With the rise of commercially viable solutions to mitigate unsustainable agricultural practices in southern Africa, the agricultural sector holds significant potential to create jobs and unlock vast tracts of underutilised arable land for food, and to a lesser extent energy crops.
South Africa has had an organic sector for many years. It comprises 250 certified farms and 45,000 hectares of certified organic land, which account for 0.05 % of the country’s total agricultural area (IFOAM & FiBL 2006). South Africa is one of the two African countries – the other is Egypt – with a robust domestic market. South Africa is also a market destination for organic produce from nearby southern African states, particularly Mozambique. It is estimated that the South African organic food market, the fastest growing segment in the food sector after baby food market, will grow at 30% during the next four years (2007-2010). In a market survey and forecast conducted by the African Organic Farming Foundation in 2005, the estimated value of the South African organic market was R100 million across all categories of produce.
The growing local and global demand for organics from southern Africa is also compelling. Large food store brands based in South Africa such as Pick n’ Pay and Woolworths have experienced rapid growth in the sales of organic foods and textiles. This has been augmented by international demand for organic cash crops and textiles destined for global food and clothing brands as markets grow. There are also opportunities for the conversion of biomass feedstock into energy by-products and/or other sustainable products. Remediation of polluted soil and damaged environments present investment opportunities driven often by large industry, and mining and resources players in southern Africa. Regeneration of biomass in previously despoiled soil estates is also a promising trend.
From a natural product perspective: Southern Africa is endowed with myriad plant species that are high producers of fibre and lipids (oils) sought after by international value-added markets. Importantly, Southern Africa’s arid to semi-arid climate boasts some eight vegetative zones and 30,000 species of flowering plants. The natural products sector draws on this biodiversity and the wealth of traditional knowledge associated with generations of sustainable indigenous natural product use by local people. Many products, such as lipid oils, are derived from the fruit of indigenous plants that have been collected for long periods without significantly impacting the sustainability of the species or system.