Plastic waste is harming livestock in South Africa: smallholder farmers using communal land set out the support they need
Research in South Africa's Mpumalanga province reveals that plastic waste is significantly harming the health of livestock in communal grazing areas. Smallholder farmers are calling for better waste management support to protect their livelihoods and animal welfare.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of environmental pollution and rural economic sustainability in developing regions.
A cow grazing on open land in Nkomazi, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Courtesy Prof Tatenda Dalu. https://theconversation.com/plastic-waste-is-harming-livestock-in-south-africa-smallholder-farmers-using-communal-land-set-out-the-support-they-need-288414 https://theconversation.com/plastic-waste-is-harming-livestock-in-south-africa-smallholder-farmers-using-communal-land-set-out-the-support-they-need-288414 Link copied Share article Share article
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Agriculture is the main source of income for communities in rural Mpumalanga, in the north-east of South Africa. Goats and cattle graze freely across open, communal grasslands. But plastic bags, food wrappers, bottles and other plastic materials have become part of this environment. When the dry season arrives and fresh grass becomes scarce, hungry cattle and goats eat whatever they can find, including the plastic waste. Linton Munyai, Nomcebo Madonsela, Mwazvita Dalu and Tatenda Dalu studied how the environment responds to human disturbances. Their latest research sets out how smallholder farmers’ livestock is affected by plastic garbage and what can be done to solve the problem.
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