Poverties and Wealth: Perceptions, Empowerment, and Agency in Sustainable Land Management

Abstract This section describes the development processes undertaken by small-scale farmers in the Suid Bokkeveld community in the Northern Cape province of South Africa to manage their land-based resources in a more sustainable manner so as to escape a poverty trap. The development of the Heiveld Cooperative as a local development institution is described, and the ways in which it has supported these processes by providing global market access to members for their organic and Fairtrade-certified rooibos and supported their efforts to adapt more effectively to climatic impacts and to conserve land and other natural resources. Drawing on their common heritage, these farmers have strengthened their sense of identity and found more holistic ways to meet their human needs. Empowerment, enhanced agency, and perceptions of ability to succeed in changing people’s circumstances have been crucial in improving their situation and adopting more sustainable land use practices.