Rise and shine, Mzansi! The week kicks off with some much needed relief for the industry as alert level one finally kicks into effect, as announced by pres. Cyril Ramaphosa. This means that the turbulent tides of the unprecedented global health crisis have slowly begun to calm, but we will remain vigilant as government has advised.
Another busy week in the agricultural sector awaits, so get ready for more twists, turns and insights with Food For Mzansi as your guide to navigate the action packed week ahead.
Today we join Syngenta, a leading agriculture company that has helped improve global food security, on live video conference as they unpack new insights in the horticultural sector.
We also catch up on new developments in African agriculture with the African Green Revolution Forum.
And then we meet a millwright with career insights to offer in AgriSETA Learner Connect.
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Syngenta Fields of Innovation event
Well, 2020 surely has been the year to remember hasn’t it? And this year’s Syngenta Fields of Innovation event will be too, but for positive reasons, that is. Vegetable growers take note because for the first time ever from the 21st – 25th of September, the Fields of Innovation will take to the digital sphere where you will receive expert industry advise from the comfort of your home.
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company with headquarters in Switzerland which has helped to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources.
Through world class science and innovative crop solutions Syngenta is making great strides in transforming how crops are grown.
A digital world awaits where growers and the entire value chain will be able to connect with our international experts through unique 3D imagery, videos, technical information and live contact.
We look forward to Syngenta’s innovative new varieties that bring qualities such as heat tolerance and suitability for mechanical harvesting to overcome modern challenges Registrations are open, so grab your seat here.
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Breakfast, lunch and dinner inspo at the click of a button?
Good news, Mzansi! We are launching a brand-new e-mailer today. Yes, that’s right. The Food For Mzansi “Mzansi Flavour” weekly digest goes live and will only be availed to those who have signed up for it. No spam – we promise! So why not even take that first step that could potentially see you win big!
If you do sign up, oh boy, do we have a treat in store for you. Did you enjoy the recent edition of our Thursday regular foodie feature Mzansi Flavour, featuring chef and food curator Mynhardt Joubert?
Well, he shared an amazing festive springtime spread and would like to give away a hamper to a lucky somebody in our draw. The competition still runs until 23 September, with the winner announced on Heritage Day.
You can win all the ingredients for Joubert’s breakfast! Well, that is everything except for the leftover braai meat, you can sort that conundrum out yourself on Heritage Day.
Now all you have to do to enter the prize draw is sign up to Food For Mzansi’s new and exciting “Mzansi Flavour” weekly digest e-mailer. Sign up here to receive the recipe mail every Monday.
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AgriSETA Learner Connect: Meet a Millwright
On today’s podcast episode of the AgriSETA Learner Connect we are joined by Willem Liebenberg (32) an agricultural millwright.
If you tend to live life on the realistic and methodical side then this could be the job for you.
Millwrights design, build, and manage the installation of important infrastructure for grain farmers. Just like how our local farmers specialize in the care of growing, harvesting, and distributing their resources, our millwrights specialize in making their lives easier with feed mills, flour mills, grain facilities, and processing facilities.
They’re independent, stable, persistent, genuine, practical, and thrifty. They like tasks that are tactile, physical, athletic, or mechanical. Some of them are also investigative, meaning they’re intellectual, introspective, and inquisitive.
If this sounds like your cup of tea, don’t miss the story later today.
If you missed the last episode of AgriSETA Learner Connect, click here.
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And if you missed the African Green Revolution…
This year’s Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) will focus on “Feeding Africa’s Cities” by assessing the opportunities challenges and policies required to enable African farmers and agribusinesses to serve the growing urban food market.
The report was launched recently at the 10th instalment of the African Green Revolution (AGRF), an annual gathering that brought together thousands of delegates including heads of state, governments, and farmers in discussion to find more ways if feeding Africa’s increasing populations. A summary of the exclusive event is available here.
This is the first time in history that the AGRF was held virtually, in a bid to fall in line with covid-19 containment measures.
The theme of the digital forum was “Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent: Leveraging Urban Food Markets to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems in Africa,” which served as a call to action to rethink Africa’s food systems in the delivery of resilient, better nourished, and more prosperous outcomes for all.
The report seeks to find ways for smallholder farmers to drive food security, rural prosperity, and inclusive economic growth. The report also:
- Outlines opportunities provided by Africa’s urban food markets to the continent’s 60 million farms.
- Indicates that cities shape Africa’s agribusiness environment by affecting patterns of agricultural production and inducing the rapid expansion of food processing and distribution plans.
- Highlights the opportunities in Africa’s growing urban food markets while recognizing that the effective governance of urban food systems requires inclusive models that coordinate and harmonize the actions of the many diverse players now shaping African agri-food systems.
Do you have an upcoming event that should be on Food For Mzansi’s watchlist? Drop us an email to diary@foodformzansi.co.za and we’ll do our best to include it in this weekday feature.
