Co-op or corporate? Choose between these agri models
Agribusiness VKB, which has been doing business in South Africa for over a century, started as a co-operative, but has since been converted into a company. Managing director Koos Janse van Rensburg writes that the debate on capital formation and value creation within agricultural businesses is as old as the industry itself, and explains the relative merits of the co-operative and corporate models.
Why the world’s drylands need urgent protection
Drylands are home to two billion people, many of whom are poor and depend directly on the land’s resources for food and energy. Drylands also generate crucial environmental services and contain 35% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations explains the importance, and challenges, of conserving drylands.
Why Africa needs fairer food laws
Food and agriculture laws hamper food security in Africa and elsewhere, say Tigist Gebrehiwot, Steve Cornelius and Lise Korsten in the journal article ‘Impact of global food and agriculture laws on Africa’sfood security’.
Ten ways to cut food waste – report
In a recent study, published by the World Resources Institute, researchers explored 10 scaling interventions that could help reduce food loss and waste across supply chains and geographies. According to the report, ‘Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Ten Interventions to Scale Impact’, governments, businesses, farmers, consumers, and everyone in between need to play a role in implementing these interventions.
What livestock farmers should know about climate change
Dr Louis du Pisani, national manager for production advice and development at the National Wool Growers’ Association, explores how livestock farmers can mitigate the negative effects of climate change on their operations.
‘Elite capture’: how land reform favours the rich and powerful
Land reform should aim to address poverty and create livelihood opportunities for those at the lower end of the historically disadvantaged spectrum. This isn’t happening, according to the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies. Instead, land allocation and access to resources are skewed in favour of well-off beneficiaries.
Coronavirus: what employers need to know
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has already had serious implications for many South Africans, as well as a negative economic impact on the country at large.
Implications of coronavirus for regional food supply chains
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is dominating the news, with fears emerging about the widespread effect on the economy in general, and the food system in particular.
Food shortages unlikely during coronavirus outbreak
Fears about potential disruptions to global supply chains due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak have raised questions about whether South Africa could experience food shortages in the short to medium terms.
Legal evictions: landowners need to know their rights
Media reports and public debate often simplify and blur the sensitive issue of evictions. Typically, evictions are seen solely from the perspective of the landowner or from that of landless people, and there is a failure to distinguish between lawful and unlawful evictions. Annelize Crosby, policy head for land affairs at Agri SA, explains the various perspectives and the relevant laws.
The case for a national agri insurance plan
South African farmers are finding their businesses increasingly at risk due to the effects of climate change. Broad-based access to a state-supported agricultural insurance scheme would enhance food security in the country, writes Dr Sifiso Ntombela, a senior agricultural economist at the National Agricultural Marketing Council.
SA water crisis: Climate change not the only culprit
According to Mike Muller, a visiting adjunct professor at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Graduate School of Governance, low and unpredictable rainfall is not the only cause for South Africa’s water crisis. As a result, no single solution can address water challenges across the country.