Climate Smart Agriculture

Exploring opportunities to link Dutch technologies with challenges faced by emerging farmers in South Africa

In 2017 the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa (agricultural office) collaborated with Verbos Business Development to conduct a study to explore the opportunities for the Dutch Agri-food sector to contribute in strengthening the capacities of emerging crop farmers, which are already farming commercially, in South Africa.

Findings from the study have provided an indication of the current level of technologies used by emerging farmers in South Africa as well as the present gaps between what is available and why certain technologies are not used.

From the workshops, interviews and general engagements with key stakeholders the study proposes that there are a number of channels that can be used by Dutch Agri-food experts to engage with emerging farmers in South Africa. These channels include: use of the South African Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy; training of trainers, consortium building and development of facilities such as Centre of Excellence. 

Please see attached report for a more detailed synopsis.