The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in conjunction with the United Kingdom’s (UK) Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic Science (CEFAS), is hosting a OneFood workshop from today (31 October) to Wednesday, 2 November 2022. The event is held at Kwalata Game Lodge, Dinokeng Game Reserve in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria.

The OneFood workshop places hazard profiling and management at the heart of environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable food system design, through articulating the importance of identifying and controlling hazards in food systems, to operationalise One Health by creating safer food and a better environment.

CEFAS, an executive agency of the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK DEFRA), has received Overseas Development Assistance (ODS) from UK DEFRA to co-design and deliver the OneFood project with the South African government.  As part of the initiative, the CEFAS and CSIR are looking to collaborate to define the OneFood research concept and develop the project roadmap.

The project is funded by the UK DEFRA within the Global Centre of Biodiverse for Climate. It seeks to address the issue of biologicals such as pests or diseases and chemical hazards that pose a threat to the efficiency of food systems such as pollution. The hazards increase their impact on natural resources per unit of food that is produced, which threatens food safety.

The CSIR plays a key role in touching people’s lives in collaboration with strategic partners to catalyse a new system-thinking across affected sectors for the benefit of the food system, as well as the agricultural sector. The CSIR will contribute towards driving socioeconomic transformation through research, development and innovation that supports the development of a capable state and build and transform human capital and infrastructure.

The invite is attended by Dr Rachel Chikwamba, Divisional Group Executive at the CSIR Chemistry and Life Sciences division, Aidan Darker,the director of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Maneshree Jugmohan-Naidu, director of Agriculture Biotechnology from DSI, Lesiba Jacoray the Country Coordinator from Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and Dr Mphane Molefe, director of Veterinary Public Health at the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.

Members of the media are invited.

For media attendance: please contact Essa Suleman at 0128412211.

-ENDS-
 

Issued by CSIR Strategic Communications

For more information, contact:
David Mandaha: CSIR Media Relations Manager
Mobile: 072 126 8910
Email: dmandaha@csir.co.za   
 

About the CSIR:

The CSIR, an entity of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development, and implementation organisations in Africa. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technological innovation, as well as industrial and scientific development, to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. For more information, visit www.csir.co.za

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