On the other side of the ditch: exploring contrasting ecosystem service coproduction between smallholder and commercial agriculture

Ecology and Society: a journal of integrative science for resilience and sustainability

Graham P. W. Jewitt,¹  ErikAndersson,²  ReginaLindborg,³  Line J. Gordon,⁴  RebeckaHenriksson Malinga,⁵ 

[1]Centre for Water Resources Research, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

[2]Umgeni Water Chair of Water Resources Management, School of Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

[3]Centre for Water Resources Research, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

[4]Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Sweden

[5]Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden

关键词: agricultural l;    scapes;    inequity;    multifunctionality;    participatory mapping;    poverty traps;   

DOI  :  10.5751/ES-10380-230409

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Resilience Alliance Publications

【 摘 要 】

Managing for increased multifunctionality of agricultural landscapes is a crucial step toward a sustainable global agriculture. We studied two contrasting agricultural landscapes that exist in parallel on two sides of a ditch in the South African Drakensberg Mountains. The large-scale commercial and smallholder farmers operate within a similar biophysical context but have different farming intensities, management practices, socioeconomic positions, ethnic identities, cultural contexts, and land tenure systems. To assess multifunctionality, we examined the ecosystem services coproduced within these two social-ecological systems, by applying a mixed-method approach combining in-depth interviews, participatory mapping, and expert assessments. The results indicate clear differences between the two farming systems and farmer groups in terms of supply, demand, and the capacity of the farmers to influence ecosystem service production within their landscapes. Commercial farmers can generally produce agricultural products to meet their demand and have the capacity to mitigate land degradation and erosion. Smallholder food production is low, and the demand for ecosystem services is high. Since the smallholders lack the resources to mitigate unsustainable use, this leads to overuse and land degradation. Both landscape types manifest aspects of multifunctionality but vary in the outcomes. Unequal access to land; skills; and natural, financial, and technical resources can hamper multifunctionality and the development toward an equitable and sustainable agriculture in South Africa.

【 授权许可】

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