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If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but still long for something creamy and delicious, try this savoury, baked, blue-cheese cheesecake with dessert-wine jelly garnish topped with herbs. It works equally well as a cheese course to finish off a fine meal, or as a decadent treat on its own.

Integrity seems to mean different things to different people. But one cannot afford to compromise on it; if people are not held to account for wrongdoing, society and business can suffer profound damage.

Long-term food security is set to suffer if the scourge of soil erosion is not brought under control. Dan Pennock, a professor in soil science at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, discusses the extent of the problem and the importance of good soil management.

Your send-off of departing staff conveys a clear and lasting message about the company to those who remain, and ripples well beyond the boundaries of the organisation.

Natural selection is pivotal in adapting livestock farming to climate change in Africa and beyond, says Prof Charles T Kadzere of the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian reform’s Dohne Agricultural Development Institute.

In today’s world, surrounded by ‘fake news’ and hampered by our own brains, we need to know how to separate the facts from the lies.

Increased use of technology and automation in agriculture carries with it the risk that certain farm jobs will become redundant. However, according to a new report published by the World Bank, ‘The Changing Nature of Work’, the use of certain digital technologies could make a meaningful contribution to improving employment opportunities in agriculture, especially in developing economies.

Most goods lose value over time. Boats rot, patents expire, machinery wears out, and computers become obsolete. Depreciation attempts to estimate and record this loss of value.

Since South African agriculture converted from control boards to the free market system in the 1990s, farmers have had to learn how to contend with extreme volatility on commodity markets. According to Silotrat’s Werner Rossouw, hedging is a valuable tool that maize farmers can use to reduce the risk of fluctuating prices. However, in order to benefit from the system, they must learn the rules of the game.

Obtaining environmental authorisation with the help of technical consultants prior to expanding farming operations on virgin soil will help farmers avoid prosecution that could lead to hefty fines or even jail time, writes James Brand, a natural resources and environment senior associate at law firm ENSafrica.

The accounts of a business must reflect all transactions, whether physical or cash, that take place during the accounting period. If they don’t, beware, especially if someone assures you the company is profitable!

The fact that many of us still do not understand the basics of accounting is a harsh indictment of the quality of education we received at school.

Whatever you choose to call it – brinjal, aubergine or eggplant – there is nothing as magical as converting three of these wondrous things into a sesame influenced, za’atar-enhanced, smoky spread.

Global livestock production is increasingly under attack from certain societal groupings who claim that the sector is causing unnecessary environmental harm. Dr Jude Capper, of UK-based Livestock Sustainability Consultancy, explains how livestock farmers can change this perception.

Costs under your control such as yield and product quality are what determine farming success. Don’t waste time on costs you cannot influence or control.

This carrot cake loaf, with its delicious, zesty cream-cheese icing and chopped walnuts, is soft and full of flavours.

Digital technologies and innovations have the potential to revolutionise the world’s food systems. This is why agricultural education and training, particularly in South Africa, needs to be revisited as a matter of urgency, writes Dr Kobus Laubscher, agricultural economist and fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Science.

Over the past 10 years, the fresh produce market value chain was estimated to have generated over R140 billion worth of turnover in the agriculture sector.

Largely failed land reform initiatives are leading to increased tension and uncertainty in the agriculture sector as a whole. Veteran rural development expert Jimmy Lonsdale believes commercial farmers have a key role to play in turning this situation around.

When he called his bakkie an ‘asset’, and took 30 minutes to find an unread set of management accounts, I realised where the root of the problem lay.