How climate change affects smallholder vegetable farmers in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) was researched by Dr Merishca Naicker for her PhD.
Naicker’s study choice was influenced by her upbringing in Umkomaas, a small KZN south coast town, where her parents promoted sustainable farming practices.
Witnessing farming challenges through her parents’ vocation and being deeply aware of rural communities’ struggles with hunger, poverty, and the growing impact of climate change, Naicker developed a passion to contribute to solutions to improve farmer livelihoods, build community resilience, and ensure families have access to healthy, sustainable food.
She enrolled for undergraduate studies at UKZN’s Westville campus in 2014, transferring to Pietermaritzburg in 2015, drawn to the University by its strong reputation and commitment to impactful research, specifically in the arena of climate change and food security. She appreciated its diversity, supportive staff, and the opportunity to work with leading experts in the field.
In 2019, Naicker completed a postgraduate diploma in Food Security, studying the contribution of leafy vegetables to household food security in the Umdoni Municipality. She completed a Master of Agriculture in Food Security study in 2021, evaluating the effects of climate change on crop production in community gardens for household food security in the same locality.
Through her PhD, she explored how shifting weather patterns influence crop production, food supply chains and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, a group that forms the backbone of rural food systems but is highly susceptible to climate stress. Naicker sought to identify challenges and highlight practical adaptation strategies, providing insights to help shape policies, strengthen resilience, and support sustainable farming.
This resulted in two publications in the Sustainability and Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems journals, contributing to a growing body of knowledge on sustainable food systems in South Africa and guiding community initiatives and policy interventions.
She presented her research at the World Climate Research Programme Open Science Conference in Rwanda in 2023, and in January this year, collaborated with Cornell University’s Student Multidisciplinary Applied Research Team, strengthening her research and reinforcing her commitment to creating practical solutions.
Naicker says it is surprising to discover the extent to which informal and community-based food networks play a critical role in sustaining smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.
“While formal supply chains were often disrupted by climate shocks, informal markets, local trading systems, and community exchanges proved to be more adaptable and responsive,” she said.
She also found that despite perceptions of worsening scarcity, nearly 70% of farmers were still classified as food secure, largely because of these flexible networks. However, she cautioned that over-reliance on informal markets leaves farmers vulnerable to price fluctuations and limited protections, stressing that resilience requires both stronger institutional support and the integration of local knowledge and social networks into policy and practice.
Completing her PhD involved overcoming logistical challenges of reaching rural communities and extreme weather conditions during fieldwork, with sound planning, adaptability and supervisors’ guidance proving crucial.
In her studies, she juggled family responsibilities and research, balancing these by prioritising clearly and establishing a routine, and leaning on the support of family, friends, and colleagues to stay motivated.
Naicker has an academic and research career in her sights, hoping to focus on food systems, climate change, and rural livelihoods. She aims to engage in a postdoctoral fellowship to build on her PhD research and contribute to practical, real-world solutions, while also being open to roles in civil society where she can apply her expertise.
She hopes to contribute to initiatives improving smallholder farmer resilience in a changing environment through access to climate-smart practices, tools, resources and support systems, and strengthening informal and formal food supply chains.
“My ultimate goal is to bridge research and practice so that evidence-based strategies reach farmers, rural households, and local food systems where they can have the greatest impact,” said Naicker.
She thanked God for the guidance and blessings, and her parents, Mrs Prema Naicker and Mr Michael Naicker, for their unconditional love, sacrifices, and support. She also thanked her late grandfather for his wisdom and her supervisors, Professor Mjabuliseni Ngidi and Dr Denver Naidoo, for their guidance and mentorship.
She acknowledged her family and friends for their encouragement, and the National Research Foundation, the African Centre for Food Security, and UKZN for providing a supportive environment and the resources to complete her research.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini
