Following the end of apartheid, South Africa’s government set itself ambitious goals with a planned land reform. However, there have since been barely any changes in the country’s agricultural structure, and the positive impacts that were hoped for on rural livelihoods have hardly materialised. A critical assessment of 22 years of land reform policies.

Land and associated property is a major source of individuals’ identity and livelihood. The way in which land rights are assigned and can be used is a key determinant of equality of opportunity, environmental sustainability, social/economic transformation, and the ease and extent of public service provision. This article discusses why land rights are important but often only weakly protected and describes how recent technological developments make public efforts to secure such rights much easier – with tangible impacts for rural development.

Like in other areas of livestock keeping, the growing demand for fish raises the question of how the feeding of animals can be maintained without competing with the provision of food for humans. The use of insect proteins could help save natural resources while simultaneously making use of organic waste.