The agricultural events scene has a lot to offer this week. On Friday, we celebrate International Day of Rural Women and it is World Food Day on Saturday. This week’s agriculture events centre around food security once again, and include a number of virtual discussions to unpack the issue from all angles. To add your agri events to our calendar, email us on info@foodformzansi.co.za.
Happy Monday, Mzansi! This week, the topic of food security continues to be front and centre on the agri agenda. There are plenty of global conferences taking place online, including the People’s Food Summit and the Committee on World Food Security’s event.
As always, we start off the week with Food for Mzansi’s own #FarmSpaces event on Twitter. On Wednesday, Swaershoek Bonsmaras hosts a livestock auction with over 90 animals on offer. AgriSETA has opened applications for its Discretionary Grant and organisations have until 15 November 2021 to submit. Furthermore, farmers in Johannesburg have the opportunity to learn more about regenerative agriculture from RegenAg SA.
Keep an eye on the calendar on Food for Mzansi’s home page as well as this weekly article, published every Monday, for the lowdown on informative, useful and even lucrative opportunities in the agriculture sector. Email info@foodformzansi.co.za to add your event to the calendar.
Monday, 11 October
Join us for this week’s Food For Mzansi #FarmSpaces, with Gugulethu Mahlangu
Are you an aspirant farmer looking for more information on how to get into the agricultural sector? Do you have a smartphone and a Twitter account? Join us then, every Monday at 18:00, for Food For Mzansi #FarmSpaces, held in partnership with one of agriculture’s favourite daughters, Gugulethu Mahlangu.
Follow us at @FoodforMzansi to participate.
Food security for all
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is an international platform dedicated to ensuring global food security and access to nutrition. Taking place over four days, the CFS focuses on developing food security policies and providing guidance on food security-related topics. This year’s CFS will focus on the 2021 State of Food Security and Nutrition report.
Register here.
Join WorldFish to discuss food system science and innovations
WorldFish is hosting a CFS side event to unpack equitable access to nutritious, safe and culturally appropriate aquatic food sources. The event is being held in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and other partners, and focuses on the holistic transformation of food, land and water systems towards healthy, sustainable diets.
Click here to learn more.
Tuesday, 12 October
Cultivating equality in food systems
The Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) Gender Platform and Wageningen University and Research are hosting a virtual conference that explores how gender and research can be advanced in the global food systems movement. This agriculture event is made up of various panels, with representatives from research, civil society and the private sector, among others.
Click here to register.
Addressing global hunger
BBC Global News is hosting a virtual discussion on how to address global hunger. The discussion centres around the biggest challenges faced by the global food system and includes topics like aquatic food systems, climate change, extreme weather events, conflicts and economic downturns.
To register for this discussion, click here.
Wednesday, 13 October
Bonsmaras auction in the Eastern Cape
Swaershoek Bonsmaras is hosting a Bonsmara auction in Cradock in the Eastern Cape. On offer are over 90 animals, including 22 Bonsmara bulls and 70 female animals. The event will also include the sale of merinos, where 40 rams are up for sale. The auction will take place both in person and online, on the BKB website.
For more information, contact Sandra Erasmus on 072 698 2624, Charl van der Merwe on 082 374 3192, Dirk Odendaal on 082 920 3761 or Hardie van den Heever on 066 056 8761.
You can view the catalogue here.
Thursday, 14 October
Apply for the AgriSETA Discretionary Grant
AgriSETA has opened applications for the Discretionary Grant for employers, non-profit organisations, cooperatives, trade unions and other organisations that offer training. These companies can apply for the grant in order to fund learnerships, skills programmes and adult education and training, among others. Applications are open until midnight on 15 November 2021.
To see whether your organisation qualifies, click here.
Friday, 15 October
Celebrate women and girls in agriculture
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is celebrating women and girls on International Day of Rural Women, commemorated on 15 October 2021. The celebration, which is taking place online, will uplift the best performing projects that come closest to meeting IFAD’s Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
To take part, click here.
Saturday, 16 October
Join the People’s Food Summit on World Food Day
The People’s Food Summit is taking place this Saturday, which is also World Food Day. The summit is hosted by Regeneration International and sets out to explore regenerative, organic and agroecological food and farming across the globe. A 24-hour agriculture event, the summit aims to trigger a global regenerative movement and is especially focused on platforming the positive effects of regenerative agriculture.
Click here to participate.
Workshops on regenerative agriculture
RegenAg SA is continuing its regenerative agriculture workshops with a two-day stint in Johannesburg in the Gauteng province. The second session in the workshop will be hosted by Richard Perkins at Victoria Yard.
To enquire, send email to info@permacultureinstituteforsouthernafrica.org.
