Stellenbosch University Launch New MSc Degree in Sustainable Agriculture

Professor Kennedy Dzama from the Department
of Animal Sciences and Ms Rhoda Malgas, lecturer
in Conservation Ecology and Entomology

This is the twentieth in a series of articles about sustainability and specifically sustainability within the University. What are our staff members contributing in their fields of expertise; in which sustainable projects and initiatives are they involved and what contribution do they make to this important issue in the rest of South Africa?

Professor Kennedy Dzama from the Department of Animal Sciences and Ms Rhoda Malgas, lecturer in Conservation Ecology and Entomology, both in the Faculty of AgriSciences, discuss a new degree, an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture, of which the first students are expected to enrol in 2014, pending ratification at the highest level of external quality control.

"We are responding to the call from stakeholders in the agricultural sector regarding their need to know more about sustainable agriculture. To do this, we have a three-pronged approach to promote and establish sustainable agricultural processes in the industry using the key performance areas of the university i.e. teaching, research and community involvement," they say.

"South Africa is lagging behind other countries regarding sustainable agriculture. We need to ensure that our agricultural industry is still viable for a number of years to come and that each generation leaves something for the next one. To do this, we have to be pre-emptive and protect our resource base i.e. the soil, crops, animals and our land for future generations. Sustainable agriculture means, for instance, that we now already have to ensure we do not maximise productivity in the short term but rather optimise and sustain productivity in the long run," according to Prof Dzama.

In support of this, the Faculty of AgriSciences is now developing an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture, of which the first students are expected to enrol in 2014, pending ratification at the highest level of external quality control.

"Through this, we will train not only students, but also our farmers, land owners, extension workers and other stakeholders on scientific principles by which to manage the land in a sustainable way," says Ms Malgas, who is bisy with her PhD focusing on sustainable agriculture.

This Masters degree, one of two in South Africa – with the other course offered at Free State University – is based on a systems approach. This derives from the fact that the farming landscape is a system which is a sum total of its components like land, water, soil, crops, animals, the environment and the capital investment and that these components should not be viewed in isolation. Importantly, human capacity, labour, gender and other social entities are also part of that holistic system.

"The MSc acts as an opportunity to share research outcomes with the industry. We are working in collaboration with a local NGO Conservation South Africa and our Dutch partner Wageningen University Research (WUR) who both have substantial industry networks through whom we can educate and liaise. Thanks to the partnership with Wageningen University, the opportunity exists for SU researchers and staff to travel to Wageningen University for further research and education in sustainable agriculture. The project is funded by the Netherlands organisation for internationalisation of higher education (NUFFIC) through The Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education (NICHE) funding mechanism. There is thus a strong focus on the enhanced capacity of SU staff and students in advancing sustainable agriculture in South Africa," says Ms Malgas.

"The Sustainable Agriculture in South Africa (SASA) project was also one of only three projects funded by NUFFIC at Stellenbosch University at the time of its inception at the end of 2011. The project is the first of its kind within this funding programme where the Southern partner holds responsibility for the budget – a feather in the cap for an African university."

"We need to do the research and the changed practices will follow. There are already enclaves of land users who are doing the right things – we now want to test and expand the ideas and methods that work. Large-scale famers and small-scale land owners can all contribute to a more sustainable industry," adds Prof Dzama.

Prof Dzama and Ms Malgas stress that the changes will only be effectively implemented if they are managed across various disciplines. They credit the team of academics – each with their own experience and networks – who have committed themselves to the development of the MSc which will be offered with contributions from members of academic staff from across the Faculty of AgriSciences, as well as other faculties and units on campus.

"WUR and SU, together with other stakeholders, will present a series of talks and seminars on sustainable agriculture in September this year," says Ms Malgas.