The project used participatory action research with farmers to identify and implement solutions to land degradation issues. Farmers and researchers collaborated to analyze problems, design interventions like contour bunds and shelter belts, and evaluate impacts through an iterative process. The project aimed to provide both environmental and livelihood benefits through low-cost soil conservation techniques and by addressing farmers' basic human needs through a participatory approach.

1. Re-examining economic
orthodoxies: interactions of
poverties and wealth and the
creation, verification dissemination
and adoption of SLM approaches
Noel Oettle
Environmental Monitoring Group, South Africa

3. The context: facilitation of the adoption of
enhanced SLM practices in the arid west of
South Africa
• Resource poor farmers in the west of South
Africa farm with indigenous rooibos tea
• Land access by small scale farmers is limited,
driving expansion of lands into marginal areas
• Sandy soils are vulnerable to erosion by wind
and water
• Farmers understand land degradation as both
a cause and an effect of endemic poverty

4. The location of the study area in western South Africa

5. When stripped of fynbos cover, sandy rooibos soils are
vulnerable to erosion

6. Our approach: Participatory Action
Research to enhance land management
• People centred and responsive to problems identified
by farmers = local ownership
• Partnership with farmer organisation (Heiveld Co-
operative) and collaboration with other institutions
(NGOs, GEF SGP, government, etc.)
• Technical support for farmers by Mentor Farmers &
EMG
• Problem analysis and intervention design by farmer
• Resource contribution from farmers and others
• Action learning: research, observe, reflect, plan, act,
research further, observe impacts, re-plan, etc….

7. Farmers Hendrik Hesselman and Abraham Sass plan contour bunds to
prevent soil erosion

8. Average cost of interventions per
hectare of land protected from erosion
Contributions: Project Farmer (in kind)
Labour €48 €16
Fuel &
equipment €11 €10
Totals €59 €26

9. Hartwig Oktober demonstrates how contour bunds promote infiltration & prevent gully erosion

10. Contour bund reinforced with mesembryanthumums

11. Pieter Koopman’s shelter belts & contour
ploughing conserve soils and biodiversity
Noel Oettle, Nick Helme,
Simon Todd, Eugene
Marinus & Rhoda Malgas

12. Human Scale Development Theory of
Manfred Max Neef and colleagues
• Multidisciplinary approach to understanding
what motivates people
• Founded on the premise that all people share
the same basic human needs
• We differ greatly in how we go about
satisfying these basic human needs:
 Personal preferences, culture, gender
 Persuasion, advertising, religion, morals
 Time and place, fashion, external pressures

13. The basic human needs……
• Subsistence
• Protection
• Affection
• Understanding
• Participation
• Idleness
• Creation
• Identity
• Freedom

14. Synergic satisfiers
• Satisfy a given need, simultaneously
stimulating and contributing to the fulfilment
of other needs
• They tend to be liberating
• We recognise them: this is lekker!!!
• In conservation and development processes,
this is where the magic lies

15. Applications of human scale development theory in
Sustainable Land Management
Design of interventions that satisfy a range of needs (e.g. a workshop
designed to share information should also be a learning and social
event that should aim to make people feel safe and comfortable)
Need Satisfier
Understanding Information provision, interactive discussion, peer learning
Idleness Relaxed time schedule, energisers, tea breaks
Participation Interactive process, social gathering, cooking together
Affection Meeting old friends and relative in a safe and friendly
environment
Freedom Don’t coerce participation, let people choose
Subsistence Provide tea and snacks, or a meal; address livelihood concerns
Protection Focus on common issues and solutions and collective action
strengthen social bonds

16. A farmer shares his knowledge of soil and water management with his peers

17. Weather monitor Bennet Hesselman takes pride in his contribution

18. Katriena Fortuin shares collective insights into weather impacts and
responses on behalf of her neighbourhood group

19. Thank you for your attention