21/06/2019Marthane attended the Siyavuna Development Centre (SDC) Specialist Engagement Workshop in Durban on the 21st of June. Participants included SDC Board Members, SDC Project Team Members, NGO’s and experts in GIS and infrastructure. A broad variety of topics related to smallholder sector development were discussed such as the regulatory environment, barriers to market entry, the role of data, access to land and finance and climate change adaptation. The dynamic and multi-disciplinary group of specialists identified high potential commodities and suitable (alternative) production systems for smallholder farming in KwaZulu-Natal. It was a day filled with innovative and profound conversations and ideas.

05/06/2019As part of the NUFFIC Orange Knowledge Programme, Dutch and South African stakeholders came together from the 3rd till the 7th of June to discuss strengthening of educational agricultural development in the Western Cape horticultural sector. On the 5th of June, key project partners visited the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute. The visit included a tour of Elsenburg facilities and presentations and discussions about curriculum development, industry involvement, internships and student and staff exchange. It was a very rewarding day!

21/05/2019From the 20th till the 22nd of May, Marthane has lead the inception meeting of a new project commissioned by the Siyavuna Development Centre (SDC) in Ramsgate, Kwa-Zulu Natal. The main purpose of SDC is social and economic empowerment of rural smallholder farmers through skills and enterprise development. SKA has formed a consortium with Agrifusion, Mava Research Corporation and Leitner Aviation. The multi-disciplinary team will conduct a Feasibility Study for new agricultural value chains aimed at enhancing rural smallholder farmer involvement in Siyavuna’s operational area.

08/05/2019Frank is 20 years old and from the Netherlands. He is a third year International Food & Agribusiness (IFA) student, like Faye, at HAS University of Applied Science in the Netherlands. IFA is an English-taught international bachelor programme about sustainable business with a focus on food, crop or animal production. Frank just finished a half year minor programme on Management, Economics & Innovation at the Agricultural University of Wageningen. The SKA team is very excited to have him with us for 3 months (May – Aug 2019).

15/04/2019Together with FairMatch Support, SKA works on a international multi-stakeholder project for the Sustainability Initiative Fruits and Vegetables. The aim of the SIFAV members is to source 100% of their imported fresh fruits and vegetables under one sustainability certification system in 2020. In the coming months, we will develop solutions to overcome challenges on certification and monitoring of (mostly unorganized) smallholders under the SIFAV covenant for 2020. Hereby, SKA contributes to inclusion of smallholders in international supply chains.

03/04/2019SKA is one of the local partners in the NUFFIC Orange Knowledge Program fulfilling a facilitating role. The aim of the program is to contribute to sustainable and inclusive development in South Africa. One of the strategies is to strengthen organisations key to educational agricultural development in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Higher Education. From the 2nd of April till the 5th of April, Sandra and our intern Faye are joining the program’s inception mission in KwaZulu-Natal attending partner meetings and stakeholder workshops.

02/04/2019As part of our work as the Secretariat of the South African Rooibos Council, SKA organized the Rooibos Science Café on 2 April. It was hosted by SARC and WESGRO at the InvestSA One-Stop-Shop in Cape Town. The purpose of the Science Café was to showcase the research studies being conducted on Rooibos’ potential to reduce allergies, heart disease, diabetes and skin cancer. Furthermore, it gave the public and media a direct opportunity to engage with panels of researchers to ask questions about the benefits of our national brew.

29/03/2019

28/03/2019On the 28th of March Marthane presented the Stronger Together Course to producers and sustainability managers from Woolworths in Johannesburg. This course focusses on identifying and finding solutions for Modern Slavery in South African supply chains.

22/03/2019Marthane facilitated a panel at the Business Breakfast organised by the Department of Environmental Affairs. Topics discussed included the Environmental Protection and Infrastructure Program (EPIP).