Small-scale farming, fourth industrial revolution and the quest for agriculture development

Abstract

Globalization and the development of commercial farming have provided the foundation to explore the gains of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in South Africa's agricultural sector. Technology, such as the use of a cyber-physical system and use of an infrared receiver, aims to increase land and farm productivity. South Africa has a dual agricultural economy, with well-developed commercial farming and underdeveloped smaller-scale communal or individual farming. Despite the development of commercial farming, food security and sustainable socio-economic stability depends on smallholders' agricultural development. This chapter assesses the impact of 4IR on small-scale farmers in the country. A history of land dispossession and the contemporary land reform scheme in South Africa continue to influence the performance of agriculture. The farms allocated to black people through land redistribution are struggling, while many have been abandoned due to the absence of support systems and a lack of the required skills to manage big farms. There is unequal access to land and the support systems required for agricultural productivity between white commercial farmers and black emerging farmers. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, if fully operational in the agricultural sector, will strengthen the vibrancy of commercial farms, while aggravating the plights of emerging black farmers.