The series is part of the intergenerational food justice project of the Research Centre on Transnationalism and Transformation (TRANSIT) at Tampere University in Finland and the Global Innovation Network for Teaching and Learning (GINTL) Africa. According to series coordinator Dr Norma Rudolph the objective is to transform the unjust and fragile global food system by building critical mass and momentum through encouraging engagement and action by diverse people and networks. For this specific webinar on food production in South Africa, TRANSIT and GINTL Africa have partnered with Stellenbosch University’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme. 

The vital role of food security in health

The important role of food security and nutrition in health in general and in managing diseases such as HIV and Aids is widely acknowledged and accepted. Yet, there are challenges. Dr Munya Saruchera, senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University’s Africa Centre for HIV/Aids Management and master’s class lecturer on the sociology of sustainable agriculture at the Faculty of AgriSciences, will chair the webinar panel discussion. He explained the problem: “Despite the diversity of food brought about by the likes of industrial farming and imports, there is a continued rise in food inequalities, hunger, malnutrition and new diseases. This makes it more important than ever for everyone to be able to access the appropriate food at the right time according to their needs, especially people with chronic health challenges such as diabetes and HIV/Aids.”

Reclaiming traditional African crops

At the root of the topic of crops and food production in South Africa is the fact that local people’s relationship with plants and traditional diets in Africa have been largely disrupted by colonialisation, commercialisation and urbanisation. People are pushed from the land to make way for plantations and settlements and indigenous crops are replaced by imported monocrops that need large quantities of water, fertiliser and pesticides. Healthy traditional diets are replaced by cheap, highly processed products.

“There are many neglected or ‘orphaned’ crops such as jugo beans and species like mopane worms that haven’t attracted interest from corporate agriculture and therefore lack research, farming advisory services and funding support,” said Munya. “Yet these are key crops for most African people.” Reclaiming indigenous crops and authentic African diets is therefore a priority in achieving food justice and security.

The webinar panellists include leading experts in the field who are all involved in the emerging food system in South Africa. They will discuss the opportunities and challenges they face in this exciting space and invite discussion on the way forward.

Dr Ethel Phiri is a lecturer and researcher at the SU Faculty of AgriSciences and editor-in-chief of the interdisciplinary Journal of Underutilised Crops Research. Her research focuses on sustainable production and protection of indigenous, underutilised and emerging crops.

The second panellist, Sipamandla Manqele, is the co-founder and commercial director of Local Village Africa, which sells ethically and sustainably sourced, wholesome food products to leading retailers and online. Also adding her voice to the panel is Siphiwe Sithole, a farmer of indigenous seeds and crops and founder of African Marmalade, an organic farming business. In addition to public speaking and coaching others in natural farming, Siphiwe is also a chartered marketer.

Opportunities and challenges

To transform South Africa’s emerging food system, Ethel believes cultivating and integrating traditional African crops (e.g. sorghum, taro and Bambara groundnut) and traditional leafy greens (e.g. amaranth) is non-negotiable. “These crops diversify diets, complementing staple crops such as maize,” she explains. “Their resilience to local environmental challenges enhances food security by providing reliable harvests despite climate variability.”

Traditional crops are predominantly grown by rural small-scale and subsistence farmers. Sipiwhe highlights that the South African government has acknowledged “the need for and role of smallholder farmers as an integral part of our food systems”, which means there should be support to mobilise and organise the sector. Overall, it will require a concerted effort by various stakeholders.

Mainstreaming indigenous and traditional crops in South Africa will not be without challenges. Ethel mentions inadequate infrastructure (e.g. formal seed systems) and distribution networks, complex regulatory and licensing requirements, negative consumer perceptions of these crops as “poverty food”, and limited research and development focused on cultivating these crops as some of the main obstacles. From a farmer’s perspective, Siphiwe points out the challenges of a lack of access to suitable land and other crucial resources and degradation of existing farmland.

The semantics of the industry are also proving to be problematic: “Different organisations promoting more or less the same thing are working in silos because they’re using different terminology and approaches, e.g. agroecology, sustainable or regenerative agriculture, permaculture and biodiversity.” On a macro level, Munya is of the view that the lack of unanimity on what constitutes sustainable agriculture, how practical it is given the food needs and food poverty in the world, and lastly how to measure and assess sustainability in agriculture are some of the biggest challenges.

More commercial, large-scale food production should however not be dismissed completely. According to the panellists an ideal approach would be combining the benefits of larger-scale food production with sustainability by, for example, sharing technologies and facilities.

The webinar will take place from 10:00 to 11:30 SAST (SA time) on Tuesday,
6 August 2024.