UCT Sustainability and the SDGs 2022 - Magazine - Page 9
1
High standard of
living, quality of
life & well being
for all
52
Modern
agriculture for
increased
productivity &
production
6
financial &
Community engagement
SDG 2
ZERO
HUNGER
financial &
Food insecurity remains one of the most pressing
financing her
challenges in South Africa, a昀昀ecting not only households
across the country but also thousands of university
students striving to complete their studies. At UCT, food
– Vhugala Nthakheni, DSA deputy director
relief is recognised as essential to student success and
social justice.
At UCT we understand the
multidimensional nature of poverty
and inequality in our society.
So, we work very hard to remove
the barriers students face during
their journey towards becoming
successful graduates who will
in time become economically
productive members of
our society.
financing her
for Student Life and Student Governance.
Strengthening agroecology and food security in
Southern Africa
The Seed and Knowledge Initiative (SKI), co-founded by
UCT’s DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Environmental and Social
Dimensions of the Bio-economy, Professor Rachel Wynberg,
is a regional partnership of 15 organisations dedicated to
securing food sovereignty across Southern Africa.
Since 2019, SKI has reached more than 80 000
smallholder farmers in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi
and Zambia. This work supports farmer-led seed systems
and agroecological practices that enhance food security
and biodiversity in the face of climate challenges such as
droughts and 昀氀oods.
UCT research underpins SKI’s work by documenting
Institutional initiatives
community
seedbanks,
local
seed
systems,
changing
foodways and the social dimensions of agricultural innovation.
18 - Sustainability and the SDGs 2024
Ending hunger on campus
This evidence base informs the initiative’s, advocacy and
Thousands of students in South Africa go to bed hungry.
training, ensuring that farmer knowledge and experience drive
Buying food and toiletries is a less critical priority when held
sustainable agricultural transformation.
against the high costs of tuition and accommodation. As part
Building on this foundation, UCT has taken the lead
of its commitment to tackle student food insecurity and hunger,
in forming the South African Agroecology Network
UCT’s Department of Student Affairs (DSA) established the
(SA-AEKN) – an interdisciplinary alliance of educators,
Food and Sovereignty Programme to assist students with one
researchers, farmers and civil society groups working to
meal a day in 2018.
embed agroecology into agricultural learning, research and
Over the years, the programme has expanded its scope
practice. The network has a sister initiative in Zimbabwe, with
and today provides monthly grocery packs, which contain
expansion to Malawi and Zambia underway. Collectively,
non-perishable food items, as well as toiletry packs every
these country networks are evolving into a robust regional
second month. The programme assists both unfunded and
platform to share lessons, in昀氀uence agricultural curricula,
underfunded students, and in 2024, distributed close to
and advocate for policies that recognise and scale
10 000 grocery packs.
agroecological farming.
Sustainability and the SDGs 2024 – 19
