South African conference on food safety and security
The Faculty of Science at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), hosted the three day international congress in Milpark.
Prof Debra Meyer, UJ’s Dean Faculty of science, said it was confident it had the relevant stakeholders to talk about what it would take to improve the food situation within the continent.
“It is expected that the results of our deliberations will be useful for the government, healthcare professionals, manufacturers and other stakeholders to move the continent from a state of food insecurity to a food-secure haven.
“We need to explore every culture, engineering, innovation, biotechnology, nanotechnology and science in general in food production and use these in service to society, not to profit a few but to address challenges that the entire continent is facing.”
Speakers included Wandile Sihlobo of the Agricultural Business Chamber South Africa, Dr Tobia Takavarasha a UN Food and Agriculture Representative for South Africa, Prof Crain Soudien of the HSRC, South Africa, and Mooketsa Ramasodi of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa.
Also speaking at the conference, Dr Patrick Njobeh, 2016 International Food Safety and Security (FSaS) Conference chairperson, said challenges and barriers to enhancing food safety and security for sustainability in Africa were identified and progress was made on addressing inherent problems.
“At this meeting, key note speaker Dr Martin Lo, president and CEO of BioIntelliPro, proposed the development of a global proposal not only to provide training for young students/scientists in developing countries on the latest technologies for the detection and control of aflatoxins (mycotoxins) but to address food safety issues in the continent.
“Dr Lo is partnering with Dr Charles Wilson, founder of the World Food Preservation Center (WFPC) and Prof Sarah De Saeger (another key note speaker) from Ghent University in Belgium which is at the forefront of technologies.”
