What to do about this?

The last SA The Good News newsletter reminded us that the black middle class in the country grew from 1.7 million in 2004 to 4.2 million a few months ago. These findings by the University of Cape Town's Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing are good news for the country's demographics (strange we are not hearing more about this!) It suggests that although change flies beneath the radar, it is happening nonetheless.

And yet we still have the poor and, in South Africa, some of the widest inequalities in the world (we are joined by some other African countries in this). The wealthiest 10% consume 51% of goods, while the poorest 10% account for a mere 1.1%. Just a few kilometres from the affluent live people in abject poverty.

What can we do about this?

A question like that usually sends us into our heads and we spout out answers: this solution or that, or we fix blame somewhere.

The poor are part of us. It seems to me that until we register this in our hearts, no political or economic fix in the world will change anything.

Food to Lesotho

Today, transport of food aid to Lesotho from South Africa begins. The small, landlocked neighbour is currently experiencing a food crisis.

This forms part of an agreement between South Africa and the United Nations World Food Program in which South Africa donated R180 million (about USD 18 million) to help alleviate the food crisis next door. Maize (corn) will be non-GM (genetically modified), and 40 percent of it will purchased from smallholder farmers here. All the other food commodities will also come from local suppliers of pulses, salt, oil and fish.

Food security is what agriculture is all about, of course. Some human beings produce surplus food so that the rest of us can get on with other jobs. The Agri Handbook covers the entire agricultural value chain in South Africa. Chapters include Biotechnology, Food security and smallholder farmer support.

Trade Competitiveness Intelligence -- Agbiz/DAFF conference

Are you aware that at the end of this century, Asia and Africa will make up 81% of the planet's population of 10.1 billion?

To look at possible scenarios like the above, the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) hosted a conference on trade competitiveness last week in Pretoria.

Aims of the conference included

• building strategies to create investment through agricultural trade development
• linking business strategies to government strategies
• marketing South Africa's trade position into a new world.

Several presentations are available at www.agbiz.co.za

Eating while the planet warms up

2013 is one of the 10 warmest years since records began, says the World Meteorological Organisation. But doesn't the planet go through natural cycles of climate change? Hasn't it done so for centuries. What is the fuss about climate change?

In the past these changes happened over hundreds of years allowing plants and animals to adapt. What we are noticing is a speeding up of change, leaving less time to adapt and placing our ecosystems in danger.

Agriculture faces the challenge of dramatically increasing production of food to feed the expected nine-billion people on this planet by 2050. Climate change is a wildcard thrown into the mix.

The Third Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change is to be held in South Africa this December. Find information at http://afcconference.agric.za.

Climate change is a chapter in The Agri Handbook for South Africa. Find role players and information there.

What is happening in the Western Cape?

In an interesting development, the province which saw farm labourer unrest earlier this year and at the end of 2012 has seen a GROWTH in employment opportunities on farms. In the other eight provinces, jobs on farms decreased.

According to Statistics South Africa, farm worker employment in the country dropped from 712 000 to 706 000 in the third quarter of 2013. In contrast, the Western Cape saw its figures go up from 117 000 to 139 000.

What is happening?

There is more to the answer, of course, but it is noteworthy how much energy goes into the issue of farm workers in this province. For starters, there is actually a farm worker portfolio in the provincial department of agriculture. The department also runs a Farmworker of the Year competition, which saw a record number of entries in 2013. The winner's prize is valued at R100 000 (around USD 10 000) which includes cash and an overseas trip.

Find the Western Cape Department of Agriculture website here.

In The Agri Handbook for South Africa, job creation is a theme is many of the chapters, as well as being a chapter all on its own in the National Issues section. Find it here.