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The Southern Africa Food Lab (Food Lab) is a multi-stakeholder initiative that grapples with questions around food systems in southern Africa to foster long-term food security in the region. The initiative brings together diverse, influential stakeholders in the regional food system in order to respond to systemic issues in creative ways and to inspire change in how we think about and act on complex social challenges. The Food Lab facilitates dialogue between these stakeholders to bring about collaborative learning, foster innovations and experimental action towards a just and sustainable food system.
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Displaying 6 - 10 of 11Learning exchange on linking social protection with food security and agriculture-based livelihoods in Southern Africa
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Southern Africa Food Lab (SAFL) and Reos Partners organised a learning exchange aimed to deepening the understanding on the linkages between agriculture and social protection, focusing on lessons and experiences from southern Africa. The purpose of this learning exchange was to facilitate sharing and compiling of lessons learned in the design, implementation and institutional arrangements of linkages between social protection, food security and agricultural-based livelihoods, including good practice
Supporting smallholder agriculture
This research report contains an overview of two innovations that form part of a project called Supporting Smallholder Agriculture (SSA) conducted by the Southern Africa Food Lab (SAFL). The two innovations documented in this report simultaneously investigated market segmentation and standards - related challenges among smallholder farmers in two parts of the country.
Supporting small holder farmers to enter the South African organic sector
The overarching aim of the study was to identify ways through which smallholder farmers could be supported to enter the sector.
The objectives of the project were to:
Small holder farmers and organic agriculture in South Africa
This paper is a systematic review of published literature pertaining to organic agriculture in South Africa. The review gives an overview of the status of the organic sector in South Africa, in terms of both agriculture and market trends. The specific focus is on issues surrounding the development of smallholder farmers within the organic sector. The document includes three case studies of organic smallholder farming projects from around South Africa: the Heiveld Cooperative (Northern Cape), Ezemvelo Farmers’ Organisation (KwaZulu-Natal) and Siyavuna (KwaZulu-Natal).
Supporting Smallholders into Commercial Agriculture: a social dialogue and learning
The Southern Africa Food Lab (SAFL) and the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies at the University of the Western Cape (PLAAS) are engaged in a project called Supporting Smallholders into Commercial Agriculture: A social dialogue and learning project. This project has been designed to ensure strong linkages between academic research and processes of social dialogue, policy debate, media dissemination and institutional learning among stakeholders involved in the development of smallholder agriculture. This report documents the proceedings of the first innovation lab.