Mopane Worm And Termite Sales Relieve Poverty In Rural South Africa – Studies Explore The Impact
Larvae of the mopane moth (Gonimbrasia belina), on a mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane). By SAplants - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY BY NDIDZULAFHI INNOCENT SINTHUMULE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG South Africa’s Limpopo province borders Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. It is one of the poorest provinces in the country. This is due to a combination of historical underdevelopment, a high unemployment rate, heavy reliance on government grants and a rural-based economy with limited industrial diversification. It’s an interesting place for a geographer like me. My work brings together the themes of traditional ecological knowledge, environmental geography, conservation and society. My research looks at sustainable environmental outcomes by recognising the role of local culture, sacred sites and community practices in managing natural resources in southern Africa. In two recent studies I explored how local communities in Limpopo are commercialising the harvesting of...
