The Sustainability Institute is a non-profit trust, founded in 1999. An international living and learning centre focussing on studies and experience in ecology, community and spirit, we work in partnership with the School of Public Management and Planning, University of Stellenbosch in the following areas of  education (Masters and PhD degrees in Sustainable Development Planning and Sustainable Agriculture), Early Childhood Development, Community Development Practice and Management, project facilitation to establish Sustainable Neighbourhood Developments in various localities,policy research in the sustainable development sector. The Institute is located in the Lynedoch EcoVillage, a place where we have provided development facilitation to create a space for sustainable living and learning.

Sustainable Agriculture is Growing

Professor Tarak Kate from India arrived in the Lynedoch Village last week for his annual two month visit during which he teaches the sustainable agriculture modules, participates in the research programme and visits organic farms around the country (which is his greatest love). On his first day here he immediately visited Eric Swarts' farm and was thrilled to see the six oxen pulling the plough. This marked for him the culmination of a dream that started when Eric visited Tarak in India for a month and learnt from the Indian farmers how to drive a team of oxen. On 27 July Tarak started teaching the Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture module which is a highlight of the masters programme each year. Last month the Programme Coordinator for the Sustainable Agriculture Programme, Candice Kelly, presented a paper at the annual conference of the International Association for Sustainable Development Research in Delft, Holland. Her paper brought together the themes she explored in her masters thesis, namely a critique of 'green revolution' technologies and how these are being applied in Africa today with mega-funding from the large American foundations. At the same time, the SI is making great progress facilitating the negotiations between the Stellenbosch Small Farmers Trust, Stellenbosch Municipality, Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to secure grant funding for the land reform project located near Lynedoch and which the SI has helped to develop over the past 10 years. To add to this, Stellenbosch University has allocated R500 000 to support research on food security in Stellenbosch and to reinforce land reform - this is part of the University's multi-million rand strategic research focus on food security. Also, as part of the SI's Science and Society programme for Stellenbosch, a workshop of food security was organised for a wide range of stakeholders in government, civil society and the private sector. This will gradually lead to the strengthening of the local Stellenbosch food economy which also happens to be the research focus of a masters thesis that Jess Schulschenk is completing. So, in short, lots is happening at the SI in the sustainable agriculture field at the research, teaching and applied project levels. Watch this space.   

Masters Students Meet Mayor and Rector

Masters students working with the Sustainability Institute and the Stellenbosch University's Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies met with the Stellenbosch Mayor and University of Stellenbosch Rector this Friday to introduce their research which will be focussing on renewable energy futures for Stellenbosch. The Sustainable Stellenbosch Research Group (based at the Sustainability Institute and partly funded with bursaries from the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies) is made up of a number of MPhil students whose research is promoting sustainability in Stellenbosch, from animal traction and local food economies to solar water heaters and solar roof tiles.

Masters Students Meeting the Mayor and Rector

From left to right: Jaco du Toit, Ben Mokheseng, Prof Russell Botman, Mayor Patrick Swartz and Thumakele Gosa.

International Food Policy Research Institute

The International Food Policy Research Institute, which is based in Washington D.C., convened a workshop of 14 researchers  from Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia. All these researchers deal with the linkages between health, food security, migration, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods and community development. Facilitated by the Sustainability Institute, the purpose of this workshop was to enable these African researchers to gain a deeper understanding of sustainability, and the implications for their own research. The discussions were wide ranging, touching on many of the most difficult challenges facing communities in Africa. Network relations were established and the Sustainability Institute was able to deepen and widen its networks in Africa.