Investment in agriculture is widely recognised as a key precondition to achieving goals related to inclusive growth, improved food security, the creation of jobs and wealth, and the reduction of poverty.
To achieve these goals there needs to be certainty with regard to the security of property rights, the mechanisms by which land ownership is governed, and the optimal utilization of land. Land use can be broadly categorized into five types i.e. agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial, recreational (including nature conservation) and land for public services such as roads and rail lines, reservoirs, etc. In South Africa 70% of all land is used for agriculture i.e. field crops, horticulture and livestock production. Competition for land and water, always present, is becoming more prevalent across all sectors of the economy. The sustainable management of these finite resources will ultimately determine the ability of South Africa to deliver against the increasingly interconnected and complex agenda around improved livelihoods, while maintaining and protecting the planet
. Land-use planning should therefore entail a multi-disciplinary approach, combining deep knowledge of the full value chain and the interconnections across different sectors. It all begins with the land – knowing how to sustainably manage the resource, while at the same time balancing the complex agendas of civil society, government, individual citizens, and different sectors. For example, the highest and fastest growing concentration of poor and vulnerable households are based in urban centres, and they require efficient and commercialised value chains to secure a consistent supply of food at affordable prices. In parallel, rural economies, food markets and household food consumption and nutrition can be enhanced significantly by smaller sized, informal but productive farmers and value chains in remote areas. These divergent needs motivate dual market support structures and require continuous innovation towards optimal land-use and stewardship.
Agricultural activities are directly dependent on the availability and quality of natural resources, particularly land and water. While the availability of land has featured strongly in South Africa’s growth and transformation policy agendas, this piece focusses on presenting a more detailed view of the quantity and quality of South Africa’s land resource, and how this impacts the agricultural use and viability of land resources in sustaining South Africa growth objectives.
