WRC DSSII Inaugural Ref Group Meeting | Mahlathini Development Foundation

Inaugural meeting

October 2022

WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION

PROJECT: C2022/2023-00746

DISSEMINATION AND SCALING OF A DECISION SUPPORT FRAMEWORK FOR

CCA FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

NEW KNOWLEDGE CREATION REPORT

ITEMS

DESCRIPTION

1. (a) New knowledge to be

created by the project

Development and dissemination of a bespoke model forCbCCAacross multiple stakeholders including communities, civil society and

government.

Development of evidence-based indicators for monitoring resilience impact.

Development and promotion of new models and processes for community ownership of water access

Provision of guidelines and handbooks for programming in local food systems development and effective smallholder microfinance and

enterprise development support.

(b) gap(s) to be filled by

the new knowledge?

Design and implementation of an overarching framework for CbCCA in South Africa

2. What product(s) will be

produced?

Desk top review of South African policy, implementation frameworks and stakeholder platforms for CCA

Monitoringtool formulti stakeholderimplementationplatforms in CCA

Guidelines for implementation of local food systems and marketing strategies

Handbook for implementation ofsmallholder financialservices

Refined CbCCAdecision support framework with updated databases and CRA practices

Case studies: CbCCAimplementation and community ownership for water access and management

Manual for implementation of successful multi stakeholder platforms in CbCCA

3. How innovative is the new

product

The first coherent process of this kind focused on smallholder farmers in South Africa

Whoare theusers and

beneficiaries?

multiple stakeholders(Government,Academic Institutions, NGOs, CSOs and community

-based CoPs)

How do you know that

the users need the

products ofthis project?

There is a dire need for coherent implementation of CC adaptation strategies and programs, whether this has been clearly arti

culated or not.

South Africa has excellent policy documents and processes but lack coherent implementation approaches.

PROJECT TEAM

MahlathiniDevelopment Foundation

(MDF):

Erna Kruger, TemakholoMathebula,

Ayanda Madlala, Michael Malinga, Betty

Maimela

StratAct:

NqeDlamini

Environmental and Rural

Solutions(ERS):

Nicky McCleod

Association for Water and Rural

Development(AWARD):

Derrick du Toit

Institute for Natural Resources (INR):

Brigid Letty

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

There are a number of distinct outputs in this process with

different team members contributing to those:

¡Local level CoPs: CRA learning groups –expansion, new

practices, refinement (MDF andMphilstudents)

¡Monitoringtool for multi stakeholder implementation

platforms in CCA(ERS,AWARD, MDF)

¡Guidelinesforimplementationoflocal food systems and

marketingstrategies (MDF)

¡Handbook for implementation of smallholder financial

services(StratAct)

¡Refined CbCCAdecision support framework with updated

databases and CRA practices (MDF + ?)

¡Case studies: CbCCAimplementation and community

ownership for water access and management (Mphil

students, MDF)

¡Manualfor implementation of successfulmulti

stakeholder platforms in CbCCA(ERS, INR, MDF)

PROJECT TEAM

OUTCOME

AND

IMPACTS

Verticalandhorizontal

integration of this

community- based

climate change

adaptation (CbCCA)

model and process

lead to improved water

and environmental

resources

management,improved

rural livelihoods and

improved climate

resilience for

smallholder farmers in

communal tenure areas

of South Africa

1. Scaling out and scaling up of the CRAframeworks and

implementation strategies lead to greater resilience

and food security for smallholder farmers in their

locality.

2. Incorporation of the smallholder decision support

framework and CRA implementation into a range of

programmatic and institutional processes

3. Improved awareness and implementation of

appropriate agricultural and water management

practices and CbCCAin a range of bioclimatic and

institutional settings

4. Contribution ofa robust CC resilienceimpact

measurementtool for local,regional and national

monitoring processes.

4. Concreteexamples and models forownership and

management of localgroup-based water access and

infrastructure

DELIVERABLES 2022-2025

DELIVERABLES

No.

Deliverable Title

Description

TargetDate

Amount

Report: Monitoring framework, ratified

by multiple stakeholders

Exploration of appropriate monitoring tools to suite the contextual

needs for evidence

-based planning and implementation.

02/Dec/2022

R100 000,00

Development of CoPs and multi

stakeholder platforms

Design development parameters, roles and implementation

frameworks for CoPs at all levels, CRA learning groups, Innovation

and multi stakeholder platforms; within the

CbCCA framework.

04/Aug/2023

R133

000,00

Report: Local food systems and

marketing strategies contextualized

Guidelines for implementation

Guidelines and case studies for building resilience in local food

systems and local marketing strategies towards sustainable local

food systems (local value chain)

08/Dec/2023

R133

000,00

Case studies: encouraging community

ownership of water and natural

resources access and management

Case studies (x3) towards providing an evidence base for

encouraging community ownership of natural resource

management through bottom

-up approaches and institutional

recognition of these processes.

28/Feb/2024

R134

000,00

Case studies: CbCCA implementation

case studies in 3 different agroecological

zones in SA

CbCCA implementation case studies in 3 different agroecological

zones within South Africa

12/Aug/2024

R133

000,00

Refined CbCCA decision support

framework with updated databases and

CRA practices

Refined CbCCA DSS database and methodology with inclusion of

further viable and appropriate CRA practices

13/Dec/2024

R133

000,00

Manual for implementation of successful

multistakeholder platforms in CbCCA

Methodology and process manual for successful multi stakeholder

platform development in CbCCA

28/Feb/2025

R134

000,00

Final Report

Final report: Summary of all findings, guidelines and case studies,

learning and recommendations

18/Aug/2025

(Feb 2026)

R400

000,00

Measures

2022/23 2023/242024/25

5.2.1 Implementierung von Communities of Practice (CoP)

Cyclical implementation of innovation platforms and multi

-stakeholder networks;

Implementation and capacity development for innovation (3) and multi

-stakeholder

platforms (3); meetings and cross visits

x xx

5.2.2 Development of an M&E toolbox and a handbuch

Development of M&E instruments and indicators

xx xx

Development of the Handbook for Community

-Based Adaptation to Climate Changex x

Regular M&E by MDF together with smallholder farmers

xx xxxx

Seasonal evaluation by learning groups at village level

x xxxx

Participatory assessments improved climate resilience for a selection of learning

groups at village level

x xxxx

5.2.3 Sustainable water management

Development and implementation of institutional structures such as water

management committees

x xx xx xx xxx

Development of three concepts for sustainable access to water

xx x x

SODI ACTIVITIES

Individual (computer

model) and

Facilitated

DSS OUTLINE

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: Climate and

geographical parameters; GPS coordinates,

agroecological zones, soil texture, slope and soil

organic carbon content

PRACTICES: Database of CSA practices including; managing

available water, improving access to water, controlling soil

movement,improvingsoil health andfertility,cropmanagement,

integrated crop-livestock management, veld management and

veld rehabilitation

THE CCA-DSS RECAP

RESILIENCE SNAPSHOTS –CSA/CRA IMPLEMENTATION

Resilience

indicators

Increase

forLimpopo(N=26)

Increase

forKZN(N=45)

Comment

Increase

insizeoffarmingactivities

Gardening

Field

cropping; - 98%

Livestock

; 6%

Gardening

260%

Field

cropping360%

Livestock

14%

Cropping

areasmeasured,nooflivestockassessed

Dryland

croppinginLimpopohasreducedsignificantlydueto

drought

conditions

andinfertilesoil

Increased

farmingactivities

KZnmoreparticipantsstartedgardeningandsmall

livestock

production

. InLimpopoallinvolvedingardening,fieldcropping

and

livestock

management

Increased

season

Yes

For

fieldcroppingandgardening- autumnandwinteroptions

Increased

cropdiversity

Crops

: 21newcrops

Practices

: 11newpractices

Crops

: 21newcrops

Practices

:20newpractices

Management

optionsinclude; dripirrigation,tunnels,no-till

planters,

JoJo

tanks,RWHdrums,

Increased

productivity

Gardening

; 120%

Field

cropping: 15%

Livestock

: 6%

Gardening

: 72%

Field

cropping: 79%

Livestock

: 25%

Based

onincreaseinyields(mainlyfromtunnelsandtrenchbeds

for

gardening

forfieldcropping

Increased

wateruseefficiency

Access,

RWH,waterholdingcapacityandirrigationefficiencyrated

Increased

income

Based

onaveragemonthlyincomes,mostlythoughmarketing

produce

locallyandthroughtheorganicmarketingsystem

Increased

householdfoodprovisioning

Vegetables

;

types~

10kg/week

Fruit

; 5-10kg/week

Dryland

crops(maize,

legumes,

sweet

potatoes); 5-10kg/week

Vegetables

;

types~

17kg/week

Dryland

crops(maize,

legumes,

potatoes)

; 19kg/week

Poultry

2-3/month

Food

producedandconsumedinthehousehold

Increased

savings

150/month

262/month

Average

ofsavingsnowundertaken

Increased

socialagency

Learning

groupsandlocalwatercommittees

Increased

informeddecisionmaking

Own

experience,localfacilitators,otherfarmers,

facilitators,

extension

officers

Positive

mindsets

tomuchmorepositiveaboutthefuture:Much

improved

household

foodsecurityandfoodavailability

PARTICIPATORYIMPACTASSESSMENT;LIMPOPO(2-3YEARS

OF CRA IMPLEMENTATION)

We havelearntabout

agroecology, building soil, new

crops, value adding and

processing and marketing.

Hunger has decreased

Indigenous

crops

and

trees

Soil

health

Income

Productivity

Water

use

and

management

Knowledge

sharing

with

otherfarmers

Total

Conservation

Agriculture

138

Livestock

integration

102

Market

Tunnel

133

Trench

beds

147

Drip

kits

116

Mulching

141

We worktogether

and also share

seeds

We now use CA in our

cropping instead of

using our old system,

and the results are

good

We know the

importance of saving

water and protecting

the soil and the

environment.

We havelearntabout

integration of livestock and

farming and have seen the

results, now we have our own

livestock to avoid buying

manure to use for soil fertility

We knewnothingabout

Climate Change and we felt

defeated. Now with CRA we

have gardens for

consumption and are making

small incomes from sales.

Province

Site/Area

;

villages

CoPs

Collaborative

strategies

KZN

Bergville

Ezibomvini

Stulwane

Vimbukahlo

Eqeleni

Vumbukhalo

-Village level Climate Resilient

Agriculture (CRA) learning

groups: (~130 participants)

Tunnels and drip kits

Individual experimentation with basket of options

(CA, agroecology, fodder supplementation)

-VSLAs (village savings and loan associations)

-Marketing committee

– local markets stalls and

Dept of Basic Education

-Water committees; Local schemes in 3 villages

Midlands

Ozwathini,

Gobizembe,

Mayizekanye

Village level Climate

Resilient Agriculture (CRA)

learning groups: (~90

participants)

Livestock associations and

cooperatives (SARDLR)

Tunnels and drip kits

Individual experimentation with basket of options

(CA, agroecology, fodder supplementation)

-VSLAs (village savings and loan associations)

-Marketing committee

– local markets stalls

Livestock committees – with DARDLR for calf

rearing, potato and maize production

Limpopo

Sekororo

Sedawa,

Turkey,

Mulati

Village level Climate

Resilient Agriculture (CRA)

learning groups: (~75

participants)

Tunnels and drip kits

Individual experimentation with basket of options

(CA, agroecology, fodder supplementation)

-VSLAs (village savings and loan associations)

Matatiele

Ned,

Nchodu,

Nkau,

Rashule

-Village level Climate Resilient

Agriculture (CRA) learning

groups: (~90 participants)

Tunnels and drip kits

Individual experimentation with basket of options

(CA, agroecology, fodder supplementation)

-VSLAs (village savings and loan associations) in

association with

SaveAct

Development of

COPs:

Local level

Innovation Platforms

PROGRESS

Specific learning groups,

which have done well in

implementation and

building of social agency

will provide the focus for

further exploration of food

systems, water stewardship

and governance and

engagement with local and

district municipalities

Province

CoPs

Collaborative strategies

Regional

uThukela Water Source Forum (~50

stakeholder participants)

-Mametja-SekororoPGS (PGS-SA)

-South African Agroecology network

WASH scoping study

UmzimvubuCatchment Partnership

Working with SANBI, WWF, INR and UKZN to develop a water

stewardship forum and collaboration in the Northern Drakensberg

–

Adaptive Planning process in May and early November 2022.

In association with PGS-SA and AWARD, support organic marketing

and youth engagement and linked to the KHSA (Knowledge hub for

Organic agriculture in Southern Africa)

-Engagement in TAFS agroecological transitions review and case

studies with SA

FoodLab.

-In association with Nova Institute a nexus project on agriculture and

sanitation

--Review of multistakeholder forum operation, principles and successes.

Inclusion of youth job creation programmes in water stewardship and

CRA, etc. Quarterlymeetings and joint participatory research processes

National

Adaptation Network

-SANBI-Living catchments Programme

-PGS-SA

-CA forums

EnvironmentalEducation

Memberofcapacity development andlearning andvulnerability

assessments working groups with ongoing programmatic activities for

each.

-Co-convenor for uThukela forum, participant in UCP in Eastern Cape

and K2C process in Limpopo

-Memberofcertifications, inputs and farmerlearningworking groups

-Memberofprovincial (KZN)CA forum andnational processunder

auspices of the Maize trust and Asset Research (University of

Stellenbosch)

-Southern Africa transnational project – conference and MoU

Development of COPS

Regional and

National

PROGRESS

Engaging with existing

networks and forums at a

provincial and national level

to explore the themes within

this research brief

STILLTODO:

Developrelationshipswith

localanddistrictgovernment

roleplayersforintegrationof

CbCCAintoIDPs,adaptation

planninganddisasterrisk

reduction

WorkPlan

Work plan August 2022

-March 2023

Deliverable

Activities

Team

members

Dates

Submission

2. Desktop review of

Multistakeholder

engagements

Exploration of appropriate monitoring tools for evidence

based planning and implementation. Analysis of

multistakeholder forums

MDF: Erna Kruger

ERS: Nicky McCleod

AWARD: Derick du

Toit INR: Brigid Letty

2022/11/18

2022/12/02

Capacity building: Concept proposals for 2 MSc theses and

engagement of potential supervisors

MDF: Erna Kruger,

Temakholo

Mathebula and

Ayanda Madlala

Concepts: 2022/12/02

Registration:

2023/02/28

2022/12/02

3. Handbook on

microfinance

services for

smallholder farmers

MoU with

StratAct

for implementation of research package.

Summary for development into a handbook.

MDF: Erna Kruger,

Ayanda Madlala,

Hlengiwe Hlongwane,

Thabani Madondo

StratAct: Nqe Dlamini

MoU:2022/09/01,

Workplan:

2022/10/10, Draft

report: 2023/01/13

Handbook:

2023/02/18

2023/02/28

4. Development of

CoPs and multi

stakeholder

platforms

COPs: 9 Village level CRA learning groups in KZN, EC and

Limpopo engaged

- assessments done, annual

implementation plans outlined, CRA experimentation

outlined and set up (incl. new practices: e.g., multipurpose

poultry, linking sanitation and agriculture, water access

explorations, veld restoration, youth engagement in

resources restoration, Tala Table network, development of

local marketing strategies and VLSAs)

MDF: Erna Kruger,

Temakholo

Mathebula, Ayanda

Madlala,Betty

Maimela,Michael

Malinga

2022/11/15

2023/08/04

COPs: Multistakeholder forums: uThukela water source

partnership

MDF: Erna Kruger

INR: Brigid Letty

Stakeholder mapping:

2022/09/29, APP w/s:

2022/11/05

Networks

workinggroups: AdaptationNetwork-

capacity

development

andlearning,PGSSA-Certificationand

farmer

inputs,

CAforum.

MDF

: Erna

Kruger,

Michael

Malinga

Ongoing

Tala

TableNetwork: Youthinvolvementprogramme

MDF

; Erna

Kruger,

Betty

Maimela

AWARD

: Derick

Toit

Ongoing

FINANCIAL SERVICES PROGRESS AND WORK PLAN

NQEDLAMINI

Problem Statement:

VSLAs not seen as business fundinginstruments; institutional

marginalisation,neglect by government and business community; lack of continued

oversight(short-term projectbased funding)

International VSLA experience:

International NGOs, e.g. CARE, World Vision

Local VSLA experience:

NGO led interventions; Community led interventions (mainly

traditional stokvels); National Stokvel Association of South Africa (NASASA)

¡RSA user-owned financial services legislation and regulations,role of Treasury

Focus:

Toexaminemicrofinanceoptionswhichareavailableforsmallholderfarmers

participating in the CbCCAprogramme and to draw lessons for broader applications

FINANCIAL SERVICES PROGRESS AND WORK PLAN

Progress so far:

¡Structure/framework of research study done

¡Finalising literature review, theoretical framework and methodology

¡Researchsites identified (BergvilleandIxopo)

¡Adaptive planning/TheoryofChange to tease microfinance options

Work Plan:

End of Sept:

Internal discussion of draft literature section; data collection

instruments

Oct through to Nov:

Data collection (Focus Group Discussions, interviews, case

studies)

Dec through Jan:

Writingupoffindingsandcontentsofhandbook

Feb:

Production of a handbook

Capacity

Building

TEMAKHOLOMATHEBULA –

The Role of the Social and Solidarity Economy in

Strengthening Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA)

Adoption in Smallholder Farming Systems in KwaZulu-

Natal

AYANDAMADLALA–

Powerdynamicsinaruralsettingignores pre-existing

co-management systems of natural resources

(commons) while forcing/injecting change.

THE ROLEOF THE SOCIAL AND

SOLIDARITY ECONOMY IN

STRENGTHENING CLIMATE

RESILIENT AGRICULTURE (CRA)

ADOPTION IN SMALLHOLDER

FARMINGSYSTEMSIN

KWAZULU-NATAL

By TN

Mathebula

PROBLEM STATEMENT

¡Climate variability the recent COVID 19 pandemic, social unrest and the Ukraine

war have caused major disruptions in international and local food systems alike.

Impacts more severe in rural areas due to scarcity of resources and limited

access to information. In SA, decline in food security worsened during pandemic

due to high levels of retrenchments, leading to increased pressure on local food

systems, which continues

¡Vulnerabilityofruralcommunitiesduetoexclusionfrommainstreameconomy

and absence of basic services which has lead to the rise of local solidarity

networks and care economies, i.e. increased variety of livelihood strategies to

circumvent effects of ailing economy

¡Solidarity networks set up to pull resources together and share information, due

to financialexclusion,butpresentlyhavea limitedroleinpromotingclimate

resilient agriculture

¡How can the solidarity networks be used to strengthen the adoption of CRA in

smallholder farming systems?

SUB QUESTIONS

¡What are the different components of the solidarity networks and whatare their

functions?

¡How can the economy of solidarity be used to create a convergence between

smallholder farming and CRA?

¡What are the strategic points within the solidarity networks through which CRA can

be promoted?

¡What are the individual and collective perceptions around CRA in rural communities

and how do these inform farmers’ decision making processes?

RESEARCH QUESTION

CRA Learning group activities

Building of

community

organisation to

undertake CRA,

water access

resource

conservation and

local marketing

COMMUNITY/IN

STITUTIONAL

EMPOWERMENT

Conservation Agriculture:

Intercropping, crop rotation,

cover crops, fodder production

Livestock integration:

Winter fodder supplementation,

hay baling, conservation agreements, local livestock

auctions

Intensive homestead food production:

Agroecology:

Micro-tunnels, trench beds, mixed cropping, mulching,

greywater management, fruit production, crop

diversification

Community owned local water access:

Water

committees:Spring protection, boreholes, water

reticulation, pipes and tanks at homestead level

Village savings and loan associations:

Village based

savings groups for savings and small loans for

productive activities

Local marketing and foodsystems:

Monthly produce

market stalls, organised per village, exploration of

further marketing options, small mills for maize

Soil and water conservation:

Erosion control, road

maintenance, veld restoration, youth employment

KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION DONE

YouthTalatable

Network Development

Inception workshop

“Adaptation Network

webinar presentations;

Nature based solutions,

Vulnerability

assessments

South African Mountains

Conference: Presentation

and full paper:

CbCCAin central

Drakensberg improves

resilience of smallholder

farmers

“PGS-SA certificate

ceremony, working

group meetings, inputs

into policy documents

LCP uThukela Water

forum/partnership –

stakeholder meeting

and Adaptive planning

workshop

Innovation

Platform

workshops in

Conservation

Agriculture, CA

forum, KZN and

national

THANK YOU