The Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Southern Africa will be hosting a monthly webinar via Zoom: 25 July - Session 1: Farm organism and the origin and role of biodynamics in agriculture. 29 August - Session 2: A phenomenological approach to soil, plants and animals. 26 September - Session 3: Farm fertility, biodynamic preparations and compost. 31 October - … [Read more...]
EU commission plans green reset for agriculture
Yesterday, the European Commission published their roadmap for EU policy action on biodiversity and food for the coming decade. In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak that has brought our relationship with the natural world into sharp focus, the strategies have never been more timely. The EU Farm to Fork and 2030 Biodiversity Strategies launched today are potential game … [Read more...]
Let’s turn the corner on food wastage
If you take a moment to digest the statistics around the amount of food we waste today, it can be pretty overwhelming. It is thought that around one third of the food produced around the globe is lost or wasted. Richer countries waste something like 222 million tonnes per year, in Europe and North America that equates to 95-115kg of food per person, per year. The numbers are … [Read more...]
Green Party aims for harmony between humans and the environment
The Green Party of South Africa is standing for the Western Cape provincial elections this year. The party's core goal is to have humans live in harmony with each other and our environment. It is an ideology shared to some level by every citizen of this country – from those who wish they could end poverty for others, or for themselves, end animal cruelty, etc. and for those … [Read more...]
Book Review: Mila’s Meals
It’s not often that you have the luxury of stumbling upon a wholesome, nourishing cookbook for ‘littlies’, that covers everything from weaning to toddler-hood. Perhaps if you’ve been hanging around all the right places most of the time, a little surprise like this ends up on your lap that leaves a delightful sparkle in your eyes. Having read this well researched book from … [Read more...]
Food Gardening part 3: Planning a food garden
The key to having a successful food garden lies in being realistic about what you hope to achieve, given the resources you have available. These are some things to think about that will help ensure success. All food gardens require regular attention in the form of weeding, watering and other small tasks that ensure the crops grow well. The amount of attention a food … [Read more...]
Why your life depends on healthy soil
In the first of a series of articles on growing your own food, Valerie Payn starts at the root of the matter – how human health depends on fertile soil. “Healthy societies depend on healthy soil, healthy soil depends on healthy biology, and healthy biology depends on what goes into the soil,” said Sir Albert Howard, one of the 18C founders of the organic movement who became … [Read more...]
Meet the woman leading China’s new organic farming army
We'd been driving for an hour and a half since leaving central Beijing when the car suddenly slowed to a halt. "This isn't exactly where the GPS told me to go, but I think it's the place," says the driver. I look out the window and see a simple wooden archway leading to a plain, one-storey building. The facade is bare except for some words painted in black capital letters. … [Read more...]
Ed’s voice … The missing link is organic essence
We have some great victories to celebrate this week: Princesvlei is saved! This treasured ecosystem, important to folk of various faiths, will not be turned into yet another shopping mall. Thanks to all of us who helped prevent this plan from the 1999 council from becoming a reality, not forgetting the late Father John Oliver. This is a true reflection of what can happen if we … [Read more...]
Much to celebrate for SA’s Fairtrade wine producers
All's fair for Earthbound Wines and A Place in the Sun, two of the 20 South African Fairtrade wine producers who are preparing to celebrate national Fairtrade Week, 10-16 March, 2014. And there is much to celebrate, with South Africa ranked as the world's largest producer of Fairtrade wines, producing two-thirds of the world's Fairtrade wine. In 2012, local production was … [Read more...]
Green products get their own space at this year’s Rand Show
The Rand Show is South Africa and Africa’s biggest one-to-one consumer show, with a legacy spanning 120 years. For generations, they’ve been entertaining people, connecting them with brands, showing them what’s new and exciting, hooking them up to great show bargains, and creating memories. As both a shopping and an entertainment event, the Rand Show delivers an affluent … [Read more...]
Happiness in a Handbasket
One of the really useful and informative books I came across recently helped me to understand more deeply how our shopping habits impact on our world. Here is my interview with Ute Kuhlmann who wrote “Happiness in a Handbasket – Buy Local, the practical guide.” Elma Pollard: I was a little confused as the title of the book made me think it was about market shopping, but it's … [Read more...]
Fresh organic foods delivered to your door in Gauteng
Gillian O’Shea started Terra Madre SA in October 2012 because she was frustrated with not being able to purchase clean food. “As a Specialised Kinesiologist, I was also learning more and more the about the impact of our bad diet on our health, never mind the impact of our farming methods on the planet.” It’s my opinion that consumers and large retailers are also at fault … [Read more...]
