Making the most of education and training opportunities

Agriculture is a complex undertaking. I recently read an article (Yi et al 2021 “Post-farmgate food value chains make up most of consumer food expenditures globally” see: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00279-9) that analysed the share of post-farm food processors of the whole food value chain. Farmers receive a measly 27% (this is a global average) of the value of post-farm value chains. For highly industrialised economies and food systems (South Africa is counted amongst these due to our highly developed modern agricultural sector) this figure diminishes even more. For the USA, Australia and Canada (who have similar agricultural systems) the value is less than 25%.

A subsequent article that is forthcoming, penned by some of the same authors as above, (see http://barrett.dyson.cornell.edu/files/papers/BRSZ%20revision%203%20Dec%20final%20resubmitted.pdf), that is also very long, shows how the rise of Food Value Chains, and the forces that determine these, have systematically discriminated against smallholder farmers and appropriated most of the value of food to post-farmgate processors. The reason for this is the inexorable force of “economies of scale” that pushes farmers to produce in larger quantities, which feeds food processing enterprises, and delivers less than optimally healthy foods to consumers. Other forces like urbanisation and modernisation of agriculture also determine this. Farmers, food systems and processors are locked in a system that extracts as much as possible from the ecosystem, delivers commodities at rock bottom process, and repurposes the food into processes and products that extract a very high value from the customer. It seems to me that this system does not serve anyone very well, and only serves those who are able to command these value chains.

It seems clear that the path to emerging, smallholder, township, urban and sustainable farmer development needs to bypass the current system to offer any possibility for new farmers to achieve a livelihood. How should emerging farmers engage with training and development opportunities in an industrialised food system? In this regard, iZindaba Zokudla has developed materials that enables a “circular” enterprise that avoids engagement with the extractive value chains enumerated above.

A circular farming enterprise will avoid these value chains in the following ways:

It will source its fertility from local wastes. Municipal biowastes like grass clippings and leaves can be sourced from local municipal officials. Biowastes can also be collected from curbs and places whereto it flows after rains. Food waste from consumers can be fed to worms to produce a good compost. Waste collection from households can also double up as a loyalty programme.

Food can be sold as fresh food without undue processing. We live much better on un-processed foods, and this step avoids processing at all. This creates the opportunity for a farmer to sell at lower than retail value which enables her to command the local market. Local markets are lucrative, and a farmer can calculate expenditures on fresh foods at up to R 400 per person per month. A simple calculation will show the farmer how much cash is available in the local market.

Processing of food is almost always needed when food is sold “away from home”. Local caterers and restaurants and take-aways add considerable value to food, and this is consistent with how the post-farm value chain “creates” greater value than what farmers receive. It is important to think about the competitiveness, pricing and appropriateness of local caterers’ menu’s. Sourcing from local producers could enable an enterprise to thrive, as they themselves will receive food at lower than retail value. Real local and indigenous menu’s may result and we need to take this opportunity seriously.

How does one start in setting up a local-benefit food production system? How should farmers respond to opportunities in local contexts? In this regard iZindaba Zokudla is proud to present an interactive session between one of our foremost agricultural trainers, Tim Abaa and some of his clients from African Women in Agriculture AWiA.

AWiA is an incubator funded by the IDC and they are empowering 17 female farmers in Eikenhof. This Virtual Farmers’ Lab will host a discussion between Tim Abaa and selected farmers from AWiA on how to make the most of the opportunities available for incubation and development that are available. How should a new farmer engage with these opportunities? How do these overlap with the development of a local food economy, and what opportunities does this make available to farmers?

Please join us on Friday 25 June at 13h00 until 14h30 for another edition of the iZindaba Zokudla Virtual Farmers’ Lab. Please click the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2911274215757828