Happy Monday, Mzansi, and hello to a new month full of exciting opportunities in agri! Get your calendars out and take note of this week’s agriculture events that are taking place throughout South Africa, as well as online to be accessed from the comfort of your own home.
Check out the calendar on Food for Mzansi’s homepage as well as this weekly article, published every Monday, giving you the low-down on informative, useful and even lucrative opportunities in the agriculture sector. Email info@foodformzansi.co.za to add your event to the calendar.
Monday, 03 May
Register for Green Skills Innovation Challenge
Are you a Green Economy changemaker actively equipping people with green skills? Ashoka and HSBC are collaborating on the first-of-its-kind Green Skills Innovation Challenge. This global innovation competition is open to social entrepreneurs in South Africa with ventures that equip individuals and communities with the skills needed to thrive in the transition to a green economy.
Your final chance to enter the challenge is on June 4, so get started with your application!
Find more info here. If you have any questions regarding the Green Skills Innovation Challenge please contact them at GreenSkills@ashoka.org.
Tuesday, 04 May
Connecting gender equality and biodiversity for sustainable societies
When empowered to take the space and opportunity, women and girls in poor and marginalised communities are agents of change for sustainable development. But due to gender inequality, these women and girls are seldom involved in decision-making processes and their knowledge is not captured. At the same time, they are disproportionally affected by biodiversity loss and climate change due to increased vulnerability and insecurity.
This webinar gathers development actors from global to local level to share and learn about the emerging evidence and how we can achieve better results by promoting both gender equality and biodiversity together.
Register here for the webinar streaming from 9:00 to 10:45.
Attend a virtual summit on AgTech
The virtual summit on AgTech is hosted by the Tuck Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital in collaboration with the Tuck Food & Agriculture Club. This online conference focuses on current trends and issues in agriculture and technology.
The three-day AgTech Summit aims to bring together some of the most important organisations pushing this space forward in order to accelerate the spread of knowledge, create new connections, and generate ideas. Now in its third year, the virtual conference will cover a wide range of cutting-edge topics with an impressive line–up of speakers from around the globe.
Register for the virtual summit here.
Public forum at the UN Food Systems Summit
The ambition of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit is to launch a collective journey of transforming our food systems to give us the best possible chance of delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The event will be moderated by Ndidi Nwuneli, founder and board chair of Nourishing Africa and co-founder and managing partner of Sahel Consulting. She is very passionate about driving food system transformation, especially in Africa.
The forum takes place from 14:00 to 16:00. Register here.
Exporters: learn about the EU Green New Deal
With the successful implementation of the EU Green Deal, Europe will be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. With bold plans to cut emissions by over 55% by 2030, the produce industry supplying Europe will have to understand and work within these policies and regulations to remain compliant and profitable.
In this three-part series, EU Green Deal experts will help SA farmers and agricultural workers understand the agri industry’s impact now and in the future, as similar initiatives are implemented in the US and other countries.
Find out more info about the sessions here, and register for this session, starting at 10:00, here.
Wednesday, 05 May
Estate auction in Burgersdorp, Eastern Cape
The Estate Auction of Andries van der Walt starts at 11:00 in Paardelaagte, Burgersdorp. Various farming equipment, tractors, and other smaller goods will be on auction.
Contact Kenny Moolman on 082 928 6743 for more information. View the catalogue here.
Is ‘agroecology’ too broad a concept?
The term “agroecology” has evolved over the past 40 years since it was first coined by Stephen Gliessman.
In this webinar Gliessman will explore the various dimensions associated with agroecology and how it is implemented in different contexts. He will talk about why this broad and vast movement can be hard to define and easy to misinterpret. Looking to the future, he will discuss how agroecology is likely to evolve in the coming decades as it moves to the top of policy agendas worldwide.
This event is free of charge and open to the public, taking place from 08:00 to 09:30.
Join the webinar here for this exciting opportunity to talk with one of the most influential leaders of the agroecological movement.
Convention to drive innovation in Zimbabwe
The multi-day Atlas Convention is an integrated national technology and economic transformation initiative that will converge government, private sector and academia with its focus on bridging academia and industry. It does so in order to drive innovation with a global perspective that will help Zimbabwe attain world-class industry standards.
This year the theme is “Igniting Infinite Possibilities”.
The event runs from 5 May to 7 May. Register here.
Thursday, 06 May
‘Try and buy’ local wines in Durban
South Africa’s largest “try and buy” wine expo, the Winederland tour, is hitting the road again in 2021 taking you on an adventure through the winelands. The show will take place in multiple cities over multiple dates, visiting Durban from 6 to 8 May.
Find more information here.
All-day auction in Kuruman
This all-day auction takes place in Kuruman, Northern Cape. Contact Gerad on 082 924 1166 or André on 083 317 9533 for more information.
Karoo Kalahari Meatmaster auction
This all-day auction starts at 11:00 and takes place at the Upington showgrounds in the Northern Cape. The auction will also be livestreamed, so you can call in even if you cannot be there in person.
Find more info here.
Information sessions reflecting on wine industry status
How is the wine industry doing one year after the launch of Covid-19, and what’s new in the field of wine grape growing? Winetech and Vinpro answer these and other questions during a series of regional information sessions in May.
The Winetech Vinpro Regional Information Days will be presented from 6 to 20 May 2021, of which four can be attended digitally and one physically.
During the Robertson region’s digital session today, an overview will be provided of the past season’s climatic conditions and the accumulation and breakdown of sugar and acidity during ripening. They will also reflect on the reasons for the widespread occurrence of powdery mildew this year and how to prevent and manage it going forward, while also focusing on the susceptibility of rootstocks to the most important nematodes.
The registration fee for each of the sessions is R150 per person. Book online here.
Friday, 07 May
Celebrate International Sauvignon Blanc Day
Today marks the 11th annual International Sauvignon Blanc Day. One of the world’s most popular grape varieties, and one of the most widely-planted, Sauvignon Blanc is recognised worldwide for its fresh and aromatic qualities.
Sauvignon Blanc has found many places to call home, from New Zealand, where it has gained worldwide recognition and acclaim, the Loire Valley, France, where the grape originated, to South Africa, Chile, the USA and beyond.
Not only are some of the best Sauvignon Blanc wines in the world made in the Cape Winelands, but this grape cultivar is responsible for South Africa’s most popular and most valuable white wine category.
To commemorate the day, the Sauvignon Blanc South Africa association is hosting #SauvBlancDay Celebrations. Contact them on admin@sauvignonblanc.com or 021 975 4440 for more information.
Veterinarian career day for high school students
All high schools students are invited to the 2021 virtual “I Wanna be a Veterinary Professional” weekend, presented ONLINE by the Onderstepoort Paraveterinary and Veterinary Student Committee of the faculty of veterinary science, University of Pretoria in association with Junior Tukkie and Hill’s, on 7 and 8 May 2021.
To access or download the formal invitation (which also contains the registration link) click here.
Saturday, 08 May
Estate auction in Standerton
The auction of Johan van der Walt starts at 11:00 at Meyersvlei in Standerton, Mpumalanga. Various farming equipment, tractors, and other smaller goods will be on auction. Contact PM Swart on 083 948 3345 for more information.
Sunday, 09 May
Celebrate National Moscato day
National Moscato Day is your chance to raise a glass and celebrate the history of this tasty white wine.
Moscato is historically known as a dessert wine (no wonder it’s so delicious) and is originally from Piedmont, Italy. When you uncork a bottle, you can expect a blend of peachy, orangey, and nectarine flavours.
Cheers!
