Opinion

Local communities should be treated as valued stakeholders and sustainability partners in conservation and tourism, say Ian Gordon-Cumming and Prof Kevin Mearns of Unisa’s Department of Environmental Sciences.

Agriculture is South Africa has faced unprecedented challenges over the past few years, yet, for the most part, has survived the storms. In the 2023 Baseline Outlook for the agriculture sector, compiled by the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy, the next decade is purported to hold the key to future success.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and while I was looking into the most recent developments on the Russia-Ukraine front, I read Newswise’s report on a new study, ‘Impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the global wheat market’, by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Texas Tech University, which focuses particularly on how the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted wheat trade.

South Africa’s agriculture industry could be propelled by the implementation of technological innovation and diversification, says Nomqhele Dube, analyst at strategic research, advisory and investment services company Birguid.

This report on the state of food security and nutrition in the world by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations notes how both urban and rural populations are moving towards pre-prepared food.

The National Development Plan (NDP) was adopted as government strategy in 2013 and the National Planning Commission has just published its 10-year review.

Wandile Sihlobo has once again crafted a balanced and influential book that deconstructs the complex realities of the agriculture sector in South Africa, writes Dr Sifiso Ntombela.

Dear farmers and agriculturalists, we are yet again approaching the end of another year. It has been a difficult year for most of us: we have battled increasing inflation and interest rates, high fuel costs and unprecedented load-shedding.

The flooding in April 2022 has been described as the most catastrophic natural disaster yet recorded in KwaZulu-Natal, and farmers are still recovering from the destruction. Jyothi Laldas reports.

James Brand, executive for natural resources and environment at ENSafrica, and Cheri Young, senior associate of its banking and finance, say water management has to be stepped up to ensure sustainability.

At the recent Wagyu SA Conference 2023, held at Allee Bleue Wine Estate near Franschhoek in the Western Cape, Johan Strydom, the founder of Prime Wagyu, spoke about the way in which the psyche of different types of consumers affects their purchasing behaviour.

The global food system is not broken but its resilience is threatened, according to researchers looking for answers to the problems around nutritional quality and inequalities in the food chains.