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Advancing food security; doing it differently

27 September 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Frikkie copy — Dr Frikkie Maré is serving as one of the directors of the non-profit organisation, the Agri Relief Foundation (ARF).

The agricultural sector is used to facing events of abnormal impact, including floods, droughts, veld fires, and disease outbreaks. Even if it is possible to prepare against any of these risks by taking proper measures, for instance by having a farm emergency plan in place or by securing property properly, there are times when it is not possible or practical for the modern-day South African farmer to proactively manage all the risks they are facing.

It is in times like these that the newly established body, the Agri Relief Foundation (ARF), provides an invaluable service to the agricultural sector.

Dr Frikkie Maré, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State (UFS), is one of the directors of this non-profit organisation, which focuses on assisting agricultural producers in need.

This initiative is the brainchild of a number of businesses in the agricultural sector.

He says although there are many institutions in South Africa assisting farmers, most of the current initiatives are geared towards large-scale disasters, such as severe droughts, floods, unpreventable pests and diseases, and veld fires that affect many producers.

Benefiting the wider society

According to Dr Maré, the ARF will focus on helping individual agricultural producers who are in need; both financially and otherwise. This may include elements such as the loss of grazing due to brown locust, assistance after a farm attack or murder to ensure the day-to-day running of the farm, and localised natural disasters such as floods, hail, severe cold, or fire.

The group of directors plays a key role in screening the applications for assistance and deciding, based on merit and the availability of resources, who they can assist.

Besides the direct benefit to the farmer, this initiative also adds value to the wider society. “When the sustainability of an agricultural producer is under threat, it also threatens the livelihoods of his/her workers and their families, the rural economy of the nearest town where they purchase production inputs and general groceries, as well as society at large, as less food and/or fibre will be produced. The assistance of the ARF will therefore ripple out to a much larger level than only the agricultural producer,” explains Dr Maré.

A learning experience

There is also a benefit for the university. In the classroom, Dr Maré will be able to share any knowledge he is gaining in this process with his students. “Agricultural Economics is fundamentally about ensuring the long-term sustainability of agricultural production through concepts, including but not limited to, production economics, natural resource economics, agricultural management, and marketing. My involvement in the ARF will provide examples of what can go wrong in terms of primary production that threatens the sustainability of the enterprise and what can be done to assist,” he says.

Any business or individual can contribute to this noble cause. Financial contributions as well as physical products such as transport, fuel, animal feed, and legal services are welcome.

Dr Maré says they have already received contributions from companies such as Zoetis (animal health), which sponsor a part of their profit from certain products to the foundation on a continuous basis. Lavendula (animal feed) also sponsored the proceeds of a farmers’ information day.

News Archive

Multidisciplinary conference on TB control

2003-09-22

Theme: Tuberculosis control: a multidisciplinary approach to research, policy and practice Venue: CR Swart Auditorium, University of the Free State Campus, Bloemfontein Date: 11 and 12 November 2003 Time: 11 November, 19:00-20:30 AND 12 November 08:30-17:00

Tuesday, 11 November - 19:00-20:30 (registration from 18:30) and Wednesday, 12 November - 08:30-17:00 (registration from 07:30)

The Honourable MEC for Health in the Free State will officially open the Conference on the evening of 11 November, while Prof Frederick Fourie (Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State) will attend to the welcoming. In addition, Prof Françoise Portaels (Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium) and Dr Refiloe Matji (National Department of Health, South Africa) will respectively present a global and a South African perspective on TB. The majority of the presentations will follow on 12 November.

Main thrust of Conference

The main thrust of the Conference is to disseminate both research results and policy/managerial matters relevant to TB and TB control, and to facilitate discourse among researchers and health policy makers/managers/practitioners in the field of TB control. Presenters of papers, as well as delegates are, therefore, drawn from both academic/research institutions, and from health service sectors involved in TB control in all provinces and in neighbouring countries.

Topics of presentations

A variety of topics will be dealt with during presentations, such as: New challenges in the global control of MDR-TB New strategies and policies on MDR-TB in South Africa A South African perspective on TB control A provincial perspective on implementing the national TB control policy

The role of the public district hospital in TB control Tuberculosis control through DOTS Case detection strategies

TB in children Hospital to clinic: is this the missing link? Patient compliance with DOT for TB Challenges for effective health communications in a multicultural context

The economics of TB Frequency of multiple infections with M. tuberculosis in pulmonary TB patients HIV/AIDS and TB, etc.

Speakers

Among the speakers will be Dr Victor Litlhakanyane (Head of Health: Free State); Prof Françoise Portaels and Dr Leen Rigouts (Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium); Dr Reliloe Matji (Director: NTBC Programme); Ntsiki Jolingana (Director: HIV, AIDS, TB and Communicable Diseases, Free State) and Annatjie Peters (Free State TB Coordinator); Dr Karin Weyer (Medical Research Council); Profs Herman Meulemans, Diana De Graeve, Luc Pauwels and Christiane Timmerman (University of Anwerp, Belgium); Dr Lara Fairall (UCT Lung Institute, University of Cape Town); Prof Frikkie Booysen (Department of Economics, University of the Free State); Christo Heunis, Ega Janse van Rensburg-Bonthuyzen, Zacheus Matebesi and Kobus Meyer (CHSR&D); Dr Mary Ednington (School of Public Health, Wits); Dr Carmen Báez and Sabine Verkuijl (ISDS); Anneke Van der Spoel-Van Dijk (Medical Microbiology, University of the Free State).

Costs

There will be no registration fees. However, delegates are expected to arrange their own transport and accommodation, or arrange for sponsorships themselves.

Contact details in case of inquiries and confirmation:

Postal Address: The Director, CHSR&D, PO Box 339, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9300 Fax: 051 448 0370 Tel: 051 401 2181 OR 051 401 3256 E-mail: vrensh@mail.ufs.ac.za (Dingie van Rensburg) OR neljc@mail.ufs.ac.za (Ohna Nel)

PLEASE, CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT AT THE LATEST BEFORE 25 OCTOBER 2003 ? BY TELEPHONE, FAX OR E-MAIL.

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