Assessing the role of small-scale agro-processing projects as a sustainable livelihood strategy in rural communities in Buffalo City Municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa
Date
2018
Authors
Adom, Richard Kwame
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Abstract
Post-apartheid South Africa is ranked among many countries in the world with a high degree of
income inequality, widespread poverty and high levels of unemployment despite the avalanche of
government intervention projects such as agro-processing. Buffalo City Municipality is not
immune to this alarming situation. The past two decades have witnessed significant assistance
from the Eastern Cape government and Buffalo City Municipality with the intention of promoting
an agro-processing strategy coupled with the aim of developing the agriculture sector in the region.
The primary aims of agro-processing projects are to increase food production and reduce post
harvest losses, thereby reducing food insecurity and poverty. However, these projects in the
municipality have not translated into the desired economic growth and development which could
cascade into improving the employment and food security in the region. Buffalo City Municipality
remains one of the poorest regions in South Africa 21 years after the attainment of democracy.
This study, therefore, sought to analyse the role of agro-processing projects about poverty
alleviation and sustenance of rural livelihoods. Also, the study identified some of the factors
affecting the development of small-scale agro-processing projects in the region. The study
collected data using triangulate research methods which consisted of interviews, opened-and close
ended questions from the field. Content analysis involving the use of government documents and
existing materials from other scholars was relied on as a complementary method to the primary
sources in the study. The study concluded that agro-processing projects in the municipality bear
relevance in search for sustainable economic growth and development; however, sector
departments need to adopt an integrated approach and the value the addition centre concept in
promoting the agro-processing business in the municipality.
Description
Research work submitted to the Department of Geography, Archaeology and
Environmental Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master’s of Science in Geography, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2018
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Citation
Adom, Richard (2018) Assessing the role of small-scale agro-processing projects as a sustainable livelihood strategy in rural communities in Buffalo City Municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/27270>