In early June, Organic Zone owner Allister McGregor asked Topic SA to look into one of their suppliers. Naturally Organic had found some blue material on their organic lettuce that did not appear to be of organic origin. In response, Organic Zone investigated and then pulled all the produce from that supplier from its shelves. The retailer sent the blue material found on the … [Read more...]
Safeguarding biodiversity essential to prevent next pandemic
While the world’s attention is focused on controlling COVID-19, evidence points at the biodiversity crisis as a leading factor in its emergence. At first glance, the two issues might seem unrelated, but disease outbreaks and degraded ecosystems are deeply connected. Frédéric Baudron, systems agronomist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and … [Read more...]
Compostable alternatives to plastic
In events, single-use or disposable plastics have been especially useful in offering convenience, speed, scale, hygiene and affordability. Think of an event with thousands of attendees, and how quickly and safely they can be catered for with pre-packaged meals, disposable cutlery in sterile packaging, and disposable coffee cups (made from paper, but lined in plastic so that … [Read more...]
Land reform process must take climate crisis into account
The evidence is clear: if we don’t factor land use considerations into near-term planning the land may well be of no use to anyone in the long term. With pressure building on politicians to make good on the largely unimplemented land reform process linked to the increasingly urgent need to address inequality and unemployment, the debate on expropriation without compensation … [Read more...]
Can I be vegan and biodynamic?
Whether someone wishes to eat meat or not is a very individual decision. Some people feel the need to eat meat regularly while others become ill if they so much as smell it. It can be for reasons of personal health and it can be a matter of principle. Either way being a vegetarian or a vegan is a very noble aspiration and one which need not conflict with biodynamic … [Read more...]
Farmers fighting to save the Earth’s soil
A growing army of UK farmers are turning their back on the plough – and centuries of farming tradition – in an effort to tackle a little-noticed but potentially devastating environmental crisis: the degradation of the Earth’s soil. Read the full article at The Guardian. … [Read more...]
Partners collaborate for community learning and food security
We are very excited to announce the Living Soils Community Learning Farm, which will demonstrate ecologically-restorative methods of growing nutrient-rich foods to improve community food security. Woolworths has joined hands with its supplier, Spier wine farm; the Sustainability Institute and its AgroEcology Academy to launch the Living Soils Community Learning Farm, in the … [Read more...]
Experts warned about Garden Route fires
A group of scientists led by eminent NMMU botanist Professor Richard Cowling warned nearly a decade ago that the uncontrolled spread of alien vegetation posed a fire threat that could devastate the Garden Route. Contained in an article in the 2009 edition of the Veld & Flora magazine, which The Herald accessed yesterday after an alert from the Endangered Wildlife Trust … [Read more...]
Award-winning soil documentary to have gala screening at Labia
An exclusive gala screening of award-winning documentary Symphony of the Soil is being hosted by the Labia Theatre, Cape Town at 6.30 pm on Sunday 14 August to raise funds for Soil for Life. Join dedicated eco-warrior and MC Nik Rabinowitz for an entertaining ‘green’ evening and help change the world one garden at a time. US based film-maker Deborah Koons Garcia has … [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...]
Rekindling our sacred connection with the soil
We are at the cusp of empires falling and worlds colliding. While this may be a bold statement. In the seeming chaos of collapsing economies, unprecedented and endless wars, unpredictable weather patterns and huge animal die-offs, our most appropriate response appears to be some sort of foundational re-structuring. We find ourselves at the foundations of a new reality, a New … [Read more...]
South Africa: Stop this criminal devastation of the Transkei ecology
Now you can voice your concern about the toxic spraying in the Transkei. In 1995, the South African Police Service (SAPS) began the aerial spraying of cannabis in the rural former Transkei. Every year since 2000, three SAPS Air Wing squirrel helicopters (donated by the American DEA) arrive at a luxury resort in Port St Johns on the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast. For 3 - 4 weeks, … [Read more...]
