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Agriculture, Land and Labour Reform

Agriculture remains a key industry in the Western Cape economy with the province contributing almost one fifth of South Africa’s national agricultural. In addition, a significant portion of the agricultural product of the Western Cape is exported, providing valuable foreign exchange. Primary agriculture supports various value chains within the manufacturing and services sector, including tourism. The Western Cape is renowned for its fruit and wine production for example, with many farms producing both.

The dynamics within agricultural economic sectors and value chains are prime examples of the need for partnerships. The relational interaction between businesses in these sectors and value chains can also often lead to significant synergies or obvious break-downs. In the context of agri-processing having been identified as a priority growth sector for the Western Cape Province in its strategic planning, the securing of raw agricultural inputs through a stable and sustainable sector is a necessary condition for growth and jobs.

The farm workers’ strikes and protest actions that took place in the Western Cape towards the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 represented a watershed for the agricultural sector in the province and in South Africa as a whole. The protest actions prompted the establishment of a Steering Committee to consider the future of agriculture and the rural economy in the Western Cape (FARE), which provided an extensive set of recommendations on how to transform the sector from all angles.

The EDP was able to bring together disparate and often polarised interests to agree on a common agenda taking the sector forward. This partnering process itself was an important learning experience for the organisation, and set the EDP on course to building a sound understanding of the challenges facing the sector.

The EDP continued to monitor the implementation of the FARE recommendations through 2014, while branching into new partnering projects in support of the rural agricultural sector. During 2015 the EDP is working to support transformation of the agricultural sector through land and labour reform in three key projects.

Download the FARE report

1. Decent Work For South African Farm Workers Through Effective Social Dialogue

This project was in partnership with the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI, London ) and UCT’s Institute of Development and Labour Law , funded by the Commonwealth Foundation. The project runsover three years from 2014 to 2017. It focuses on capacity for dialogue and collective bargaining in the sector to improve agricultural work. Trade unions have struggled to establish sufficient members on farms to enable fully representative and financially viable functioning organisations in recent years. With numerous organisations trying to occupy this space the availability of a credible bargaining counterpart to employers remains elusive.

Access to farms is difficult for union organisers in a climate of tight security in rural areas where crime is a constant threat. With increasing mechanisation and the use of seasonal migrant labour (such as for fruit picking), the permanent settled farm worker population continues to decline. These factors mitigate against the establishment of an organised and stable platform for dialogue on farm work conditions. The impromptu protest actions in the farming sector of 2012/2013 have unfortunately not yielded sufficient leadership continuity to stabilise lines of communication. Some gains have been made, such as the increased minimum wages for farm workers, but there is evidence of reduced working days and decreased non-cash benefits such as farm housing counteracting these gains. In this context it is clear that capacity for improving agricultural work is an on-going challenge.

 

2. Better Practice Farming Network

The EDP established a network for better farming practice which aims to scale-up progressive land and labour reform on farms. The project received funding support from the Bertha Foundation for 2015. The project was premised on the observation that there awere pockets of better practice where farms attempted to implement either land or labour reform, and in some instances both. These experiences yielded valuable lessons that, if communicated through a partnership arrangement, could be the catalyst for wider uptake of transformation on farms in the Western Cape. By bring together practitioners and support organisations, including government, the EDP facilitated local level improvements in the agricultural sector, with an initial focus on the wine and fruit sectors.

Part of the project was to research and develop case studies of instances where land and/or labour reform solutions had been tested on farms. These case studies were aimed at capturing the lessons learned in this processes, and at communicating these lessons among stakeholders. 

The network embraced knowledge exchange and leadership through demonstration. It further created a link between practitioners and government in order to influence policy and practice. The Better Practice Farming Network also operated as a mentoring vehicle through which farms could connect with each other in order to support one another in the transformation process.

The network aimed to maximise the effectiveness of the value chain by including producers, retailers and consumers in the conversation about better practice in farming. Initiatives such as a fair food campaign capture the economic gains more effectively and could increase returns to farm workers.

 

3. District Land Committee Support

The National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform initiated district level committees to support land reform targets of 20% per district by 2030, in line with the National Development Plan . The Western Cape Provincial Department of Agriculture plays an important role in agricultural land reform, although it lacks a capital budget for land acquisition. The EDP worked with the Department of Agriculture to support District Land Committees in furthering effective agricultural transformation on farm land in key areas. The EDP’s focus was on economic development and on helping build a rural economy in which jobs are created.

The EDP facilitated partnership by providing a neutral space to bring multiple stakeholders together to collaborate. A successful land reform model requires consideration not only of land, but also of financial and operational support of any land reform initiatives.

The National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform initiated district level committees to support land reform targets of 20% per district by 2030, in line with the National Development Plan . The Western Cape Provincial Department of Agriculture plays an important role in agricultural land reform, although it lacks a capital budget for land acquisition. The EDP worked with the Department of Agriculture to support District Land Committees in furthering effective agricultural transformation on farm land in key areas. The EDP’s focus was on economic development and on helping build a rural economy in which jobs are created.

The EDP facilitated partnership by providing a neutral space to bring multiple stakeholders together to collaborate. A successful land reform model requires consideration not only of land, but also of financial and operational support of any land reform initiatives.

 

Click here for the EDP case studies in agriculture, land and labour reform.