A short film giving a voice to the small-scale Rooibos tea farmers in the dry Northern Cape of South Africa.
Scientists predict that that Namib desert is moving south into South Africa. These climatic changes are already affecting inhabitants of the semi-arid region of the Suid Bokkeveld, who are dependent on natural resources for their livelihood. The people here are descendants of the first people of this region, and have been farming and harvesting Rooibos tea for centuries. Rooibos is a uniquely South African drought resistant bush that makes a healthy tea.
The small-scale farmers have recently tapped into the fair-trade organic international market, but seasonal shifts and increasing droughts will be a threat to the survival of their crops and livestock.
Directed & edited by Jacqueline van Meygaarden
Camera by Jane Kennedy
Produced by Cosmos Productions.
Voices of the Vulnerable: Farming Tea in Arid Lands – South Africa from Jacqueline van Meygaarden on Vimeo.