Sustainable Food Systems Research Chair

The Future Africa (FA) Sustainable Food Systems Research Chair (FA-SFS) was launched in January 2022 with multiple aims linked to Future Africa’s purpose of developing and unleashing the transformative potential of African sciences to inform and inspire a future of thriving African societies within a global context. In line with the FA focus on transformative, collaborative research that seeks to address complex real-world problems, FA-SFS has the following objectives:

  • Establish and enhance research partnerships.
  • Undertake cutting-edge transdisciplinary research to address societal problems and improve food systems.
  • Contribute towards building the capacity and mentoring of early-career researchers.
  • Establish an FA dialogue series on sustainable food systems.
  • Establish and promote engagement in diverse multi-stakeholder platforms for sharing research findings and informing evidence-based policy development and advocacy.
Research Chair
Professor Frans Swanepoel This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Research and Project Manager
Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Our Programmes

The current projects/programmes within the chair all exemplify the transdisciplinary research approach and systems-oriented nature of the five research focal areas.

  • New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) Greenhouse Gas Measurement (GGM) Project

    NZAGRC GGM involves innovation and research on challenges in the agricultural sector, addressing issues such as sustainable agriculture, indigenous development, and climate change across southern Africa. The central focus is to support scientific capability and institutional capacity to track agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the region.

  • Food and Livelihood Resilience from Neglected Plant Species in Western and Southern Africa (FORENS)

    FORENS aims to understand and assess the potential of neglected and underutilised plant species (NUS), with the aim of enhancing the resilience of agro-ecosystems and local communities in Western and Southern Africa to environmental change. The project seeks to produce knowledge that can be used to accelerate food production in Africa while contributing to climate-change adaptation, supporting agrobiodiversity, and improving human health through balanced diets.

  • Climate, Land, Agriculture, and Biodiversity (CLAB-Africa)

    CLAB-Africa provides a platform for Africa’s scientific community to contribute to the developmental work of African governments and development institutions. Project contributions are in the form of science-based, actionable policy recommendations within the four identified clusters: (i) climate impact on food systems, (ii) land restoration and biodiversity, (iii) people-animal-ecosystems health and wellbeing, and (iv) land-water-energy resources use.

  • Feed, Protect, Care Global Collaborative PhD Platform

    The Feed, Protect, Care Global Collaborative PhD Platform is a collaboration between the University of Montpellier and the University of Pretoria. This innovative response to the imperatives of open science and open education focuses on the interconnected societal missions of feeding, caring for, and protecting people, places, and the planet. The platform aims to strengthen the capacity of the global scientific community to inform and support critical transformations to ensure sustainable futures at local to global levels.

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