UCT Sustainability and the SDGs 2022 - Magazine - Page 10
1
High standard of
living, quality of
life & well being
for all
52
Modern
agriculture for
increased
productivity &
production
6
昀椀nancial &
These initiatives also link to the European Union-funded
Research
for
Agroecology
Network
Southern
Africa
Research and Innovation
(RAENS), coordinated by UCT and the SADC [Southern
African Development Community] Centre for Coordination of
昀椀nancial &
engineer plants that can withstand prolonged water scarcity,
safeguarding agricultural productivity. This scienti昀椀c pursuit
is a vital strategy to ensure a stable food supply for a growing
Understanding urban food systems
Agricultural Research and Development. Together, they are
Around a quarter of a million households in Cape Town face
building a regional movement for regenerative, equitable and
hunger and limited dietary diversity, relying heavily on informal
climate-resilient food systems.
traders and convenience foods instead of fresh produce. This
global population confronting a hotter, drier future.
Prof Jill Farrant has studied how resurrection plants
can survive in the face of extreme water loss, aiming to
introduce these characteristics into smart crops that will
feed Africa in the face of climate change and increasing
and extended drought. Image by Michael Hammond
according to a 2024 study by UCT’s African Centre for Cities’
(ACC) Urban Food System Research Cluster, in their
State of the City Food
System
Report.
昀椀nancing
her
The report showed that while nutritious food is widely available
in Cape Town, many residents struggle to access it due to high
transport costs, poor infrastructure and spatial inequality. The
昀椀ndings also noted a need for local governments to become
her engaged in supporting urban food systems in
more 昀椀nancing
actively
the areas they govern.
This work forms part of a broader effort to understand how
cities in Africa can better govern food systems to ensure
equitable access for all. By highlighting the link between urban
planning, poverty, and food security, this research provides
crucial evidence to guide policy and promote sustainable,
inclusive urban food systems across South Africa.
Working to develop drought-resistant crops
As climate patterns become more erratic and extreme drought
events more frequent, conventional crops face increasing
failure, threatening food systems worldwide. Professor Jill
Farrant, of UCT’s Department of Molecular and Cell Biology,
is working to decipher the unique molecular mechanisms that
allow resurrection plants to survive near-complete dehydration
and recover fully.
The end goal is to provide a critical biological blueprint. By
translating these insights into staple crops, her work aims to
20 - Sustainability and the SDGs 2024
Sustainability and the SDGs 2024 – 21
