Transitions from tradition: a case study of agricultural participation and its drivers in four communities in the Western Cape, South Africa

Thesis (MScConsEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.

Bergen, J. 2025. Transitions from Tradition: A case study of agricultural participation and its drivers in four communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/7e0ffcb3-514f-423e-832f-17c0827ab59a

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Contemporary youth are assumed to be largely disinterested in agricultural futures. This is evidenced by the apparent turn away from agriculture by many youth, leading to the “crisis of youth in agriculture”. Yet, recent evidence suggests that this might not always be the case and that there are youth who have an interest in farming opportunities. What is needed is a better understanding of the pathways into agriculture that some young women and men are currently – or would like to be – pursuing. The current study examined agricultural participation in four communities of the Western Cape province, South Africa, with a particular focus on engagement by younger and older youth. A qualitative case study approach employing semi-structured interviews was used to provide insights into the various ways that young people and adults are participating in agriculture and the factors driving them to do so. Fifty individuals, including 16 younger youth (aged 18-24) and 18 older youth (aged 25-35), were interviewed from the communities of Elim, Genadendal, Mamre, and Ebenhaeser. The study’s findings show that young people from these communities are currently engaged in agriculture and that they also have aspirations for the future that include farming. Their agricultural participation is characterized by various processes of repeasantization, which represent both a response to resource constraints that they face and an expression of their agency in shaping the agrarian futures they desire. Engagement in agriculture is the result of both material and non-material motivations. In addition to meeting present needs related to livelihoods and food security, participants revealed that they engage in agriculture because it offers ways to practice ecological stewardship, realize self-fulfillment and make contributions to their socio-cultural contexts. In-turn, these motivations work to satisfy the need for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Many of the ways in which participants indicated that agriculture could be made more attractive, particularly for young people were also related to meeting these needs. This study raises important questions around policies to encourage the entry and retention of young people to agriculture, which usually involve improving access to markets, infrastructure or inputs. While not denying the need for these, this study points to the importance of both peasant processes and psychological needs-fulfillment in providing the conditions that will attract more young people to agriculture and allow them to create their own farming futures.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hedendaagse jeug word veronderstel om grotendeels onverskillig te wees oor landbou se toekoms. Dit blyk uit die oënskynlike afkeer van landbou deur baie jongmense, wat lei tot die "jeugkrisis in landbou." Tog dui onlangse bewyse daarop dat dit nie altyd die geval is nie en dat daar jongmense is wat belangstel in boerderygeleenthede. Wat nodig is, is 'n beter begrip van die weë na landbou wat sommige jong vroue en mans tans volg – of sou wou volg. Die huidige studie het landboudeelname in vier gemeenskappe in die Wes-Kaap provinsie, Suid-Afrika, ondersoek, met 'n spesifieke fokus op betrokkenheid deur jonger en ouer jeug. ’n Kwalitatiewe gevallestudiebenadering, met semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, is gebruik om insigte te bied in die verskeie maniere waarop jong mense en volwassenes aan landbou deelneem en die faktore wat hulle daartoe dryf. Vyftig individue, insluitend 16 jonger jeug (ouderdom 18-24) en 18 ouer jeug (ouderdom 25-35), is ondervra uit die gemeenskappe van Elim, Genadendal, Mamre en Ebenhaeser. Die bevindings van die studie toon dat jongmense uit hierdie gemeenskappe tans by landbou betrokke is en dat hulle ook toekomsaspirasies het wat boerdery insluit. Hul deelname aan landbou word gekenmerk deur verskeie prosesse van herverboering (“repeasantization”), wat beide ’n reaksie is op die hulpbronbeperkings wat hulle in die gesig staar, en ’n uitdrukking is van hul eie agentskap in die vorming van die agrariese toekoms wat hulle begeer. Betrokkenheid by landbou spruit uit beide materiële en nie-materiële motiverings. Benewens die vervulling van huidige behoeftes rakende lewensonderhoud en voedselsekerheid, het deelnemers aangedui dat hulle aan landbou deelneem omdat dit geleenthede bied om ekologiese rentmeesterskap te beoefen, selfvervulling te bereik en by te dra tot hul sosio-kulturele kontekste. Hierdie motiverings dra op hul beurt by tot die vervulling van die behoefte aan outonomie, bevoegdheid en verwantskap. Baie van die maniere waarop deelnemers aangedui het dat landbou vir jongmense aantrekliker gemaak kan word, hou ook verband met die bevrediging van hierdie behoeftes. Hierdie studie stel belangrike vrae oor beleide om die toetrede en behoud van jongmense in landbou aan te moedig, wat gewoonlik fokus op die verbetering van toegang tot markte, infrastruktuur of insette. Terwyl die noodsaaklikheid hiervan nie ontken word nie, wys hierdie studie op die belangrikheid van sowel herverboeringsprosesse as die vervulling van sielkundige behoeftes in die skep van omstandighede wat meer jongmense na landbou sal lok en hulle in staat sal stel om hul eie boerderytoekoms te skep.

Masters