City rooftops: the next frontier for farming
You don’t have to have green fingers to grow lush vegetables and herbs. But you do have to have a head for heights if you want to join the brigade...
Saving our land: the importance of wetlands
A wetland, whether smaller than a hectare or covering a vast area, is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. We urgently need to conserve them.
Climate change: it’s happening faster than you think
The average temperature increase in Southern Africa due to climate change is taking place at twice the global rate. The resulting lower rainfall figures and increase in the number of...
Dutch company’s success in turning food waste into feed
A Dutch company that produces animal feed from food waste says this is the only way in which agriculture can remain sustainable. Gerhard Uys spoke to Karel van der Velden...
Sappi goes green with bio-based products
According to Sappi CEO Steve Binnie, the group’s latest financial results show that it is ready to capitalise on market moves away from plastic to natural fibre and paper-based packaging....
Learning from Israel’s water woes
During a recent tour to farms and the AgriTech Israel exhibition in Israel, it was revealed that despite the large volumes of water used during irrigation, South Africa could learn...
Prepare to sell much more fruit and veg online
The marketplace for fresh fruit and vegetables is becoming increasingly globalised and interconnected. This affects the way that fresh produce is transported from its origin to its destination. The Fruit...
Use nitrogen efficiently to save cash and the environment
Nitrogen may be an essential element in crop production, but its inefficient use wastes farmers’ money as well as contributing to potentially deadly pollution of the environment. Dr Alan Manson,...
A masterclass in irrigation efficiency by Israel
The improvements that Israeli companies have made to drip irrigation have seen them emerge as world leaders in irrigation efficiency. Inventors from all parts of the world take inspiration from...
Rethinking sustainable development
Growing awareness of the interconnectedness between water, energy and food security is resulting in a more holistic way of measuring sustainability, says Dr Nadine Methner from the African Climate and...
Drone technology maximises macadamia production
Drone technology, combined with satellite images and soil samples, provides macadamia farmers with more precise orchard health data than ever before. Gerhard Uys spoke to Martin Taljaard and Jaco Prinsloo...
Groundwater conservation: a long-term investment
Groundwater resource conservation should be the most important aspect of any irrigation farming concern in South Africa, say geohydrology consultant JL van Vuuren and drilling contractor Marnus Nel. A lack...
WHAT TO READ NEXT
Swartland jam factory turns rejected fruit into profit
A fruit-manufacturing business at Piket-Bo-Berg in the Western Cape has created a market for rejected produce by turning it into jam, chutney and similar products. Jeandré van der Walt spoke...
