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food securitylatest news & developments
Food security: 'Children who are healthier and better educated are more likely to complete school, access employment opportunities and become economically productive adults,' says Dr Matshidiso Sello. Photo: File
CHILD NUTRITION

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…

  • Sheree Bega
6 min read
AQUACULTURE

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,…

  • Davis J Weddi
8 min read
AMBASSADOR OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

The brilliance of Iran’s governance structure

The sheer brilliance of Iran’s three-tiered governance structure

  • Gillian Schutte
7 min read
A scene from the floods that killed more than 450 people in KwaZulu-Natal in April 2022 shows the damage. (Delwyn Verasamy)
BELEM HEALTH ACTION PLAN

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…

  • Sheree Bega
4 min read
From Doringbaai to Port Nolloth, West Coast communities are pushing back against mining and offshore oil and gas expansion. (Liezl Human/Groundup)
ATLANTIC OCEAN

‘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…

  • Milan Burnett
9 min read
Roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint now under strain.
AFRICA

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…

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
In recent years, research Wright and colleagues led has highlighted how prolonged heat exposure places outdoor workers, children, older people and low-income communities at increased risk of dehydration, heat stress, respiratory illness and other adverse health outcomes. The risks are expected to intensify as temperatures continue to rise. (Envato Elements)
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICA

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…

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
One in every five girls across sub-Saharan Africa has experienced rape or sexual assault before turning 18 . Photo: File
ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY

Supporting adolescent girls advances us all this International Women’s Day

One in every five girls across sub-Saharan Africa has experienced rape or sexual assault before turning 18

  • Etleva Kadilli
5 min read
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

Foot-in-Mouth Disease: How Lesufi’s populist politics costs ANC in Gauteng

Lesufi’s remark about resorting to hotel showers during water shortages was not an isolated lapse of judgment but a revealing window into this broader political environment

  • Muzi Zulu
7 min read
A new climate-smart horticulture centre at Eskom’s Grootvlei power station, backed by the Netherlands, is testing how South Africa’s energy transition can deliver jobs, food security and skills
AGRICULTURAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

From coal to crops: Grootvlei’s climate-smart horticulture centre takes root

A new climate-smart horticulture centre at Eskom’s Grootvlei power station, backed by the Netherlands, is testing how South Africa’s energy transition can deliver jobs, food…

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
In many regions, human–water systems are already in a post-crisis state of failure. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
AQUIFERS

World enters era of ‘global water bankruptcy’, UN report warns

Traditional talk of a water crisis and water stress no longer reflects the current reality

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
Namibia has schemes and together, they represent one of the most ambitious agricultural investments in southern Africa — spanning thousands of hectares of irrigated land, with access to perennial rivers and soils suited to maize, wheat and horticulture. Photos: Namibia Presidency
AFRICA

Namibia’s green schemes are failing, and a parliamentary inquiry blames the system

The country has 11 such schemes, together representing one of the most ambitious agricultural investments in southern Africa

  • Wonder Guchu
7 min read
Good food makes good neighbours: The Brixton community cook-out, which formed part of the LongKitchen series of events. Photo: Nkululeko Motloung LongKitchen
ABUNDANCE WHOLESOME FOODS

A longer kitchen, a fairer table: Stories of food sovereignty in Johannesburg

In Johannesburg, farmers, chefs and activists are gathering around shared meals to reimagine food systems, resilience and justice for South Africa’s future

  • Raeesah Chandlay
8 min read
South Africa has 20 million people living in food insecurity and wants to encourage every household with land to grow fresh produce
AGRICULTURAL POLICY

SA seeks solutions to hunger at G20 meeting

The country has 20 million people living in food insecurity and wants to encourage every household with land to grow fresh produce

  • Lyse Comins
5 min read
Zimbabwe’s monetary system is marked by a farcical series of failed experiments. Photo: Getty Images
EMMERSON MNANGAGWA

Zimbabwe: Why does the state persist when its outputs are poverty, violence and humiliation

After 45 years of independence, issues such as the disintegration of the country’s monetary system are illustrative of the crisis.

  • Leroy Maisiri
6 min read
Earthshot Prize announces this year’s winners who are shaping a greener, cleaner future
AFRICA INNOVATION

Prince William champions Africa’s role at 2024 Earthshot Prize

Earthshot Prize announces this year’s winners who are shaping a greener, cleaner future

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
BEE PROTECTION

Cape honey bees the guardians of South Africa’s food security

Honey bees are invaluable to the environment and the economy, and their protection is essential

  • Lesego Chepape
4 min read
Skimmelkrans farm in George, Western Cape, where every aspect is aligned to circular practices such as water preservation.
CIRCULAR PRINCIPLES

Circularity is central to the Nestlé promise of food security in our lifetime

The company’s practical approach can revolutionise the way we produce food, creating a more sustainable system

  • Hoven Meyer, Group Manager: Agricultural Services, Nestlé ESAR
3 min read
Poor people in urban areas rely heavily on informal markets for their food supply, because they are often more accessible, cheaper and sell produce in smaller quantities than supermarkets. (Photo by Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
AGRI FOOD BUSINESS

Food Security

With over 65% of South Africa’s population now living in cities, this shift has altered the landscape and dynamics of food security

  • Earl Joseph
16 min read
Members of The Ugly Veg Company sorting kale. Images by Derek Davey
AFRICAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION

Ugly vegetables create a beautiful story

A small agricultural miracle is transforming a community in the Cradle of Humankind

  • Derek Davey
14 min read