Small-Scale Farmers’ Perceptions on Sustainable Agriculture: The Case of Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

This study deals with different perceptions that the small-scale farmers of Vhembe District Municipality have towards the practice and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Farmers’ perceptions towards sustainable food production are crucial in achieving ‘zero hunger’ for the growing world’s population. Therefore, the investigation is concerned with the farmers’ understanding of sustainable agricultural practices and the sustainable agricultural practices that have been adopted to date among the small-scale farmers of Vhembe District Municipality. To achieve this, field observations were conducted and about 25% of the population (plot holders and extension officers) were interviewed from each of the four irrigation schemes, namely, Dzindi, Folovhodwe, Rabali, and Makuleke. Stratified sampling was used to select the sample since there was a variation within the population in terms of their responsibilities within the irrigation scheme. Simple random sampling was carried out to select farmers or plot holders who were interviewed. Extension officers were not randomly selected, but they were all interviewed because each scheme had one officer. In total, 95 individuals were interviewed, of which 91 were plot holders, and four were extension officers. Both quantitative and qualitative research approach were used to analyse data. Chi-square analyses were performed to assess differences across the four irrigation schemes. Qualitative data from field observation and open-ended questions were manually coded using a pen and paper. Coding involved the derivation of meaning from raw data, give the data labels and classify the data according to their labels. The results showed that most farmers do not know what sustainable agriculture is and tend to ignore it. In general, farmers practiced unsustainable agriculture and they were not concerned about their inappropriate farming practices (e.g. farming close to water bodies, excessive use of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides). Furthermore, farmers and extension officers reported that they could not advocate for sustainable environmental practices as they are not environmental officers. The transdisciplinary approach that involves environmentalists, hydrologists, and farmers should be implemented to emphasize the importance of conserving the natural environment while still making profit.