Search

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Most farmers reveal risk and loss aversion regarding technology uptake. • Risk aversion lowers insured technology adoption while loss aversion enhances uptake of insured technology options. • Poorer farmers under-invest in insured loan options. • Index insurance does't sufficiently counter the poverty constraints and risk preferences that inhibit farm technology uptake. • Cumulative experimental income and being above the median group real income level lead to higher insured credit uptake. We use a series of framed experimental games to test the role of access to credit and insurance on farm technology uptake with small-scale farmers in South Africa. Using Cumulative Prospect Theory 'CPT', we assess how insurance impacts technology uptake given risk preferences. Our findings suggest that risk aversion is linked to lower uptake of the uninsured and insured technology, while loss averse farmers are more likely to adopt technology bundled with insurance. In line with literature on poverty traps we further find that wealth is critical in uptake of technology, with cumulative experimental income and being below the mean income in terms of real-life income stifling investment in insured and uninsured technology options. Overall, we find that insurance is not sufficient to counter the behavioural factors linked to asset constraints and risk preferences that suppress modern farm technology uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paratransit provides the majority of road transport in South Africa and many other countries in the sub-Saharan African region. However, perceptions of electric vehicles (EV) and the factors that influence intention to adopt EVs for the critical agents in this sector, vehicle owners and drivers, have yet to be explored. The aim of this study is to provide insights that can inform policies and strategies to promote EVs in the region. To achieve this, we collected 4452 survey responses from paratransit owners and drivers in South Africa. 38% of respondents expressed a willingness to purchase an EV when they become available. Using structural equation modeling, we test eleven hypotheses regarding the factors that influence EV adoption intention, based on an innovative integrated framework of consumer behavior. The results show that risk perceptions, environmental considerations and perception of cost have the strongest influence on EV adoption intention although many factors come into play, with ten out of the eleven hypotheses being supported. The most salient takeaway from the model output is that interventions that emphasize safety and business advantages of EVs will be the most effective at improving EV adoption intention, but that a diversity of thoughtful approaches will be necessary to ensure significant lasting change in this area. Finally, we use the coefficients from the structural model to simulate the effects of example interventions on EV adoption intention, and offer sensible guidelines for formulating targeted promotional strategies that will address the principal concerns of paratransit owners and drivers regarding EVs. • Survey analysis of 4452 paratransit drivers and owners in South Africa. • Investigates factors influencing EV adoption intention. • 38% of respondents intend to purchase an EV when available. • Vehicle reliability and personal norms are the strongest predictors of EV adoption intention. • Provides guidelines for a diversity of targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cape Town Water Map is an innovative and somewhat controversial behavior‐modification tool implemented to reduce water use in a drought‐stricken region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa, a main food exporter in SADC, is characterised by a dual agricultural economy consisting of a well-developed commercial sector and smallholder, often subsistence, farming. Using the Ricardian cross-sectional framework, we examine the impact of climate change on a nationwide sample of crop, horticulture, livestock and mixed commercial farming systems. We find that a simultaneous decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperature will reduce productivity; and that an increase in temperature alone negatively affects farm output more than a decrease in precipitation. One of the most robust findings is the difference in the extent to which different commercial production systems will be impacted. That is, the results indicate that the strongest impact will be amongst specialised commercial crop farming system. In contrast, mixed farming systems appear to be the least vulnerable. This finding is consistent with studies on small-holder farms in sub-Saharan Africa. Hence, it appears that despite the likely benefits derived from economies of scale, commercial farms are, somewhat, equally vulnerable to climate change. Further, a province-wise assessment revealed that areas that already face disadvantageous climatic conditions will become even less productive. Overall, the findings suggest that practicing mixed farming methods will strengthen the resilience of commercial farms to climate change and that access to extensions-insurance and irrigation-is likely to reduce the risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary With the ongoing changes in climate, household food insecurity is likely to be more widespread in most small-holder and subsistence farm households in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the existence and extent of gendered household food security—or lack thereof—remains unclear. This study extends existing knowledge by assessing gender inequality in household food (in) security among small-holder farm households in urban and rural areas of South Africa. In doing-so, we use the gender of the head of household and treatment effects framework. Our results show that male-headed households are more food secure compared to female-headed households, with the latter depending more on agriculture to increase household food levels. We further find that the household food security gap between male- and female-headed households is wider in rural than in urban areas, where rural male- and female-headed households are more likely to report chronic food insecurity, i.e., are more likely than their urban counterparts to experience hunger. Interestingly, the effects of climatic characteristics on household food security are more apparent in rural than in urban areas. Our findings suggest that household food security initiatives are likely to be more effective, in closing the gender gap in household food security, if aligned with policies on urban and rural agriculture and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of agriculture-related shocks on consumption patterns of rural farming households using 3 years of data from South Africa. We make two key observations. First, agriculture-related shocks reduce households' consumption. Second, natural resources and informal social capital somewhat counteract this reduction and sustain dietary requirements. In general, our findings suggest the promotion of informal social capital and natural resources as they are cheaper and more accessible coping strategies, in comparison to, for example, insurance, which remains unaffordable in most rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa. However, a lingering concern centres on the sustainability of these less conventional adaptation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of climate change on poor households across South Africa who practise subsistence farming to supplement their household income and dietary requirements. We consider three production systems: specialized crops, livestock and mixed crop-livestock farming. In general, we find specialized crop farmers to be the most vulnerable, while mixed crop-livestock farmers appear to be least vulnerable, suggesting that crop-livestock diversification is a potential coping strategy among poor subsistence farming households. We observe qualitatively similar results when we use self-reported food adequacy as the outcome. Furthermore, predicted impact shows that the climatic changes will be mildly harmful at first but will grow over time and lead to a 151 per cent loss in net revenue by the year 2080. Interestingly, we observe that crop farmers receive higher revenue when land is owned by the household, while on the other hand, livestock farmers earn more revenue when the land is communal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Policy makers in many countries have perceived plastic-bag litter as a problem, and have used a variety of regulatory tools to address it. South Africa's current legislation on plastic-bags came into effect on 7 May 2003. It increased the thickness of the plastic used, charged a small levy and required that bags be sold rather than distributed gratis. These regulations sharply reduced consumption of plastic bags in the short term, but unlike the Irish and Danish levies have failed to curb their use meaningfully in the long run. It is suggested that the initial sharp fall in use of bags was a result of loss aversion rooted in an endowment effect (the bags having long been a free good). Once consumers became accustomed to paying for bags, demand slowly rose to its historic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In an attempt to control the environmental problems posed by plastic shopping bags, the South Africa government combined elements of regulation with a levy per bag, similar to that applied by the Irish. Charging for bags commenced in May 2003 with a fixed nominal price of 46 rand cents for 24-l bags across all retailers, which was subsequently lowered. The levy charged had only short run success. Over time, the effectiveness of the levy has continued declining despite its comprehensive application at checkout points. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We estimate the risk attitudes of a large sample of individuals from various fishing communities along the west coast of South Africa. Female fishers and rights holders are found to be more risk averse than their male counterparts, while rights holders are found to be less risk averse relative to subjects without fishing rights. Risk attitudes are found to be correlated with compliance with fisheries regulations. In particular, a greater degree of risk aversion translates into a reduction in compliance. Furthermore, in the case of gender, female fishers and rights holders are more likely to comply with fisheries regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analysed differences in the choice of health-care facility by ill individuals in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-affected households in the Free State province of South Africa. Secondary education, access to medical aid and household income were significant determinants of choice as were severity and type of illness, and type of health care required. Ill persons with HIV- and AIDS-related illnesses are significantly more likely to opt for public health care, although the strength of this preference declines as household income increases. Those with severe and particularly severe HIV- and AIDS-related illness, in turn, are significantly more likely to opt for private health care, especially at higher levels of income. The public health care sector therefore is likely to remain the backbone of health-care provision to those infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS, highlighting the need for equitable access to efficient, quality public health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May 2003 South Africa introduced legislation intended to decrease plastic bag litter. It combined standards and price-based economic tools in an attempt to reduce the public's demand for plastic bags. This paper analyses the short term effects of the legislation on bag demand. It also provides a background to these regulations and a theoretical overview. The assessment uses bag consumption data from four retailers, each representing a different consumer market. These are analysed, and respective price elasticities calculated. The results suggest that plastic bag demand is relatively price inelastic and imply that instruments utilising price alone, would have limited efficacy. However, the combination of standards and pricing successfully curbed plastic bag use in the short run. Further analysis suggests that the effectiveness of the legislation may be declining over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often contended that rural development works most effectively when beneficiary communities are active project participants, and not the passive recipients of assistance. This paper analyses participatory development through the lens of public goods theory. South Africa's Community Water Supply & Sanitation Programme is discussed as a case study. Conclusions from our game-theoretic analysis are used to make suggestions for South African development policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]