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Exploring Perceptions of Plastic Pollution Amongst Subsistence Livestock Farmers in Subtropical Rural Communities
Summary
In rural South African farming communities, plastic waste piles up in fields because there's no trash collection, and farmers know it's making their livestock sick—but they lack the resources to fix the problem. Since these animals are often part of the food chain, unmanaged plastic pollution in grazing areas could eventually affect the meat and milk people consume, making better rural waste management a public health issue, not just an environmental one. This study shows the solution needs to come from policy and infrastructure changes, not from farmers alone.
ABSTRACT Rural communities face increasing environmental challenges from plastic pollution, particularly in subsistence livestock farming areas where waste management infrastructure is inadequate or absent. Despite progress in waste pollution research and awareness, there remains a significant gap in understanding its perception on rural livestock agricultural systems. Existing literature on plastic pollution focuses on urban, marine or industrial contexts, with little attention given to subsistence livestock farming. Crucially, the interactions between livestock and plastic waste in informal grazing areas where open dumping and burning occur are poorly understood. This study investigated the perception of plastic pollution on livestock health and the sustainability of subsistence farming practices in resource‐limited rural communities in South Africa, focusing on identifying socio‐environmental drivers, challenges and local coping mechanisms. Data were collected through in‐depth semi‐structured interviews using a purposive random sampling strategy from 40 randomly selected households actively engaged in subsistence livestock farming, with thematic analysis being used to code and categorise key findings. The analysis revealed that farmers are aware of the negative impacts of plastic pollution on livestock health; however, they are constrained by a lack of waste management services, land shortages, livestock theft, climate change and limited veterinary services. Farmers employ coping strategies, including traditional treatments and herd confinement. The study highlights how plastic pollution contributes to the degradation of communal resources, exemplifying the Tragedy of the Commons and aligning with Beck's Risk Society Theory , where invisible modern risks disproportionately affect under‐resourced communities. The results underscore the urgent need for policy intervention, improved rural waste management infrastructure and community‐based education to prevent further harm to livestock health, food systems and environmental sustainability. Findings suggest that local authorities must intervene to address plastic pollution in rural agricultural settings.