryn, Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Pereira, Taryn , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181290 , vital:43716 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350600927235"
- Description: Selling traditional craft products made from fibrous plants is an important source of income for economically vulnerable rural women. In the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, Cyperus textilis and Juncus kraussii have been used for centuries to make products of functional and cultural importance, such as sleeping mats and baskets. In the former Transkei village clusters of Mpozolo and Ntubeni, female crafters harvest the raw material and make and sell the products in their communities and in nearby towns. Interviews with 40 of them revealed what the trade contributes to their livelihoods and what enhances or limits their success. The findings show that crafting contributes vital income to vulnerable households, on average 26 ± 4 per cent of annual household cash income, over 40 per cent for the poorest households and 5–15 per cent for wealthier households. Lack of access to non-traditional markets was identified as the main constraint on the trade.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Pereira, Taryn , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181290 , vital:43716 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350600927235"
- Description: Selling traditional craft products made from fibrous plants is an important source of income for economically vulnerable rural women. In the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, Cyperus textilis and Juncus kraussii have been used for centuries to make products of functional and cultural importance, such as sleeping mats and baskets. In the former Transkei village clusters of Mpozolo and Ntubeni, female crafters harvest the raw material and make and sell the products in their communities and in nearby towns. Interviews with 40 of them revealed what the trade contributes to their livelihoods and what enhances or limits their success. The findings show that crafting contributes vital income to vulnerable households, on average 26 ± 4 per cent of annual household cash income, over 40 per cent for the poorest households and 5–15 per cent for wealthier households. Lack of access to non-traditional markets was identified as the main constraint on the trade.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Agroforestry tree products (AFTPs): Targeting poverty reduction and enhanced livelihoods
- Leakey, Roger R, Tchoundjeu, Zac, Schreckenberg, Kate, Shackleton, Sheona E, Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Leakey, Roger R , Tchoundjeu, Zac , Schreckenberg, Kate , Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182136 , vital:43803 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2005.9684741"
- Description: Agroforestry tree domestication emerged as a farmer-driven, market-led process in the early 1990s and became an international initiative. A participatory approach now supplements the more traditional aspects of tree improvement, and is seen as an important strategy towards the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, promoting social equity and environmental sustainability. Considerable progress has been made towards the domestication of indigenous fruits and nuts in many villages in Cameroon and Nigeria. Vegetatively-propagated cultivars based on a sound knowledge of ‘ideotypes’ derived from an understanding of the tree-to-tree variation in many commercially important traits are being developed by farmers. These are being integrated into polycultural farming systems, especially the cocoa agroforests. Markets for Agroforestry Tree Products (AFTPs) are crucial for the adoption of agroforestry on a scale to have meaningful economic, social and environmental impacts. Important lessons have been learned in southern Africa from detailed studies of the commercialization of AFTPs. These provide support for the wider acceptance of the role of domesticating indigenous trees in the promotion of enhanced livelihoods for poor farmers in the tropics. Policy guidelines have been developed in support of this sustainable rural development as an alternative strategy to those proposed in many other major development and conservation fora.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Leakey, Roger R , Tchoundjeu, Zac , Schreckenberg, Kate , Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182136 , vital:43803 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2005.9684741"
- Description: Agroforestry tree domestication emerged as a farmer-driven, market-led process in the early 1990s and became an international initiative. A participatory approach now supplements the more traditional aspects of tree improvement, and is seen as an important strategy towards the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, promoting social equity and environmental sustainability. Considerable progress has been made towards the domestication of indigenous fruits and nuts in many villages in Cameroon and Nigeria. Vegetatively-propagated cultivars based on a sound knowledge of ‘ideotypes’ derived from an understanding of the tree-to-tree variation in many commercially important traits are being developed by farmers. These are being integrated into polycultural farming systems, especially the cocoa agroforests. Markets for Agroforestry Tree Products (AFTPs) are crucial for the adoption of agroforestry on a scale to have meaningful economic, social and environmental impacts. Important lessons have been learned in southern Africa from detailed studies of the commercialization of AFTPs. These provide support for the wider acceptance of the role of domesticating indigenous trees in the promotion of enhanced livelihoods for poor farmers in the tropics. Policy guidelines have been developed in support of this sustainable rural development as an alternative strategy to those proposed in many other major development and conservation fora.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
The contribution and direct-use value of livestock to rural livelihoods in the Sand River catchment, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Netshiluvhi, T R, Mathabela, F R
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Netshiluvhi, T R , Mathabela, F R
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181335 , vital:43720 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.2989/10220110509485870"
- Description: The productive functions of livestock ownership in communal areas are multipurpose in character, comprising a mix of stock types and a range of goods and services used. When all these multiple uses are accounted for, the cash and direct-use returns of livestock in communal areas can be comparable to commercial systems, although temporally and spatially variable. Yet previous work has generally excluded small stock from such analyses, as well as benefits and costs to non-owning households. This paper presents empirical results of a study in the Sand River catchment, assessing the benefits and costs accruing to owners and non-owners for both cattle and goats within a livelihoods analysis framework. Results indicate that cattle are used for a greater variety of goods and services than are goats. The savings value represented the most important function, followed by milk and then manure. Even if savings value was excluded, cattle ownership made a significant contribution to local livelihoods. Goats also provided a net positive benefit, represented largely by the savings value, followed by meat and cash sales. Non-owners also benefited through donations of manure, milk, draught and meat for free, or at a cheaper rate than alternatives. The majority of non-owners aspired to livestock ownership, although the risk of theft of animals was of growing concern. Averaged across the whole catchment, the net value of goods and services from livestock was just over R400 per hectare, with an annual return to capital of 36%. Cattle contributed the bulk of the value by virtue of their greater numbers and larger size, but on a per kilogramme basis goats provided higher value. Many of the goods and services obtained from livestock were not enumerated in regional or national economic statistics.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Netshiluvhi, T R , Mathabela, F R
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181335 , vital:43720 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.2989/10220110509485870"
- Description: The productive functions of livestock ownership in communal areas are multipurpose in character, comprising a mix of stock types and a range of goods and services used. When all these multiple uses are accounted for, the cash and direct-use returns of livestock in communal areas can be comparable to commercial systems, although temporally and spatially variable. Yet previous work has generally excluded small stock from such analyses, as well as benefits and costs to non-owning households. This paper presents empirical results of a study in the Sand River catchment, assessing the benefits and costs accruing to owners and non-owners for both cattle and goats within a livelihoods analysis framework. Results indicate that cattle are used for a greater variety of goods and services than are goats. The savings value represented the most important function, followed by milk and then manure. Even if savings value was excluded, cattle ownership made a significant contribution to local livelihoods. Goats also provided a net positive benefit, represented largely by the savings value, followed by meat and cash sales. Non-owners also benefited through donations of manure, milk, draught and meat for free, or at a cheaper rate than alternatives. The majority of non-owners aspired to livestock ownership, although the risk of theft of animals was of growing concern. Averaged across the whole catchment, the net value of goods and services from livestock was just over R400 per hectare, with an annual return to capital of 36%. Cattle contributed the bulk of the value by virtue of their greater numbers and larger size, but on a per kilogramme basis goats provided higher value. Many of the goods and services obtained from livestock were not enumerated in regional or national economic statistics.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Livelihood benefits from the local level commercialization of savanna resources: a case study of the new and expanding trade in marula (Sclerocarya birrea) beer in Bushbuckridge, South Africa
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6649 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007060
- Description: In the face of economic hardship and poverty, rural people in South Africa and globally are increasingly turning to the natural resource base to generate income. One product that has recently entered into local commercial markets is a traditional alcoholic beverage brewed from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea (marula), commonly known as marula beer. It was rarely traded in the past due to customary taboos prohibiting its sale. In Bushbuckridge, Limpopo province, rural women have been selling marula beer in the business centres of the district and along the roadside since 1998. A survey of these markets was undertaken in 2002, to discover the commercialization process involved, from raw material harvesting to marketing, and to assess the importance of the trade for household livelihoods and poverty alleviation. Fifty-one traders were interviewed, who indicated that the sale of marula beer provides a vital source of income to several hundred households from amongst the poorest sector of the Bushbuckridge community. Of particular importance were the low barriers of entry to the trade, as the resource is abundant and freely accessible and there are few costs to produce marula beer. Incomes earned were modest, averaging a net R500 per season, and highly seasonal, but came at a critical point in the household calendar, after the festive season and when cash was required for the new school year. Income bridging, livelihood diversification, and the provision of a safety net for the poorest members of society are some of the key benefits of the beer trade.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6649 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007060
- Description: In the face of economic hardship and poverty, rural people in South Africa and globally are increasingly turning to the natural resource base to generate income. One product that has recently entered into local commercial markets is a traditional alcoholic beverage brewed from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea (marula), commonly known as marula beer. It was rarely traded in the past due to customary taboos prohibiting its sale. In Bushbuckridge, Limpopo province, rural women have been selling marula beer in the business centres of the district and along the roadside since 1998. A survey of these markets was undertaken in 2002, to discover the commercialization process involved, from raw material harvesting to marketing, and to assess the importance of the trade for household livelihoods and poverty alleviation. Fifty-one traders were interviewed, who indicated that the sale of marula beer provides a vital source of income to several hundred households from amongst the poorest sector of the Bushbuckridge community. Of particular importance were the low barriers of entry to the trade, as the resource is abundant and freely accessible and there are few costs to produce marula beer. Incomes earned were modest, averaging a net R500 per season, and highly seasonal, but came at a critical point in the household calendar, after the festive season and when cash was required for the new school year. Income bridging, livelihood diversification, and the provision of a safety net for the poorest members of society are some of the key benefits of the beer trade.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
The importance of non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as safety nets: a review of evidence from South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007061
- Description: We review and synthesize recent South African work that examines the role and importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the daily lives of rural people in South Africa. The most commonly used such products are wild spinaches, fuelwood, wooden utensils edible fruits, grass hand-brushes, and twig hand-brushes, used by 85% or more of households. More than half the households investigated also make use of edible insects, wood for construction, bushmeat, wild honey and reeds for weaving. Individual households may exploit dozens of animal and plant species. The range in annual, direct-use values is large, from less than R1000 per household per year to over R12 000. The value to rural households is manifest through a daily net function which represents a cost saving to the families involved and to the state, as well as through an emergency net, which serves as an insurance in times of misfortune, such as drought, disease, and unexpected economic hardship. The emergency net function has hardly been quantified in South Africa and internationally. Ad hoc trade in NTFPs is a common emergency net, which in some instances evolves into a permanent way of life. Financial returns from trade are variable, depending on resource type and hours worked, but are typically low. Despite the small cash incomes from trade, they provide an important contribution that complement the diverse livelihood strategies within a household, especially for the poorer sectors of rural society. Moreover, there are non-financial benefits of NTFP trade that are commonly overlooked.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007061
- Description: We review and synthesize recent South African work that examines the role and importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the daily lives of rural people in South Africa. The most commonly used such products are wild spinaches, fuelwood, wooden utensils edible fruits, grass hand-brushes, and twig hand-brushes, used by 85% or more of households. More than half the households investigated also make use of edible insects, wood for construction, bushmeat, wild honey and reeds for weaving. Individual households may exploit dozens of animal and plant species. The range in annual, direct-use values is large, from less than R1000 per household per year to over R12 000. The value to rural households is manifest through a daily net function which represents a cost saving to the families involved and to the state, as well as through an emergency net, which serves as an insurance in times of misfortune, such as drought, disease, and unexpected economic hardship. The emergency net function has hardly been quantified in South Africa and internationally. Ad hoc trade in NTFPs is a common emergency net, which in some instances evolves into a permanent way of life. Financial returns from trade are variable, depending on resource type and hours worked, but are typically low. Despite the small cash incomes from trade, they provide an important contribution that complement the diverse livelihood strategies within a household, especially for the poorer sectors of rural society. Moreover, there are non-financial benefits of NTFP trade that are commonly overlooked.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Knowledge on Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra with emphasis on its importance as a non-timber forest product in South and southern Africa, a summary: Part 1 Taxonomy, ecology and role in rural livelihoods
- Shackleton, Sheona E, Shackleton, Charlie M, Cunningham, Tony, Lombard, Cyril, Sullivan, Caroline A, Netshiluvhi, Thiambi
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M , Cunningham, Tony , Lombard, Cyril , Sullivan, Caroline A , Netshiluvhi, Thiambi
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182251 , vital:43815 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/20702620.2002.10434589"
- Description: Sclerocarya birrea (marula) is a widespread species throughout the semi-arid, deciduous savannas of much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is widely used by rural populations in most countries in which it is found. It has multiple uses, including the fruits, kernels, oil, bark, wood and leaves. Because of these multiple uses, and its significance in the landscape, several African cultures have specific beliefs and ceremonies associated with this species, and it is often maintained in homestead and arable plots. Because of the widespread occurrence, potentially high fruit production and use of S. birrea it has frequently been identified as a key species to support the development of rural enterprises based on the fruit, beer, oil or nuts and therefore as a species for potential domestication. Localised breeding and cultivation initiatives commenced in the 1970s and some continue. Interest in this species was renewed after the development of a highly successful liqueur using extracts from the fruit. This has developed further in southern Africa over the last 3 to 5 years, especially commercialisation initiatives orientated towards befitting the rural poor. Recently, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) initiated a project to examine the impacts of commercialisation of non-timber forest products, such as marula, on the livelihood capital of the rural poor. As a first phase, the research team compiled a comprehensive literature review of S. birrea, with emphasis on possible commercialisation. This is to be published in two parts. The first part deals with the taxonomy, ecology and its subsistence use and cultural value to rural households. The second part of the review will focus on issues relating to specific properties of the marula, management, intellectual property and its potential commercialisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M , Cunningham, Tony , Lombard, Cyril , Sullivan, Caroline A , Netshiluvhi, Thiambi
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182251 , vital:43815 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/20702620.2002.10434589"
- Description: Sclerocarya birrea (marula) is a widespread species throughout the semi-arid, deciduous savannas of much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is widely used by rural populations in most countries in which it is found. It has multiple uses, including the fruits, kernels, oil, bark, wood and leaves. Because of these multiple uses, and its significance in the landscape, several African cultures have specific beliefs and ceremonies associated with this species, and it is often maintained in homestead and arable plots. Because of the widespread occurrence, potentially high fruit production and use of S. birrea it has frequently been identified as a key species to support the development of rural enterprises based on the fruit, beer, oil or nuts and therefore as a species for potential domestication. Localised breeding and cultivation initiatives commenced in the 1970s and some continue. Interest in this species was renewed after the development of a highly successful liqueur using extracts from the fruit. This has developed further in southern Africa over the last 3 to 5 years, especially commercialisation initiatives orientated towards befitting the rural poor. Recently, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) initiated a project to examine the impacts of commercialisation of non-timber forest products, such as marula, on the livelihood capital of the rural poor. As a first phase, the research team compiled a comprehensive literature review of S. birrea, with emphasis on possible commercialisation. This is to be published in two parts. The first part deals with the taxonomy, ecology and its subsistence use and cultural value to rural households. The second part of the review will focus on issues relating to specific properties of the marula, management, intellectual property and its potential commercialisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
The role and value of savanna non-timber forest products to rural households in the Kat River Valley, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Ntshudu, M, Ntzebeza, J
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ntshudu, M , Ntzebeza, J
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182820 , vital:43882 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20023145773"
- Description: The majority of South Africans reside in rural areas characterized by limited infrastructure and employment opportunities. Many, therefore, make extensive use of non-timber-forest products (NTFPs) as part of their daily livelihoods. However, until recently, there were relatively few quantitative studies on resources used, amounts and frequencies. This is especially so for the savanna biome in South Africa, even though it is the largest biome. This paper presents data from a quantitative study of resource use and value in three villages situated in the savannas of the poorest province of South Africa. The results demonstrated widespread use of a wide variety of NTFPs. There were no households that did not make use of at least one NTFP from the surrounding woodlands. The five contributing most to the total gross value per household were fuelwood, wild herbs, wild fruits, bushmeat and honey beer. The mean gross annual direct-use value at the three villages ranged from US$211 to US$324 per household, averaged across user and non-user households. The direct-use value to user households was approximately double this. The net value differed between specific NTFPs because of differential labour input. The net value represented between 39 and 86% of the gross value, with a mean of 63%. However, the use of opportunity costs of labour in such areas requires examination.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ntshudu, M , Ntzebeza, J
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182820 , vital:43882 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20023145773"
- Description: The majority of South Africans reside in rural areas characterized by limited infrastructure and employment opportunities. Many, therefore, make extensive use of non-timber-forest products (NTFPs) as part of their daily livelihoods. However, until recently, there were relatively few quantitative studies on resources used, amounts and frequencies. This is especially so for the savanna biome in South Africa, even though it is the largest biome. This paper presents data from a quantitative study of resource use and value in three villages situated in the savannas of the poorest province of South Africa. The results demonstrated widespread use of a wide variety of NTFPs. There were no households that did not make use of at least one NTFP from the surrounding woodlands. The five contributing most to the total gross value per household were fuelwood, wild herbs, wild fruits, bushmeat and honey beer. The mean gross annual direct-use value at the three villages ranged from US$211 to US$324 per household, averaged across user and non-user households. The direct-use value to user households was approximately double this. The net value differed between specific NTFPs because of differential labour input. The net value represented between 39 and 86% of the gross value, with a mean of 63%. However, the use of opportunity costs of labour in such areas requires examination.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Use patterns and value of savanna resources in three rural villages in South Africa
- Shackleton, Sheona E, Shackleton, Charlie M, Netshiluvhi, T R, Geach, B S, Ballance, A, Fairbanks, D H K
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M , Netshiluvhi, T R , Geach, B S , Ballance, A , Fairbanks, D H K
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182384 , vital:43825 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2002)056[0130:UPAVOS]2.0.CO;2"
- Description: Rural communities in South Africa harvest a diversity of wild resources from communal woodlands for home consumption and sale. The contribution these resources make to the rural economy has been little recognized, and few studies have attempted to place a monetary value on this use. This paper describes three case studies which aimed to determine the value of savanna resources for the livelihoods of rural households. Use patterns and values of resources in three villages of differing socioeconomic status were determined using household interviews, PRA techniques and key informant interviews. Questions were designed to establish the types of products used, frequency of use, quantities used, seasonality of use, longevity of durable resources, local prices, and the extent of trade. All households were procuring at least some woodland resources, with the most frequently used being fuel wood, wood for implements, edible herbs and fruits, grass for brushes, and insects. Patterns of resource use varied across villages. The most “rural” village used the greatest diversity of resources and had the highest number of users for most resources. Gross value of resources consumed per household per year ranged from R28I9 to R7238. Total value was highest in the less obviously resource dependent village, primarily the result of higher local prices due to greater extraction costs and a larger market for traded goods. Values are comparable to those contributed by other land-based livelihood activities such as subsistence cultivation and livestock production.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M , Netshiluvhi, T R , Geach, B S , Ballance, A , Fairbanks, D H K
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182384 , vital:43825 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2002)056[0130:UPAVOS]2.0.CO;2"
- Description: Rural communities in South Africa harvest a diversity of wild resources from communal woodlands for home consumption and sale. The contribution these resources make to the rural economy has been little recognized, and few studies have attempted to place a monetary value on this use. This paper describes three case studies which aimed to determine the value of savanna resources for the livelihoods of rural households. Use patterns and values of resources in three villages of differing socioeconomic status were determined using household interviews, PRA techniques and key informant interviews. Questions were designed to establish the types of products used, frequency of use, quantities used, seasonality of use, longevity of durable resources, local prices, and the extent of trade. All households were procuring at least some woodland resources, with the most frequently used being fuel wood, wood for implements, edible herbs and fruits, grass for brushes, and insects. Patterns of resource use varied across villages. The most “rural” village used the greatest diversity of resources and had the highest number of users for most resources. Gross value of resources consumed per household per year ranged from R28I9 to R7238. Total value was highest in the less obviously resource dependent village, primarily the result of higher local prices due to greater extraction costs and a larger market for traded goods. Values are comparable to those contributed by other land-based livelihood activities such as subsistence cultivation and livestock production.
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- Date Issued: 2002
The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: The contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Cousins, Ben
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Cousins, Ben
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181651 , vital:43755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350120097441"
- Description: Shackleton, C.M., Shackleton, S.E. and Cousins, B., 2001. The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: the contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 18(5), pp.581-604.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Cousins, Ben
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181651 , vital:43755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350120097441"
- Description: Shackleton, C.M., Shackleton, S.E. and Cousins, B., 2001. The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: the contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 18(5), pp.581-604.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
Valuing South Africa's savannas: Methodological Issues
- Ballance, A, Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Geach, B S, Crookes, D, De Wit, M, Evans, J, von Maltitz, G, Willis, C B, Kelatwang, S, Havemann, J
- Authors: Ballance, A , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Geach, B S , Crookes, D , De Wit, M , Evans, J , von Maltitz, G , Willis, C B , Kelatwang, S , Havemann, J
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182262 , vital:43816 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC33860"
- Description: Natural resource valuation techniques have been applied in recent years to savannas and savanna resources in South and southern Africa. Results from these studies have been used to demonstrate the importance of savannas, and to assist in resource-use planning. Because these studies have been conducted to meet different research objectives a large number of disparities exist between studies. This makes comparison of results difficult and identification of underlying drivers of value is problematic. This paper discusses issues which can lead to differences in estimates of resource value, and makes recommendations for future studies to reduce incompatibilities. In particular, this paper recommends that future studies make full descriptions of the objectives of the study, the background characteristics of the study area (including the social, political, economic, cultural, and biophysical characteristics), the methods used, and assumptions made. In this way, the values reported from case studies may be used in other research and decision-making exercises.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
- Authors: Ballance, A , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Geach, B S , Crookes, D , De Wit, M , Evans, J , von Maltitz, G , Willis, C B , Kelatwang, S , Havemann, J
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182262 , vital:43816 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC33860"
- Description: Natural resource valuation techniques have been applied in recent years to savannas and savanna resources in South and southern Africa. Results from these studies have been used to demonstrate the importance of savannas, and to assist in resource-use planning. Because these studies have been conducted to meet different research objectives a large number of disparities exist between studies. This makes comparison of results difficult and identification of underlying drivers of value is problematic. This paper discusses issues which can lead to differences in estimates of resource value, and makes recommendations for future studies to reduce incompatibilities. In particular, this paper recommends that future studies make full descriptions of the objectives of the study, the background characteristics of the study area (including the social, political, economic, cultural, and biophysical characteristics), the methods used, and assumptions made. In this way, the values reported from case studies may be used in other research and decision-making exercises.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
Direct use values of secondary resources harvested from communal savannas in the Bushbuckridge lowveld, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182798 , vital:43875 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20000614194"
- Description: This study reports on the direct use value of secondary resources harvested by rural communities in a savanna region of South Africa. Data pertaining to the use, amount and direct use value of 11 secondary resources were presented individually, along with a final composite value. Only five resources (fuelwood, construction wood, edible fruits, edible herbs, and medicinal plants), individually accounted for more than 10% of the total value per hectare (US$ 141), and together they represented over 94% of the total value per hectare. On a per household basis, only 3 of the 11 resources contributed 10% or more to the total direct use value (US$ 386 used at home and US$ 767 traded), and together contributed greater than 71% of the total direct use value per household. Two-thirds of the value per household was traded locally with other households or regionally, rather than consumed at home. The total value per hectare compared favourably with other land uses within the region, except for capital intensive enterprises. The returns to collecting and selling secondary resources were higher than those paid for local agricultural wage labour. The extraction rates of several of the secondary resources are probably sustainable but not for the more important ones such as fuelwood, construction wood and medicinal plants.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182798 , vital:43875 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20000614194"
- Description: This study reports on the direct use value of secondary resources harvested by rural communities in a savanna region of South Africa. Data pertaining to the use, amount and direct use value of 11 secondary resources were presented individually, along with a final composite value. Only five resources (fuelwood, construction wood, edible fruits, edible herbs, and medicinal plants), individually accounted for more than 10% of the total value per hectare (US$ 141), and together they represented over 94% of the total value per hectare. On a per household basis, only 3 of the 11 resources contributed 10% or more to the total direct use value (US$ 386 used at home and US$ 767 traded), and together contributed greater than 71% of the total direct use value per household. Two-thirds of the value per household was traded locally with other households or regionally, rather than consumed at home. The total value per hectare compared favourably with other land uses within the region, except for capital intensive enterprises. The returns to collecting and selling secondary resources were higher than those paid for local agricultural wage labour. The extraction rates of several of the secondary resources are probably sustainable but not for the more important ones such as fuelwood, construction wood and medicinal plants.
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- Date Issued: 2000
The use of and trade in indigenous edible fruits in the Bushbuckridge savanna region, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Dzerefos, C M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Mathabela, F R
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Dzerefos, C M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Mathabela, F R
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182396 , vital:43826 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2000.9991616"
- Description: The use, processing, cultivation and trading of indigenous edible fruits was recorded across a rainfall gradient in the Mpumalanga lowveld. Three transects, each consisting of one village in a relatively high rainfall zone, one village in a low rainfall zone, and one intermediate, were sampled by means of 20 households per village. Nearly all households made use of indigenous edible fruits to some extent, with households in the wettest region using the greatest diversity of fruits. The duration of availability of selected species was increased through drying, storing and processing the raw fruits for later consumption. Such activities were more common in the drier regions relative to the wetter villages. Just less than half the respondents maintained indigenous fruit trees within their homestead or arable fields, whereas more than 65% grew exotic commercial fruit species. Many respondents traded in edible fruits, but very few obtained a significant income in this way. Nonetheless, even casual trading provided vital supplementary income for low‐income households.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Dzerefos, C M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Mathabela, F R
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182396 , vital:43826 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2000.9991616"
- Description: The use, processing, cultivation and trading of indigenous edible fruits was recorded across a rainfall gradient in the Mpumalanga lowveld. Three transects, each consisting of one village in a relatively high rainfall zone, one village in a low rainfall zone, and one intermediate, were sampled by means of 20 households per village. Nearly all households made use of indigenous edible fruits to some extent, with households in the wettest region using the greatest diversity of fruits. The duration of availability of selected species was increased through drying, storing and processing the raw fruits for later consumption. Such activities were more common in the drier regions relative to the wetter villages. Just less than half the respondents maintained indigenous fruit trees within their homestead or arable fields, whereas more than 65% grew exotic commercial fruit species. Many respondents traded in edible fruits, but very few obtained a significant income in this way. Nonetheless, even casual trading provided vital supplementary income for low‐income households.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000