Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
of the problem arises from the pricing mechanisms adopted by the state maize regulatory
apparatus and the heavy influence of culture and traditions in resource allocation, especially
in respect of land, for maize production in the land-locked Kingdom.
Chapter 8 presents the results of a study conducted to determine the constraints to the
development of the horticulture sub-sector in Lesotho. The chapter attempts to identify
the factors that are crucial for the functioning of the marketing system for horticultural
produce are also examined and provide a basis for making policy recommendations on how
to improve the competiveness of the horticulture sub-sector in Lesotho.
he fourth part of the topic looks at natural resources in terms of the politics around them
which mediate how they are distributed, managed and controlled. The first chapter in this
part is Chapter 9 which addresses the South African land question in totality, with the
aim of capturing the principal debates around why land became such a contentious issue
in South Africa and became the pivot around which the negotiated settlement of the long-
standing political crisis of South Africa was built. There is almost a mindset that if only
everyone who needs land had one there would be no problem in South Africa. Granted
that this is a deliberate over-simplification, there is no question that no resource has had
as much power and influence as land in the overall scheme of things in the country and
a thorough review was therefore inevitable, more so as the rural crisis of unemployment,
underemployment, destitution and hunger threatens to take a turn for the worst several
years after enthronement of democratic rule in the country.
Chapter 10 then looks more specifically at the conflicts and confusions over definition,
responsibilities, management procedures and enforcement mechanisms in natural resource
management in three specific community-based case studies in the Eastern Cape Province of
South Africa. A key finding is that lack of government support to communities has resulted
in the poor management of resources. The consequence of this has been deterioration of
the rangelands and impoverishment of the communities. The indication is that transaction
costs and good governance structures are important in the common property institution
and high levels of trust and cooperation between members are necessary to reduce these
transaction costs. Furthermore, collective action on communal lands enables communities
to share ideas on how best to manage their resources to ensure sustainability.
he inal part of this topic is Part 5 which consists of two chapters in which an attempt is
made to contextualize the effects of recent desperate measures to deal with the food crisis
and then summarize the evidence in respect to the links between livelihoods, institutions
and the small farmer. A natural and convenient example of such desperate policy making
process and its implications is found in the fast track land reform programme in Zimbabwe.
How this programme has affected the markets and marketing of key commodities is
examined in Chapter 11. Chapter 12 summarizes the evidence and proffers thoughts on
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