Abstract
This article revisits assumptions about the impact of malaria on development by looking at the history of disease and agricultural development in the lowveld region of the former Transvaal Province of South Africa. It argues that the impact of both malaria and malaria control was not uniform but was mediated by race and class. Prior to World War II, large-scale white commercial farmers did very well in the lowveld despite the presence of malaria. Poorer whites, by contrast, suffered greatly from the disease and had little success in agriculture. African farmers, while not as successful as white commercial farmers, actually benefited economically from malaria in that the disease deterred more extensive white settlement in the region, leaving land available for African cultivation and herding. The benefits of malaria control following World War II were both limited and uneven. White commercial farmers extended citrus and sugar cultivation, but this was as much a product of rising commodity prices as effective malaria control. Large numbers of poorer whites did take advantage of the elimination of malaria and settled in the lowveld following the war. However, few of them made a living as farmers. Finally, postwar white settlement reduced farming opportunities for Africans and increased their dependence on wage labour.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 591-612 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Journal of Southern African Studies |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Sociology and Political Science
Cite this
'Malaria blocks development' revisited : The role of disease in the history of agricultural development in the Eastern and Northern Transvaal Lowveld, 1890-1960. / Packard, Randall.
In: Journal of Southern African Studies, Vol. 27, No. 3, 2001, p. 591-612.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - 'Malaria blocks development' revisited
T2 - The role of disease in the history of agricultural development in the Eastern and Northern Transvaal Lowveld, 1890-1960
AU - Packard, Randall
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - This article revisits assumptions about the impact of malaria on development by looking at the history of disease and agricultural development in the lowveld region of the former Transvaal Province of South Africa. It argues that the impact of both malaria and malaria control was not uniform but was mediated by race and class. Prior to World War II, large-scale white commercial farmers did very well in the lowveld despite the presence of malaria. Poorer whites, by contrast, suffered greatly from the disease and had little success in agriculture. African farmers, while not as successful as white commercial farmers, actually benefited economically from malaria in that the disease deterred more extensive white settlement in the region, leaving land available for African cultivation and herding. The benefits of malaria control following World War II were both limited and uneven. White commercial farmers extended citrus and sugar cultivation, but this was as much a product of rising commodity prices as effective malaria control. Large numbers of poorer whites did take advantage of the elimination of malaria and settled in the lowveld following the war. However, few of them made a living as farmers. Finally, postwar white settlement reduced farming opportunities for Africans and increased their dependence on wage labour.
AB - This article revisits assumptions about the impact of malaria on development by looking at the history of disease and agricultural development in the lowveld region of the former Transvaal Province of South Africa. It argues that the impact of both malaria and malaria control was not uniform but was mediated by race and class. Prior to World War II, large-scale white commercial farmers did very well in the lowveld despite the presence of malaria. Poorer whites, by contrast, suffered greatly from the disease and had little success in agriculture. African farmers, while not as successful as white commercial farmers, actually benefited economically from malaria in that the disease deterred more extensive white settlement in the region, leaving land available for African cultivation and herding. The benefits of malaria control following World War II were both limited and uneven. White commercial farmers extended citrus and sugar cultivation, but this was as much a product of rising commodity prices as effective malaria control. Large numbers of poorer whites did take advantage of the elimination of malaria and settled in the lowveld following the war. However, few of them made a living as farmers. Finally, postwar white settlement reduced farming opportunities for Africans and increased their dependence on wage labour.
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U2 - 10.1080/13632430120074608
DO - 10.1080/13632430120074608
M3 - Article
C2 - 18064765
AN - SCOPUS:0034775698
VL - 27
SP - 591
EP - 612
JO - Journal of Southern African Studies
JF - Journal of Southern African Studies
SN - 0305-7070
IS - 3
ER -