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A One Health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming: a system dynamics application in the highveld region of South Africa
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867614111160860672 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Heerden, Nicolette |
| author2 | Grobbelaar, Sara |
| author_browse | Grobbelaar, Sara Van Heerden, Nicolette |
| author_facet | Grobbelaar, Sara Van Heerden, Nicolette |
| author_sort | Van Heerden, Nicolette |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127009 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:50.651Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127009 A One Health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming: a system dynamics application in the highveld region of South Africa Van Heerden, Nicolette Grobbelaar, Sara Meyer, Isabel Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. Flexible manufacturing systems -- South Africa One Health -- South Africa Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa Cattle -- Productivity -- South Africa Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emerging smallholder cattle farming sector of South Africa is identified as a potential pathway to improve rural economies and ensure that safe protein sources are available in both formal and informal markets. However, this sector still experiences market barriers due to low on-farm productivity and poor production outputs related to cattle malnutrition and disease prevalence in herds. This study, therefore, aims to develop a system dynamics model to identify regional-level policy interventions to address the shortcomings in the on-farm productivity of emerging smallholder farming by considering the three One Health indicators of human, animal and environmental health. Two conceptual literature reviews were conducted. The first review determined the need for development and support in this sector. The findings from this review suggest that there is a middle group of emerging smallholders who have the potential to produce high-quality cattle. However, they struggle to apply disease and nutrition management and lack the necessary infrastructure and skills to manage their herds. The second review defined the One Health approach and determined its applicability to emerging smallholders' production systems. This review determined that improving the input and production side of the value chain must be the focus of potential intervention points. From the two reviews, it is evident that the on-farm productivity can be measured by specific One Health outputs, such as the disease prevalence, the nutritional status of cattle, the herd numbers, the feed density of the grazing land and the profitability of the farming operations. A systematic literature review was also performed to identify past studies using mathematical modelling methodologies to address problems through a One Health approach. From the review's findings, it was concluded that a system dynamics model would be sufficient to apply in this research. Based on the information from the literature reviews, a dynamic hypothesis and stock and flow model was developed as part of the modelling process. The model focused on the weaner production system and the effect that disease prevalence and cattle nutrition has on it. Several tests were performed on the model to determine its structural and behavioural validity. From these tests, the model could be deemed appropriate for its purpose. Several scenarios were simulated to identify intervention points that would improve the One Health outputs. These interventions included: increased farmer access to disease prevention infrastructure, access to disease management training, access to nutrition management training and access to communal dipping facilities. Overall, the simulation results suggest that investments in providing farmers with on-farm infrastructure (such as crushing pens) and increasing farmers' access to disease management training are valuable interventions. The results also show that there are One Health trade-offs within the production system, and finding interventions that benefit all the outputs is challenging. AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die opkomende kleinbeesboerdery sektor van Suid-Afrika is geïdentifiseer as 'n moontlike weg om landelike ekonomieë te verbeter en te verseker dat veilige proteïenbronne in formele sowel as informele markte beskikbaar is. Hierdie sektor ervaar egter steeds markhindernisse as gevolg van lae produktiwiteit op plase en swak produksie-uitsette wat verband hou met die kuddes wat nie genoeg voer in neem nie en aan siektes ly. Die doel van hierdie studie is dus om ‘n stelseldinamikamodel te ontwikkel wat streeksvlak beleidsintervensies help identifiseer, wat die tekortkominge in produktiwiteit van opkomende kleinboere aanspreek met die drie “One Health”-aanwysers van die mense, diere en omgewingsgesondheid in gedagte. Twee konseptuele literatuuroorsigte was uitgevoer. Die eerste literatuuroorsig het bepaal dat dit nodig is om ontwikkelingsprojekte en ondersteuning in hierdie sektor te bewerkstellig. Die bevindings uit hierdie oorsig dui daarop dat daar ’n middel groep opkomende kleinboere is wat die potensiaal het om beeste van ‘n hoë gehalte te produseer. Hulle sukkel egter om siekte- en voedingsbestuur toe te pas en het nie die nodige infrastruktuur en vaardighede om hulle kuddes te bestuur nie. Die tweede literatuuroorsig het die “One Health”-benadering gedefinieer en die toepaslikheid daarvan op opkomende produksiestelsels vir kleinboere bepaal. Hierdie oorsig het onthul dat die verbetering van die inset- en produksiekant van die waardeketting die fokus van potensiële intervensiepunte moet wees. Vanaf die twee literatuuroorsigte is dit duidelik dat die produktiwiteit op plase gemeet kan word aan spesifieke “One Health”-uitsette, soos die teenwoordigheid van siektes, die voedingsstatus van beeste, die kuddegrootte, die voedingsdigtheid van die weidingsland en die winsgewendheid van die boerderybedrywighede. 'n Stelselmatige literatuuroorsig is ook uitgevoer om wiskundige modelleringsmetodologieë uit vorige studies te identifiseer wat probleme aanspreek deur middel van 'n “One Health”-benadering. Vanuit die literatuuroorsig se bevindinge was die gevolgtrekking dat 'n stelseldinamika-model voldoende sou wees om toe te pas vir hierdie navorsing. Op grond van die inligting uit die literatuuroorsigte, is 'n dinamiese hipotese en voorraad- en vloei-model ontwikkel as deel van die modelleringsproses. Die model het gefokus op die speenkalfproduksiestelsel en die effek wat die teenwoordigheid van siektes en veevoeding daarop het. Verskeie toetse is op die model uitgevoer om die strukturele en gedragsgeldigheid daarvan te bepaal. Na aanloop van die toetse kan die afleiding gemaak word dat die model geskik is vir sy doel. Verskeie scenario's is gesimuleer om intervensiepunte te identifiseer wat die “One Health”-uitsette sou verbeter. Hierdie intervensies sluit in: boere se verhoogde toegang tot infrastruktuur vir siektesvoorkoming, toegang tot opleiding vir siektebestuur, toegang tot opleiding vir voedingsbestuur en toegang tot gemeenskaplike dipfasiliteite. In geheel, dui die simulasie-resultate daarop dat beleggings om boere te voorsien van infrastruktuur op plase (soos drukgange) en die toegang tot opleiding in siektebestuur te verhoog, waardevolle intervensies is. Die resultate toon ook dat daar “One Health” kompromiste is in die produksiestelsel, en daarom is dit uitdagend om ingrypings te vind waaruit al die uitsette voordeel trek. Masters 2023-02-09T11:19:59Z 2023-05-18T06:59:56Z 2023-02-09T11:19:59Z 2023-05-18T06:59:56Z 2023-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127009 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xxii, 268 pages : illustrations. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Flexible manufacturing systems -- South Africa One Health -- South Africa Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa Cattle -- Productivity -- South Africa Van Heerden, Nicolette A One Health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming: a system dynamics application in the highveld region of South Africa |
| title | A One Health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming: a system dynamics application in the highveld region of South Africa |
| title_full | A One Health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming: a system dynamics application in the highveld region of South Africa |
| title_fullStr | A One Health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming: a system dynamics application in the highveld region of South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | A One Health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming: a system dynamics application in the highveld region of South Africa |
| title_short | A One Health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming: a system dynamics application in the highveld region of South Africa |
| title_sort | one health approach to address the productivity of emerging smallholder cattle farming a system dynamics application in the highveld region of south africa |
| topic | Flexible manufacturing systems -- South Africa One Health -- South Africa Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa Cattle -- Productivity -- South Africa |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127009 |
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