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This presentation explores the roles of state intervention in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, and 5 in the context of South Africa. It looks at the challenges faced by women in agriculture and addresses the need for gender equality and sustainable practices. The presentation also discusses the importance of indigenous food production and poverty alleviation through land use.
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SDGs 1, 2 and 5 Actualisation in the Age of Ultra-Capitalism: Likely Roles of State Intervention in South Africa By Lere Amusan Lere.amusan@nwu.ac.za Orcid #: 0000-0001-6403-5008
Outline of the Presentation • Background as a matter of Introduction • Embedded Liberalism & SDGs 1, 2, & 5 • Women as Agent of Sustainable Development? • Women versus Large-scale Farming in South Africa • What should be done as matter of Conclusion and Recommendations?
Background as a Matter of Introduction • Women constitute 50% of farm laborers and 69% small-scale farmers. • South Africa has one of the most liberal Constitution at the theoretical level where gender equality is garnished with Gender Commission • The same is not applicable on land restitution and redistribution • Rural areas are dominated with patriarchal system • Women embark on both rural and urban farming to augment their income • Well verse in traditional culture and conscious of their environment unlike their male counterpart who were forced to the mines. • GEAR erodes what ever RDP had for women • Politicians grab land based on what the Whites allow them to have.
Embedded Liberalism and SDGs 1, 2, & 5 • Theory is environmentally determined based on Robert Cox (1991) notion on theory formation. • This theory assumes that it is based on identity; and identity in turn is premised on perceptions of reality that is socially constructed. • It is dynamic in nature and subject to change based on development in science, technology and beliefs • This theory is in line with the need to produce quality food as against quantity that Green Revolution calls for despite its health challenges. • The aim of the theory is to address the trio issues of poverty, food insecurity and gender inequality in South Africa. • This paper is conscious of partial theories such as black feminism, constructivism, neo-liberal etc
Embedded Liberal Cont… • It calls for R&I for sustainable development • The theory advocates for transfer of appropriate technology to Africa as against physical presence of MNCs, foreign public and private farmers to produce food, feeds and bio-fuel in the continent for another continent (Europe, Americaand Asia) • It also encourages capacity building for Africans to develop Africa based on specialization to enhance trade creation as against trade diversion.
Women as Agent of Sustainable Development? • Goal 5 as a means to achieve Goals 1 & 2, poverty alleviation and food security • Sustainable development comes through women and girls because of their attachment to their environment (Amusan & Ngoh, 2016) • There is a need to enforce 3rd generation type of human rights where girls should not force into early marriage. • Human security entrenchment • This will enhance political and economic participation of women in their communities (SDG 5:5) • The Constitution of 1996 as amended calls for gender equality, this is evident in urban areas, though mixed with pantipreneur. • At rural areas, very few women are traditionally allowed to head their communities.
Sources: South African Statistics, 2019. Proportion of Household in Agriculture Production Activities in %
Women in Agric. Cont… • Decrease in the percentage does not indicate introduction of relevant technology to release people from agric sector to others, but because of climate change, terminator seeds, and another phase of land grab • Lack of price competition between large scale farmers and smallholders • Poor policy execution by government officials coupled with political interference. Who gets land depend on political affiliation • Distribution of GM seeds and animals through questionable NGOs such as Belinda and Bill Gates and Rockefeller Foundations
Why Women abandon Farming in South Africa? • Cost of inputs such as pesticides, herbicides and MNCs imperialism (legal issue on pollination and seed keeping) . • Vaal River polluted by Sasol oil Multinational and many women are left unemployed in the Vaal Region, which denying people of fish nutrients such as Omega-3 • Climate change and lack of mitigation and adaptation strategies (Amusan & Oluwole, 2017). • Effects of Tropical Cyclone Idai in KwaZulu-Natal villages, a littoral Province associated with waterborne diseases: • Cholera • Malaria due to water stagnant good for mosquito breeding • Typhoid
Women as Agent of SDGs through Indigenous Food Production and Poverty Alleviation • Indigenous food are not only healthy, but also serves as sources of income and employment for rural dwellers, mostly women. • Domestication of plants and animals for nutritional values: bitter leave, snail, mushroom, yam, bitter kola, honey and the likes. • Surplus of the food for urban consumption. • Land is for the death, the living and the unborn, hence privatization and land grabbing that promote what Reece Walters (2010) tagged as “Eco-crime and GM food” will be a thing of the past • Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) sponsored by Belinda and Bill Gates Foundation (BBGF) was once chaired by Late Kofi Annan subscribes to small-scale farming position but through the use of GM seeds and animals. • Indigenous foods will address bio-imperialism by Bayer, DowDuPontand ChainaChem.
Damages in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa • Women are mostly affected with Cyclone Idai, which affected Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe • Farms were destroyed, death recorded and displayed people also registered, women and girls were mostly affected
Women as object of every calamity • Interplay of El Nína and El Níno from climate change effects: waterborne diseases, malaria etc • Crises of factory farming accompany with cancer, TB, child deformity at birth
What Should be done as a matter of conclusion and recommendations? • Mixed cropping as against mono-cropping need to be encouraged as the practice of women in rural areas. • Encourage small and medium scale farming where food will be enough for rural and urban centers • Introduction of organic food and seeds to rescue Africans from yearly purchasing of seeds from MNCs agribusiness shops • Make land available for women to produce food couple with the support of government through extension services and information sharing on when, how and where to plant through precision agriculture. • Encourage organic food as against GMOs that is remotely promoting financial interest of MPCs (Bayer bought out Monsanto). • Grandfathering through agricultural subsidy by US and EU needs another Doha Round through equal economic diplomacy.
Conclusion and Recommendations cont …. • As observed by Amatya Sen, enough food are daily produce, but issue of distribution is a cog. Pretoria needs to intervene in the distribution of food through wage and social grant. • Government, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders should come to aid organic food, which will serve as multiplier effects on development holistically • Maputo Declaration of 2003 and 2014 (CAADP) should be adhered to where minimum of 10% budget should be allocated to agricultural sector with emphasis on small holding farming where women play invaluable roles. • Mitigation and adaptation to climate change through government and international intervention is needed. • Women as custodian of tradition and vital information should be included in any decision-making for SDGs to be achieved.
Ke a leboga Siyanboga Dankie E seunmodupepupo Thank you
