What comes to mind when you think about agriculture’s role in our economy?
That it’s a sector that employs more than 900,000 people and contributes about 2.8% to SA’s GDP through large-scale production? Or that it’s the backbone of rural communities and their local economies?
Both are true — though the latter is often overlooked, despite the sector’s potential to drive socioeconomic change and tackle poverty and unemployment.
We live in a country that produces enough food to feed everyone, yet one in four people simply don’t have enough to eat. Millions live below the food poverty line, which means they don’t have enough money to buy the minimum nutrients their bodies need.
We can’t rely solely on commercial agriculture for household food security and livelihoods. But our policies and actions still favour commercial farming over smallholders, many of them women.
Agricultural training programmes also have a commercial bias, promoting industrial models reliant on chemical inputs while overlooking ecologically friendly methods such as agroecology.
Agroecology combines ecological principles with traditional knowledge to build resilient farming systems. It’s farming that is good for people and the environment. It’s not just about growing food differently but reshaping how we think about agriculture as a force for climate adaptation and household food security.
One such agroecological model is quietly taking root in different parts of the country: in Inchanga in KwaZulu-Natal, Bela-Bela in Limpopo, Standerton in Mpumalanga and Deelpan in the North West. Combined, the model supports more than 300 smallholder farmers.
The model centres around an agricultural hub that links smallholders, specifically women and young people, to local markets and training opportunities. It comprises a packhouse and plots where agroecological methods are taught and practised, a nursery or greenhouse for growing seedlings, a composting area and a training facility.
Every node has secure infrastructure, good road access and is positioned for visibility, accessibility and proximity to local markets.
Before the introduction of the model in these communities, many smallholder farmers were producing food for their own household consumption, deriving little or no income from their harvests.
In some communities, the model was implemented as a direct response to extreme weather such as floods and drought, which had devastated crops and livelihoods, rendering subsistence farmers themselves food insecure.
Today, these hubs are producing a diverse range of produce that feeds local communities. For many households, this initiative is the first real access to sustainable nutrition in years.
For example, in Deelpan, before the establishment of the model, there was no structured agricultural production happening in the area. Now, it produces over 15 tonnes of vegetables, of which the majority is sold and about six tonnes is donated to vulnerable households.
Where agricultural policies have let smallholder farmers down, the model is lifting them up. The model is simple and scalable. It shows that targeted investment in infrastructure and human capacity enables smallholders to thrive.
At a national level, we need to integrate agroecology into policy frameworks and ensure there is state funding to support smallholder farmers.
Public funds must support climate-resilient farming and local input production, not dependence on industrial inputs.
The state and the private sector must also work together to promote market access, local processing and procurement mechanisms to integrate smallholders into formal and informal economies.
These farmers could supply produce to guesthouses, clinics, schools and early childhood development centres.
Strong coordination and accountability are vital to turn policy into measurable progress, requiring collaboration across all levels of government, civil society and research institutions.
Advancing agroecology initiatives like the model in SA means moving beyond policy talk to real, coordinated action.
Peacock is an innovation manager at the DG Murray Trust
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