UL hosts international delegation on traditional knowledge
UL is hosting an international delegation to explore traditional knowledge, food systems and climate change, with a public lecture on September 2.
POLOKWANE – The University of Limpopo (UL), in collaboration with the University of Essex in the United Kingdom and the University of Manitoba in Canada, will host an international delegation of researchers for a programme focused on traditional knowledge, food systems, climate change, human rights and sustainable development.
The delegation will take place in South Africa from August 31 to September 10, with engagements at UL and various community, research, government and human rights institutions in Limpopo and Gauteng.
The RFS project
The visit forms part of the Reimagining Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Social Justice (RFS) project – a collaborative research initiative led at UL by Prof Ashwell Ndhlala, an established researcher in indigenous knowledge.
The project examines how food systems and indigenous knowledge can contribute to climate change adaptation, mitigation, social justice and sustainable livelihoods, with particular focus on Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (ILVs).
Public lecture on September 2
The main public event will be a public lecture on International Law around Traditional Knowledge, Food Systems and Human Rights Protection, which will take place on September 2 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the R40 Conference Hall at UL.
The lecture will bring together researchers and academics examining the role of indigenous and traditional knowledge in addressing food insecurity, climate change, biodiversity loss, public health and social inequality.
Keynote speakers
Keynote speakers will be:
- Judith Bueno de Mesquita, senior lecturer in International Human Rights Law, University of Essex
- Professor Karen Hulme, Professor of Law, University of Essex
They will examine how international legal frameworks are evolving to recognise and protect traditional knowledge systems, particularly in relation to food, health, biodiversity conservation and human rights.
The respondent will be Professor Duduzile Grace Mbajiorgu, Associate Professor in the Department of Public and Environmental Law at UL, who will provide a South African perspective on constitutional rights, food security, food sovereignty and the protection of traditional knowledge.
The lecture is open to students, researchers, policymakers, traditional knowledge holders and members of the public.
Community visits
The project places communities and traditional knowledge holders at the centre of its work, addressing challenges including access to indigenous seeds, biodiversity conservation, market access, biopiracy, intellectual property rights and exclusion of local communities from decision-making.
Community visits are scheduled as follows:
| Date | Location | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| September 3 | Ga-Matlala | Jwale Aquaponic Farms |
| September 3 | Haenertsburg | Thusanang Trust |
| September 4 | Bochum (Ga-Manthata) | Baswa Climate Grow Cooperative |
| September 5 | Makhado | Manamela Homestead |
| September 7 | Polokwane | Sable Creeks Aquaponics |
Pretoria and Johannesburg leg
The programme will then move to Pretoria and Johannesburg for a guided tour of the Apartheid Museum on September 8, followed by engagements with the Department of Science and Innovation and Technology and the South African Human Rights Commission on September 9.
These engagements aim to strengthen partnerships and contribute to recommendations for sustainable food systems and social justice. contribute to recommendations for sustainable food systems and social justice.
