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Learning for change : youth and niche environments in food system transitions
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2018
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Metelerkamp, Luke |
| author2 | Drimie, S. |
| author_browse | Drimie, S. Metelerkamp, Luke |
| author_facet | Drimie, S. Metelerkamp, Luke |
| author_sort | Metelerkamp, Luke |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2018. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/105065 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:24.894Z |
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| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateRange | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/105065 Learning for change : youth and niche environments in food system transitions Metelerkamp, Luke Drimie, S. Biggs, Reinette, 1979- Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa Labor supply -- Youth -- Africa Food system transitions -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2018. ENGLISH SUMMARY : The global food system exists in a state of increasing dysfunction for both people and planet. The need for a deep systemic transition of the food system is increasingly apparent, as is the need for research into understanding how innovations can be fostered to support these transitions. From an employment perspective, the rapid corporatisation of the food system has driven a major restructuring of work opportunities within agriculture and its associated value chains. Moving into the future, this agricultural restructuring will have major implications for Africa, where the working lives of the majority of the 800 million youth predicted enter the workforce by 2050 will be directly affected by the form the food system takes. Within the South African context, which is the focus of this study, 50 percent of youth are ensnared in a complex and intractable unemployment crisis that is being driven, in part, by a transition toward a highly corporatised food regime. This is particularly true for the formal agricultural sector which, despite being identified as a powerful engine for job creation, is amassing considerable profits while shedding jobs. Concurrently, in the informal sector, many youth are turning their backs on traditional subsistence and small-scale farming livelihoods in spite of high unemployment. Against this backdrop, this study set out on a dual line of enquiry: One, to probe this paradoxical turn away from small-scale agriculture - trying to understand what a sustainable, employment intensive agricultural future would look like in the eyes of South African youth. The second, to understand where the new knowledge and competencies for such a system could come from, as well as how to improve youth access to this. In doing so, the research aimed to enable food system change by offering practical tools and insights to youth and other food systems actors seeking to transgress the systemic limitations of the current food regime. The thesis is divided into three distinct but complementary journal articles that applied a mix of narrative and social network-based approaches. Literature on systemic transitions, food systems, youth employment and learning were drawn together to provide a theoretical grounding for these papers. Paper One reports on a narrative based enquiry into youth attitudes and aspirations towards careers in agriculture. What emerged was that in spite of the intense social stigma attached to agricultural careers, around 30 percent of the 573 youth surveyed harbored positive attitudes towards careers in the sector. Encouragingly, many of these youth demonstrated a clear interest and passion for socially orientated micro-entrepreneurship in agriculture. However, in the current food system, the careers these youth aspired to were unattainable and the work available to them was seen as demeaning and unrewarding. In considering these youth aspirations, the research suggests that fertile ground exists for change in the food system. Transitioning to a socially and ecologically just food system, however, is a knowledge intensive undertaking. Currently, prospects for this transition are hamstrung by economic power imbalances, discordant food policy and a failing education system. Papers Two and Three suggest that achieving a transition towards a just and sustainable food system will require training that breaks current systemic lock-in and builds the skills needed to disrupt the current unsustainable trajectory of the food system. Due to the significant numbers of people in search of employment, and the shortage of trainers with the necessary transitional competencies, radical new models of capacity development are required. These models need to be able to amplify and transfer tiny (niche) pockets of place-based experience to very large audiences at low cost. To do this, new capacity building models will need to be able to operate both within the struggling formal training and extension sectors as well as beyond them in new formations. These papers further demonstrate that the social networks within grassroots food system niches are under-recognised nurseries of socio-ecological innovation. These networks demonstrated a tenacious appetite for learning that played out in complete isolation from any formal training and extension institutions. In doing so, these networks displayed remarkable pedagogic sophistication while operating at very low cost - largely due to the culture of reciprocity in which they were grounded. The research also confirmed what other transition theorists have suggested: that competency for transitions in complex, socio-ecological systems is a network outcome and not an individual characteristic. The unique contribution of this thesis to the broader debate around food system transitions and the role of youth is threefold. Firstly, presents youth narratives on agricultural careers that constitute a politically resonant youth mandate for food system transformation. Secondly, it provided new insights into how the informal and fragmented knowledge that is generated within sustainability niches can be wielded more effectively to support youth in acquiring the competencies they need to accelerate systemic change. Finally, it proposes a preliminary method for supporting educators, curriculum designers and social activists to harness the power of niche knowledge networks. This thesis highlights that the needs and aspirations of youth present an opportunity for transformation in the food system. To achieve this, local civil society, alternative food retail cooperatives and aspirant farming communities will need to be equipped with new tools for amplifying latent and fragmented knowledge resources in their specific contexts. Niche networks will also need a ramping up of support and investment. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die wêreldvoedselsisteem bestaan in ’n staat van toenemende disfunksionaliteit vir beide die mens en die planeet. Die noodsaak vir ’n ingrypende, sistemiese oorgang binne die voedselsisteem is toenemend duidelik; só ook die noodsaak vir navorsing wat lei tot ’n beter begrip van hoe innovering ter ondersteuning van hierdie oorgang aangemoedig kan word. Vanuit ’n werkskeppingsperspektief het die snel-gekorporatiseerde aard van die voedselsisteem ’n grootskaalse herstrukturering van werksgeleenthede binne die landbou en geassosieerde waardekettings gedryf. In die toekoms sal hierdie herstrukturering beduidende gevolge inhou vir Afrika, waar die vorm van die voedselsisteem ’n direkte uitwerking sal hê op die beroepslewens van die meerderheid van die 800 miljoen jeugdiges wat na beraming die werksmag teen 2050 sal betree. In Suid-Afrika, die fokus van hierdie studie, is 50 persent van die jeug vasgevang in ’n komplekse, onbeheerbare werkloosheidkrisis wat deels deur ’n oorgang ot ’n hoogs gekorporatiseerde voedselregime gedryf word. Dít is veral waar van die formele landbousektor wat, ten spyte daarvan dat dit geïdentifiseer word as ’n kragtige dryfveer vir werkskepping, aansienlike winste vergaar terwyl dit poste verminder. Tegelykteryd, in die informele sektor, draai vele jeudiges hulle rûe op tradisionele bestaans- en kleinskaalboerdery ten spyte van grootskaalse werkloosheid. Teen bogenoemde agtergrond het hierdie studie twee navorsingsdoelwitte voor oë gehad. Die eerste was om ondersoek in te stel na hierdie paradoksale wegdraai van kleinskaallandbou en terselftertyd te poog om te verstaan hóé ’n volhoubare, werkskeppingsintensiewe landboutoekoms kan lyk deur die oë van die Suid-Afrikaanse jeug. Die tweede doelwit van die studie was om te verstaan waar die nuwe kennis en vaardighede vir só ’n sisteem vandaan kan kom, en hoe jeugtoegang daartoe verbeter kan word. Sodoende het die navorsing gepoog om voedselsisteemverandering te vermag deur praktiese hulpmiddels en insigte te bied aan die jeug en ander voedselsisteemrolspelers wat die sistemiese beperkings van die huidige voedselregime wil oorkom. Die proefskrif is verdeel in drie aparte dog komplimentêre joernaalartikels wat ’n mengsel van narratief- en sosialenetwerk-gebaseerde benaderings ingespan het. Literatuur aangaande sistemiese oorgang, voedselsisteme, jeug-indiensneming en leer is verweef om ’n teoretiese grondslag vir hierdie artikels te bied. Artikel Een lewer verslag oor ’n narratief-gebaseerde ondersoek onder die jeug na houdings teenoor en aspirasies vir beroepe binne die landbou. Dit het vorendag gekom dat, ten spyte van die intense sosiale stigma rondom lanbouberoepe, rondom 30 persent van die 573 jeugdiges wat die opname voltooi het, positiewe houdings koester teenoor beroepe binne hierdie sektor. Dit is bemoedigend dat vele van hierdie jeugdiges ’n duidelike belangstelling in en passie vir sosiaal-geïntegreerde mikro-entrepeneurskap binne die landbou geopenbaar het. Binne die huidige voedselsisteem was die beroepe waarna hierdie jeugdiges gestrewe het egter nie haalbaar nie en is die werk tot hulle beskikking gesien as vernederend, onbevredigend en nie-lonend. Gegewe die voorafgenoemde jeug-aspirasies, toon hierdie navorsing dat daar vrugbare grond bestaan vir verandering binne die voedselsisteem. ’n Oorgang tot ’n sosiaal- en ekologies-regverdige voedselsisteem is egter ’n kennis-intensiewe onderneming. Tans word vooruitsigte vir hierdie oorgang gekniehalter deur ekonomiese wanbalans, ’n teenstrydige voedselbeleid en ’n mislukkende opvoedingsisteem. Artikels Twee en Drie stel voor dat ’n oorgang tot ’n regverdige en volhoubare voedselsisteem opleiding sal vereis wat mense bevry van noodwendige deelname aan die huidige sisteem en die nodige vaardighede bou om die huidige onvolhoubare trajek van die voedselsisteem te ontwrig. Weens die beduidende getal werksoekers en die tekort aan opleiers met die nodige oorgangsvaardighede, is radikale nuwe kapasiteitsontwikkeling-modelle nodig. Hierdie modelle moet in staat wees daartoe om brokke gespesialiseerde, plekgebaseerde ervaring aan baie groot gehore oor te dra en te versterk teen minimale koste. Om dít te vermag sal nuwe kapasiteitsboumodelle moet kan funksioneer binne beide die sukkelende formele opleiding- en uitbreidingsektore en binne verdere, nuwe formasies. Hierdie artikels toon verder dat die sosiale netwerke binne voetsoolvlak-voedselsisteemniches ongewaardeerde kweekhuise vir sosio-ekologiese innovering is. Hierdie netwerke het ’n onblusbare sug na kennis (buite die konteks van enige formele opleiding- en uitbreidinginstansies) gedemonstreer. Sodoende het hierdie netwerke merkwaardige pedagogiese gesofistikeerdheid getoon terwyl hulle teen baie lae koste gefunksioneer het, grootliks danksy die kultuur van wederkerigheid waarop hulle gegrond is. Die navorsing het ook bevestig wat ander oorgangsteoretici al voorgestel het, naamlik dat bevoegdheid vir oorgang in komplekse, sosio-ekologiese sisteme ’n netwerkuitkoms en nie ’n individuele eienskap is nie. Die unieke bydrae van hierdie proefskrif tot die breër debat rondom voedselsisteemoorgang en die rol van die jeug daarin is drievoudig. Eerstens het dit jeugnarratiewe oor landbouberoepe wat ’n polities-resonante mandaat vir voedselsisteemtransformasie uitmaak, uitgelig. Tweedens het dit nuwe insigte gebied in hoe die informele en gefragmenteerde ervaring wat deur vohoubaarheidsniches gegenereer word, die jeug meer effektief kan ondersteun in hulle verwerwing van die nodige vaardighede om sistemiese verandering te bespoedig. Laastens stel die proefskrif ’n voorlopige metode voor vir die ondersteuning van opvoeders, kurrikulumontwerpers en sosiale aktiviste om die mag van niche kennisnetwerke te benuttig. Hierdie proefskrif belig die feit dat die behoeftes en aspirasies van die jeug ’n geleentheid bied vir transformasie in die voedselsisteem. Om dít te bereik sal die plaaslike burgerlike samelewing, alternatiewe voedselhandel-koöperasies en aspirant boerderygemeenskappe toegerus moet word met nuwe hulpmiddels om latente en gefragmenteerde kennisbronne in hulle spesifieke kontekste te versterk. Ondersteuning vir en belegging in niche netwerke sal ook versterk moet word. Doctoral 2018-11-27T13:27:33Z 2018-12-07T06:57:43Z 2018-11-27T13:27:33Z 2018-12-07T06:57:43Z 2018-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/105065 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 241 pages ; illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa Labor supply -- Youth -- Africa Food system transitions -- South Africa UCTD Metelerkamp, Luke Learning for change : youth and niche environments in food system transitions |
| title | Learning for change : youth and niche environments in food system transitions |
| title_full | Learning for change : youth and niche environments in food system transitions |
| title_fullStr | Learning for change : youth and niche environments in food system transitions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning for change : youth and niche environments in food system transitions |
| title_short | Learning for change : youth and niche environments in food system transitions |
| title_sort | learning for change youth and niche environments in food system transitions |
| topic | Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa Labor supply -- Youth -- Africa Food system transitions -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/105065 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT metelerkampluke learningforchangeyouthandnicheenvironmentsinfoodsystemtransitions |