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02 December 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
The UFS team that emerged as victors in the IFAMA International Case Study Competition, were from the left: Carien Denner, Alina Ntsiapane, and Andries Strauss, all three from the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, and Michelle Marais from the Department of Agricultural Economics.
A group of students in the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State (UFS) walked away as victors in the recent International Case Study Competition presented by the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA).

“It is an amazing accomplishment to be world champions. The competition was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talent of the UFS on the international stage. It has also been a platform for some insightful and educational conversations with students and specialists from around the world. Winning has been an affirmation of the high standard that the UFS holds and has shown that the department is excelling on a global scale,” says Dr Jan Swanepoel, Senior Lecturer in the UFS Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.

After submitting their essay and video on the challenge, How can the sustainability, productivity, and market access of smallholder sugar cane farmers be improved? the team is now the world champions of the IFAMA International Case Study Competition.

A fresh and inspiring perspective 

According to Dr Swanepoel, the group participated against teams from 17 countries all over the world and faced the Philippines in the final round. 

The top finalists were invited to a final round to present their essay online before a panel of judges consisting of an international team of researchers, entrepreneurs, and policy makers.

The UFS team that emerged as winners in the IFAMA International Case Study Competition in the category for Graduates / Early Career Professionals are Carien Denner, Alina Ntsiapane, and Andries Strauss, all three from the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, and Michelle Marais from the Department of Agricultural Economics.

Dr Swanepoel believes that by taking a personal approach to the problem, focusing on the people, made the students stood out in the competition. “It was not just about the business plan, but also about the story behind the solution to the problem. On the international stage, this was a fresh and inspiring perspective.”

It was not just about the business plan, but also about the story behind the solution to the problem. On the international stage, this was a fresh and inspiring perspective. – Dr Jan Swanepoel

He adds: “The challenges are also very personal, because it is around us and we should be part of the solution. 

Making a positive difference in society

The students who participated in the competition are involved in similar projects that will make a positive difference in society, including increasing employment, community upliftment, and development of small-scale farmers.

At the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, they consider the students as well-rounded individuals. “We believe that the students should not only have the theoretical knowledge, but also be practical in their applications.”

One of the students acknowledged that, “The centre sees each student as an individual and go above and beyond to create opportunities for students to apply and develop their skills and talents in contexts that stretch far beyond the classroom.” 

The top essays and the winners will be published in a special online publication, Food for the Future essay collection on IFAMA’s website.

 

 

WATCH:Video of the winning team: Alina Ntsiapane, Andries Strauss, Carien Denner, and Michelle Marais. Video: RooistoelTV



News Archive

Fracking in the Karoo has advantages and disadvantages
2012-05-25

 

Dr Danie Vermeulen
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar
25 May 2012

Fracking for shale gas in the Karoo was laid bare during a public lecture by Dr Danie Vermeulen, Director of the Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS). He shared facts, figures and research with his audience. No “yes” or “no” vote was cast. The audience was left to decide for itself.

The exploitation of shale gas in the pristine Karoo has probably been one of the most debated issues in South Africa since 2011.
 
Dr Vermeulen’s lecture, “The shale gas story in the Karoo: both sides of the coin”, was the first in a series presented by the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science under the theme “Sustainability”. Dr Vermeulen is a trained geo-hydrologist and geologist. He has been involved in fracking in South Africa since the debate started. He went on a study tour to the USA in 2011 to learn more about fracking and he visited the USA to further his investigation in May 2012.
 
Some of the information he shared, includes:

- It is estimated that South Africa has the fifth-largest shale-gas reserves in the world, following on China, the USA, Argentina and Mexico.
- Flow-back water is stored in sealed tanks and not in flow-back dams.
- Fracturing will not contaminate the water in an area, as the drilling of the wells will go far deeper than the groundwater aquifers. Every well has four steel casings – one within the other – with the gaps between them sealed with cement.
- More than a million hydraulic fracturing simulations took place in the USA without compromising fresh groundwater. The surface activities can cause problems because that is where man-made and managerial operations could cause pollution.
- Water use for shale-gas exploration is lower than for other kinds of energy, but the fact that the Karoo is an arid region makes the use of groundwater a sensitive issue. Dr Vermeulen highlighted this aspect as his major concern regarding shale-gas exploration.
- The cost to develop is a quarter of the cost for an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Dolerite intrusions in the Karoo are an unresearched concern. Dolerite is unique to the South African situation. Dolerite intrusion temperatures exceed 900 °C.

He also addressed the shale-gas footprint, well decommissioning and site reclamation, radio activity in the shale and the low possibility of seismic events.
 
Dr Vermeulen said South Africa is a net importer of energy. About 90% of its power supply is coal-based. For continued economic growth, South Africa needs a stable energy supply. It is also forecast that energy demand in South Africa is growing faster than the average global demand.
 
Unknowns to be addressed in research and exploration are the gas reserves and gas needs of South Africa. Do we have enough water? What will be the visual and social impact? Who must do the exploration?
 
“Only exploration will give us these answers,” Dr Vermeulen said.

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