Determinants of Smallholder Livestock Farmers’ Household Resilience to Food Insecurity in South Africa

Abstract

This study identified factors affecting livestock farmers’ agricultural drought resilience to food insecurity in Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Data of 217 smallholder livestock farmers were used in a principal component analysis to estimate the agricultural drought resilience index. The structural equation approach was then applied to assess smallholder livestock farmers’ resilience to food insecurity. The study found that most smallholder livestock farmers (81%) were not resilient to agricultural drought. Assets (β = 0.150), social safety nets (β = 0.001), and adaptive capacity (β = 0.171) indicators positively impacted households’ resilience to food insecurity with 5% significance. Climate change indicators negatively impacted households’ resilience to food insecurity. Two variables were included under climate change, focusing on drought, namely drought occurrence (β = −0.118) and drought intensity (β = −0.021), which had a negative impact on household resilience to food insecurity with 10% significance. The study suggests that smallholder livestock farmers need assistance from the government and various stakeholders to minimize vulnerability and boost their resilience to food insecurity.

Climate Change Impacts on Livestock Production and Possible Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies in Developing Countries: A Review

“…Smallholder livestock farmers in the past have adapted to various ecological and climatic change impacts by building on their knowledge of the environment for rearing livestock (Myeki & Bahta, 2021). However, increasing population, urbanization, environmental degradation, and increased consumption of animals for foods have rendered the effectiveness of the coping mechanisms (Sidahmed et al, 2008).…”

Youth participation in agriculture, accounting for entrepreneurial dimensions

“…Livestock contributes towards improving livelihoods of rural people in South Africa, providing food and income potential (Myeki & Bahta 2021). Youth respondents who have access to livestock are more likely (1%) to engage the agricultural sector as an individual and as part of a family business as opposed to not being engaged in farming or related economic activities.…”

“…This relates to Myeki and Bahta (2021) stating that livestock or livestock production contributes to the livelihoods of people in rural areas, especially to the livelihoods of rural poor of South Africa. In some cases, livestock production is only for household consumption (Myeki & Bahta 2021), showing the importance of livestock production in the daily livelihoods of rural populations and participation in the agricultural sector. Owning livestock for survival or marketing purposes allows the youth to be involved in agriculture through cooperatives.…”

Associations between livestock keeping, morbidity and nutritional status of children and women in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

“…The just-concluded 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) also recognised that progress towards the SDGs "relies on healthier, more sustainable and more equitable food systems" (3) . In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where mixed crop-livestock farming is widely practiced (4) , livestock keeping can increase resilience to malnutrition of smallholder farmers during drought (5,6) . It also has the potential to alleviate food and nutrition insecurity, as livestock are not only a source of nutrient-dense foods, but also a wide range of saleable commodities and hence provide financial security and insurance for the rural poor (7,8) .…”