East Cape author digs deep into agricultural sector in new book

An all-purpose book which examines the role of agriculture in SA’s economic transformation and development — this is a synopsis of the research done by Wandile Sihlobo for his recently published book, Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity and Agriculture, which aims to explain how important the agricultural sector is to the development of our country.

The information covers a range of factors that affect land throughout the country, with a particular focus on the Eastern Cape and how people can better use the land for development.

The book provides a detailed analysis when it comes to land reform, growing employment through agriculture and the SA agricultural trade, among other topics.

Sihlobo takes the reader on a journey from the Eastern Cape, to SA, and to the world, providing an understanding of how agriculture works in these places and how individuals are all joined together by land.

In a chapter of particular interest, given recent developments in the sector, Sihlobo goes into the economic benefits of cannabis, looking at how this plant has been growing in the shadows of illegality in some areas in the Eastern Cape.

He also looks at how SA has been slow in taking advantage of the judgment that legalised the private consumption of cannabis.

Sihlobo analyses how the sector can be transformed by an alignment between the agricultural industry and training institutions so that more young people are able to work in the sector.

He is the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA and a commissioner at the International Trade Administration Commission of SA.

Making the Finding Common Ground dream a reality is not going to be easy but it is well within the reach of South Africans, he says.