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Invisible capital: The contribution of communal rangelands to rural livelihoods in South Africa

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  • Ben Cousins

Abstract

Communal rangelands (including their woodland component) contribute significantly to rural livelihoods in that a variety of natural resources are utilised for direct use and for exchange in local and more distant markets. Natural resources are also valued for purposes which are not 'economic' (eg for ceremonial and aesthetic reasons) and because of their ecological functions. The fact that many of these uses are not monetised means that their true social and economic value is often underestimated and not taken adequately into account when assessing, for example, the viability of land redistribution projects. The ecological dimension is as crucial as the socio-economic: how sustainable is this multifold use of communal rangeland resources? More positively, can the productivity of 'natural capital' be increased, and how can the benefits of multifold utilisation activities be more widely distributed to help address rural poverty? This article discusses conceptual models drawn from the general literature which may be of relevance; reviews some of the southern African evidence on rural livelihoods and natural resource use; and attempts to draw out the lessons for poverty assessments and land reform policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Ben Cousins, 1999. "Invisible capital: The contribution of communal rangelands to rural livelihoods in South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 299-318.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:deveza:v:16:y:1999:i:2:p:299-318
    DOI: 10.1080/03768359908440079
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Turpie, J.K. & Forsythe, K.J. & Knowles, A. & Blignaut, J. & Letley, G., 2017. "Mapping and valuation of South Africa's ecosystem services: A local perspective," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 27(PB), pages 179-192.
    2. Sunderland, Terry & Achdiawan, Ramadhani & Angelsen, Arild & Babigumira, Ronnie & Ickowitz, Amy & Paumgarten, Fiona & Reyes-García, Victoria & Shively, Gerald, 2014. "Challenging Perceptions about Men, Women, and Forest Product Use: A Global Comparative Study," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 56-66.
    3. Devan Allen McGranahan & Kevin P. Kirkman, 2013. "Multifunctional Rangeland in Southern Africa: Managing for Production, Conservation, and Resilience with Fire and Grazing," Land, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-18, May.
    4. Lubinga, M. & Mazibuko, N. & Sotsha, K., 2018. "Comparing prices received by participating and non-participating farmers in the custom feeding initiative of the National Red Meat Development Programme: A case of Kwa Zulu Natal Province," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277396, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Bennett, James & Marandure, Tawanda & Hawkins, Heidi-Jayne & Mapiye, Cletos & Palmer, Anthony & Lemke, Stefanie & Wu, Lianhai & Moradzadeh, Mostafa, 2023. "A conceptual framework for understanding ecosystem trade-offs and synergies, in communal rangeland systems," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    6. Leonhard Klinck & Kingsley K. Ayisi & Johannes Isselstein, 2022. "Drought-Induced Challenges and Different Responses by Smallholder and Semicommercial Livestock Farmers in Semiarid Limpopo, South Africa—An Indicator-Based Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-14, July.
    7. Arup Mitra & Basanta K Pradhan, 2016. "Source of Livelihood and Inter-Temporal Mobility Evidence from Western odisha Villages," IEG Working Papers 364, Institute of Economic Growth.
    8. Schramski, Sam & Barnes, Grenville, 2016. "Agrarian Change and Adaptive Capacity in Rural South Africa," Review of Agrarian Studies, Foundation for Agrarian Studies, vol. 6(2), December.
    9. L. J. S. Baiyegunhi & B. B. Oppong & G. M. Senyolo, 2016. "Mopane worm (Imbrasia belina) and rural household food security in Limpopo province, South Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(1), pages 153-165, February.
    10. L. Baiyegunhi & B. Oppong & G. Senyolo, 2016. "Mopane worm (Imbrasia belina) and rural household food security in Limpopo province, South Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(1), pages 153-165, February.

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