The sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia

dc.contributor.advisorBurger, Lynton
dc.contributor.authorHansen, Gregory Craig
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-24T13:29:48Z
dc.date.available2023-08-24T13:29:48Z
dc.date.issued1998
dc.date.updated2023-08-22T07:19:43Z
dc.description.abstractIn order to address the inequitable distribution of land and to initiate socio-economic development amongst marginalised people in Namibia, the Namibian Resettlement Programme was introduced as a means of implementing land reform. There is a political, economic and social necessity for empowerment amongst many communities, however, land redistribution will not necessarily achieve this in the Namibian environment. The cost of implementing this Resettlement Programme has been very high and the benefits accruing to the settlers have been limited. It is argued that a primary reason for the lack of success of the Programme is that its agricultural focus requires all settlers to become successful farmers in an exceedingly harsh natural and economic environment. The sustainability of using agriculture is as a development tool in Namibia is assessed using certain environmental sustainability criteria. These were biophysical, economic, social, and political sustainability. Based on these criteria it is evident that Namibia does not have a comparative advantage in agricultural production and therefore should not promote agriculture as a means to achieve development. While the agricultural sector is already a significant employer in Namibia, there is limited scope for expansion of the industry and intensification of production is not sustainable because of the dry climate and associated low carrying capacity of the land. There is a need for research into other sectors of the Namibian economy in which Namibia may have a greater comparative advantage and hence would be better placed to act as a basis for development programmes. The Namibian Government should be encouraging other forms of job creation, such as tourism, and providing support to entrepreneurs undertaking new enterprises in sectors of the economy where the people of Namibia can sustainably exploit a comparative advantage.
dc.identifier.apacitationHansen, G. C. (1998). <i>The sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia</i>. (). ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38278en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationHansen, Gregory Craig. <i>"The sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia."</i> ., ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38278en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationHansen, G.C. 1998. The sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia. . ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38278en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Master Thesis AU - Hansen, Gregory Craig AB - In order to address the inequitable distribution of land and to initiate socio-economic development amongst marginalised people in Namibia, the Namibian Resettlement Programme was introduced as a means of implementing land reform. There is a political, economic and social necessity for empowerment amongst many communities, however, land redistribution will not necessarily achieve this in the Namibian environment. The cost of implementing this Resettlement Programme has been very high and the benefits accruing to the settlers have been limited. It is argued that a primary reason for the lack of success of the Programme is that its agricultural focus requires all settlers to become successful farmers in an exceedingly harsh natural and economic environment. The sustainability of using agriculture is as a development tool in Namibia is assessed using certain environmental sustainability criteria. These were biophysical, economic, social, and political sustainability. Based on these criteria it is evident that Namibia does not have a comparative advantage in agricultural production and therefore should not promote agriculture as a means to achieve development. While the agricultural sector is already a significant employer in Namibia, there is limited scope for expansion of the industry and intensification of production is not sustainable because of the dry climate and associated low carrying capacity of the land. There is a need for research into other sectors of the Namibian economy in which Namibia may have a greater comparative advantage and hence would be better placed to act as a basis for development programmes. The Namibian Government should be encouraging other forms of job creation, such as tourism, and providing support to entrepreneurs undertaking new enterprises in sectors of the economy where the people of Namibia can sustainably exploit a comparative advantage. DA - 1998 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - environmental science LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 1998 T1 - The sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia TI - The sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38278 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/38278
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationHansen GC. The sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia. []. ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, 1998 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38278en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Environmental and Geographical Science
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Science
dc.subjectenvironmental science
dc.titleThe sustainability of agriculture as a development tool in Namibia
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMPhil
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