Food Security
latest news & developments
SA farmers better placed to face El Niño, but risks remain
Despite strong El Niño forecasts, South African farmers enter the summer production season with fuller dams and improved soil moisture, though rain-fed crops and livestock face…
RUSSIA’S APPETITE IS NOT FOR PEACE
Ukrainian Ambassador to South Africa, Dr Olexander Scherba, outlines how Russia's war of choice threatens global food supplies, risking severe hunger and rising prices across…
Food relief, fuel squeeze
South Africa's food inflation ticked up modestly in August after months of decline, but intensifying fuel price pressures and potential El Niño drought risks threaten to squeeze…
AgriSETA targets agricultural skills to tackle youth unemployment and food insecurity
AgriSETA CEO Fanny Phetla outlines how targeted agricultural education, digital farming skills and youth-focused business incubators can address South Africa's unemployment and…
Africa's Green Revolution failed to deliver promised gains, new assessment finds
A new assessment by researcher Timothy Wise reveals that despite 20 years of efforts and massive funding, the Green Revolution model in Africa has failed to achieve its…
Foot-and-Mouth Disease: South Africa's quiet business crisis
Foot-and-Mouth Disease is not just a farming issue; it's a profound South African crisis affecting food security, farmers, and the vital informal trading sector, with…
Soil biodiversity: The hidden life beneath our feet
While South Africa's attention is on water shortages and climate change, scientists warn of a critical soil degradation crisis. Over 70% of the country's land is affected,…
While South Africa debates borders, it is losing its breadbasket
South Africa is deeply engrossed in the debate over illegal immigration, but this article argues that a larger economic transformation, particularly concerning the nation's vital…
Growing hunger in Gauteng's classrooms
While fewer children attending low-income schools in Gauteng are suffering from the long-term effects of chronic malnutrition, many more are going hungry in the short term as…
Early warning system on Lake Victoria proves AI’s potential to prevent fish kills
Fish farmers at Dunga Beach, Kenya, faced constant dread from sudden mass fish deaths in Lake Victoria. Now, an AI-powered underwater monitoring system provides early warnings,…
The brilliance of Iran’s governance structure
The sheer brilliance of Iran’s three-tiered governance structure
Study: Linking climate change to health doubles support for public action
New research shows that health-based climate messaging significantly increases public support for government action, especially in South Africa where concern over children and…
‘No one asked us’: West Coast fishers oppose offshore oil and gas development
From Doringbaai to Port Nolloth, West Coast communities are pushing back against mining and offshore oil and gas expansion. Residents, activists and fishers say consultation…
Iran war triggers global shockwaves across energy, food and finance systems, analysts warn
The US-Israel war on Iran is sending shockwaves through global energy, food and financial systems, exposing deep structural vulnerabilities in the world economy, according to the…
Extreme heat is becoming Southern Africa’s defining climate and health threat, report warns
Extreme heat is no longer a future problem. A major new report warns it is intensifying inequality, illness and climate vulnerability across Southern Africa and the worst-hit are…