African Physics Letters (Pure Science) | 21 November 2008
Methodological Evaluation of Smallholder Farm Systems in South Africa Using Quasi-Experimental Design
S, i, b, u, s, i, s, o, M, k, h, i, z, e, ,, N, o, n, t, s, i, w, e, N, g, c, o, b, o, ,, M, a, m, e, l, l, o, P, h, a, k, a, d, e, ,, K, g, o, s, i, m, o, l, a, M, a, t, h, e, b, u, l, a
Abstract
Smallholder farming systems in South Africa face challenges related to productivity and efficiency. A systematic literature review was conducted using databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, focusing on articles published between and . Studies were selected based on relevance to South African contexts and methodological rigor. The quasi-experimental design identified a significant 15% increase in efficiency gains when applied to smallholder farms compared to traditional methods, with a confidence interval of ±4%. The quasi-experimental design provides a robust framework for measuring efficiency gains and can be adopted by policymakers and practitioners in South Africa's agricultural sector. Policymakers should consider implementing the quasi-experimental design to evaluate farm systems, while researchers could further explore its scalability across different regions. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.