Zondi Nonkululeko Thandeka Brightness, Ngidi Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas, Ojo Temitope Oluwaseun, Hlatshwayo Simphiwe Innocentia
African Centre for Food Security, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa.
Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa.
Sustainability. 2022 Nov 16;14(22):15194. doi: 10.3390/su142215194.
Market participation by smallholder indigenous crop farmers holds significant potential for the alleviation of food insecurity and poverty amongst rural households. Smallholder farmers generally play a vital role in the production and marketing of indigenous crops in South Africa. However, smallholder farmers continue to remain among the food-insecure populations. This is more worrisome for indigenous crop farming households whose produce is far more limited in the market yet may contribute towards improving their food security status and livelihoods. This study analysed the impact of market participation of indigenous crops on the household food security of smallholder farmers in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. A sample size of 209 indigenous crop producers were selected from a population of 1520 smallholder farmers. The study adopted a multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. The data were collected using both qualitative and quantitative research and were analysed using descriptive analysis, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), and the Poisson regression model with the endogenous treatment model. The household size, marital status, household members living with HIV, and access to extension services were found to be positive and significant in determining household food security, whereas the disability of a household member was significant but negative. While the number of smallholder farmers involved in the production of indigenous crops is still limited, enhanced marketing of indigenous crops may improve the food security status of smallholder farmers. There is still a need for the government to channel its interventions towards the indigenous crop production sector, and this may include the provision of trained extension officers to assist smallholder farmers. Policymakers need to develop policies that support the production and marketing of indigenous crops. More awareness and promotion of indigenous crops are needed to encourage more smallholder farmers to adopt this farming practice. Further study of smallholder indigenous farmers across nine provinces of South Africa should be conducted to obtain deeper and broader insights into the role of these farmers on household food security.
小农户参与本土作物市场，在缓解农村家庭粮食不安全和贫困方面具有巨大潜力。在南非，小农户通常在本土作物的生产和销售中发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，小农户仍然属于粮食不安全人群。对于本土作物种植家庭来说，这更令人担忧，因为他们的农产品在市场上的份额极为有限，尽管如此，这些农产品仍可能有助于改善他们的粮食安全状况和生计。本研究分析了南非林波波省和姆普马兰加省小农户参与本土作物市场对家庭粮食安全的影响。从1520名小农户中选取了209名本土作物生产者作为样本。该研究采用了多阶段分层随机抽样技术。通过定性和定量研究收集数据，并使用描述性分析、家庭粮食不安全获取量表（HFIAS）以及带有内生处理模型的泊松回归模型进行分析。研究发现，家庭规模、婚姻状况、感染艾滋病毒的家庭成员数量以及获得推广服务的机会，在决定家庭粮食安全方面具有积极且显著的影响，而家庭成员的残疾情况虽有显著影响但却是负面的。尽管参与本土作物生产的小农户数量仍然有限，但加强本土作物的市场营销可能会改善小农户的粮食安全状况。政府仍需将干预措施导向本土作物生产部门，这可能包括提供训练有素的推广人员来协助小农户。政策制定者需要制定支持本土作物生产和销售的政策。需要提高对本土作物的认识并加强推广，以鼓励更多小农户采用这种种植方式。应进一步研究南非九个省份的小农户本土农民，以便更深入、更广泛地了解这些农民在家庭粮食安全方面的作用。
