Enabling the success of small-scale agroecological farming projects
Small-scale agroecological farming is emerging as one of South Africa’s most promising pathways to healthier communities and more resilient environments. New research supported by DGMT shows that agroecology can simultaneously tackle food insecurity, climate stress, biodiversity loss, and social inequality by strengthening the relationships between people and the ecosystems they depend on. The study explored […]
Hands-on Learning Issue 32
Through the Hands-on Learning publication, we hope to play a helpful role in synthesising information from innovators and implementers in civil society, supporting them to share what they have learnt so that others can draw from and build on their experiences. Litigate, Advocate, Educate: Why going to court can help to fight alcohol harms South […]
Learning Brief – Forward-thinking farming for a better future
Despite the world producing more than enough food, almost three in 10 people globally do not have enough nutritious food every day. In addition, food prices worldwide are rising, with people in low-income countries, and especially rural areas, being worse off. Agroecology can offer a solution. It’s a way of farming that protects natural resources […]
Op-ed: Agriculture is both about GDP growth and thriving communities
What comes to mind when you think about agriculture’s role in our economy? That it’s a sector that employs over 900 000 people and contributes around 2.8% to South Africa’s GDP through large-scale production? Or that it’s the backbone of rural communities and their local economies? Both are true — though the latter is often overlooked, […]
Civil society is showing how small-scale farming can benefit poor communities
Household food insecurity is widespread in South Africa, and it is most harshly felt in rural areas. Nearly 19% of households have poor diets, and a further 23% are on the borderline. Cheap, ultra-processed foods may temporarily blunt hunger, but they lack the protein, vitamins, and minerals people need to maintain good health. To tackle […]
Op-ed: Women farmers: the missing link in South Africa’s food policy
South Africa’s food systems are failing the poor: a quarter of our population has limited access to food and one in four children under the age of five is stunted due to chronic malnutrition. This is because food is unaffordable for many households that rely on social grants as their main source of income. For instance, […]
Article: Community trusts are greening the future
Community trusts linked to renewable energy projects are designed to ensure a portion of profits benefits the locals. Otsile Bokamoso is an after-school educational organisation whose name means “The future is bright”. Based in Dealesville, a small mixed-farming town in Free State province, it provides academic support to learners in the foundation phase (grades one […]
Cape Town TV Interview: The connection between nature and mental health
Smangaliso Mbili and Mbuyiselo Yanta, Innovation Managers at DGMT, discussed the connection between nature and mental health with Cape Town TV. Watch the full interview below.
ENCA Interview: Social Employment Fund – The work that the market misses
Government says it has created over R2 million jobs and livelihood support opportunities for unemployed South Africans since October 2020. This was done through the presidential employment stimulus. A social policy specialist, Zak Essa, argues that these programmes alongside social employment funds are important. He argues that public employment should be seen as an investment, […]
Op-ed: The work that markets miss — and why it’s so important to employ people to do this work
GDP-linked growth will rise with every rand spent on barbed wire, every lit cigarette, every tree turned into paper, every violent car crash that demands repairs. Yet it is care work, environmental stewardship and other ‘valueless’ work that makes all other economic activity possible. In 2024, the budget for the Presidential Employment Stimulus plummeted by […]