Going for Broke

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The fate of farmworkers in arid South Africa South African agriculture has always been ideologically contested because of its relationship with controversial land ownership issues. This book considers farm workers' fortunes beyond the land debate to consider their current and future livelihoods. The book argues that the question of farm workers needs to be understood as part of a broader spectrum of economic and social questions. Where should farm workers live? Should rural-urban migration be encouraged? What kind of job prospects can be fostered? How can their participation in the rural and peri-urban economy be promoted? Do farm workers need land, jobs, or municipal services? Who should provide support to this neglected segment of society? A valuable study of past policy failures and future policy options, the book is primarily aimed at policymakers and students of rural development. It explicitly promotes new approaches, synergies, and partnerships among stakeholders, including government, commercial farmers, agricultural co-operatives, municipalities, training agencies, and farm worker trade unions. The book also offers suggestions that transcend the South African rural experience. It can, therefore, serve as a case study for students and practitioners of rural development elsewhere in the developing world.

Dr Doreen Atkinson has brought many years of research and teaching experience to various projects focused on rural development. She is Director of the Heartland and Karoo Institute, Philippolis, Free State Province, and is visiting professor at the Centre for Development Support at the University of the Free State.