The restoration of depleted grasslands is the focus of the "Communal Agricultural Transformation" (CAT) project. This climate change adaptation (CCA) initiative aims to demonstrate that CCA strategies are a viable vehicle for stimulating economic development and poverty reduction.
Livestock farming forms the socio-economic foundation of poor rural communities in South Africa. This project is located in the Hewu District of the Eastern Cape, a communal farming area in the former ‘homeland’ region of the Ciskei. The project addresses lack of knowledge which has led to destructive animal and grazing practices, and has resulted in severe land degradation and poverty. Training and enterprise are the groundwork to restoring depleted grasslands that once supported numerous animals. In so doing, rural communities are transformed into thriving economies.
The project is a dynamic collaboration between Olive Leaf Foundation (OLF) and the Savory Institute (SI). OLF is a South African Sustainable Development Organisation with 30 years experience in social development and community mobilisation across Africa. SI is an international organisation addressing climate change and land degradation through training and education: regenerating soil, increasing biodiversity and rebuilding communities. The Government of Flanders supports this project in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs.