Latest news with #Indaba
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Science
- Daily Maverick
How harnessing AI could transform SA's food systems for sustainable growth and reduced waste
Reducing waste, adding nutrients to food staples, or even coming up with new recipes — computer scientists share some of the AI-powered innovations already taking shape in the Global South that could benefit African food systems. Artificial intelligence has come into the spotlight over the past decade and even more in the past five years with people getting more access to generative chatbot AI platforms such as ChatGPT. Researchers said there were different kinds of AI being used by countries in the Global South to help make their farming practices more efficient, from reducing food waste in the food system to fleet efficiency and making sense of food labels for consumers. The seventh annual Food Indaba explored topics under the theme 'Artificial Intelligence and the Food System'. The Indaba ran from 7 to 20 July. Looking at how AI technologies are shaping African food systems, the director of the eResearch Office at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Dr Clement Nyirenda, and research scientist and science communicator Frederic Isingizwe presented some of the top applications driven by AI that are being used in the food system. Their presentation was part of multiple discussions and panels hosted at Makers Landing, Cape Town, on Friday, 18 July 2025. In their predictive analysis, Nyirenda said AI would be used for 'forecasting yields, market demand, improved planning, reduced waste and supply chain optimisation'. Their presentation stated that the technology could also assist with tracing and managing inventory, optimising transport routes and food safety monitoring. Nyirenda explained that AI could help implement 'real-time monitoring of food quality and safety standards; climate resilience and climate modelling to adapt farming practices to changing weather patterns'. AI in food systems A number of AI innovations aimed at improving food systems are already being used to achieve sustainable and accessible food, especially for lower-income households. In Malawi, Tanzania and Rwanda there is Sanku's Project Healthy Children, an AI tool for nutrient-rich food processing. It works with small-scale flour mills and aims to combat malnutrition by fortifying flour with essential nutrients. Nyirenda found that the key challenges are 'equipment failures and calibration issues resulting in variable food quality'. He said AI could help 'auto-adjust micronutrient mixes during milling' while 'cloud-based AI analytics track dosing accuracy and machine performance and predictive maintenance alerts that will enable timely servicing and reduce waste'. In East Africa, Ghana, the Caribbean and South East Asia, AgUnity aims to help smallholder farmers with record keeping, coordination to have more organised harvesting, storage and distribution. This could help reduce 'significant food spoilage and waste in rural farming systems', said Nyirenda. 'AgUninty is a low-cost smartphone that uses a blockchain-powered transaction platform built to digitally empower remote farmers and address financial and reduce digital exclusion,' Nyirenda said to delegates. Koko is mainstreaming liquid bioethanol cooking fuel as a fast, safe and affordable alternative to dirty cooking fuels such as charcoal. They partner with the downstream fuels industry to 'drop in' this new fuel, and offer a suite of distribution, dispensing and end-use technologies that ensure customers can safely access clean fuel at prices that undercut dirty fuels. It has software-integrated bioethanol cookers that measure carbon impact. Nyirenda said he was surprised at some of the innovations already taking shape in the Global South. 'I chose these specifically because they are used in countries with a similar socioeconomic state to South Africa,' he said. He added that despite his tech science background, he had found himself roped into the work of food security and food systems through interdisciplinary collaboration with his colleagues at UWC's the Centre for Excellence in Food Security. 'AI can prevent the big food losses that happen in the food system. It can also help with quality control and other things such as helping to create recipes and new menus. People are coming up with cool ideas using these tools,' says Nyirenda. Obstacles to implementation Isingizwe shared the hindrances to rapid development of these technologies in the South African context, such as a distrust of the technology, especially in rural and farming communities. 'Obstacles in South Africa's agricultural sector can be a lack of reliable data for training AI models that are locally relevant, high costs associated with adopting AI technologies, particularly for smallholder farmers, a lack of training and expertise in AI among farmers and agricultural workers, and inadequate technological infrastructure in rural farming areas may limit access to technology and internet connectivity,' said Isingizwe. He pointed out that not having clear policies or frameworks governing AI for integrating it in food systems was a challenge and showed a resistance to change. 'Traditional farming practices may hinder the adoption of innovative technologies,' said Isingizwe. In his research he predicted that AI could help reduce post-harvest losses by 70%; increase farmer income by 20-40%; while retailer networks could reach more informal vendors with fewer vehicles. One of the delegates, a small-scale farmer from Langa, said he was not aware there was so much use of AI-powered technologies in agriculture already. 'I am older so I feel like this AI stuff has already left me. We are still dealing with simple issues like accessing markets and pulling together as smallholder farmers in the community.' Kurt Ackermann, the CEO of the South African Urban Food and Farming Trust, said that 'as the focus shifts toward the role of cities, and city planning, in addressing food security, AI could play a significant role in how the cities of the future — and by extension the food systems of the future — might better serve the needs of human beings. 'Conventional thinking about AI puts the technology at the centre of the discussion, whereas the creation of a more humane world — and how AI could help — is at the heart of Food Indaba 2025.' Ackerman also noted that although the discussion of the day was about the practical implementation of the technology, he wanted the discussion to keep in mind the question: How do we get food on people's tables? The South African Urban Food and Farming Trust has done immense work to help realise food security in urban spaces and has collaborated with multiple organisations for more than a decade, and even across South Africa's borders. DM
IOL News
2 days ago
- Health
- IOL News
South Africa's livestock industry under siege: Steenhuisen's call for urgent reforms
Minister John Steenhuisen delivers the opening address at the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Indaba, outlining urgent reforms to strengthen South Africa's livestock disease response system. Image: File In a hard-hitting address at the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Indaba on Monday, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen painted a stark picture of South Africa's livestock industry under siege, not just from disease outbreaks but from a 'broken system' plagued by policy failure, institutional fatigue and outdated response models. Speaking to a packed venue of scientists, veterinarians, agricultural leaders and government officials, Steenhuisen warned that if the country continues with its current fragmented approach, it will remain vulnerable to future outbreaks and economic devastation. 'What we saw was a response system stretched to its limits, with breakdowns in communication, severe delays in vaccine availability, confusion over movement controls, and an alarming lack of readiness at several levels of government,' said Steenhuisen. 'Farmers were unsure of the measures. Provinces were uncertain of the protocols. And while the virus spread, trust in the state's capacity to respond continued to erode.' The minister identified four urgent areas of reform: regionalisation, vaccine security, infrastructure development, and investment in research and development. He announced the appointment of senior veterinarians Dr Emily Mogajane and Dr Nomsa Mnisi to lead the development of a national regionalisation framework that will define disease control zones, improve provincial coordination, and align with constitutional mandates. 'The failure to regionalise is not due to a lack of veterinary science. It is due to a lack of institutional coordination, legal clarity and capacity,' he said, emphasising that trade partners penalised the entire country despite outbreaks being limited to specific zones. Addressing vaccine shortages, Steenhuisen called for private sector co-investment in a national vaccine bank. 'We were compelled to import vaccines from Botswana just to mount even a partial response. This is unsustainable,' he said. 'If you want predictability, you must also invest.' Infrastructure was also in the spotlight, particularly in FMD protection zones. Steenhuisen announced new fiscal allocations to build local feedlots and abattoirs in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, aiming to curb illegal livestock movement that undermines disease control. 'These facilities will provide alternatives to illicit trade. They will create rural jobs,' he said. Looking ahead, the minister underscored the importance of animal science and climate resilience. 'We must elevate the Agricultural Research Council to the same level as its international counterparts,' he said, proposing partnerships with institutions like the University of Pretoria's Biosecurity Hub and leveraging statutory levies for R&D. But the message was not only one of critique, it was a rallying cry for unity and action. 'This Indaba is not about apportioning blame. It is about fixing what has gone wrong,' Steenhuisen said. 'We must break the cycle of reactive containment and move toward proactive, coordinated disease management.' IOL News
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Government, experts unite at Indaba to tackle foot-and-mouth disease
South Africa is experiencing significant and ongoing challenges with widespread outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), affecting several provinces, including KZN, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and, most recently, the Free State. The resurgence of the disease has resulted in livestock movement restrictions and significantly impacted the country's red meat trade on international markets. In response to the escalating crisis, the Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), the University of Pretoria and Onderstepoort Biological Products, is hosting a national Foot-and-Mouth Disease Indaba. The two-day event, today and tomorrow, is taking place at the ARC-VIMP Campus in Roodeplaat, northeast of Pretoria. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and Deputy Minister Nokuzola Capa will lead the Indaba, which aims to bring together top veterinary scientists, agricultural experts and key industry stakeholders to deliberate on and develop long-term solutions to combat FMD. 'Having already inflicted significant damage to the multibillion-rand livestock sector, the disease continues to threaten South Africa's broader economy. Therefore, the Indaba presents a vital opportunity to unite expertise and resources to effectively eradicate this devastating disease. 'The Indaba will convene a range of multidisciplinary specialists to develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to controlling and ultimately eradicating foot-and-mouth disease,' the department said in a statement. Key areas of discussion will include strengthening biosecurity measures at farm level, enhancing vaccination programmes and reinforcing animal movement controls. The Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council, emphasised its commitment to identifying and implementing sustainable solutions to FMD. The department added that the Indaba signifies a crucial advancement in the ongoing efforts to combat the disease. 'By cultivating strong partnerships between government entities, academic institutions and industry leaders, the Department of Agriculture is committed to developing precise and effective measures that will eradicate the disease and safeguard the long-term sustainability of South Africa's agricultural sector.' – Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
What you, the reader, have to say about the world at large: Letters to the Editor
Rise up young people for you are our future In a post-match interview after the test match triumph national cricket captain Temba Bavuma remarked that he is more than a black cricketer. To be recognised as more than a black cricketer is special. Temba Bavuma you are enough. Temba Bavuma you are beyond peoples imaginations and inferiority complexes. Temba Bavuma you are a special human being. The national youth commission act of 1996 defines young people in South Africa between the ages of 14 and 35. The youth of 1976 had to struggle and sacrifice for their rights and privileges. We honour their legacy, tenacity and vision. The right and dignity to learn in any language should forever be a platform for destiny and not a platform of destruction. History portrays the 1976 youth protesting for equality and freedom. As a young person Temba Bavuma had to similarly protest through his cricket ability for the God given right to shine. Despite the trappings and limitations bestowed upon him directly and indirectly by society and the racial legacy of apartheid, Bavuma stood tall with hope arising evermore. The truth, however, is that their are many Temba Bavuma's still fighting, protesting quietly waiting, working, dreaming for their moment. Let us not be the barriers that limits the potential of young people who are more than ready to shine under the African sun. History cannot repeat itself. The youth of 1976 fought for better. The youth of 1976 died so that freedom can not only be imagined but lived. Let us not be the gatekeepers of people's dreams and ideals, let us give young people especially an opportunity to rise up beyond our fears. The future and best of South Africa is here and lives amongst us. Young people we acknowledge you, we recognise you, we see you. Young people you are our champions. Rise up and be counted. Hope is rising! | Steven John Bam Southfield All talk and no action makes him a dull man Last Tuesday, the president unveiled a grand plan to rescue South Africa: A national dialogue with all role players to discuss the country's crisis and find solutions. A convention kicks off on August 15, led by 31 eminent figures from across society. It won't end there – the process will continue beyond the opening event. While some welcomed the Indaba, others were sceptical. The EFF dismissed it as another elite gathering. Analyst Siyabonga Ntombela called it more lip service – just talk to cover up the failings of a corrupt, inept, government. South Africa has been full of talk for decades – commissions, inquiries, conferences, committees. What came of the R1-billion Zondo Commission? Were any big fish jailed? Thousands of hours wasted in meetings. Now this 'dialogue' is budgeted at R700 million. After endless speeches and banquets, delegates will retreat to their mansions and chauffeurs – while the poor freeze in shacks. Will this change their lives? You're dreaming. Ramaphosa knows full well what's wrong – anyone on the street can tell him: ANC politics. He already has the tools to govern. What has his bloated GNU cabinet achieved? Ministers enjoy banquets and joy rides on the taxpayer's back – R202m in travel and accommodation since July. Deputy President Paul Mashatile alone spent millions on trips with his wife. The government may be ineffective, but it excels at making millionaires: 55 000 state employees have hit that mark. It echoes the royalty before the French Revolution. Ramaphosa lacks the courage, will and determination to fix the mess. The dialogue is a deflection. Forced into coalition, he now wants to look inclusive. But this is just another ploy – all talk, no action. | T Markandan Kloof Disappearance by design or death? It is my firm belief that Markus Jooste, former CEO of Steinhoff, never committed suicide. The alleged gunshot death on March 21, 2024 – just a day before his arrest warrant – was likely a calculated vanishing act, aided by corrupt police and complicit politicians. Recent revelations reported by the Daily News support this view: no post-mortem, no morgue number, and no evidence of the weapon used. Jooste, fined R475 million by the FSCA for looting state pension funds, simply disappeared. This echoes the mysterious death of Gavin Watson, CEO of Bosasa, who allegedly died in a car crash in 2019. His demise was steeped in doubt – a private pathologist even suggested he died before the accident. Jacob Zuma, speaking at the funeral, hinted at assassination. Watson was deeply entangled in state capture, securing R12 billion in tenders and funding ANC campaigns. Another example: Thabo Bester, the convicted murderer and rapist, who faked his own death in a prison fire and fled the country in 2022. He was later recaptured in Tanzania. And Brett Kebble, the mining magnate fatally shot in 2005 – seven bullets, but an 'assisted suicide.' Investigations revealed he orchestrated his own killing to escape financial collapse and criminal exposure. A disturbing pattern emerges: powerful, politically connected figures facing justice, who conveniently die, or vanish, under suspicious circumstances. These men lived by greed, corruption, and the pursuit of influence. As a nation, we must commit to the truth. For now, speculation thrives and fuels a growing public mistrust. Whether these were genuine deaths or choreographed disappearances, the signs are clear: South Africa's elite may be escaping justice – again. | Kevin Govender Umhlatuzana Israel doesn't give two hoots about peace Israel's unprovoked military assault on Iran, a sovereign country, violates international law and is a shameless act of imperialist violence that needs to be unequivocally condemned. African countries, Asian countries and Middle Eastern countries need to take a lesson from apartheid Israel's 'self-defence' and 'pre-emptive strike'. Most Western countries, including Israel, are not interested in negotiations and peaceful co-existence. Why will the US support a strike on Iran and at the same time coerce Iran to the negotiating table. China, North Korea, Russia are viewed as major hurdles to the goals of US imperialists around the globe, especially in the Middle East and its Arabian Gulf. The vast amount of oil and gas resources in that region and the important waterway for global trade is of significant geopolitical interest to the imperialist countries. Hence, Iran, a key ally to both Russia and China, needs to be tamed in order for America and its imperialist allies to achieve their objectives. It is time that the ordinary people in the Middle East to rise up against their regimes and bring about a life of dignity for all. The occupation of Palestine must end, the genocide in Gaza and these imperialists wars must be stopped. While the world is focused on Iran, the criminal and inhuman conditions of the lived realities in Gaza must not be forgotten. | MOHAMED SAEED Pietermaritzburg If DA is pro LGBTQ, why support them? In a recent letter by a DA MPL, his cries for support of this controversial initiative hints at how desperately the LGBTQ community wants to be seen as a normal facet of society, when, in reality, it's a very unusual group of people trying to act normal. Personally, I cannot accept it when, during these LGBTQ rallies, all sorts of sexual acts are performed and unusual behaviour of humans are tolerated for the sake of sympathising with these groups of people. One has to remember that our children are always watching, learning and taking it in and processing it as normal, when, in most homes, they are taught that there are only two genders. If anything, these highly offensive, in-your-face rallies cause more harm than raise awareness of so-called 'diversity and inclusion'. We have to be so careful what we put on display for our youth to witness and take away from such experiences. I won't encourage anyone who believes in biblical values to attend the June 28 march. That we are a predominantly Christian nation, should make us wonder if the DA still deserves our support, given it's ties with the LGBTQ agenda, as well as it's involvement with the World Economic Forum. How can we, as believers of Jesus the Christ, accept these atrocities? I call it an atrocity because the impact it is having on our youngsters is devastating and it only creates confusion and opens doors to unusual human behaviour. Regarding the DA's tolerance of Klaus Schwab's Orwellian tendencies and totalitarian tactics, I can only assume that we are in for a completely digitised future where everything we do will be under surveillance and we will literally be put in a digital cage, forfeiting most of our freedoms for an assumed 'more efficient home affairs'. I'd like to challenge the DA leadership to refocus and realign itself with the values that we as South Africans expect from a government who regard biblical principles very highly, or have we now sacrificed these principles at the altar of 'diversity and inclusion' to garner more support and pretend that we care about everyone and want to please every soul? Wake up DA. | L Oosthuizen Durban Keyboard politicos deserve no respect As we are fast approaching the 2026 Local Government Elections, we will see more people jumping political ships for their own selfish gains. Most political parties abandon their own hard-working activists and parachute careerists into positions of power, but these overnight keyboard politicians have no people's interests at heart but to advance their own personal interests Parties have attracted opportunists and careerists who would never have had the courage and devotion to principles and values that were required during the worst times. Though servant leadership requires members of the highest calibre, today's politics attract people who are contemptuous of all notions of patriotism and serving the people, who are driven by a value system characterised by the pursuit of personal wealth at all costs. They join with great ease that procedures permit with the sole aim of furthering their personal careers and using their access to state power to enrich themselves. Many see their membership as a means to advance their personal ambitions, to attain positions of power and access to resources for their own individual gratification .We have an inescapable responsibility to attend to these matters frankly and decisively, one of these negative features is the emergence of careerism in politics. | Thulani Dasa Khayelitsha DAILY NEWS
eNCA
15-06-2025
- General
- eNCA
A platform for young climate change activists
JOHANNESBURG - The Green Youth Network is set to hold its 10th 'Green Youth Indaba' in Durban on Thursday and Friday. The gathering will be preceded by social events, such as a clean-up at Dakota Beach on Monday. The Green Youth Network aims to advance youth interests in a sustainable way and over 30 speakers and 50 exhibitors are expected at the Indaba.
