Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants

In the coming decades, smallholder agriculture in the Global South will experience significant transformations due to environmental challenges, urbanization and demographic shifts. Although current research offers valuable perspectives on agrarian change, few studies have systematically tracked tran...

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Autores principales: Rusere, F., Mkuhlani, S., Soropa, G., Hunter, L., Twine, W., Samimi, C.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Frontiers Media 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176934
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author Rusere, F.
Mkuhlani, S.
Soropa, G.
Hunter, L.
Twine, W.
Samimi, C.
author_browse Hunter, L.
Mkuhlani, S.
Rusere, F.
Samimi, C.
Soropa, G.
Twine, W.
author_facet Rusere, F.
Mkuhlani, S.
Soropa, G.
Hunter, L.
Twine, W.
Samimi, C.
author_sort Rusere, F.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In the coming decades, smallholder agriculture in the Global South will experience significant transformations due to environmental challenges, urbanization and demographic shifts. Although current research offers valuable perspectives on agrarian change, few studies have systematically tracked transitions in smallholder agriculture over time. Understanding long-term dynamics and integrating insights from diverse regions and sub-populations are essential for crafting effective and sustainable rural policies. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative longitudinal data from four time points (2010, 2014, 2019, and 2023) with qualitative insights from 10 villages within the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System site in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Through both quantitative modeling and qualitative analysis, we explore agrarian trajectories, revealing trends, determinants, and transitions among various agrarian strategies. The findings emphasize the significant role of migrant and local off-farm employment in influencing the likelihood and level of subsistence farming, highlighting the dynamic nature of agrarian livelihoods. The impact of demographic factors, such as household size and gender, vary across different agrarian strategies. These insights offer valuable guidance for policy and intervention strategies aimed at enhancing rural livelihoods.
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institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
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spelling CGSpace1769342025-12-08T10:29:22Z Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants Rusere, F. Mkuhlani, S. Soropa, G. Hunter, L. Twine, W. Samimi, C. subsistence farming agrarian structure rural communities In the coming decades, smallholder agriculture in the Global South will experience significant transformations due to environmental challenges, urbanization and demographic shifts. Although current research offers valuable perspectives on agrarian change, few studies have systematically tracked transitions in smallholder agriculture over time. Understanding long-term dynamics and integrating insights from diverse regions and sub-populations are essential for crafting effective and sustainable rural policies. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative longitudinal data from four time points (2010, 2014, 2019, and 2023) with qualitative insights from 10 villages within the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System site in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Through both quantitative modeling and qualitative analysis, we explore agrarian trajectories, revealing trends, determinants, and transitions among various agrarian strategies. The findings emphasize the significant role of migrant and local off-farm employment in influencing the likelihood and level of subsistence farming, highlighting the dynamic nature of agrarian livelihoods. The impact of demographic factors, such as household size and gender, vary across different agrarian strategies. These insights offer valuable guidance for policy and intervention strategies aimed at enhancing rural livelihoods. 2025 2025-10-09T12:00:16Z 2025-10-09T12:00:16Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176934 en Open Access application/pdf Frontiers Media Rusere, F., Mkuhlani, S., Soropa, G., Hunter, L., Twine, W. & Samimi, C. (2025). Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 9: 1610323, 1-15.
spellingShingle subsistence farming
agrarian structure
rural communities
Rusere, F.
Mkuhlani, S.
Soropa, G.
Hunter, L.
Twine, W.
Samimi, C.
Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants
title Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants
title_full Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants
title_fullStr Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants
title_full_unstemmed Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants
title_short Agrarian transitions in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga province, South Africa: understanding dynamics and determinants
title_sort agrarian transitions in rural bushbuckridge mpumalanga province south africa understanding dynamics and determinants
topic subsistence farming
agrarian structure
rural communities
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/176934
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