During the easing of the pandemic lockdowns, we are traveling a lot more in and around our valley. The first sense that one gets that our world has changed, is our personal interaction with other people, whether it is in a formal or informal setting.
I find comfort in familiar landscapes and driving around our valley. I know what to expect beyond a bend or over a hill. Somehow, during the pandemic this has also changed. Former landscapes that once brought pleasure to the eye have become hostile and unfamiliar.
Gone are the green fields and orchards that
hugged the feet of the Langeberg mountains, the soft natural hills and mountain
slopes. All the natural veld and former open vineyards are being replaced by
vast citrus orchards under shade netting. As if somebody has placed a giant
mask on the landscape. A masked landscape that seems hostile in its fake
whiteness.
The landscapes alongside the R60 between Worcester and Robertson and Robertson and Swellendam, are changing on a weekly basis. Here especially, more and more shade nets are being erected. Hills and valleys that once were covered in Karroid broken veld, “karoo veld dotted with dwarf trees and shrubs, and including varying amounts of grass and succulents” (Acocks, J. P. H. 1953, Veld Types of South Africa), are now covered with high poles, in turn covered with white shade netting. This, for me, is agriculture disregarding the natural environment instead of striving to work in harmony with it.
In her 1990 thesis, “The Natural vegetation of the Robertson Karoo: an evaluation of its conservation status”, Julia C. Wood identified 61 threatened plants in the Robertson Karoo. One wonders how many of the 8 endangered, 20 rare, and 8 vulnerable plant species have been affected, where vast pieces of natural veld have been turned into shade net covered citrus orchards the produce of which is destined for export.
The R60 is not the only route affected. Most Western Cape agricultural areas are affected. According to an article in “Farmers Weekly” in October 2020, “In the Western Cape alone, the area under shade nets increased from 559ha in 2013 to 3 092ha by the end of January this year, according to the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. The total area under tunnels and shade nets in the province increased from 2 814ha in 2017/2018 to 5 906ha at the end of January.” This ‘celebratory’ achievement was on figures available up to January 2020. Since then, it is clearly evident that further growth has been exponential.
Are we the consumer to blame for this trend?
Orchards need this level of protection to produce unnaturally perfect looking
fruit. Overseas consumers of our export fruit apparently do not care about the
impact on our natural landscape and resources. As long as the fruit is of a supernatural
quality, ever increasing profit margins are guaranteed.
My other concern is the impact the covered orchards will have on biodiversity and the ecosystem of the area. The cleaning of vast areas of natural vegetation impacts on the foraging habitat of wild bees and natural pollinators. The removal of hundreds of hectares of natural veld not only affects bees but a wider ecosystem of lizards, mice, tortoises, snakes, the Robertson dwarf chameleon, porcupines, rabbits and so on. The number of insects affected is too large to name in one blog. One insect that is endemic to the Robertson Karoo veld is the Worcester copper butterfly (Aloeides lutescens).
There is enough information of the impact on bees inside these controlled areas to make one very concerned about these agricultural practices. Bees need the sun to navigate. Even if a farmer adds two meters to the top of the nets covering the orchard to overcome pollination problems, the bees will still become disorientated. With the declining bee population in the world and the importance of bees in food production, one would have hoped that environmentally friendly farming practices would become a priority.
One must wonder if, and how, all the polyester, polyethylene shade netting will be recycled. It is well documented that Polyethylene is not only bad for the environment but is potentially toxic to humans. I cannot help but fear for the future of the natural landscapes in this valley. Are we heading for a landscape resembling the greenhouse choked agricultural landscapes of AlmerÃa in Spain? Where groundwater is being polluted with fertilisers and pesticides and some 30 000 tons of plastic waste is created each year.
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| The greenhouses of El Ejido Almeria Spain - Wikipedia |
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Langeberg Mountains , 1925 - Jan Ernst Abraham Volschenk (South African, 1853–1936) |
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| Morning Sunshine(District Robertson), 1922 - J. E. A. Volschenk (South African, 1853–1936) |
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| A rare view of a natural citrus orchard |
Thys I am very pleased you have tackled this issue. I am also appalled by how these hectacres of shade cloth/plastic are blighting the landscape. So far I have only considerd how ugly they are and what will become of the material when it degrades, but you raise other very valid ecological points.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, my biggest concern is the destruction of complex biodiversity and ecosystems. Each square metre of Karoo veld contains parts of a fragile and complex ecosystem, which is being destroyed en masse with every new orchard laid out. Once destroyed, we will not be able to restore it in our lifetime. One hears about sustainable farming, protecting biodiversity, eco-friendly, etc. but how does that fit in with the destruction of large pieces of natural ecosystems. I would like to see agricultural practices in place that is not only about making quick money. Agricultural practices should be more about securing sustainable farming and land management for future generations in harmony with nature. Without thriving biodiversity, the ability of our land to keep producing food is under increasing threat.
DeleteThanks Thys for raising this concern. I fully understand the need for agricultural development, the great contribution of agriculture that is made to the economy of the Western Cape, employment creation, contribution to GDP and all of that. However, short-sighted development at any cost is not a viable solution. Has anyone given thought to the impact of plastic covered valleys on post-Covid tourism in the Western Cape? I wouldn't hold any hopes on that one. I for one am not going to rush out an book a vacation to El Ejido, Elmeria in Spain, and I expect thousands of prospective tourists to the Western Cape plastic valleys would think likewise. Agricultural development is a must, but not at any cost. An intelligent approach is needed. What ever happened to "Boer maak 'n plan." This is not it guys.
ReplyDeleteIt feels to me as if the approach to farming is changing. Previously farms were an investment in one's heritage and a legacy for the generations to come. A farmer respected his land and managed his farm in harmony with nature. Farmers once farmed for the future and the benefit of their children, who will inherit it one day. Modern-day farming is like a popup shop. Where one gets as much out of the piece of land as possible while the market is good before moving on to the next money-making venture.
DeleteBy the way Thys, congratulations on this, your 500th blog post. Every one of them is entertaining, interesting, inspiring. Thousands of connections have been made through your posts. Your blog is an inspiration to many as evidenced by the more than 135 000 views. Keep them coming. What about that book?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Keith. Writing a blog is one kind of commitment. Writing a book is another. Perhaps one day, I will herd the words out of the blog into a book.
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