The importance of nutrition in development is undisputed, and yet it is only in recent years that it has been taken seriously. Why is this? Professor Sheryl Hendricks recently explored this question in the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa’s Tomlinson Commemorative Lecture at the University...
The identification of the source of the Listeriosis outbreak which has swept through the nation killing 180 people to date, has seen a wide-scale recall of polony, Russians and viennas over the past week. The outbreak, which the World Health Organization is calling the largest...
by Mervyn Abrahams Since the announcement of the increase of VAT from 14% to 15%, many politicians, economists and other ‘experts’ have argued that working class households are protected from the negative impact of the increase in VAT because certain foods are zero-rated. We would have...
During December, the Food Lab participated in a national seed dialogue and celebration hosted by the African Centre for Biodiversity at Constitution Hill. The purpose of the event was to celebrate the role of smallholder farmers in maintaining and nurturing seed and life in South Africa...
WWF-SA’s Resource Smart Food Initiative explores multiple points of intervention in the food system to determine actions that could shift the system onto a more sustainable trajectory. As a partner in the initiative, the Southern Africa Food Lab is assisting with the design and facilitation...
Later this month, the Southern Africa Food Lab will host thought leaders from the finance sector, insurance and investment on a learning journey regarding the nation’s future food system. The event, which is funded by the Green Trust and WWF-SA’s Smart Food Initiative, aims to build...
Increasingly, businesses, especially those in the food industry, are being called upon to help transform the food system to work better for nutrition. A key question being asked of organisations like SPAR is how do we make foods rich in nutrients more affordable and available,...
by Amy Giliam Climate change is identified as one of the major trends influencing change in the 21st century. In South Africa, climate change is and will continue to contribute to the severity and frequency of drought, flood events, and changes in temperatures and rainfall patterns....
This week the Southern Africa Food Lab hosted an Agroecology Awareness innovation debrief along with 17 Shaft Education & Conference Centre at the Hoedspruit Hub in the Mopani district, Limpopo. We met with 14 other organisations and 18 agroecology trainers. We discussed the future of this...
Dr Scott Drimie South Africa has a serious health problem. Non-communicable (NCDs) or lifestyle diseases are among the top causes of death in the country (at around 40%) and are responsible for considerable premature mortality with more than a third of NCD-related deaths occurring before the...
by OWEN SKAE We hear constant talk about job creation, food security and a more equitable society. Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies speaks about improving and shortening regional value chains to bring down the cost of doing business and the cost of food, but little...
Over the past two decades, South Africa has urbanized at a rapid pace as people move towards the cities in search of work opportunities and better living conditions, says Scott Drimie. This has had a real impact on our health. According to StatsSA, more than 70%...
Time for SA to restore the food imbalance, writes Dr Sandra Boatemaa. South Africa is noted for its diversity in race, culture, ethnic groups and beautiful landscapes. With this great diversity, history and accomplishments, the provision and access to basic food for a dignified standard of living...
Studies show that many South Africans battle to put food on the table. Nomonde Mxhalisa writes about a project to help small farmers feed themselves and their communities. My earliest memory of hunger is not my own but my mother’s. I have my own often complicated relationship...
TATJANA VON BORMANN AND BRIDGET CARLE Since 1994, the South African diet has changed rapidly. Today more fizzy drinks, processed foods, meat, total kilojoules and fewer vegetables are being consumed – and the price is being paid for it in terms of health. There has been a...
The Food Security Initiative based in Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of AgriSciences has welcomed its first postdoctoral researcher. Dr Sandra Boatemaa will be researching matters related to food systems governance in Southern Africa. It is a challenge that Dr Boatemaa is looking forward to. She previously worked...
Apply now for 2018 intake of postgraduate programme about food provision, food security and policy A developer of new food products, a teacher at a youth prison and a nutritionist are among those breaking new ground as the first group of students to follow the...
In this blog post, Laura Pereira explains the idea of a ‘Transformation Lab’ (T-lab). T-labs are being used in the Pathways Network project in 6 countries to try to enable socio-ecological transformations. In the post, Laura uses an example of a completed T-lab from the GRAID...
FoodForward SA is an organisation that drives food banks. Essentially, they collect edible surplus food from manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, and then redistribute this food to verified NPOs that collectively feed thousands of hungry people daily. In conjunction with Werksmans Attorneys and the CSIR, they...
by Dr Scott Drimie, view this article, originally posted in Business Day, here. It’s absurd to think that farmers today produce about 50% more food than is necessary to feed the world’s population yet hunger remains such a pervasive issue in so many parts of the...