Central Role of Smallholder Farmers Extolled by Agricultural Economist

Central Role of Smallholder Farmers Extolled by Agricultural Economist

Professor Maxwell Mudhara, a Full Professor in the Discipline of Agricultural Economics in UKZN’s College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, used the occasion of his inaugural lecture to discuss the DNA of smallholder farmers and its implications for technology adoption, livelihoods and environmental services.

Mudhara explained that smallholder farmers play a significant role in sustaining rural livelihoods, and argued that further opportunities exist to increase their contribution to food and nutrition security, poverty alleviation, and mitigation of environmental degradation and climate change across the developing world.

‘Understanding the complex characteristics of the smallholder farmer is at the centre of efforts to unlock their potential,’ said Mudhara. ‘These span the economic, social and natural spheres, and require analysis for the development of appropriate interventions to enhance their performance in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.’

Mudhara went on to examine the policy implications of achieving smallholder farmer-driven development in South Africa and the Global South.

Mudhara received his BSc Agriculture (Honours) degree from the University of Zimbabwe in 1985 and an MPhil (Agricultural Economics) from the university in 1993. His PhD in Food and Resource Economics was awarded by the University of Florida, in the United States in 2002.

He joined UKZN in 2005, becoming Director of the Farmer Support Group the following year. He took up a lecturing position within the Discipline of Agricultural Economics in 2011, was made Associate Professor in 2019 and a Full Professor of Agricultural Economics in October 2022.

Mudhara’s research interest lies in the economics of smallholder farming systems. In particular, he focuses on understanding the drivers of smallholder farmers’ technology adoption, including the analysis of food security outcomes, climate change adaptation and impact assessment. Research on the trade-offs between water, energy and food in smallholder production systems is his most recent area of interest.

Mudhara’s research uses quantitative methods, including econometrics models, to understand and explore how to enhance the farming system and this has led to policy recommendations to improve the lives of rural people.

He has successfully supervised 18 PhD and 31 MSc students, mentored two Postdoctoral Fellows and published more than 80 research articles in Scopus and ISI indexed journals published by Springer, Taylor and Francis and Elsevier. He is currently supervising six doctoral students.

He is a regular MSc and PhD examiner for other South African universities as well as a reviewer for several high impact factor journals. He co-authored a book, Community Innovations in Sustainable land Management: Lessons from the field in Africa published by Routledge.

Mudhara has held a National Research Foundation (NRF) C2 rating since 2022 and is a member of the African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) and the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA). Between 2010 and 2012 he served as the Secretary of the Southern and Eastern African Association for Farming Systems Research and Extension (SEAAFSRE) after serving as a council member between 2005 and 2010.

In closing his inaugural lecture, Mudhara thanked the numerous smallholder farmers that he has interacted with over the years.

Words: Sally Frost

Photograph: Supplied