Meet the small-scale farmers who are pioneering sustainable solutions through community empowerment

Thoriso Mpitsi, a plumber and engineer by trade turned to farming in the height of covid-19. (Photo: Food &amp: Trees For Africa)

By Lillian Roberts

5 Nov 2024

From forming cooperatives and reforming public parks to fruit trees and lemongrass, Daily Maverick spoke to four small-scale but significant farmers from around the country.

What do you know about swales, berms, cover cropping, mulching and worm casting? Well, Food & Trees for Africa spotlighted 15 farmers who do know, in a video series. These farmers are changing perceptions about what it means to be cultivators and custodians of the land.

Farming is often thought of as needing huge space, heavy machinery and chemical inputs — something that stops people from even starting.

“Whether through backyard gardens or local food cooperatives, the goal is to spark a movement where more people actively engage in sustainable food production, contributing to both community resilience and national food security,” said Nicole Ras, the communications manager at Food & Trees for Africa.

“This new agricultural model places food security and community empowerment at its core. Rather than focusing solely on cash crops for distant markets, these farmers prioritise growing nutritious food for local consumption, supporting feeding schemes for vulnerable groups like children and the unemployed. Community involvement and shared ownership are key, with volunteers playing a vital role and profits distributed among participants. This fosters a sense of pride and collective responsibility, ensuring the benefits of farming are widely shared.

As Robyn Hills, the Head of Programmes at Food & Trees for Africa, notes in the video series, “the future of farming in South Africa could be a rainbow of suppliers, a series of exchanges and farmers markets that incorporate neighbourhoods”.

Phawu Agripak

Bakhusele Mathupha grew up farming his entire life, learning from his grandparents, who farmed monoculture corn for 50 years on their homestead in Dutywa, Eastern Cape. He started Phawu Agripak, an agroecology project, currently growing a variety of vegetables and fruit trees.

He rallied a group of five elderly women from the village, all experienced gardeners, to join him in starting Phawu Agripak. They had gardens but lacked resources, so together they built the two-hectare plot into a thriving sustainable farm.

“Farming is in my blood, inherited from generations of family farmers. My passion for agriculture deepened with a desire to promote food sovereignty, uplift rural women, and help communities combat the effects of climate change. I saw farming as a way to make a tangible difference, fostering sustainability and strengthening local food systems,” Mathupha said.

The biggest hurdle Mathupha has faced is funding. Most of the money comes from his own pocket, and he’s received assistance from Shoprite South Africa and Food & Trees for Africa. Water scarcity and theft of fruit have also been an issue, as well as the need for better infrastructure and security as the operation gets bigger.

“Our work has brought numerous successes, from educating the community on sustainable agriculture to improving food security in the area. We’ve also established a profitable market for our produce, empowering the women involved and generating steady income. Beyond that, our project has contributed to offsetting carbon emissions and enhancing biodiversity through our eco-friendly practices,” said Mathupha.

They use organic compost made from chicken and pig manure to nourish crops. They farm using agroecology and permaculture techniques. These include rainwater harvesting, swales, berms, and cover cropping. A swale is a sloping ditch that helps harvest rainwater. A berm also harvests rainwater, but is a built mound, often next to the swale. Cover cropping is crops that are not harvested, but mainly used to slow erosion, improve soil health, enhance water availability, smother weeds, and help control pests and disease.

“A distinctive feature of our project is our food forest, which includes indigenous trees, herbs, and medicinal plants,” he said. Mathupha and the five women keep working to create a self-sufficient, sustainable future for their community in the Eastern Cape.

Apple Tree Initiative

Mandy Leibbrandt is a 45-year-old seasonal vegetable and fruit tree farmer from Brackenfell in the Western Cape. She is the director of the Apple Tree Initiative. Soon, she and a team of 57 people will harvest fruit from 480 trees.

“We started farming in our residential park for a number of reasons. The Covid-19 pandemic taught us how quickly you can have severe food insecurity and problems with regards to money. Suikerbossie Park is now a food security project for our neighbourhood. We established a sense of community. We also prefer to consume clean, pesticide-free food,” she said.

The ward councillor and the Parks and Recreation Department helped sign a five-year land use agreement. After that, they gathered gardeners from the neighbourhood and allocated space in the park to start planting.

Leibbrant said the project had not experienced many challenges: “Where love energy goes, blessings flow,” she said.

They harvest about 300kg of produce per month, distributing to the community and the harvesters themselves.

“Our park is no longer a business premises for drug dealers. Children play there again and people walk their dogs. Above all, social cohesion and relationships between community members have strengthened again,” Leibbrant said.

Apple Tree Initiative has received support and training from Food & Trees for Africa, and support from Shoprite South Africa, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Forestry, Rijk Zwaan South Africa, Landorf Nursery, and Interlude Nursery.

They farm using permaculture principles. One of those is companion planting, which means plants that grow well together, go together. And companion planting can also act as a natural insect repellent to protect plants. They make use of the organic waste by putting it back in the soil, and mulch the soil beds. Mulching is when you cover the topsoil with plant material such as leaves, grass, twigs, or straw. This helps save water, suppresses weeds, and encourages soil organisms such as earthworms.

They use worm casting, the end result of the earthworms breaking down the organic waste in a compost area. They also use horse manure and biological active compost in the community garden.

Khula Nathi Community Organisation

Nkanyiso Bhengu is a 27-year-old farmer in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, growing organic vegetables and herbs. These include lemongrass, spinach, sweet potatoes and various culinary herbs. Bhengu has been farming since 2019, as part of his work with Isbani Sabalimi farming and Khula Nathi Community Organisation.

“I got into farming to address the pressing issue of food insecurity in my community. I saw a need to educate people about healthy food alternatives and to provide access to organic produce. Additionally, my passion for sustainability and the desire to create a healthier world for future generations drove me to this path.”

He launched Khula Nathi Community Organisation, researching permaculture techniques for sustainable farming, and drew upon partnerships with organisations like Food & Trees for Africa. Then, they implemented their first community gardens and educational programmes in local primary schools.

Nkanyiso Bhengu from Khula Nathi harvests lemongrass, with his macadamia nut orchard behind him. (Photo: Food & Trees for Africa)

They had faced limited access to funding and resources, as well as climate variability that affected crop yields. Another issue was the need for continuous education about sustainable practices in the community, and spreading awareness about health risks associated with genetically modified foods, he said.

“Since starting, we have successfully educated dozens of students and families about permaculture and food security. We’ve established thriving community gardens that not only provide fresh produce but also foster a sense of community among participants. Our sales of organic vegetables and herbs have helped raise awareness and create a local market for healthy food options.”

They employ agroecological practices and use organic fertilisers in their farming. Khula Nathi also builds its own tools, such as manual and petrol cultivators, to make work easier when tilling the land. It is also working on vertical urban farming to maximise space and yield, and incorporating techniques passed down through generations of local farming knowledge.

“I farm in collaboration with local community members, especially through our One Home, One Garden campaign. This encourages families to participate and learn about sustainable gardening. We have received support from organisations like Food & Trees for Africa and various local NGOs that provide training, resources, and funding for our projects. The community involvement has been invaluable, as it creates a network of support and shared knowledge,” Bhengu said.

Mpitsi Agricultural Farm

Thoriso Mpitsi and his wife Ntabiseng Mpitsi started growing organic vegetables and fruit trees in 2020, at the Mpitsi Agricultural Farm in Gauteng.

“When Covid-19 arrived, my wife lost her permanent employment. We saw this extra time on our hands as an opportunity to put our long-term dream of operating a farm into place. We made inquiries and asked for advice from other farmers. Then, we started on a small area of about 240m² with five beds and planted rainbow spinach. Gradually we increased our planting area, and grew from there.”

Besides making a profit, they wanted to contribute positively to the community by providing affordable organic vegetables and sharing knowledge on how to grow your own food.

Thoriso Mpitsi, a plumber and engineer by trade, turned to farming at the height of Covid-19. (Photo: Food & Trees for Africa)

“Employment is a huge contributory factor in farming. When we started, it was difficult to find and keep decent labour. Finding the market after planting and transporting the produce was a challenge. As a farmer, you cannot determine your own price for your produce. At the market you take the price the market offers. You do not get to decide your own price unless you create/find your own market. We’ve also experienced unfavourable weather conditions that would damage our crops,” Mpitsi said.

Over the years, they’ve learnt how to run the farm as a business, as well as slightly increase their revenue. Now, the farm is growing more crops and has gone from five beds of spinach to a hectare in size.

“The type of farming that we practise is an old method of farming called Permaculture (permanent agriculture) i.e. working with nature instead of working against it. So, everything we do, we plant naturally, which is a sustainable way of farming. This ensures that future generations can continue to have fertile land that they can live off.”

Food & Trees for Africa provided business, holistic and mentorship support. Mpitsi Agricultural Farm has recently registered a cooperative consisting of six other farms, which they run collectively. DM

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Maverick Citizen

Phawu Agripak

Apple Tree Initiative

Khula Nathi Community Organisation

Mpitsi Agricultural Farm