REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IN THE GRASSLANDS OF THE EASTERN CAPE

The document describes a partnership between WWF South Africa, Conservation South Africa, and other partners to transition communal sheep farming in the north Eastern Cape to regenerative practices. The project aims to regenerate 11,000 hectares of land and support 380 people across nine grazing associations. By using conservation agreements, the project incentivizes farmers to adopt planned rotational grazing to prevent soil erosion and biodiversity loss in exchange for benefits such as vaccinations, training, and fair market access for wool. The initiative is supported by the Regenerative Fund for Nature, launched by Kering and Conservation International.

• The project aims to regenerate 11,000 hectares of land in the north Eastern Cape and support 380 people, including upskilling an additional 75 men and 25 women from a baseline of 250 people.
• Unplanned and indiscriminate grazing by sheep, which are selective grazers, leads to the exposure of topsoil, soil erosion, the formation of eroded gullies, and a reduction in vegetation diversity.
• The project utilizes a conservation agreement model where communal farmers commit to resting demarcated areas during the growing season and following a grazing plan in exchange for vaccinations, training, and market access.
• Communal sheep farmers face significant economic challenges, including a 40% income gap compared to commercial farmers and limited market access due to poor infrastructure and the prevalence of low-price prospectors.
• The initiative is part of a broader global effort by the Regenerative Fund for Nature, established by Kering and Conservation International in 2021, which aims to transform 1,000,000 hectares of crops and rangeland into regenerative spaces between 2022 and 2026.

APA

WWF South Africa (2022). REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IN THE GRASSLANDS OF THE EASTERN CAPE. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/regenerative_wool_production_in_rangelands.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IN THE GRASSLANDS OF THE EASTERN CAPE. 2022. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/regenerative_wool_production_in_rangelands.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IN THE GRASSLANDS OF THE EASTERN CAPE |date=2022 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/regenerative_wool_production_in_rangelands.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafrica2022regenerative, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IN THE GRASSLANDS OF THE EASTERN CAPE}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2022}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/regenerative_wool_production_in_rangelands.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }