Scratch-head moments: Agriculture and the plans to move Mpumalanga off coal

The annual Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) report released last week looked at some alternative options to fill the gap in the jobs market as South Africa moves away from coal. As the province which accounts for some 87% of the country’s coal, Mpumalanga is the primary theatre identified for these options.

Top of the options is producing aviation fuel from sugarcane. We covered a WWF SA event in 2019 after a report “Taking off: Understanding the sustainable aviation biofuel potential in sub-Saharan Africa” had been released, and we have seen similar sentiments in other reports on LinkedIn and elsewhere. The obvious scratch-head question is why the tardiness in getting things moving on this issue. A market like this would be a lifesaver to the sugarcane sector which has suffered from challenges like duty-free imports from neighbours, inclement weather conditions, and the sugar tax (Health Promotions Levy).

Producing aviation fuel is certainly one of the measures proposed by the Sugar Master Plan. It would create employment and breathe life into a sector sorely in need of it, and – hey! – take the country closer to its commitments in the global movement towards climate goals.

A second of the “emerging or new opportunities” is investing in hemp plantations. There has been much enthusiasm in this sector (it also has a Master Plan!) and so another scratch-head moment – we still have to see clear, discernible progress. Fortunately, helpfully, the obstacles were listed by Hemp 4 Life earlier this year when it addressed the parliamentary portfolio committee, and so sincere parties should have a clearer sighting of what needs to be done, where to start.

A third possibility in the “Emerging and new” category is agrivoltaics. This is simply to co-locate solar and agriculture on the same land, benefitting both the solar and agricultural industries (usually land is either for solar panels or for agricultural activities). Googling the term will bring up photos of livestock taking shelter from the sun underneath solar panels, or crops being cultivated beneath staggered rows of solar panels.

Source of photo: Enel Green Power 

Opportunities in “existing economy initiatives” include the wood, citrus, and tourism value chains.

Recommendations for employment opportunities “will be finalised by June 2024, and integrated into regional economic planning processes and the update of the Mpumalanga Provincial Growth and Development Strategy”. It is slowly becoming apparent to coal workers that theirs is an uncertain future (Mohlakoana, 2024). Every effort should be made to make the green transition as inclusive as possible!

Download the PCC report at www.climatecommission.org.za.

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Relevant Agribook pages include:

1. Agriculture in the provinces
2. Sugarcane
3. Cannabis
4. Renewable and alternative energy
5. Wood, pulp and paper
6. Citrus
7. Tourism and agriculture

Photo by Pixabay: www.pexels.com/photo/silver-steel-mining-crane-on-black-rocky-soil-during-daytime-60008/