Food Indaba 2024 returns to Cape Town

This year, with a new name reflecting its roots and group dynamics, Food Indaba 2024 will take place from 22 July to 4 August 2024 with various events in venues across Cape Town including the V&A Waterfront, Mowbray, Langa, Philippi, Lynedoch and Stellenbosch.

Image provided

Food Indaba offers a range of events, both paid and free. Most are open to the public, while others, more aimed at academics and professionals, are by invitation only.

One of the free and informative events that anyone can attend is the Pan-African webinar hosted by Afrifoodlinks. The online webinar titled “Power and Hunger” is an important discussion on the weaponization of hunger.

The annual in-person conference of the same name, for the first time this year, will be a full-day affair and will see the D-School (UCT’s design school) create a Design-Dash, which is a design thinking problem-solving toolkit around solutions to food problems.

Home Economics… or Oikonomos?

The theme of this year’s Food Indaba is Oikonomos, the Greek root of the word economy, which literally means “household management.”

“This year’s edition puts food at the heart of the economy and brings the economy home, reconnecting us to the traditional way we relate to food,” says Kurt Ackermann, CEO and Trustee of the SA Urban Food & Farming Trust.

“How do our current food systems – the way food is produced, processed, distributed, consumed and disposed of – support or hinder our domestic lives? How does this affect our children and future generations? Can we eat less of the branded and processed foods that often harm our bodies and the planet? This year, we will explore these questions starting with their impact in our homes, then looking at the broader economy, and finally recognizing our power to change what doesn’t work,” adds Ackermann.

The power to make a difference will be highlighted in a number of fascinating events, such as a foraging experience with Cape Town wild foods expert Loubie Rusch, whose knowledge of native plants is astounding, and a V&A Waterfront-wide focus on sustainable seafood.

Woolworths and FoodForward SA extend partnership

This year’s programme also includes a dynamic public conversation webinar broadcast live from the Cape Town TV studio, around important new food reports, which anyone can join online for free.

One of the highlights of Food Indaba is its multi-dimensional approach to hunger, food security and food systems. This year’s two Master Classes, co-hosted by Oribi, are aimed at our future food leaders: Food Systems 101 for Entrepreneurs (for Oribi’s young food entrepreneurs) and Food Systems 101 for Hospitality Professionals, a food systems masterclass specifically designed for those working in the hospitality sector, from rowers and waiters to sous chefs and managers.

For more information, visit foodindaba.org

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *