Farmworker Families : Towards Equitable And Adequate Energy Provision
Farmworker families that live and work on commercial farms are amongst the poorest people in South Africa. Poverty is experienced in several dimensions, including low cash income, poor access to services, isolation, intermittent and insecure employment, dependence on employers, and limited social, economic and political power to improve their conditions. This study investigates the worker households' access to and use of energy, in order to identify their domestic energy needs. An evaluation of energy supply, including all fuels used by workers, is undertaken. Guidelines for strategies to improve farmworker households' access to energy services are proposed. The research relied on the analysis of empirical information from both primary and secondary sources and placed this in an integrated energy planning framework. Primary data included a national postal survey of farmers (3000 questionnaires were sent, 575 returned) and interviews with worker families in the West Cape.