Sowing the seeds for food security
The City of Johannesburg donated seeds to disadvantaged households, co-operatives and schools to create food gardens as part of the World Food Day on 16 October.
The seeds were collected during the municipality’s seed collection campaign in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The campaign aims to encourage disadvantaged communities to start food gardens for consumption and job creation.
Municipal spokesperson Nkosinathi Nkabinde said citizens, municipal employees and private companies purchased seed packets from suppliers of their choice to donate, which were then distributed to the beneficiaries.
“The City aims to mobilise individual households, small entrepreneurial farmers, large supermarket chains, farming co-operatives in an effort to eliminate the scourge of hunger and ensure a healthy, stable diet for communities,” he said.
Nkabinde said the municipality had provided land for the development of communal gardens and identified participants from poor households.
He said the provincial department would provide the equipment, training and professional guidance, and monitoring of progress on a regular basis.
