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At the launch a
community member shows a learner how to plant
The Mpumalanga Social Service Council Committee (MSSCM)
is encouraging all schools and communities in
general to take part in the food production
initiative. This is intended to entrench a Culture
of Food Production for a better life. It also
complements all other initiatives aimed at fighting
poverty and improving the environment.
Studies conducted by institutions such as the Food &
Agriculture Organisations, UNESCO and the World
Health Organisation, show that hunger, nutrition and
poverty are strongly correlated. The same studies
note that in the world as a whole, hunger impacts
negatively to the attainment of Millennium
Development goals, namely universal primary
education, gender equity, child mortality, maternal
health, etc.
These studies and other Government efforts such as
Masibuyele Emasimini Programme by the Department of
Agriculture and Land Administration, necessitated
the Social Service Council Committee to add its
voice to the call for the establishment of the Food
Production Initiative.
According to the 2002 Food and Agriculture
Organisation report of the state of food insecurity
in the world, three most critical deficiencies for
South Africa are Vitamin A, Iodine and Iron. For
example, a deficiency in Vitamin A leads to poor
child growth and development; increased risk for
infection; and may lead to blindness or eye damage.
It is on these grounds that communities are urged to
cultivate crops that address such identified
deficiencies. Crops such carrots, pumpkin, spinach,
sweet-potatoes and butternut are rich in Vitamin A
and can be easily cultivated in school and home
gardens.
The Social Service Council Committee, in
collaboration with the Department of Land
Administration and the Agricultural Research
Council, in 2007 will assist schools, clinics and
home-based care centres to roll out the Initiative.
As per Government’s developmental approach of
bringing services to local communities, the Social
Services Council Committee calls upon communities to
participate in the Food Production Initiative
through their household food gardens.
It should be noted that this Initiative will further
augment and complement the National Schools
Nutrition Programme.
It will also assist in improving school attendance
and the performance of learners and of significance
is that it forms part of environmental education.
School gardens can be used as a learning and
assessment resource. Subjects like mathematics,
science, economics and agricultural science do and
can integrate easily with school food gardens. In
this respect, nutrients, calculations, layout and
pruning can be taught using food gardens.
The Social Service Council Committee sends a clarion
call to every member of our society to embrace this
Initiative by playing a practical role, and actively
and purposefully participate to ensure the success
of this Initiative.
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