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There is little awareness among rural farming communities on their vulnerability to climate change. This paper examined the vulnerabilities of the rural small scale farming communities in the uMzinyathi District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to climate change. A survey among 200 households who were randomly chosen but who had lived in the community for over twenty years was conducted. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were carried out to obtain qualitative data. Over the period 1993 to 2010, average annual temperature had increased by 1.5°C. Rainfall generally decreased over the period 1981 to 2010 with a range of 907 mm. Household perception on extreme climate conditions were a reflection of the quantitative climate data collected. Households were anxious (76%) that they will face negative impacts of climate change in future. Households were evenly distributed across the five vulnerability categories. Perceptions of communities to climate change should be considered by policy makers in advancing strategies to mitigate impacts of climate change. Vulnerability of farmers to climate change could be reduced by investing in early warning systems, providing farmers with information on climate change and farmers seeking alternative livelihood options rather than agriculture. Household specific interventions should be considered in mitigating climate change.

This study used a survey questionnaire to investigate the state and determinants of household food security in South Africa and Botswana. In South Africa, 1557 households in two District Municipalities within Eastern Cape Province participated in the study. In Botswana, data was collected from 506 in Southern Kanye, southeast District, and Gaborone households. The paper employed Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and Prevalence to investigate the state food security across the sample population. The Household Food Insecurity Access Prevalence was used to determine the characteristics of and changes in household food insecurity of the sample households. The linear and ordinal regression analyses were carried out to outline determinants of food insecurity in the region. Findings emanating from the current study show a high prevalence of food insecurity in both countries. Meanwhile, geographical location, household size, and socio-economic infrastructure emerged as common determinants of food security for Botswana and South Africa. The paper recommends state-mediated intervention to improve access to basic socio-economic infrastructure and address unemployment rates in both countries as key areas to improve food security status.

Agriculture is a primary source of food, employment and income in rural households. Agricultural cooperatives have been regarded as possible vehicles in achieving these objectives. Small holder farming in the OR Tambo District Municipality has marginally been performed in contributing to households' food security. Research indicates that there are many factors affecting agricultural cooperative development and agriculture productivity that are unique. This study investigated the role of agricultural cooperatives in transforming small holder agriculture and household food security in OR Tambo District municipality. A questionnaire and focus group discussions were used in data collection. Comparison of means and construction of themes were used in data analysis. The findings showed that agricultural cooperative members had very little understanding of the cooperative principles. They experienced low commodity prices and lacked the knowledge and capital to deal with food insecurity. They employed a variety of coping strategies to deal with these challenges. Most households were in the moderately to mildly food insecure categories. Transforming small holder agriculture in OR Tambo District Municipality will require building members' capacity on cooperative principles and agricultural production processes for improved households' food security.