Capacity of extension and advisory services in supporting farmers to adapt to climate change in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
| dc.contributor.advisor | Swanepoel, Jan Willem | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Makamane, Anathi Siphesihle | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-02-14T11:56:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-02-14T11:56:53Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023 | en_ZA |
| dc.description | Thesis (Ph.D. (Sustainable Agriculture))--University of the Free State, 2023 | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | This study investigates the capacity-building needs of agricultural extension practitioners in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, focusing on their awareness and understanding of climate change and their ability to effectively communicate climate change adaptation strategies to smallholder farmers. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including questionnaire surveys and focus group discussions, to gather data from a sample of 126 extension practitioners and managers selected using random sampling. The findings reveal that while most practitioners are aware of climate change and its impacts on agriculture, there are significant knowledge gaps due to limited formal and informal training on climate change. Furthermore, the study identifies a lack of capacity-building initiatives, with the majority of practitioners (80.2%) having never received formal or informal climate change training. The study highlights the need for a coordinated strategy for capacity-building and climate change adaptation to enhance practitioners' understanding and communication skills. Additionally, the study explores farmers' perceptions of extension practitioners' capacities related to climate change adaptation. Data from 175 farmers indicate that 72.6% perceive practitioners as knowledgeable about climate change and value the information they receive from them. Farmers also emphasize the importance of technical climate knowledge and continuous training for practitioners. The study recommends regular engagement with practitioners, ongoing training focusing on technical skills, and renewed attention to the management and education of indigenous knowledge. Furthermore, the study examines the channels used by extension practitioners to deliver services and the factors influencing the use of these channels. It finds that 60.3% of practitioners prefer interpersonal channels for communication, such as in-person visits and farmer-to-farmer interactions, over mass media and ICTs. The study suggests expanding written communication as a source of information and using mass media as communication channels to enhance practitioners' preparedness for climate change communication. Overall, the study underscores the need for targeted capacity-building initiatives, ongoing training, and improved communication channels to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change in the Eastern Cape Province. These findings have important implications for policy and practice, highlighting the importance of continuous professional development and training for extension practitioners to effectively address climate change challenges in agriculture. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/12426 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Capacity of extension and advisory services in supporting farmers to adapt to climate change in the Eastern Cape, South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |