---
title: "How skill-sharing and market insights can unlock small-scale regenerative agriculture"
description: "A recent panel discussion in Cape Town highlighted the vital role of small-scale farmers in regenerative agriculture, exploring their challenges and the solutions needed for sustainable growth."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "FOOD SUSTAINABILITY"
author: "Iman Allie"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/iman-allie/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-07-23-how-skill-sharing-and-market-insights-can-unlock-small-scale-regenerative-agriculture/"
published: "2026-07-23T21:48:47"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 641
---

# How skill-sharing and market insights can unlock small-scale regenerative agriculture

> A recent panel discussion in Cape Town highlighted the vital role of small-scale farmers in regenerative agriculture, exploring their challenges and the solutions needed for sustainable growth.

By Iman Allie · Published 23 July 2026, 23:48 SAST

## Key points
- Key Discussion: A panel at Maker’s Landing at the V&A Waterfront explored the pivotal role of small-scale farmers in regenerative agriculture, emphasising their challenges and potential solutions.
- Regenerative Agriculture: This farming approach focuses on restoring natural resources and reducing synthetic inputs, but lacks strict guidelines, allowing farmers to tailor practices.
- Challenges Faced: Small-scale farmers encounter high production costs and market hesitancy from larger companies, limiting their access to profitable opportunities.
- Proposed Solutions: Skills transfer from large-scale to small-scale farmers and enhanced education on farm planning are vital for improving entrepreneurial skills and commercial viability.

## Content

On 23 July, the non-profit organisation SA Urban Food, together with Farming Trust and Solve@Waterfront, the sustainability and social impact unit of the V&A Waterfront, hosted a panel discussion about regenerative agriculture.

The discussion took place at Maker’s Landing at the V&A Waterfront and was part of SA Urban Food and Farming Trust’s annual [Food Indaba](https://foodindaba.org/).

The panellists were Kobus Pienaar, who leads Woolworths’ Farming for the Future initiative, agro-ecologist Rirhandzu Marivate from the SA Urban Food and Farming Trust, and food activist and general manager of the Den Anker restaurant, Rejeanne Vlietman.

The discussion was facilitated by Daily Maverick’s human development editor, Zukiswa Pikoli.

Panellists underscored the role of small-scale farmers in regenerative farming.

![Iman_regenerative agriculture](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/lcwRPR4pcWrfQsCHvhV4VBjkRfI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Iman-regenerativeagriculture_146585.jpg)

*Panellists at the Food Indaba on 23 July (from left): Zukiswa Pikoli, Kobus Pienaar, Rirhandzu Marivate and Rejeanne Vlietman. (Photo: Iman Allie)*

### Understanding regenerative farming

Regenerative farming is an approach that ensures that natural resources are not only restored after farming, but are in a better state than they were before the farming took place, Pienaar told the audience.

Part of this approach involves using fewer synthetic pesticides and fertilisers.

It is about assessing and understanding the damage caused by farming practices and then reversing the damage, said Pienaar, who acknowledged that regenerative agriculture has no strict guidelines and that each farm must tailor its approach to its own practices.

Marivate said that while there are certifications available for regenerative farmers, small-scale farmers tend to practise this approach without being certified, using techniques that include mulching, composting, intercropping and planting indigenous plants.

### The challenges of small-scale farmers

Pienaar, Marivate and Vlietman agreed that small-scale farmers experience numerous challenges.

Vlietman reflected on Den Anker’s trial programme of sourcing restaurant ingredients from small-scale farmers. She said big markets are hesitant to partner with small-scale farmers, due to concerns over whether they can grow enough crops quickly enough to meet demand.

Small-scale urban farmers, like those in Langa, face a tough dilemma: despite local food insecurity, high production costs prevent them from selling their crops to community members at affordable prices, according to Marivate.

![Iman_regenerative agriculture](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/rucxq12kEPrZLBPTs2i0QFsToew=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/Blignaut-invest-CR-option-2.jpg)

*Regenerative agriculture promotes biodiversity and leaves the land better off once farming has ended. (Photo: Wolfgang Borchers / Pixabay)*

Pienaar highlighted the costliness of regenerative farming.

“It is R16 to R25,000 for a tonne of organic fertiliser for a small-scale farmer and a commercial farmer,” he said.

Small-scale farmers often face resource constraints that large commercial farms do not, said Pienaar. He noted that corporate partnerships hinge on strong planning and organisation; without a clear plan showcasing their skills, farmers struggle to win corporate backing.

Vlietman attributed these organisational challenges to a shortage of entrepreneurial training, noting that while farming expertise is inherited across generations, business acumen rarely is.

To address the shortage of business acumen, she proposed skill-sharing initiatives where established, large-scale farmers mentor small-scale producers to strengthen their operations.

### **Lack of support**

The lack of entrepreneurial skills stems from the lack of support, said Marivate, and to address this, the government, civil society organisations and private corporate organisations must educate small-scale farmers about farm planning. Once they are taught entrepreneurial skills, they’ll have the potential to grow commercially.

Pienaar also underscored the importance of transferring skills. He argued that current farmers should draw lessons from their predecessors, emphasising that the most critical insight to pass down is a deep understanding of the market. To ensure their harvests sell, farmers must know exactly what consumers want. Sharing market intelligence, Pienaar noted, enables producers to sell directly to buyers — bypassing major retailers like Woolworths that eat into their profit margins.

“That knowledge, for that specific crop, the father must hand over to the son. Because you can’t open a book and say ‘this is what the customer wants for carrots’,” he said, adding that small-scale farmers should group together to share expenses. **DM**