Browsing by Author "Van der Merwe, Edward"

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    Exploring innovation for inclusive development dynamics from an innovation systems perspective
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Van der Merwe, Edward; Grobbelaar, Sara; Bam, Wouter; Schutte, Cornelius Stephanus Lodewyk ; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Food security is still a pervasive problem, nowhere more so than in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Industrial crop (IC) expansion has been at the centre of a debate as to whether ICs are assisting or hindering the quest for a more food secure future. These conflicting views, outlined in a review of pertinent literature, highlight the need for further study into the topic. A review of the literature revealed that food security in the context of SSA is a complex issue and a function of integrated social, economic, and physical systems. To understand this complex system better, it is proposed that a computer-based model is constructed to simulate the dynamics of the system. Models that simulate food security or food security related issues were therefore reviewed and the absence of a simulation that modelled food security from the household level perspective was uncovered. Various modelling attributes and techniques were subsequently reviewed, and system dynamics was chosen as the most appropriate modelling methodology to tackle the research problem under consideration in this study. The software package Vensim was selected as the modelling medium. For the development of the model, Malawi was identified as a suitable country to serve as the case study for this research inquiry. A conceptual model was created explaining the system feedbacks observed in Malawi through causal loop diagrams. The formal simulation was then developed from the conceptual model. It was found that the cultivation of ICs contribute to food security in Malawi. This is largely the result of increased credit options available to smallholder farmers who engage in IC cultivation. Smallholders who cultivate multiple crops are generally more food secure than those who monocrop in cases where limited land is available. This is because mixed-crop farmers are less vulnerable to climate variability. In some cases, mixed cropping leads to staggered income sources and expenses, this reduces the amount of time between harvests and leads to briefer episodes of food shortages overall. Cassava, a plant resilient to extreme weather conditions, is an important food crop in combatting food insecurity. Tobacco, a high-value crop which is well suited to climatic conditions in much of Malawi, remains a lucrative option for smallholder farmers. Contractual agreements between leaf companies, sugar millers, and smallholder farmers could, however, be improved. It is recommended that a regional-level model is developed to capture the effects of higher level system dynamics on smallholder farmers to be used in conjunction with this model. Keywords: food security; industrial crops; computer modelling; Malawi; system dynamics.