Pig farming and the quest for decent work and economic growth: Evidences from Buffalo city

Nosipiwo Mpalala, Lawrence Ogechukwu Obokoh, Olawale Olufemi Akinrinde

Article ID: 6717
Vol 8, Issue 10, 2024

VIEWS - 130 (Abstract) 50 (PDF)

Abstract


This study delves into the role of pig farming in advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8—Decent work and economic growth in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape. The absence of meaningful employment opportunities and genuine economic progress has remained a significant economic obstacle in South Africa for an extended period. Through a mixed-method approach, the study examines the transformative impact of pig farming as an economic avenue in achieving SDG 8. Through interviews and questionnaires with employed individuals engaged in pig farming in Buffalo City, the study further examines pig farming’s vital role as a source of decent work and economic growth. The study reveals inadequate government support and empowerment for pig farming in Buffalo City despite pig farming’s resilience and potential in mitigating socio-economic vulnerabilities and supporting community’s livelihoods. To enhance pig farming initiatives, this study recommends government’s prioritization of an enabling environment and empowerment measures for the thriving of pig farming in Buffalo City. By facilitating supportive policies and infrastructures, the government can empower locals in Buffalo City to leverage pig farming’s potential in achieving SDG 8.


Keywords


pig farming; unemployment; rural communities; sustainable development goal 8; economic growth; South Africa

Full Text:

PDF


References


Aarestrup, F. (2012). Get pigs off antibiotics. Nature, 486(7404), 465–466. https://doi.org/10.1038/486465a

Cock, J. (2012). The age of the big pig: Pig keeping in Eastern Cape villages. In: The agrarian question in South Africa. Brill. pp. 209–238.

De Vos, C., Obokoh, L. O., & Abiola, B. A. (2020). Determinants of savings among non-Ricardian households in South Africa. International Journal of Social Economics, 47(11), 1329–1343. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijse-11-2019-0692

Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council. (2020). Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Review and Outlook. Available online: http://www.ecsecc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-SERO-Final.pdf (accessed on 1 March 2023).

Ebenezer, M., & Abbyssinia, M. (2018). Livelihood Diversification and Its Effect on Household Poverty in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The Journal of Developing Areas, 52(1), 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1353/jda.2018.0014.

Farmer’s Weekly (2016). Government Support for Local Farmers: Awareness, Training, and Funding Initiatives. Available online: www.farmersweekly.co.za (accessed on 7 May 2023).

Ferreira, L., & Rossouw, R. (2016). South Africa’s economic policies on unemployment: A historical analysis of two decades of transition. Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences, 9(3), 807–832. https://doi.org/10.4102/jef.v9i3.72

Gcumisa, S.T., Oguttu, J.W., & Masafu, M.M. (2016). Pig farming in rural South Africa: A case study of uThukela District in KwaZulu-Natal. Indian Journal of Animal Research, 50(4), 614–620.

Grosso, J., & Smith, T. L. (2011). Poverty and unemployment: A cultural approach. Thunderbird International Business Review, 54(1), 79–90. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21440

Hassan, S. (2018). The potential of smallholder pig farming in South Africa: A review. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 13(1), 1–9.

Kepe, T. (2014). No smoking without fire: Cultural economy, agricultural production and the challenges of sustainability in Eastern Cape rural communities, South Africa. In: Community, environment and local governance in South Africa. Routledge. pp. 93–112.

Mafongoya, P. L. (2019). Land reform, livestock farming and food security in South Africa. In: Sustainable agriculture reviews. Springer. pp. 1–28.

Matabane, M. B., Nethenzheni, P., Thomas, R., et al. (2015). Status of the smallholder pig farming sector in Gauteng Province of South Africa. Applied Animal Husbandry & Rural Development, 8(1):19–25.

Mhlongo, L. (2021). Prospects and challenges of small-scale pig farming in South Africa. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 33(5), 1–8.

Moll, J. (2000). The colonial moment: Pigs and the political economy of Eastern Cape African societies. Kronos, 26(1), 91–115.

Municipalities SA (2020). Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Map. Available online: https://municipalities.co.za/overview/7/buffalo-city-metropolitan-municipality (accessed on 1 May, 2021).

National Treasury, South Africa (2018). "Budget Review 2018." Available at www.treasury.gov.za (accessed on 7 May 2023)

Nkosi, M. (2018). Adoption of technology in pig farming by smallholder farmers in the Nkomazi Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics, 119(1), 73–82.

Ntombela, N. (2016). The role of smallholder pig production in rural livelihoods in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics, 117(2), 335–343.

Patra, M. K., Begum, S., & Deka, B. C. (2014). Problems and prospects of traditional pig farming for tribal livelihood in Nagaland. Indian Research Journal of Extension Education, 14(4), 6–11.

Ramphoma, S. (2014). Understanding poverty: causes, effects and characteristics. Interim: Interdisciplinary Journal, 13(2), 59–72.

Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.

Shabalala, M. (2020). Factors affecting the performance of small-scale pig farmers in the Hhohho region of Eswatini. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 32(4), 1–9.

Stats SA. (2017). Statistical Release Quarterly Labor Force Survey. Quarterly Labor Force Survey PO211, 1–70. Available online: http://www.statssa.gov.za (accessed on 21 April 2024).

Stats SA. (2019). Statistics South Africa. 2019. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Available online: http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=993&id=buffalo-city-municipality (accessed on 1 November 2023).

Stats SA. (2022). Statistical Release Quarterly Labor Force Survey. Quarterly Labor Force Survey PO211, 1–134. Available online: https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/P02112ndQuarter2022.pdf (accessed on 7 May 2024).

Steenkamp, L. (2015). South Africa’s economic policies on unemployment: A historical analysis of two decades of transition. Available online: https://repository.nwu.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10394/15574/SteenkampL2015 (accessed on 2 April 2024).

Thomson, G. R., Penrith, M.-L., Atkinson, M. W., et al. (2013). Balancing Livestock Production and Wildlife Conservation in and around Southern Africa’s Transfrontier Conservation Areas. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 60(6), 492–506. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.12175

UNDP. (2020). Human Development Report 2020. Available online: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2020.pdf (accessed on 1 March 2023).

UNESCO. (2021). Education for Sustainable Development. Available online: https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainable-development (accessed on 03 April, 2023)

UNICEF. (2020). Poverty. Available online: https://www.unicef.org/social-policy/poverty (accessed on 1 March 2023).

van Sittert, L., & Hallett, G. (2007). In every kraal a chief: Colonial authority and social control in the Ciskei. Journal of African History, 48(2), 241–260.

World Bank. (2012). Jobs are a cornerstone of development, says World Development Report 2013. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-9575-2 (accessed on 1 April, 2022).

World Bank. (2018). Poverty. Available online: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview (accessed on 2 October 2023).




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i10.6717

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Nosipiwo Mpalala, Lawrence Ogechukwu Obokoh, Olawale Olufemi Akinrinde

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.