By Roelof Bezuidenhout
Farming must become more resilient, not only for the economic survival of farmers and the well-being of rural communities, but also to safeguard the world’s natural resources. This is the conclusion of several recent studies, speeches and presentations. But what exactly does this term mean?
In agriculture, resilience refers to a farm’s ability to withstand challenges such as drought, economic downturns or market disruptions. A resilient farm can adapt to unexpected upheavals and new risks more effectively than one that relies solely on emergency measures like cutting costs, borrowing money or, in desperation, taking ill-timed risks. Resilience goes beyond coping – it’s about building long-term capacity to endure and recover from adversity.
One common short-term coping strategy, especially during drought, is for livestock farmers to buy in expensive feed to sustain or increase production. A more resilient approach might be to adopt veld management practices that boost the farm’s own fodder production – essentially an insurance policy against future feed shortages.
Farming for an uncertain future
When the going is good, it is easy to dismiss the possibility of calamities that might never happen. But as farming becomes increasingly risky due to rising costs and climate change, the resilience of the agricultural sector will be critical – not only for farming families but also for the stability of rural economies. Building resilience involves more than just boosting production efficiency; it’s about creating sustainable systems that can withstand shocks.
Globally, scientists are raising concerns about agriculture’s significant contribution to environmental degradation. In an article titled “Toward a More Resilient Agriculture”, published in The Solutions Journal, the authors argue that, as the global population grows, agriculture must find new ways to feed people and livestock while reducing its environmental footprint.
Already, native pollinators are in decline due to farming practices aimed at increasing efficiency, such as land-use changes and pesticide use. Water resources are being depleted and polluted, soil salinity is making land unproductive, and deforestation continues. The authors suggest that to encourage an agriculture system that is both resilient and sustainable will require bold new approaches – ones that involve experimentation, innovation and learning, even if they sometimes reduce short-term productivity.
An agricultural system that is financially successful but undermines biodiversity is not resilient. Nor is one that produces enough food but fails to remain economically viable or erodes local livelihood opportunities.
The authors of the paper argue that too much reliance on government support can be counterproductive. For example, short-term subsidies may solve immediate problems, but they can also delay or prevent long-term solutions. When farmers become dependent on aid, they continue using farming practices that are poorly adapted to changing conditions.
Of course, building a resilient farming business is, like so many other things farmers are advised to do, easier said than done. It requires preparing not just for droughts and floods, but also for long-term economic challenges such as exchange rate fluctuations, inflation, political shifts and non-tariff trade barriers.
On top of that, farmers face growing competition for water and land from other sectors, as well as unpredictable supply and demand cycles, and shifting consumer preferences. To build resilience, they must stay informed about market trends and developments – and have access to, and take seriously, reliable weather and climate forecasts.
Strategies farmers should consider
Diversification: The risks of monocropping was tragically illustrated by the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s, when a disease wiped out two successive harvests, leading to 2 million people starving or emigrating. Farmers can reduce risk not only by planting different crops, but also by growing more than one variety of the same crop, keeping more than one species of livestock, or acquiring or leasing a second farm in a different area. Diversification, however, has its own set of challenges, and each option should be carefully evaluated.
Prioritising activities: Few farms operate with 100% efficiency. There is a difference between cutting costs simply to save money, and scaling back or dropping activities that are not profitable. Identifying and focusing on high-return operations can improve long-term resilience. Good labour management, in particular, can be a big factor in resilience.
Investment strategies: One way to build resilience is to reinvest profits made in good years to reduce dependence on farming income in leaner years. This might include investing in areas completely unrelated to farming, creating a buffer against agricultural risk.
Generating off-farm income: A major vulnerability – especially on smaller farms – is poor cash flow. This is often difficult to rectify without adding value to farm products or finding another source of income. This may involve one or both partners becoming part-time farmers. This trend is growing in South Africa, and should be seen as a positive development, even though part-time farming was once frowned upon by the establishment.
Community involvement: No farm exists in isolation. Resilience also depends on being part of a strong interconnected rural community.
When all is said and done, every farmer must take some risks, with the full understanding that if they pay off, you’ll be smiling all the way to bank. But if they don’t, the bank won’t be smiling.
Also read:
Increasing profits through diversification
Benefits of diversification in farming
Working with nature rather than against it – regenerative farming for a sustainable future
 | Roelof Bezuidenhout is a fourth-generation wool, mohair, mutton and game farmer and freelance journalist. Attended Free State University, majoring in animal husbandry and pasture science. Other interests include agricultural extension and rural development. |
