Factors that influence small-scale farmers’ willingness to participate in an agricultural public-private partnership in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

Willingness to participate can be described as having the fundamental element of freedom to decide whether or not to join in something (Khosdel and Bakshan, 2015). Willingness to participate is an emerging concept that is increasingly becoming recognised as a vital element that adds considerable value to collaborative partnerships such as Agricultural Public-Private (Agri-PPPs) (Khosdel and Bakshan, 2015). Within the context of sustainable stakeholder management, this study investigated the poor participation of small-scale farmers in a grain production enhancement Agri-PPP in the South African province of the Eastern Cape. Through this, the study attempted to provide a useful contribution to improving the prospective involvement of small-scale farmers in this Agri-PPP, which would eventually increase their agricultural output and improve sustainable stakeholder management. This research aimed to evaluate the factors that influence small-scale farmers’ willingness to participate in an Agri-PPP. A qualitative approach was adopted in this study and data was collected through semi-structured and in-depth interviews with 10 small-scale farmers that are currently participating in this Agri-PPP and 15 small-scale farmers that are currently not participating in this Agri-PPP. All 25 interviewees were from the five district municipalities in the province of the Eastern Cape. These district municipalities are namely O.R. Tambo, Alfred Nzo, Joe Gqabi, Chris Hani, and Amathole. The research findings of the study indicated that small-scale farmers who were willing to participate in an Agri-PPP ascribed this to several factors such as market accessibility, access to advanced technology, economic benefits, technical support and training, the availability of modern agricultural machinery and the potential for increased income. Equally, the findings revealed barriers that contribute to the hesitance of small-scale farmers to participate in an Agri-PPP. These were trust issues stemming from past negative experiences, high costs and the complexity of bureaucratic processes. Furthermore, hesitant small-scale farmers expressed a sense of disillusionment due to unmet expectations from previous partnerships that they have participated in, consequently eroding their trust and creating a reluctance to participate in future Agri-PPPs. To enhance small-scale farmer participation in Agri-PPPs, the study recommends frequent evaluations and feedback mechanisms be established and implemented, flexible and phased application processes be created and that flexible financing options such as low-interest loans, revolving credit, and partnerships with microfinance institutions be established and implemented. Transparency in costs, community-based communication initiatives in local languages and extension supported local knowledge centres are vital to raise knowledge of Agri-PPPs amongst small-scale farmers. Agri-PPPs should also respect small-scale farmers' autonomy in making decisions, highlight the economic and productivity benefits, and provide flexibility in crucial areas like crop selection and marketing. At a stakeholder level, this study advances and contributes to a better understanding of the factors that influence small-scale farmers’ willingness to participate.