Growing awareness of the interconnectedness between water, energy and food security is resulting in a more holistic way of measuring sustainability, says Dr Nadine Methner from the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town.
You are the team leader of a research project that will look at the way in which the water-energy-food nexus affects the wellbeing of individuals and communities in different parts of the country. What exactly is this nexus?
It is a framework that emerged from the realisation that a more integrated approach was needed to manage scarce natural resources. Instead of only looking at the carbon or water footprint of an individual, farm or community, the nexus framework looks holistically at water security, energy security and food security, and how allocation, access and usage in one of these sectors affect either one or both of the others. This frequently requires difficult trade-offs.
Please give an example.
The drought in the Western Cape has resulted in various interventions to save water, with water restrictions having a decimating impact on agricultural output, farm income, farm workers and rural economies. With growing demand and climate change putting more and more pressure on the province’s water resources, policies to improve water-use efficiencies would have to be carefully designed and controlled to alleviate the impact on agricultural production. As a water-scarce country, this also holds true for the rest of South Africa. Interventions in the water sector have implications for energy usage and sometimes for energy supply, for example hydropower generation.
How does this apply to farm level?
A farmer might only need a little water to produce enough food to keep a household going. To gain access to a market, the farmer would have to increase production, which would result in a higher energy and water demand. The energy demand increases because the farmer would have to pump water, use more fertilisers, cool the produce and transport the food to the market.
What exactly do you define as water, food and energy?
Denne historien er fra Farmers Weekly 1 June 2018-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Farmers Weekly 1 June 2018-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
