Evaluating the impact of land abandonment and agricultural revitalization programs on smallholder farmers’ welfare in Mbhashe, Eastern Cape.

Abstract

Land abandonment poses a growing challenge to rural economies in South Africa, weakening agricultural productivity and threatening the security of food production. In Mbhashe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, where agriculture remains central to household livelihoods, increasing levels of abandoned and underutilised land have prompted government-led agricultural revitalization programmes such as Ilima/Letsema and Fetsa Tlala. These programmes are intended to stimulate agricultural production and improve smallholder farmers’ welfare; however, their effectiveness in addressing land abandonment and its welfare implications remains unclear. Decades into democracy, rural communities continue to struggle with entrenched land issues, and the increasing number of smallholder farmers leaving their land has contributed to poverty, food insecurity and dependency on purchased foods. While these governance initiatives seek to reverse these trends, questions remain about their effectiveness and their alignment with the lived realities of smallholder farmers, highlighting the need for more locally relevant and responsive solutions. This research evaluated the effects of land abandonment and agricultural revitalisation programmes on the well-being of smallholder farmers in Mbhashe Local Municipality, Eastern Cape. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the research combined quantitative data collected through structured questionnaires with qualitative insights from focus group discussions involving key stakeholders, including extension officers, community leaders, and programme implementers. Using descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, and endogenous switching regression on data from 154 smallholder farmers in Mbhashe Local Municipality, Eastern Cape, the study finds a high prevalence of land abandonment, with 87% of farmers leaving a portion of their land unused. On average, only 43% of available land is cultivated, while 57% remains abandoned or underutilised. Land abandonment is evident among both male and female farmers; however, female farmers exhibit greater variability in the extent of land cultivated and abandoned, reflecting uneven access to productive resources and support across households. Part-time farmers tend to abandon more land than full-time farmers. Correlation and regression analyses highlight important drivers. Among all income variables, only social grant income shows a statistically significant positive correlation (ρ = 0.19, p = 0.020) with land abandonment. This suggests that households with greater reliance on grants are slightly more likely to leave land unused. Other sources, such as wages, remittances, or crop/livestock income, show no significant relationships. Conversely, livestock income reduces abandonment, while maize income unexpectedly increases it. Notably, smartphone ownership significantly lowers abandonment (p < 0.05), pointing to the role of digital access in sustaining land use. Other factors, such as extension, credit access, and perceptions of climate change, show no statistically significant effects. The multiple regression model explains 11.1% of variation in abandonment, reinforcing the influence of income sources and digital access. This suggests that revitalisation programmes, in their current form, are insufficient to prevent land abandonment. Altogether, these results show that abandonment in Mbhashe is not primarily due to climate perceptions or a lack of formal support, but rather to changes in livelihood strategies, limited resources, and technological connectivity. Current revitalisation programmes appear insufficient to address abandonment unless combined with interventions that strengthen market access, promote livestock integration, and expand digital inclusion. Ultimately, the study recommends integrating revitalisation support with market access through enhanced or more active extension support that promotes digital and information inclusion for smallholder farmers in Mbhashe Local Municipality of the Eastern Cape. More emphasis is placed on more targeted revitalisation efforts for youth and women.