British actor and UN Food & Agriculture Goodwill Ambassador Jeremy Irons has narrated a new film about the global impact of Genetically Modified seed. This short film was launched earlier this month. It charts the story of seed from its roots at the heart of traditional, diversity rich farming systems across the world, to being transformed into a powerful commodity, used … [Read more...]
Small farmers benefit from fairtrade coffee
All coffee sold at Woolworths Cafés are certified Fairtrade, as of May 2012. This will double the amount of Faitrade certified coffee on sale in South Africa and is another milestone on Woolworths ambitious Good Business Journey. Woolworths Cafés have served certified organic coffee for some time. The coffee is made from African Arabica beans, grown by small-scale farms in … [Read more...]
ORGANIC PIONEERS PART 1: Liz Eglington
The organic ‘movement’ was pioneered by great souls with vision beyond that of the run-of-the-mill citizen that simply shops what’s convenient and follows the trends for fast and instant foods. And many of those are strong and determined women in search of a healthy life and natural food. Fifteen years ago Liz Eglington was recovering from a serious immune related illness, … [Read more...]
The essence of organic gardening
This is the title if a comprehensive and unusual gardening book and an all-round treasure for the environmentally conscious gardener. The author, Irmela Reichardt, was a respected authority and advocate of natural and organic gardening in South Africa, dispensing her knowledge on this subject through countless magazine articles, books and lectures over a period of 25 years. … [Read more...]
Seeds Are Key to GMO-Free Future
A single food seed can be as tiny as a grain of sand. Yet many say the fate of the entire organic industry rests upon our efforts to protect the integrity of these small, but vital agricultural inputs. “Seed is the first resource in our food production chain, so its integrity is vital to the success of organic farmers. Yet little has been done to address the issue of genetic … [Read more...]
Stretch your mind & feed your spirit
The festival is held from 9-10 June at the River Club, Liesbeek Parkway, Cape Town from 10.00-17.00 both days. There will be interesting speakers, both local and international, an eco-quiz with cool green prizes by our editor, a talk on container food gardening, workshops, concerts, exhibitions and stalls on both days. A circle of green initiatives, including the Green … [Read more...]
What does ‘organic’ mean to you?
Most of us prefer to eat organic fruit and vegetables, but they are not always easy to get hold of. One might find one or two products here and there in a supermarket, but who has the time to schlepp around in order to take care of your family and the earth simultaneously? Bringing organic farmers and conscious consumers together has become a ‘raison d'être’ for Lohla … [Read more...]
The key to winter veggies
Easter weekend it was time to plant winter seedlings. However, I first had to pull up the last of my beautiful tomato harvest. So I found myself with an abundance of tomatoes. I decided to preserve the whole lot, even the green ones. I found recipes online, modified them according to what I had available and created yummy jars of atchar for the winter (see instructions … [Read more...]
Stoep Harvest part 9: Pest control
Pests come in all shapes and sizes. Large pests may include dogs, cats, birds, porcupines, monkeys, baboons, and even children and their sports equipment! Smaller pests include insects such as caterpillars and beetles. There are even microscopic pests such as nematodes and eelworm that cannot be seen by the naked eye but cause your carrots to twist and turn into some rather … [Read more...]
Cuba’s Organic Food Revolution Flourishing
Cuba's successful models of sustainable development — in areas of food, housing and health — are now being widely replicated throughout Latin America. Cuba marked the 50th anniversary of its revolution in 2009. The Cuban people have withstood five decades of hostility from the United States and its international allies. However, Cuba's best form of resistance has been not … [Read more...]
Global worming against global warming?
A supermarket started an earthworm farm at their packing stores in Kraaifontein to dispose of their organic waste in a responsible way. The vermicast was used in their office gardens. But when they wanted to expand their buildings, something had to make way and the worms were chosen. They decided to stick to their principal of 'dispose of in a responsible way' and contacted a … [Read more...]
Commit to the future of real food
Most of our readers would most probably love to eat only organic foods? By now we know why it would hugely benefit the earth and our bodies, yet these foods are not always readily available and sometime still end up over-packaged and or over-priced on shop shelves. This is often due to the long distanced and many middle men between the farmer and the consumer. Now a new … [Read more...]
Any organic food sceptics still out there?
The hallmark of a truly sustainable system is its ability to regenerate itself. When it comes to farming, the key to sustainable agriculture is healthy soil, since this is the foundation for present and future growth. Organic farming is far superior to conventional systems when it comes to building, maintaining and replenishing the health of the soil. For soil health alone, … [Read more...]
