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Anyone who tried vegetable gardening during covid knows that producing enough food for a family is not as simple as it may seem. DUrbanTV visited eThekwini’s Agro-ecology centre to find out how they develop agricultural projects that benefit the local community and ensure sustainable food security.
The provision of basic vegetable gardening techniques and easily accessible resources, plant research, seed cultivation and distribution, and even fish-farming methods, are all backed by experienced agriculturalists who understand the economic issues as well as the local conditions of natural resources within communities.
The Agro-Ecology Unit‘s main focus areas include promoting food security and household food production, combating climate change, empowering marginalized communities’ socio-economically, promoting land care rehabilitation and management, contributing to job creation, encouraging creativity and innovation in addressing constraints, skills development, youth development and production.
The unit has been divided into seven agro-ecology zones across eThekwini to reach into the heart of communities, facilitating the equitable distribution of resources and services taking into account catchments, road access and logistics, and farmer association areas.
Bheki Khoza heads up the Northdene research centre aided by his colleagues and local university students of agriculture. The unit works tirelessly to combat the problems brought about by food insecurity in parts of the city and the Northdene hub consists of a seed bank, tissue culture and other laboratories for research processes used by various tertiary institutions.
A fish hatchery and broodstock ponds for the Aquaculture programme and nurseries for plant propagation have also been developed. Bheki and his team have set up 12 fisheries across the city and over 500 successful vegetable gardens. Their work is vital and Bheki is pleased that many young people are now seeing the potential that agriculture can provide for them as entreprenuers,a nd for the benefit of the community.
Bheki’s philosphy is simple, and yet so vital to remind everyone of the importance of looking after our environment. “We’ve got only three natural resources that we need to take care of. It’s the atmosphere, it’s the soil and it’s the water. Those are the three natural resources we need to take care of for organic farming to go forward.”
The work of the Agro-ecology unit is to enable communities to develop their own food-security, and in doing so create employment and entreprenuership opportunities for some of the most vulnerable inhabitants of the city.
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For more information visit: Agro-Ecology Hub
