Minister Winde Hands Over 108 Household Food Gardens on World Food Day

On Friday, 17 October, Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, the Swellendam Municipality and various other stakeholders commemorated World Food Day in Suurbraak by assisting residents to start their own household food gardens.

The theme of World Food Day this year was “Family Farming: Feeding the world, caring for the earth”.

108 household gardens and 7 community gardens were handed over to recipients of the Suurbraak community – more than double the number of food gardens handed over on World Food Day last year. The Department of Agriculture was able to achieve this with the assistance of several partners including the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, the Department of Health and other organisations like the Breede Gouritz Catchment Management Agency, which donated some of the gardens and SAB Miller who sponsored three community-driven projects.

Minister Winde urged the community and its leaders to ensure that the food gardens are cared for and expanded: “We are all committed to contributing to food security. If cared for, food gardens play a crucial role in ensuring that families have a sustainable and healthy source of nutrition”.

Apart from the food gardens, 7 community projects including community gardens, a nursery, irrigation and fencing were also launched.

All of the projects already have secured markets and a local food stall providing visitors with a choice of fresh vegetables and herbs.

A food mountain to the value of R20 000 was also handed over for distribution within the community. Various retailers, NGO’s and Western Cape Department of Agriculture staff and Elsenburg College students contributed to the food mountain.

This year’s World Food Day commemoration is a solid example of how the Western Cape Government is collaborating with other organisations and citizens alike to improve livelihoods in the Province, better together.