Participatory Adaptation by Small-scale Rooibos Tea Farmers in the

arid west of South Africa Drynet Side Event, Ankara 13 October 2015

Noel Oettle, Environmental Monitoring Group

Livelihoods depend on

• Rooibos production from cultivated lands and wild populations

• Seasonal and full-time incomes from labour on neighbouring farms, and from the Heiveld Co-operative

• Small stock farming• Some residual small grain production (now

mostly used as a protective companion crop for rooibos, and for fodder)

Land degradation and loss of topsoil:Cause and result of material poverty

Climate change predictions for this area:• higher temperatures• projected pole-ward retreat of rain-bearing

mid-latitude cyclones (with reasonable agreement across the models) by the late twenty-first century

• later onset of the rainy season• earlier cessation of the rainy season• overall reduction in the winter rains upon

which the local ecology is primarily dependent

Climatic stress is only one of the many factors that shape livelihoods in the Suid Bokkeveld

People’s adaptation strategies must respond climatic, social, political, economic and other stresses

Adaptation is thus a complex, dynamic and on-going process

We have been engaged in this process in the Suid Bokkeveld for the past decade

This process has been an exploration of …..‘how to facilitate learning, information exchange, reflection, innovation, and anticipation, all of which are key elements in the practical reality of the adaptation process…….’

(Tschakert and Dietrich 2010)

• Extreme weather events have had catastrophic impacts on farmer enterprises the Suid Bokkeveld

• This has stimulated their on-going efforts to ‘adjust’ their farming systems to anticipated climatic extremes

• Drought has increased appreciation for endemic wild rooibos ecotypes

• Participatory research has established sound practice for sustainable management of wild rooibos

• Soil and water conservation using traditional and innovative practices has been crucial

The learning approach of PAR has been based on local knowledge, which has been used to:• Collaboratively develop and test hypotheses

(farmer participatory research)• broaden knowledge through synthesis of

local and scientific knowledge systems• Create opportunities, pathways and

institutions that enable farmers to enhance their capacities and respond proactively

Anticipatory capacity (Tschakert & Dietrich):

‘the ability to shift from envisioning possible futures to the ability to develop a dynamic plan for how to deal with potential uncertainties.’

Heiveld sales team and stall, BioFach Trade Fair, Nuremberg, Germany

Important lessons learntSound methodology can guide the practitioner at all stagesCreate opportunities for regular individual and collective reflection on practice Celebrate successes

Provide opportunities for recognition to support the development of a more appreciative sense of self;.Value the uniqueness of each person and their knowledge and identityEngender enthusiasm: create opportunities for people to share and record their history and perceptions in well-facilitated and empowering processesLive your commitment: setting a sound example of committed solidarity can strengthen the societal webBe flexible in the face of the unexpected: often the serendipitous is ushered in by the inconvenient.

Promote an ethical approach that is aligned with the values of the community and is understood and supported by its membersExpress empathy, and avoid charityRecognise that everyone’s skills, capacities, perceptions and analytic powers differ: diverse perspectives and experiences can enabled mutual learning Balance innovation with trusted approaches: the side-effects and externalities of innovations may still be unknown; the familiar is accessible. To achieve collective goals, people need to create and sustain institutions that can support themInclude younger people and women in management and governance structures

Some conclusions… Sound development practice and healthy

adaptation are parts of the same whole Agency on the part of persons and

communities affected by climatic variability and change is essential for successful adaptation

Largesse creates dependencies Strive to prevent adaptation resources creating

dependencies and undermining the agency of individuals and communities to adapt effectively.

Thank you…..