Farming is a risky occupation, with farmers constantly facing threats to the long-term success of their operations. The factors that farmers must consider when making important decisions are diverse and often unpredictable. Those working in the agriculture sector understand that some years produce a great net revenue gain, while others create only expense and debt.
However, the general belief that farmers express is ceteris paribus (all things remain the same), as the years of good harvests and sales ultimately outweigh the bad, making farming profitable in the long run. Today, however, this belief is being challenged by new and emerging risks such as increasing climatic abnormalities, the resistance of adaptive and resilient natural hazards, an unstable political landscape, and complex social issues.
THE STUDY
My study focused on a small commercial farming area in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape. These farmers are presented with a unique set of challenges and a wide variety of hazards to their operations, which require a great level
