This weeks’ agricultural calendar is packed with a clear theme – sustainable agriculture. First up is a webinar on environmental-friendly practices and integrated pest management, then a few more on creating sustainable food systems, the agricultural impact of chicken dumping, the link between organisations and society and finally a webinar on the future of farming technology. E-mail info@foodformzansi.co.za to have your event added to our weekly calendar.
Hello Mzansi! On Monday, you can gain insights on the use of environmental-friendly practices that promote reduced use of pesticides. Tuesday’s event looks at the need to shift to a circular food economy, while on Wednesday, the Fairplay Movement hosts a virtual discussion on Mzansi’s chicken dumping issue.
Then on Thursday, Agri SA is hosting two experts to explore the impact of organisations on the functioning of a society. The Federated Management Institute ends the work week with a summit on the future of farming technology.
Monday, 28 March
Environment-friendly practices and integrated pest management
The Agriculture and Progress Platform invites you to its webinar: “The Role of Environmental-Friendly Practices and Integrated Pest Management in the Reduction of Pesticides Use”.
With a keynote address by Alan Belward, head of the Unit for Food Security at the European Commission’s joint research centre, this webinar aims to share insights on the use of environmental-friendly practices that promote the reduced use of pesticides in the EU, with a particular focus on integrated pest management.
Attendance to the event is free but available spaces are limited.
Click here for more information or to register.
Tuesday, 29 March
Creating a circular food system
You are invited to join the debate about food’s future, presented by North American urban farming consultants Agritecture, as they examine the need for production, processing, and supply chain innovations in order to meet global – and local – demand for food.
Did you know one third of the food produced globally is wasted or lost?
Food gets damaged through long transport and processing equipment malfunctions. Over-ordering by corporations, overbuying by consumers and confusing public health policies lead to good food getting tossed out. Increasingly, extreme weather is also destroying crops.
That’s why there’s a need to shift to a circular food economy, where waste is drastically decreased and unused food goes to those who are hungry in our communities. To get there, tech developers, policymakers, major corporations, educational institutions, investors, and city planners need to come together to rethink the future of food.
Click here for more information or to register.
Wednesday, 30 March
Agricultural impact of chicken dumping in SA
The Fairplay Movement is hosting a virtual round table discussion on South Africa’s chicken dumping issue.
Also on the agenda is the impact of the predatory (through the abuse of dominance) and illegal poultry trade and the progress we seen so far to stop dumping.
The discussion will also cover the disruption of global trade and supply by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leaving many desperate. FairPlay argues that this is an unambiguous call to self-sufficiency.
For more information, contact Archy Hlahla at archy@hlengani.co.za
The ins and outs of intercropping
Join us for Food For Mzansi #GatherToGrow on Twitter Spaces. 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 Wednesday at 18:00 for Food For Mzansi #GatherToGrow. This week, we discuss the ins and outs of intercropping.
Follow us at @FoodforMzansi to participate.
ALSO READ: Farmer 101: A step-by-step guide to growing seedlings
Thursday, 31 March
Investing in a sustainable society
Agri SA is hosting a webinar exploring the value of investing in a sustainable society and is inviting you to share in the discussion along with experts Theo Venter and Theuns Eloff. The session will investigate the impact of organisations on the functioning of a society
Theo Venter Is a political and policy specialist and lecturer at the NWU Business School. He acts as a strategic consultant, facilitator, political commentator and analyst. He focuses especially on the business and agricultural sectors. Theuns Eloff is non-executive chairman at Astral Foods and former Vice-Chancellor at North-West University.
Click here for more information or to register.
Deciduous Fruit Industry Transformation Awards
The official countdown has begun for the Deciduous Fruit Industry Transformation Awards set to take place in the Mother City with the who’s who of the agriculture sector set to celebrate some of Mzansi’s top producers and industry stakeholders for their role in transforming the deciduous fruit industry.
Guests will be welcomed by Dr Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape minister of agriculture, while Reghart Strauss, the head of agribusiness in the province, will explore funding solutions for the deciduous fruit industry.
Agriculture, land reform and rural development minister Thoko Didiza is confirmed as the keynote speaker.
For more information on the Deciduous Fruit Industry Transformation Awards, email events@dfdcsa.org.za.
Friday, 1 April
The future of farming tech
Are you concerned about the future of farming? Join the Federated Management Institute as they host the Agriculture 4.0: Future of Farming Technology summit.
The summit promises to addresses concerns about the future of farming and discusses the ways in which technology will make it easier for farmers to produce the required amount of food for the growing population, despite having to use fewer inputs.
Some of the topics to be discussed include available technologies for “agriculture 4.0”, including drones, sensors, IoT (Internet of Things), robotics, big data and artificial intelligence.
Resource management and precision agriculture will also be discussed, amongst many other topics.
Click here for more information or to register.
