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Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Maverick
South Africa's honeybush sector must transform from its unjust past: what needs to change
The biodiversity economy is made up of businesses and economic activities that use living species and ecosystems to make profits without damaging the environment. But in South Africa, it is haunted by economic racism, with indigenous people still not in control of the biodiversity economy. A good example of what's going wrong with transformation initiatives is the story of honeybush tea. Biodiversity economy researcher Sthembile Ndwandwe of the University of Cape Town explains. Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) is a plant indigenous to South Africa, with a long history of use as a herbal tea by local people in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces. It has traditionally been used for medicinal purposes. Efforts to develop the honeybush industry began in the 1900s. Honeybush is still a small and growing industry with little revenue and minimal profits to share with communities. But it is also deeply rooted in centuries of struggle for access to land and natural resources. What happened to honeybush during colonialism and apartheid? For centuries, during colonisation, slavery and apartheid in South Africa, control over commercialised plants and animals was handed to white-owned business. Black people were forced off their land by the colonial and apartheid governments. Land was broken up into individual title deeds and handed over to white settlers for commercial agriculture, or to the government for westernised conservation. The seizure of land for conservation, plantations and commercial agriculture led to the separation of wild plants like honeybush from those who traditionally used them. Honeybush became the property of landowners: the apartheid government, white-owned timber companies, and white commercial farmers. However, these unjust barriers did not prevent so-called Coloured (mixed-race) and Indigenous Khoi and San communities from continuing to harvest and trade small amounts of honeybush tea. How should transformation have happened? Apartheid ended in 1994. This coincided with efforts that began in the early 1990s by the Agricultural Research Council and the South African National Biodiversity Institute to 'rediscover' honeybush. Projects attached to formal honeybush value chains were opened to dispossessed communities who had produced the tea for centuries from wild plants. The post-apartheid South African government introduced policies to speed up the participation of Black and Indigenous people in the biodiversity economy. A strategy was published in 2015 and a further draft in 2024. These set out ways to include Black and Indigenous people in conservation and businesses involving wild plants (biotrade or bioprospecting) and game animals (the wildlife economy). For example, there were plans to commercialise 25 wild plants, create thousands of jobs, and involve communities in the search for new products (bioprospecting). The government came up with development plans to develop honeybush businesses, and allocate land and infrastructure to Black and Indigenous honeybush producers to participate. These plans were commendable but did not succeed in transforming the industry. What's gone wrong? The focus of transformation was on profit-generation and the number of jobs created. This removed the emphasis from quality jobs and dignity for those who remain racially excluded from enjoying nature. In some cases, transformation further excluded people. For example, permits have been used since the 1800s to exclude Black and Indigenous harvesters from freely accessing land and harvesting plants. After apartheid ended, the role of permit systems as tools for limiting Black and Indigenous people's movement and access to nature were not questioned. Instead, they became part of the formal honeybush trade. They continue to play a key role in managing access to wild plants. This formalisation has prevented Black and Indigenous harvesters from picking wild honeybush without a formal permit. It has left them dependent on applying through those who have power for permits, such as white landowners. This has reinforced and legitimised white supremacy over access to land and natural resources. Secondly, landowners gave permits to white harvest team leaders or supervisors of the workers doing the harvesting. This displaced Black and Indigenous leaders. Another problem is delayed negotiations around access and benefit sharing. This is meant to direct a share of the profits from biodiversity-based industries to local communities. The agreements are still being negotiated, usually by the government, representatives of the industry and traditional authorities. This excludes the communities who've been producing and fighting for honeybush access for centuries. Lastly, those with land and processing infrastructure retain power in the honeybush industry. Black and Indigenous people whose families farmed honeybush for generations remain at the margins. They often have to take up disempowered jobs as planters, harvesters (pickers), helpers in processing facilities, and retail packagers. The result is that Black and Indigenous people have limited control over the honeybush trade and are left in a subordinate position. Is this part of a bigger problem in the biodiversity economy? Landlessness is the bigger problem. The majority of people who've lived and worked for generations in honeybush growing regions and who were dispossessed of their land did not get it back after apartheid ended. Instead, less than 25% of South Africa's land has been redistributed to Black and Indigenous people. When generations of people work with nature, they need sovereignty over space and all the different plants in nature. Being confined to small plots of land means Black and Indigenous people cannot fully use and enjoy all the plants in a region. What should happen next? The government, industry representatives, communities involved with honeybush and the National Khoi and San Councils must transform the industry beyond just redistributing a small fee from commercial farmers and honeybsuh businesses. These are important next steps: Land should be expropriated and redistributed to those involved in the biodiversity economy who are currently landless. Honeybush is a small industry with little profit to share. Access and benefit sharing systems should be designed to show benefits to communities that are not about money alone – in the form of justice, conservation, and restitution. Permits must be replaced with systems that are accessible to the people who were previously forced off their land. To do this, my research recommends using the Black gaze: empathising with the dispossession of the original inhabitants of the land, and bearing witness to the domino effect that landlessness has had on Black families historically connected to honeybush. The absence of traditional knowledge holders in honeybush patent applications means that they're erased from written memory of honeybush intellectual advancements. The honeybush industry needs epistemic justice. This is where Indigenous knowledge is recognised as true and valid, and not only seen as useful if it advances 'science' or helps market products. This will require transformation of the whole honeybush industry, so that traditional knowledge holders are named and remunerated as equal knowers in innovation. Transforming South Africa's biodiversity economy requires a longer-term vision of changing the exclusionary practices, views and structures that are embedded in our environmental policies. DM
eNCA
3 days ago
- Science
- eNCA
G20 Meeting of Chief Agricultural Scientists
JOHANNESBURG - Leading experts came together to tackle critical issues affecting global agriculture, food systems, and sustainability. WATCH: Discussion | G20 | Women's minister to lead session with UN Group The G20 Meeting of Chief Agricultural Scientists is a precursor to the G20 Agriculture Working Group Ministerial Meeting in September. The gathering is focused on collaborative efforts to address agricultural challenges and promote sustainable practices among member countries. Dr Litha Magingxa, G20 MACS chairperson and CEO of the Agricultural Research Council discussed the summit with eNCA.
The South African
24-05-2025
- General
- The South African
10-hour power outage set to affect parts of Tshwane on Monday
The City of Tshwane has announced scheduled electricity repair work for Monday, 26 May. Two major maintenance operations will disrupt the power supply in various areas. The City's Energy and Electricity Department, working with TCT Civil and Construction Company, will repair the Waltloo/Njala power lines between Tower 58 and Tower 59. The work, which includes stringing power lines across Bronkhorstspruit Road (R104), will start at 7:00 and is expected to conclude by 17:00. The 10-hour outage will affect Mooiplaas plots and business amenities, Willow Brae, and Willow Park. City officials have urged road users, including motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, to exercise extra caution near the construction zone. 'Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians using the Bronkhorstspruit Road (R104) are urged to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings in this area during the period of the repair work,' the city stated. In Hatfield, another power outage will occur due to repairs at a mini substation on the Agricultural Research Council premises. Between 8:00 and 16:00, technicians will replace a damaged switching component, affecting multiple streets and facilities. Areas impacted include Burnett, Duncan, Grosvenor, Park streets, the Agricultural Research Council, and Iparioli Business Park. This additional shutdown is necessary to ensure the continued reliability of the local electricity network. The City emphasised safety and encouraged caution during the planned work. 'Customers are advised to treat all electricity supply points as live at all times,' the city said. The City of Tshwane acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the disruptions and appealed to residents and businesses for patience. 'The City of Tshwane apologises profusely for the inconvenience that may be caused as a result of the above-mentioned work,' the city added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Strive to increase Kharif crop production while reducing cost: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that his ministry's resolve is to increase the Kharif crop production while reducing the production cost. He added that the synergy between the agricultural research and the farmers will be increased. The Minister was speaking to reporters here after a meeting with the State agricultural ministers. 'Today, I held a meeting with the Agriculture ministers of all the is important for the country, whether it is a question of livelihood, employment, contribution to the economy or ensuring food security of the country. Our resolve is to increase production and reduce the cost of production of the Kharif crop. We will make our best efforts for this,' Chouhan said. 'Agriculture is a state subject, and the Centre gives full support, and in our Agricultural Research Council, there are 16,000 scientists who do different research work. We are going to connect the lab with the land...A campaign is going to be launched, 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan',' he added. Earlier in the day, Chouhan said that India's total foodgrain production in the financial year 2024-25 increased by over 106 lakh tonnes, reaching 1,663.91 lakh tonnes, up from the previous year's output. 'In 2023-24, total foodgrain production was around 15,57.6 lakh tonne. I am glad to tell you that in 2024-25, it has become 16,63.91 lakh tonne,' Chouhan said, addressing a press conference in the national capital. 'The production of Rabi was 1600.06 lakh tonne in 2023-24, now it has become 1645.27 lakh tonne,' he said. The Union Minister said that his ministry's vision is to make India the food basket of the world. 'Our foodgrain production is don't want to stop here. We want to fulfil the needs of our country and also help several countries across the world. Our vision is to make India the food basket of the world, one day,' the minister said. On Sunday, while participating in the farmers' Convention Krishi Samvaad in Maharashtra, Chouhan announced 'One Nation, One Agriculture and One Team'. The union minister said that if all the institutions are connected, targets are set, and roadmaps are made, then miracles can be made in agriculture. Chouhan said that Maharashtra, the holy land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is amazing. The farmers here are hardworking and progressive; they have infinite possibilities. Another big announcement was made by the Union Agriculture Minister who said that a national-level lab will be set up in Pune under the Clean Plant Program. This laboratory will be set up in Pune to conduct research on the original species of plants. Union Agriculture Minister announced this while interacting with the farmers of Vidarbha in the Krishi Samvad program organised under the Vikasit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan in Kavivarya Suresh Bhat Auditorium in Nagpur. (ANI)
