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Food for Thought

Food for Thought

Financial inclusion for women: SA must up its game

Tinaude Adekundi Ojo -
The financial gap between men and women is a global problem. It’s a problem because excluding women financially prevents them from participating and contributing to society’s social and economic activities. This is bad for women, and for society.
Food for Thought

Civil society can help fix SA’s food system

Camilla Adelle and Ashley Haywood -
In South Africa, researchers found that, more than a year into the pandemic, food insecurity was still well above pre-pandemic levels. Simply put, this means more people than before do not have reliable access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food.
Food for Thought

The impact of Covid-19 on black farmers in South Africa

Dr Marc Wegerif -
The Covid-19 pandemic is continuing to disrupt societies. In South Africa it has caused millions to lose jobs and incomes. At the same time food prices have been going up, leaving more people food insecure. But the agricultural sector has also recorded bumper harvests and increased exports, creating an impression that farmers may be benefiting.
Food for Thought

‘Soil health can save us all’ – World Food Prize winner

Staff Reporter -
Prioritising soil health must be profitable and sustainable. This is the plea of soil rock star Rattan Lal, the winner of the 2020 World Food Prize, who shares his insights with Food For Mzansi.
Food for Thought

Catch-22: Small-scale farmers vs. commercial banks

Hamlet Hlomendlini -
Commercial banks play a significant role in enabling growth in the agribusiness sector, argues well-known agricultural economist Hamlet Hlomendlini. Although they must lend money responsibly, it is also critical that they not be perceived as discriminating against small-scale farmers.
Food for Thought

Could logistics crisis derail citrus growth trajectory?

Staff Reporter -
Logistics are the life blood of the success of our agricultural export industry and should be a long-term and strategic focus area for South Africa, argues John Hudson, the national head of agriculture at Nedbank. Despite severe challenges, he believes there are many lessons to be learnt from Mzansi’s citrus value chain.
Food for Thought

Mzansi’s ‘oldest farmer’ defied immeasurable trials

Magnificent Mndebele -
In this moving piece, Magnificent Mndebele and photographer Funiwe Ngwenya reflect on the life of one of South Africa’s oldest farmers who died at 96. Mahlomelane Mthembu defied all odds to persue his passion for the love of the land.
Food for Thought

Robotics offers food industry a taste of the future

Staff Reporter -
Mzansi’s food and beverage industry is lagging the rest of the world in implementing robotics. There are a couple of reasons for this: robotics is seen as an expensive solution, and there’s a lingering perception that robots will take human jobs.
Food for Thought

Guarantee mechanisms ‘can give new farmers wings’

Najwah Allie-Edries -
Every up-and-coming farmer knows that the absence of collateral can be the difference between growing and stagnating. Jobs Fund boss Najwah Allie-Edries argues that guarantee mechanisms can be a valuable tool to mitigate risks, and enable these farmers to access funding at a reasonable rate.
It Takes a Village

Informal waste reclaimers get World Wide Fund award

GroundUp -
Johannesburg's waste reclaimers were recognised by the WWF as “exceptional South Africans who, through their catalytic actions, inspire people to live in harmony with nature." This at a time when they battle to be recognised by local authorities.
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Must Read

The World Trade Organisation expects the volume of global trade to increase by 8% in 2021, more than offsetting last year’s 5.3% decline. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
Food for Thought

Empowering smaller farms with global connections to trade

Staff Reporter -
The opportunity is open for trade partners and platforms to serve as a gateway to export for small to medium farmers. This is why powering globalisation with partnerships remains a key factor to facilitate the enjoyment of a post-pandemic recovery for farmers across the globe.
Biodiversity research: The banded rubber frog. Biodiversity research is heavily regulated in South Africa. Robin Maritz
Food for Thought

Red tape is choking biodiversity research in SA

The Conversation -
It is no exaggeration to say that science has saved humanity on multiple occasions. The most recent has been through the development of vaccines for the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Figado Chicken Livers took 6 years to develop and is now being rolled out to disadvantaged schools across the nation. Photo: Supplied/Food for Mzansi
Agripreneur

Agripreneur 101: Meet a chicken liver manufacturer

Nicole Ludolph -
For Kyle Oelofse, Chief Executive Officer of Goshen Food Solutions, creating a product that was both high in nutrients and delicious was a matter of extreme importance. The product was created in response to a call from the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), a government-run programme that offers disadvantaged learners one nutritional meal a day.
Managing a commercial farm is not all KwaZulu-Natal's Mpumezo Ndima does, he also provides agricultural advisory services to farmers of all scales and sizes. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
Inspiration

The hard truth about being a farm manager

Duncan Masiwa -
From a rural Eastern Cape village to managing one of KwaZulu-Natal’s top farms. This is the story of Mpumezo Ndima, an inspirational leader who has learnt many tough lessons along the way.
SABPA is looking for Africa's most impactful plant varieties. Photo: Beth MacDonald/Unsplash
Food Security

Wanted: the plant varieties that changed your life

Nicole Ludolph -
Whether you're a farmer or a consumer – if a plant has made your business more profitable or your life easier, the Southern African Plant Breeders Association (SAPBA) wants to hear about it.

Food For Mzansi is an initiative to introduce South Africans to the unsung heroes of the agricultural industry. We unashamedly share success stories and good news from the farms and agri-businesses who feed South Africa. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

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