Masters Degrees (The Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST))

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Browsing Masters Degrees (The Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST)) by Subject "Beef cattle -- Economic aspects -- South Africa"

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    Understanding the sustainability of free-range and/or grass-fed beef in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Fourie, Johanna Jacoba; Kelly, Candice; Coetzee, Angela; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Agriculture, including conventional livestock production, is a major contributor to humanity’s transgression of planetary boundaries, causing harm to both people and the planet. Meat consumption is on the rise, making it imperative to adopt more sustainable production practices. In South Africa, ‘free-range’ and ‘grass-fed’ beef are currently the main alternatives to conventional grain-fed, feedlot-raised beef, although there are no clear guidelines or regulations that stipulate what these production methods should entail. The aim of this explorative case study was to investigate the free-range and grass-fed beef industry in South Africa, including the regulation of the industry, what these production methods entail, the ways in which producers incorporate sustainability into their practices, and the ways in which the industry and its products are viewed. The case study was conducted from a social constructivist worldview and collected data via 17 semi-structured interviews with farmers, butchers, retailers, and regulators involved in the free-range and grass-fed beef industry in South Africa. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, assisted by Atlas.ti software, to uncover patterns in the data, which were grouped into themes and categories. The three major themes, selected on the grounds of of their prevalence in the data and because they helped to achieve the research objectives, were 1) grass-fed beef and its production methods are defined by what they do ‘better’ than free-range and conventional beef production, 2) the regulatory environment of grass-fed beef is inadequate in terms of standardisation and creating an enabling environment, and 3) the grass-fed and free-range industry is not profit-driven even though its market is willing to pay. The findings of the study were explored in the context of the literature, providing answers to the research aims and objectives. The research revealed that, even though the labelling of free-range and grass-fed beef production is regulated in South Africa, the production methods employed are not. The terms ‘free-range’ and ‘grass-fed’ are therefore socially constructed, with varied meanings and implications for sustainability, human health, and animal welfare. The case study also showed that the term ‘free-range’ is generally viewed as being a chicken production practice. Another important finding is that grass-fed beef is seen as a form of regenerative farming, with the ability to sequester carbon, increase soil health and water retention, improve farm productivity, and conserve biodiversity. The industry is facing many challenges, with a small market and a dominant conventional beef industry listed as the main barriers to growth and profitability. The consumption of grass-fed beef was shown to be associated with health benefits. The study concluded with recommendations for further research. There is currently limited understanding of consumer behaviour and education regarding the benefits of grass-fed beef. It further emerged that there is a need for the regulation of production schemes, especially free-range and grass-fed beef production. Research is needed on the potential for the environmental benefits of grass-fed beef production in the South African context. A valuable area of research would be the views and opinions of conventional beef producers, focused on why they are unwilling or unable to adopt grass-fed production methods.