Africa鈥檚 small-scale farmers make up聽聽of all farms in the agriculture sector. In South Africa, there are about聽, predominantly Black and聽聽the eastern summer rainfall region of the country.
Communal wells have helped small-scale farmers adapt to drought in South Africa.聽Courtesy Jabulile Mzimela
A small-scale farmer produces food for their family on land that is generally smaller than five hectares. Small-scale farmers sell their excess produce but have limited access to resources, technology and big markets.
Africa鈥檚 small-scale聽聽when there鈥檚 a drought because these farmers rely on rainwater. South Africa has been affected by聽聽over the years. However, 2015 stands out as the driest period on record since 1904, with drought affecting聽, including small-scale farmers.
As droughts induced by climate change increase, South Africa鈥檚 small-scale farmers need to adapt to the changed farming environment so that they can continue to produce food.
聽investigated how small-scale farmers, particularly women, were using聽聽to adapt to drought. Indigenous knowledge systems are聽聽by people who live closely with nature. They include ways of organising and classifying the world, practical observations about the local environment, and methods for managing resources responsibly. The terms indigenous knowledge and indigenous knowledge systems are used interchangeably.
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Source: https://theconversation.com/drought-and-farming-how-women-in-south-africa-are-using-indigenous-knowledge-to-cope-240462