Abstract:
In 2008, the South African government introduced the Ilima-Letsema Programme (ILP) to create sustainable agricultural activities and improve the food security of farming communities. The impact this programme has had at the grassroots level has, however, not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of this programme to food security and poverty alleviation in the Midvaal Local Municipality of Gauteng, in South Africa. The objectives were to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of the beneficiaries; the impact of the programme on agricultural production; what factors influenced that impact; the food security status of the beneficiaries (with reference to availability, access and stability); and the contribution of the programme to net income, poverty alleviation and job creation. To this end, the study employed a quantitative research approach and survey design. Data were collected from 196 beneficiaries of the ILP through face-to-face interviews using a structured survey questionnaire. SPSS v. 24 was used to analyse the quantitative data. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation and standard error of mean) ordered logistic regression, binomial test and Wilcoxon signed ranks test were applied. The socio-demographic results revealed that more males (53.6%) than females benefited from the ILP, with 60.7 per cent aged 51 years and above. About 43.4 per cent owned the land they farmed on, with an average farm/plot size of 4.4 ha. The respondents’ average annual income was R47 513.59, with 75 per cent relying on income earned from farming to sustain their livelihoods. The ILP was found to contribute significantly to the agricultural production (crop and livestock) of the beneficiaries, with only farming experience having a positive and significant (p < 0.05) impact. As regards the contribution of the programme to food security, the food availability of 55.6 per cent of the respondents improved, with 76.5 per cent reportedly producing food throughout the year, after receiving support. In addition, 52 per cent had access to food, and 54.5 per cent had the necessary farming experience to continue producing food, resulting in food stability. The results of the Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that the ILP played a significant role in uplifting the beneficiaries from the upper-bound poverty line, creating job opportunities and improving income. Although the study was conducted at the local level, the findings showed that the programme improved the livelihoods of the farmers. For that reason, it was recommended that government increase the budget allocation for the programme and make it more inclusive, to enable most farming communities to benefit from it.
