https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Sustainable farming critical to food security in South Africa

Sustainable farming critical to food security in South Africa

Photo by Bloomberg

21st August 2015

By: Creamer Media Reporter

  

Font size: - +

The long-standing health of South Africa’s agricultural sector depends on the sustainability of farming methods, which need to take into account long-term productivity, the impact on the environment, as well as profitability.

However, sustainable agriculture in the country would require significant collaboration between various stakeholders, including government, industry players, the farming community and environmentalists, Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA) Africa conference and expo project director Mark Beaumont advised in a statement this week.

He noted that studies, conducted by several leading local and international institutions, all provided ample evidence indicating that South Africa needed to ensure that it employed sustainable farming methods across the agricultural spectrum.

“With a continuous spike in global food prices, as well as social and political unrest in various countries around the world, sustainable farming is no longer just an environmentally conscious decision, but a critical strategic move that will ensure future food security,” he said, highlighting that agriculture formed the foundation of developing economies, contributing to gross domestic product, food security, social welfare, job creation and ecotourism.

According to a recent Worldwide Fund for Nature South Africa report – Agriculture: Facts and Trends. South Africa ¬ – the welfare of current and future generations might be at risk owing to mismanaged agricultural industrialisation and intensification, which could compromise food safety and increase unemployment and environmental degradation.

The report added that, in contrast, sustainable agriculture would improve how land and water resources were managed to maintain healthy and functioning agricultural ecosystems that were rich in biodiversity, mitigated and adapted to climate change and, ultimately, contributed to everyone’s economic and social well-being.

Sustainable agriculture would be at the centre of this year’s GFIA Africa conference and panel discussion from December 1 to 2 at the Durban Exhibition Centre, in KwaZulu-Natal. “We will provide some insight on how to move towards a more sustainable agricultural future . . . [with] . . . a number of the hosted events facilitated by our partner organisations focused on this theme.”

GFIA Africa had just announced a new partnership with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), a joint institution of the African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) States and the European Union.

The CTA, through its mission to advance food security, increase prosperity and sound natural resource management in ACP countries, shared many of the GFIA's objectives.

The CTA had partnered with GFIA to drive the participation of African farmer organisations from across the continent by running numerous events at GFIA Africa 2015.

These would include a continental briefing for farmer representative organisations, a plug-and-play day featuring the latest information and communication technology used in agriculture, as well as a ‘hackathon’ and taster sessions for organisations interested in learning more about the applications of social media.

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

Comments

Showroom

Actom image
Actom

Your one-stop global energy-solution partner

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Booyco Electronics
Booyco Electronics

Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.084 0.139s - 176pq - 8rq
Subscribe Now