Strengthening local food networks for food systems transformation – eThekwini Metro, KwaZulu-Natal

The “Strengthening local food networks for food systems transformation” platform was established by the Southern Africa Food Lab at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In partnership with eThekwini Metro’s Agroecology and Agribusiness units, this platform houses three projects which together focus on the establishment of local food systems that are resilient and can respond to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and other such future shocks.

• A core pillar has been the GIZ funded Reconnecting and recalibrating local food systems in eThekwini and iLembe, which has actively set out to establish and recalibrate local food systems to build new diversified flows of food across a number of place-based initiatives (PBIs).

• The second pillar, Taking local food systems recalibration to scale, funded by the Nedbank/WWF Green Trust, has consolidated learning from the GIZ project to provide inspiration and impetus for a larger project across various sites in the country under the leadership of the Seriti Institute.

• The third pillar, Woza Nami, funded by the Nedbank/WWF Green Trust and the DG Murray Trust, is engaging several Agroecology Hubs across the metro. Working with one in particular, the project is supporting its transition towards full agroecological practice, extending principles and practice to smallholder farmers (individuals and collectives) and through linkages, aggregation and nutrition education building demand for such produce in neighbouring communities working with creches, schools, informal retailers, traders and the like. PGS provides a compelling support to this sustainable transition.