Nigeria has best food variety in Africa —Kanayo
Ace Nollywood star and chairman, board of directors of the National Institute for Hospitality & Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Mr Kanayo O. Kanayo, has described Nigeria as having the best variety of food on the African continent.
He said: “Africa is blessed but Nigeria is more blessed in the area of variety of food.”
Kanayo spoke on Tuesday on the occasion of the pre-event press conference held by NIHOTOUR for the institute’s planned national food and cultural fair, billed to hold from June 24 to 26, 2014 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
City Women Generate Food & Income on Tiny Urban Plots
"It's a lot of work", says Mama Lulama Jim as she takes respite from the wind in a makeshift container kitchen. She pauses to study her notes made during an early morning inspection of the current crops of cabbage, carrots, spinach, brinjal and spring onion.
"It's a lot of work, but we manage because we have a passion for farming".
Mama Jim is part of a revival of urban agriculture in the townships of Cape Town. On the back of higher food and commodity prices, micro farmers like Mama Jim are using tiny parcels of land to grown food for their families and to generate an income.
She and three other women, all over the age of 60, run a communal food garden in Gugulethu, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town.
Food brand TFC ties up with Africa's Galito's
Tablez Food Company (TFC), the food and beverage (F&B) arm of the UAE-based LuLu International Group, has announced a franchise agreement with Galito's, a South African restaurant chain. The exclusive franchise agreement mandates TFC to develop the Galito's brand across West Asia, India and Sri Lanka. Since its inception in 1996 in South Africa, Galito's has expanded its operations to develop a strong market presence in the rest of Africa and Canada.
New Research Centre to Boost Food Security
Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom will on Tuesday launch the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Food Security at the University of the Western Cape.
The CoE is co-hosted by the University of the Western Cape and the University of Pretoria.
"The DST-NRF CoE in Food Security will bring together a cohort of experts and researchers to research the systemic and structural factors that shape food access and dietary choice, as well as food security strategies, choices and decisions for poor and vulnerable people," the department said in a statement.
The department said it will not look at agricultural productivity in isolation, but will take a "farm-to-fork" approach.
"Studies show that food insecurity is widespread in South Africa, where more than 60% of the population is urbanised," the department said.
Approximately 57% of South Africans live below the poverty line (meaning that some days there is no food).
