An exploration into why South Africa does not grow organic cotton
| dc.contributor.advisor | Selomane, Odirilwe | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Jhetam, Tasneem | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | May, Jacqueline | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-24T14:36:17Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-01-08T17:38:15Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-24T14:36:17Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-01-08T17:38:15Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-12 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH SUMMARY: Cotton is an important fibre in the textile industry, an industry that has a massive environmental impact, much of which is accounted for by the production process. Although polyester is currently the most used fibre in the textile industry, cotton is still the most used natural fibre. Cotton production contributes significantly to the industry’s environmental impact through land and water use. Typically, it is farmed in high-input conventional farming using chemicals and industrial practices that deprive large swathes of land of their nutrients and accelerate the collapse of biodiversity. About 1 500 farmers (both small and large) grow cotton in South Africa. Most of the cotton is produced by about 120 large-scale commercial farmers. None of the cotton grown in the country is organically farmed. This study partially fills the gap in research about perceptions of cotton growing and use in South Africa. The objectives of this research are to provide an overview of cotton farming in South Africa; to explore the perceptions of cotton supply chain actors on their preferences and attitudes towards organic versus Bt cotton; and provide a set of recommendations to the cotton industry for transition towards sustainable practices. A qualitative research methodology was used that consisted of 9 key informant interviews (after an exploratory survey was conducted). As a preparation, a literature review informed a framework for the primary research, guiding the questions for the survey and informant interviews. Overall, the findings of this research show that the arguments for and against growing organic cotton are binary, and the conclusion is not clear cut in terms of what whether organic cotton is better for the environment than the genetically modified cotton that is grown in South Africa. From a business perspective, it emerged that while business is grappling with its contribution to the sustainability agenda, it has the influence and the financial leeway to facilitate and support a transition, yet it is not necessarily doing this to its maximum capacity. A key constraint for business is the pricing mechanism. Adjusting its ‘buy low, sell high’ model, could support a transition to organic. For retailers, buying organic cotton is not cost effective as their businesses are stuck in a “buy low, sell high” model. Currently farmers have no incentive for sustainability transitions. For farmers to transition, business models will need to change so they get the value from farming sustainably. The research also shows that interest in stewardship and care for the planet is not just scholarly - it has wide appeal. The research can contribute to policymaking and to corporate retail strategy. It is also useful for all points of the supply chain to understand that there is a demand for, and interest in, organic. Instead, what emerges from the research is that information and education about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) need to be made more widely available, and that regular and official studies on GMO’s environmental impact should be conducted and made publicly available so that both the industry and the public have a full understanding of the impact of Bt cotton. Some practical recommendations emerging from this research include the need for further investment and commitment to developing organic cotton trials in order to understand the long-term benefits of growing organic cotton. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Katoen is ’n belangrike vesel in die tekstielbedryf – ’n bedryf wat ’n enorme impak op die omgewing het en waarvan die grootste deel deur die produksieproses veroorsaak word. Hoewel poliëster tans die vesel is wat die meeste in die tekstielbedryf gebruik word, is katoen steeds die mees gebruikte natuurlike vesel. Deur die gebruik van grond en water dra katoenproduksie beduidend tot die bedryf se omgewingsimpak by. Dit word gewoonlik in konvensionele hoe-insetboerdery verbou met behulp van chemikaliee en nywerheidspraktyke wat groot stroke grond van voedingstowwe ontneem en die ineenstorting van biodiversiteit verhaas. Nagenoeg 1 500 boere (klein en groot) verbou katoen in Suid-Afrika. Sowat 120 grootskaalse kommersiele boere produseer die meeste van die katoen. Geen van die katoen wat in die land verbou word, word organies verbou nie. Hierdie studie vul gedeeltelik die leemte in navorsing oor persepsies van katoenverbouing en -gebruik in Suid-Afrika. Die doelwitte van hierdie navorsing is om ’n oorsig oor katoenverbouing in Suid-Afrika te verskaf; ’n verkenning van die persepsies van akteurs in die katoenvoorsieningsketting en hul voorkeure en gesindhede rakende organiese versus Bt-katoen (pesbestande katoen wat ’n geen van die bakterium Bacillus thuringiensis bevat); en om ’n stel aanbevelings aan die katoenbedryf vir die oorgang na volhoubare praktyke te verskaf. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is toegepas wat uit nege onderhoude met sleutelinformante bestaan het (nadat ’n verkenningsopname uitgevoer is). Ter voorbereiding het ’n literatuuroorsig ’n raamwerk vir die primere navorsing verskaf as riglyn vir die vrae van die opname en die onderhoude met die informante. Algeheel toon die bevindings van hierdie navorsing dat die argumente ten gunste van en teen die verbouing van organiese katoen biner is, en die gevolgtrekking is nie duidelik in terme daarvan of organiese katoen beter vir die omgewing is as die geneties gemodifiseerde katoen wat in Suid-Afrika verbou word nie. Uit ’n sakeperspektief het dit duidelik geword dat die handel, terwyl dit worstel met sy bydrae tot die volhoubaarheidsagenda, die invloed en finansiele vryheid het om ’n oorgang te vergemaklik en te ondersteun maar dit tog nie tot sy volle vermoe doen nie. ’n Sleutelbeperking vir die handel is die meganisme vir prysvasstelling. As dit sy model van “koop laag, verkoop hoog” aanpas, kan dit ’n oorgang na organiese verbouing ondersteun. Vir kleinhandelaars is die aankoop van organiese katoen nie koste-effektief nie, aangesien hul ondernemings in ’n model van “koop laag, verkoop hoog” vasgevang is. Boere het tans geen aansporing vir oorgang na volhoubaarheid nie. Vir boere om oor te gaan moet sakemodelle verander sodat hulle waarde uit volhoubare boerdery put. Die navorsing toon ook dat belangstelling in die verantwoordelike bestuur en sorg van die planeet nie net akademies is nie – dit vind oral ingang. Die navorsing kan bydra tot beleidsformulering en tot korporatiewe kleinhandelstrategie. Dit is ook nuttig vir alle punte in die voorsieningsketting om te begryp dat daar ’n vraag na en belangstelling in organiese produkte is. Wat ook uit die navorsing blyk, is dat inligting en opvoeding oor geneties gemodifiseerde organismes (GMO’s) meer geredelik beskikbaar gemaak moet word. Gereelde en amptelike studies oor GMO’s se impak op die omgewing moet ook uitgevoer en openbaar beskikbaar gemaak word sodat sowel die bedryf as die publiek die impak van Bt-katoen ten volle kan begryp. Sommige praktiese aanbevelings wat uit hierdie navorsing na vore kom, sluit in die noodsaak van verdere belegging en verbintenis tot die ontwikkeling van proewe oor organiese katoen om die langtermynvoordele van die verbouing van organiese katoen te begryp. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Masters | |
| dc.format.extent | xiii, 133 pages : illustrations, includes annexures | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128969 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Cotton textiles -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Cotton -- Organic farming -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Organic farming -- Social aspects -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.name | UCTD | |
| dc.title | An exploration into why South Africa does not grow organic cotton | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |
Files
Original bundle
1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
- Name:
- may_exploration_2023.pdf
- Size:
- 2.19 MB
- Format:
- Adobe Portable Document Format
- Description: