Landmark Foundation: Shepherding Back Biodiversity
Unsustainable agricultural farming practices (i.e. poor land use management and lethal predator controls) in South Africa have resulted in land degradation and the loss of plant and wildlife diversity in productive agricultural areas.
Unsustainable agricultural farming practices (i.e. poor land use management and lethal predator controls) in South Africa have resulted in land degradation and the loss of plant and wildlife diversity in productive agricultural areas. The Shepherding Back Biodiversity Project aims to reverse these trends through mainstream biodiversity and encouraging the uptake of human shepherding which has been on the decline, while also supporting conservation-friendly land use. Issues to be resolved include:
- Poor living conditions of previous farmworkers
- Stigma associated with herding
- Commercial farmers having a preconceived negative view of the project as a breeding ground for predators
- Applicant: Landmark Foundation Trust
- Project stage: Demonstration at scale
- Financial instrument: Recoverable grant
- Applicant and third-party funders’ contribution: R70.5 million
- Green Fund amount: R7.5 million
- Disbursed to date: R7.5 million
- The Shepherding Back project is already demonstrating how traditional skills and knowledge can be applied to commercial agriculture, while minimising environmental impacts
- A herding academy and fully operational learning site have been established, which since inception has trained approximately 20 herders to supervise livestock on 22 000 hectares of conservation-friendly land
- Fair Game product standards have been developed and registered with the South African Meat Industry Company
- Commenced alternative marketing for the Shepherding Back brand which includes launching microenterprises. These will require support to demonstrate their commercial viability. The Green Fund (GF) is considering the conversion of this recoverable grant to a non-recoverable grant. Recovering the GF grant may hamper efforts to reach financial sustainability and could potentially impact operational efficiency.
A herding academy and fully operational learning site have been established, which since inception has trained approximately 20 herders to supervise livestock on 22 000 hectares of conservation-friendly land.
Fair Game product standards have been developed and registered with the South African Meat Industry Company.
has been completed and is being presented to potential shareholders