Time: 09h00 - 18h00
Venue: Zoom
10 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN FOOD SECURITY RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY: A SYMPOSIUM
Co-hosted by the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS), the UNESCO Chair in Science and Education for African Food Systems, and the DSI-NRF SARChI in Social Protection for Food Security.
The DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) was launched by the Department of Science and Innovation’s (DSI) National Research Foundation (NRF) in April 2014. The CoE-FS’s vision was to be a global leader in research, capacity building, knowledge brokerage and service provision in food and nutrition security in Africa. Its specific aims were to enable South Africa to effectively tackle food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition, and to promote sustainable food systems.
Ten years later, this symposium will offer an opportunity to reflect on progress, and to celebrate a decade of work undertaken by the CoE-FS staff, affiliated researchers, and students, and the fulfilment of its vision.
The symposium will be held from 22 to 24 May 2024, with an in-person gathering in Cape Town, and a public-facing online meeting.
Food and nutrition security is imperative for human survival with dignity and takes account of economic vitality, social justice, human health and environmental health. This symposium will provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students and educators to converge and exchange innovative ideas that drive sustainable food security solutions on the African continent. It will comprise seven plenary sessions and a poster session, representative of the complex nature of food security.
The symposium is organised around the main thematic workstreams of the CoE-FS:
- Sustainable food production
- Food safety and One Health
- Food and consumer sciences
- Nutrition, health and child malnutrition
- Governance and policy
- Social protection
- As well as a cross-cutting workstream on Communication and influence for food security.
The thread throughout the sessions will be the overarching symposium objectives:
- To showcase the main research activities and key findings from up to 10 years of research
- To demonstrate the societal impact of these findings and how the research contributes towards the improvement of food security in (South) Africa
- To offer a platform for students, postdocs and affiliated junior researchers to present their work in a public academic forum. There will also be an opportunity to look ahead, to identify emerging issues in these areas, as well as future plans for the CoE-FS as it enters its second decade.
To register your attendance to the Zoom meeting for the symposium, please click here.
SYMPOSIUM AGENDA
Subject to change
DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY, 22 MAY 2024
09h00 – 10h00: Opening session
10h00 – 12h00: Governance and policy session
13h00 – 15h00: Food safety and One Health
15h30 – 17h00: Food and consumer studies
To register your attendance to the Zoom meeting for the symposium, please click here.
Upcoming Events
Our GOALS
We recognise that producers, processors, distributors and consumers are incorporated into the food system under varying terms and returns. We also recognise the economic, social, human and environmental health impacts associated with food security. Therefore our goal is to conduct research, build capacity and disseminate findings that will promote a sustainable food system in South Africa.
Our MISSION
Our research is concerned with the scale, nature, causes and consequences of food insecurity in South Africa and elsewhere on the African continent. Thus our mission is to investigate products, technologies, processes and policies that can reduce food insecurity and mitigate its negative outcomes. We seek to make a difference to food security by linking innovative science with critical enquiry.