Clive Nicholson

Clive Nicholson plans to link appropriate resources to the farming needs of small-scale, commercially oriented, black farmers through the establishment of Farmer Support Centres.

Clive believes that the basis of economic growth is people, and that people are the key factor in realizing agricultural potential. Agricultural and rural development should, therefore, focus on the entrepreneurial skills and ambitions of smaller scale farmers. Their efforts to produce food and to provide employment opportunities for other local people can multiply through creative support mechanisms. To this end, Clive Nicholson has designed Farmer Support Centers based on his "agrilink" concept. Because Farmer Support Centers are run in collaboration with the farmers themselves, they are more focused than services offered by large-scale commercial agencies or the public sector. The Farmer Support Centers stimulate and strengthen the agricultural economy by redressing the agricultural service, supply, and support and marketing imbalances of the past. In essence, they act as a point of connection between organized groups of local farmers and the resources these farmers require to succeed.

History tells us that by 1890 there were many black commercial farmers who had purchased their farms and were competing successfully in the South African market economy. They invested much of their profits in farm improvements, educated their children at multiracial boarding schools, and employed local people as laborers. They were members of agricultural societies and associations. Their entrepreneurial qualities and farming abilities were obvious. By the end of the century apartheid legislation controlled all black economic activity, including farming, creating monopolies for white farmers. Nearly a century later, the effects of the legislation are illustrated in a significant wage gap between white and black farmers; the incomes of a single white farmer is equal to that of 10.7 black farmers' income combined. Research that Clive helped to conduct indicated that a mere 0.2% of black rural households had achieved market-oriented agricultural production. This pitiful estimation has only one remarkable feature: the fact that this small number of farmers continued to contribute to the agricultural economy at all, in spite of the enormous constraints that beset them.
In the early 1980's Clive Nicholson recognized that this small number of black farmers in remote, rural areas of the country were producing food in excess of their own needs. They were not only selling to their own communities, but also attempting to compete in the larger urban markets. They did so even though they did not own the land that they farmed and had no collateral against which to raise capital. This lack of farming capital combined with the absence of institutional support and services left these farmers at a great, intentional disadvantage relative to their white competitors.
Few parastatal government agricultural development schemes have benefited small-scale farmers, perhaps because they allow little community involvement in decision-making processes. Indeed, some schemes have left participants in debt. These communities become more dependent on the authorities rather than assuming control of their own affairs. Commercial agriculture in South Africa remained in the hands of white farmers, and small-scale black farmers face one hurdle after another.

Clive began by researching the needs and aspirations of these "champions of agriculture." This research eventually became the thesis for his master's degree at the University of Fort Hare. The final chapter of the thesis spells out the concept of AGRILINK, an idea which "links resources to needs" in agriculture, specifically the needs of disadvantaged and disenfranchised farmers. AGRILINK facilitates links between appropriate resources - agricultural, technical and extension, supply and marketing - and small scale, commercially oriented farmers. It recognizes the entrepreneurship and struggles of these dedicated farmers.
The first step in each AGRILINK region is to establish a Farmer Support Center that delivers the programs' services. Thereafter, Satellite Farmer Support Offices are created to supplement the Center. This allows AGRILINK to cover a greater geographical area and respond to an increasing number of participating farmers. The client farmers play a central role in establishing these Offices.
As AGRILINK's work helps build the local farm economy, the farmers take increasing responsibility for AGRILINK's budget. Some specific activities of the Farmer Support Centers include:
providing financing to the participating farmers and a repayment plan; coordinating a campaign for schools to promote food gardens using permaculture and organic principles; providing a training program in general farm management; consolidating produce for shipment to market; encouraging appropriate technology for such farmers, notably in the area of animal traction; and conducting relevant farmer research. Through these projects, AGRILINK is providing a multi-level support system for small farmers.

Clive Nicholson, 39 years old, was born and raised in South Africa. He has a desire to use his privileged education and experience to benefit all people in the country, especially those who have been discriminated against in the past. His awareness that the country's resources were denied to the majority of the people sparked his interest in playing a part in the redistribution of resources and changing of attitudes that led to inequality. Clive believes his life work will contribute to alleviating poverty in the rural areas of South Africa and neighboring countries. Through agricultural development and conservation of the earth's natural resources he believes he can mobilize both the market place and the target group. This activity on both the supply and demand side of agriculture will make short and long term contributions toward the creation of a sustainable "bread basket" for South and Southern Africa.