Bertrams Inner City Farm: Pro-social Organic Agricultural Activities for Sustainable Societal Impact

Refiloe Molefe, affectionately known as Mama Fifi, was a humane agripreneur running an urban organic vegetable farm, Fifi’s Veggie Farm (Bertrams Inner City Farm), in Johannesburg, South Africa. Molefe’s vision was to empower the nearby urban communities and ensure food security by selling fresh vegetables, teaching the community how to plant organically, and employing community members to work on the farm. She successfully implemented farming activities through partnerships with various governmental institutions, companies, and universities. Many organizations recognized her work on the farm, which received donations, won competitions, and obtained multiple awards.<br><br>Around 2019, while Molefe’s agribusiness was gaining momentum in the area and beyond, the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality was planning to build a multipurpose centre on the farm premises as part of its strategic objectives. In early May 2022, she was invited to discuss the demolition of the building and the municipality’s decision to move her to a new place in Eikenhof, on the city’s outskirts. Molefe was informed that, on May 26, 2022, the mayor would be handing over the premises to the contractors, and she would have to move to the new location. The new site did not have adequate infrastructure to support organic farming practices and would require her to share the location with farmers who used chemicals, potentially contaminating the soil and endangering her organic farming practices. Not wanting to depend on the government, she was weighing another option: to operate at a local church south of Johannesburg. She had to decide whether to accept the municipality’s offer, use the local church premises, or buy land she could own for a more sustainable future.

This case is suitable for courses on commercial and social/impact entrepreneurship. It can be taught at the graduate and postgraduate levels. This case demonstrates the entrepreneurial leadership traits required to start a pro-social agribusiness activity with multiple entrepreneurial ecosystem actors. It also demonstrates the entrepreneurial decision-making process for sustainable business activities. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<br><br><ul><li>Identify entrepreneurial leadership traits.</li><li>Map the agribusiness entrepreneurial ecosystem elements that are significant in supporting an entrepreneurial venture.</li><li>Articulate the sustainable development goals (SDGs) addressed by an agribusiness.</li><li>Evaluate the entrepreneurial decision-making process.</li></ul>

• Entreprenurial Leadership
• Social Enterprise