
Interview with Chuma Mgcoyi
Reflections on a decade as a farmer, facilitator, activist and social entrepreneur from the SA Urban Food and Farming Trust’s 2021 EESI Entrepreneur, in conversation with Sandra Heming. Can you please introduce yourself? Tell us a little bit about your personal and professional background. My name is Chuma Mgcoyi and I’m a qualified permaculturist. I’veContinue reading “Interview with Chuma Mgcoyi”

Farmer Podcast: Nomandla Mthiyane
This podcast of 36 year-old Langa farmer, Nomandla, is part of a series of stories of inspiring individuals in our urban farmer network, a local group of urban farmers co-creating and operating food gardens in the community of Langa, Cape Town, South Africa.

Contract Opportunity: Food Dialogues Event Project Manager
We’re hiring a part-time contract position for the Food Dialogues 2022! The Food Dialogues is an annual series of events bringing together diverse voices in an inclusive dialogue to foster a healthier, more resilient, and just food system. It provides an opportunity for food growers, academics, activists, writers, nutritionists, food lovers and anyone interested inContinue reading “Contract Opportunity: Food Dialogues Event Project Manager”

Langa Farmer Profile: Sindiswa Lugulwana
This profile of 71 year-old Langa farmer, Sindiswa, is one of a series of stories of inspiring individuals in our urban farmer network, a local group of urban farmers co-creating and operating food gardens in the community of Langa, Cape Town, South Africa.

Langa Farmer Profile: Nontembisa Sizani
This profile of 57 year-old Langa farmer, Nontembisa, is one of a series of stories of inspiring individuals in our urban farmer network, a local group of urban farmers co-creating and operating food gardens in the community of Langa, Cape Town, South Africa.

Langa Farmer Profile: Yonela Mnyombolo
This profile of 33 year-old Langa farmer, Yonela, is one of a series of stories of inspiring individuals in our urban farmer network, a local group of urban farmers co-creating and operating food gardens in the community of Langa, Cape Town, South Africa.

GrowSA Community Organiser Spotlight Podcasts
GrowSA Community Organiser Spotlight follows a cohort of experienced and proactive community members in Cape Town, South Africa, who are working to cultivate a food system that is more compatible with community needs. Each podcast episode features one member as they share their stories experiencing, learning about, and fighting food and nutritional insecurity in theContinue reading “GrowSA Community Organiser Spotlight Podcasts”

Insights on fixing our broken food system at Food24.com
SA Urban Food & Farming Trust executive manager, Kurt Ackermann, spoke with Food24.com about our broken food system, what could be done to fix it, and how the Food Dialogues play a role. Below are the six questions (and responses) covered in the conversation. Can you tell us a bit more about the campaign andContinue reading “Insights on fixing our broken food system at Food24.com”

Share your food culture: bring a plate of food to the Food Dialogues
Bring your own plate of food to the virtual table as part of the “Dialogues through Food.” Three amazing chefs – Mokgadi Itsweng, Khanya Mzongwana and Jane Nshuti – will bring their own plates of home-cooked food to the table to share as part of a must-see live panel discussion on 22 September, moderated byContinue reading “Share your food culture: bring a plate of food to the Food Dialogues”

Share your food stories: join in the Food Dialogues
We want to hear your food stories! The Food Dialogues are gathering and amplifying local voices of ordinary residents willing to share their own perspectives and experiences with food. The pandemic and lockdown have made most South Africans aware of food insecurity across the nation, especially in our cities. While many struggle with hunger, othersContinue reading “Share your food stories: join in the Food Dialogues”

Global map of civil society innovation to advance human rights includes the SA Urban Food and Farming Trust
The SA Urban Food and Farming Trust has been included in a global map of civil society innovation, which identifies and disseminates innovative practices in order to foster resilience and sustainability in challenging times. The initiative to Map Civil Society Innovation to Advance Human Rights, led by Rights CoLab, is a collaborative effort among aContinue reading “Global map of civil society innovation to advance human rights includes the SA Urban Food and Farming Trust”

Sustainable Food Cultures: How our appetites can transform our cities
As part of ICLEI Africa’s #AfricanCityFoodMonth 2021 campaign, the SA Urban Food & Farming Trust shared insights and experiences from its work on the building blocks for a food culture that meets people’s nutritional needs and centers agency, independence, sustainability, resilience and autonomy. The session, titled Sustainable Food Cultures: How our appetites can transform ourContinue reading “Sustainable Food Cultures: How our appetites can transform our cities”

Cape Town-Aachen joint edition of the Mayor’s Portfolio of Urban Sustainability launched; features two projects of the SA Urban Food and Farming Trust
Thursday 24 June 2021, the City of Cape Town and the City of Aachen launched the joint edition of the Mayor’s Portfolio of Urban Sustainability to mark the 20th anniversary of the Aachen–Cape Town LA21 Partnership. The publication seeks to inspire and support urban responses to sustainability challenges for the benefit of communities and theContinue reading “Cape Town-Aachen joint edition of the Mayor’s Portfolio of Urban Sustainability launched; features two projects of the SA Urban Food and Farming Trust”

DG Murray Trust issues a new Learning Brief drawing on lessons from the 2020 Food Dialogues.
How can we create a more inclusive, fair and sustainable food system? Food Dialogues 2020 sponsor and partner, DG Murray Trust, drew on the lessons of the Food Dialogues in preparing a Learning Brief to help others drive systems change in our food system and beyond. The SA Urban Food & Farming Trust is gratefulContinue reading “DG Murray Trust issues a new Learning Brief drawing on lessons from the 2020 Food Dialogues.”

SAUFFT selects Chuma Mgcoyi as 2021 EESI Entrepreneur
Permaculturist, facilitator and spoken word artist Chuma Mgcoyi has been selected as the 2021 EESI Entrepreneur by the SA Urban Food and Farming Trust. Her project aims to promote, enable and support cultivation of diverse indigenous perennial food and medicinal crops by existing urban food gardeners in Langa, in order to link environmental stewardship withContinue reading “SAUFFT selects Chuma Mgcoyi as 2021 EESI Entrepreneur”

PENUMBRA interview with SAUFFT Executive Manager, Kurt Ackermann
Penumbra, the online climate change compendium curated by noted artist, Paul Edmunds, published an interview with the SA Urban Food & Farming Trust’s Executive Manager and Trustee, Kurt Ackermann. The interview, subtitled “Nutritional Values,” ranges widely, touching on the role of urban agriculture, nutrition, agrarian communities, the real cost of food, and carbon cycles, asContinue reading “PENUMBRA interview with SAUFFT Executive Manager, Kurt Ackermann”

International Civil Society Centre’s Innovation Report 2020
The SA Urban Food & Farming Trust is included as a case study in the International Civil Society Centre (ICSC) Innovation Report 2020, one of 14 from around the world focussed on innovations for inclusive solutions that support marginalised communities in cities. The ICSC characterises the case studies as “best practices among international and localContinue reading “International Civil Society Centre’s Innovation Report 2020”

African City Food Month
The newly released report on ICLEI’s #AfricanCITYFOODmonth 2020 makes for good reading and has some excellent materials in it. The SA Urban Food & Farming Trust were proud to be a partner alongside the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), RUAF, WWF the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation,Continue reading “African City Food Month”

New book highlights Cape Town’s urban social agriculture as catalyst for improved quality of life
A chapter of the new book, Handbook of Quality of Life and Sustainability, highlights the catalytic role of urban agriculture on public land to improve quality of life. Featuring two projects of the SA Urban Food & Farming Trust and co-authored by our executive manager, Kurt Ackermann, this case study looks at the spatial aspectsContinue reading “New book highlights Cape Town’s urban social agriculture as catalyst for improved quality of life”

The Big Issue: Food Sustainability Issue
The Big Issue South Africa for October-November is out, guest edited by two of our trustees, Sheryl Ozinsky and Kurt Ackermann. This special issue is focussed on food sustainability, in which the question “can a city feed itself?” is the connecting theme. In addition to pieces penned by Sheryl and Kurt, enjoy thoughtful articles fromContinue reading “The Big Issue: Food Sustainability Issue”

Announcement: Food Dialogues Report Released
Today, World Food Day, marks the launch the 2020 Food Dialogues Report. This comes six years after the first Food Dialogues took place in 2014, which we organised to begin an exchange of ideas that could sow the seeds of change to challenge ‘conventional orthodoxy’ relating to the food system. In the years since weContinue reading “Announcement: Food Dialogues Report Released”

OZCF highlighted in showcase of Urban Food Initiatives.
ICLEI Africa included the Oranjezicht City Farm in a published case study of urban food initiatives driving social transformation in cities, along with Babylonstoren and the Company’s Garden. The study identifies eight benefits coming from such projects and identifies the “the need for innovative mechanisms that strive to build and restore societal cohesion” in highlyContinue reading “OZCF highlighted in showcase of Urban Food Initiatives.”

Media Release: Food Dialogues 2020 aims to foster a healthier, more resilient and just food system
20 July – 14 August 2020 Issues around food, nutrition and hunger have reached a new level of urgency as the widespread, ongoing hunger in South Africa and many parts of the world are exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it. Food insecurity, a longstanding problem in South Africa, has gained newContinue reading “Media Release: Food Dialogues 2020 aims to foster a healthier, more resilient and just food system”

Mail & Guardian Special Report: While Fields are Full, Plates are Empty.
The SA Urban Food & Farming Trust features in the Mail & Guardian Special Report on the food insecurity challenges faced by South Africa. We note with hope some of the corporates lending their support during this time of crisis. May it contribute to lasting change within our harmful and unjust food system. Read theContinue reading “Mail & Guardian Special Report: While Fields are Full, Plates are Empty.”
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