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14 October 2022 | Story Prof Johan van Niekerk, Dr Ismari van der Merwe, and Ms Elzmarie Oosthuizen | Photo Supplied
Sustainable food
World Food Day is celebrated annually on 16 October to promote global awareness and action to uplift those who suffer from hunger and to highlight the need to ensure access to healthy diets for all.

Opinion article by Prof Johan van Niekerk, Dr Ismari van der Merwe, and Ms Elzmarie Oosthuizen, Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, University of the Free State.



World Food Day is celebrated annually on 16 October to promote global awareness and action to uplift those who suffer from hunger and to highlight the need to ensure access to healthy diets for all. However, in 2022 we are faced with an ongoing pandemic, conflict, global warming, rising prices, and international tensions. All these factors are affecting global food security. Educators have an enormous task to help students develop skills to help build a sustainable world where everyone has regular access to nutritious food. 

Although we have progressed towards building a better world, many people have been left behind – people who cannot benefit from human development, innovation, or economic growth. Millions of people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet, putting them at high risk of food insecurity and malnutrition. But ending hunger is not only about supply. Enough food is produced today to feed everyone on the planet. The problem is access and availability of nutritious food. People worldwide are suffering from the domino effects of challenges that know no borders.

Students have insufficient balance for food

South Africa has seen a significant expansion of student enrolment in the higher education system, with nearly one million students attending one of the 26 public universities. The number of students in South Africa's higher education system is far below other middle-income developing countries. Therefore, the government aims to increase university enrolment to 1,5 million by 2030. However, the cost of attending university greatly exceeds the financial means of most students. 
Students must divide their budget between rent, tuition, utilities, and the remaining insufficient balance for food, which ultimately increases their food insecurity risk.
Moreover, the transition of school learners to university students is more complicated than foreseen since lifestyle changes have health implications, where the excitement is combined with stress from pressure to perform well academically in a competitive environment. Research has found that first-year students are exceptionally prone to food insecurity. They have newfound independence and are still learning to cope with the milieu away from home. A study on the Bloemfontein Campus by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics indicated that students experience considerable problems in managing their tasks, time, and finances. The challenge of reduced social support results in lengthy emotional and physical separation from family and friends, which influences standard eating patterns. The students have poor nutritional knowledge, limited earning potential, and a lack of budgeting skills and resources for healthy food preparation. Finally, sociocultural diversity is another factor to consider. It influences students' food patterns, while the total student population of the UFS, about 37 800 full-time students, reflects a rich sociocultural diversity. 

Intake of vegetables, fruit, and protein among students is minimal

When required to earn a degree, food insecurity represents a short period of time, but it can precipitate poor lifelong health behaviour and increased risks of chronic diseases. Prolonged exposure may contribute to the development of obesity. The research found food insecurity is related to poor mental health and academic performance. Students endorse increased rates of depression and anxiety, decreased concentration, and low concentration marks. It leads to lower academic achievement and undermines the goals of tertiary education. The importance of studying the aspects related to students' sustainable food consumption behaviour lies in the fact that, at this age, they begin to develop specific consumption patterns that will have long-term effects.

The average of current first-year students forms part of Generation Zoomers (ages 19-22 years). Generation Zoomers (Gen Z) grew up in specific circumstances, known as the first truly digital natives. They grew up living, working, and socialising with the internet and social media. This generation's economic circumstances are more constrained. The latter is partly due to the rise in university tuition fees. Gen Z forms part of diverse communities seen as networked young citizens, but growing social inequalities often limit their opportunities. This generation is labelled as the stay-at-home generation, with indoor and online socialising on the rise. 

During a study by the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development on the South Campus of the UFS (student population – ages 19-22 years), we found that the intake of vegetables, fruit, and protein among our students is minimal and will lead to deficiencies. At the same time, rice and pasta are part of their everyday diet. Money to buy these foods is still an immense problem. Students indicated that they would prefer healthy foods when they had the resources to afford it.

No Student Hungry initiative

Gender and student consumption patterns showed that breakfast consumption decreased, with male students consuming breakfast more regularly than females. The results indicated that students preferred soft drinks (energy) and water (available). They argued that the high consumption of fast food is due to its wide availability and accessibility in commercial and informal outlets. The informal vendors make fast food more available and accessible to low-budget student groups due to the lower food prices. The unhealthy consumption movement is driven by aggressive advertising practices and lower costs. 

Students consume more saturated fat snacks, refined carbohydrates, sweetened carbonated beverages, and diets that are short in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and fibres. Researchers indicated that these unhealthy diets and the increasingly sedentary lives of students could lead to non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart disease.

Currently, the department forms part of the NO STUDENT HUNGRY (NSH) initiative by establishing vegetable tunnels on campus. It remains an indispensable objective of the department, though, to increase the proportion of university students who receive information on unhealthy dietary patterns; however, nutrition knowledge has only moderate effects on students' attitudes and behaviours. Therefore, we use our Food Security modules as an effective strategy to educate our student community on sustainable food systems by ensuring skills development. Teaching contextual skills (e.g., how to plan and prepare nutritious meals within time and financial constraints) could address this unhealthy behaviour of the UFS students and work towards the sustainable development goal of NO HUNGER in 2030

News Archive

Twee broers lewer intreerede
2004-06-10

‘n Unieke geleentheid sal homself môre, 9 Junie 2004, voordoen wanneer twee broers - proff Francois en Janse Tolmie - tydens dieselfde geleentheid hul intreeredes aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) sal lewer.

Prof Francois Tolmie is verbonde aan die UV se Departement Nuwe Testament en die onderwerp van sy lesing is Die impak van die metodologie op die verstaan van die Nuwe Testament. Prof Janse Tolmie, sy jonger broer, is verbonde aan die UV se Departement Rekenaarwetenskap en Informatika en die onderwerp van sy lesing is Die rol van inligtingstegnologie in kennisbestuur.

Hoewel die studievelde vér verwyderd staan, klop die twee broers se missies wat betref die terugploeg van die verworwe vakkennis ten bate van die gemeenskap. Prof Francois Tolmie is nóú betrokke by dowes en Prof Janse Tolmie tap weer kunsmatige intelligensie ten bate van die mediese wetenskap en geestesgesondheid.

Prof Francois Tolmie verwerf die grade BA, BA Honneurs (Grieks), MA (Grieks), B Th en M Th almal cum laude aan die UV. In 1992 verwerf hy 'n D Th (Nuwe Testament) en in 2004 'n Ph D (Grieks) aan dieselfde universiteit. Na sy militêre diens as kapelaan in Walvisbaai aanvaar hy 'n beroep na die NG-gemeente Walvisbaai. Hy begin sy akademiese loopbaan op 1 April 1990 as senior lektor in die Departement Nuwe Testament en word in 1999 tot medeprofessor en in 2003 tot professor bevorder.

Sy navorsingspesialiteit is die Johannesevangelie en die Brief aan die Galasiërs. Hy is tesourier van die Nuwe Testamentiese Werksgemeenskap van Suid-Afrika, lid van die Society of Biblical Literature en die Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, redakteur van Acta Theologica en assistent-redakteur van Neotestamentica. Hy het reeds 34 artikels in geakkrediteerde tydskrifte gepubliseer, asook drie populêr-wetenskaplike boeke en talle bydraes in populêr-wetenskaplike boeke. Hy het twee akademiese boeke in die buiteland gepubliseer - onderskeidelik in Nederland en in die VSA. Later vanjaar verskyn 'n derde akademiese boek in Duitsland. Hy is ook een van die vertalers van die Afrikaanse Bybel vir Dowes.

Prof Janse Tolmie verwerf die grade B Sc, B Sc (Hons) en M Sc (Cum Laude) in Rekenaarwetenskap aan die UV.

Hy is vanaf 1989 betrokke by die UV en was ook ’n dosent aan die Militêre Akademie in Saldanhabaai in 1990/91 en het klas gegee by DePaul Universiteit in Chicago in 2002.

In 1992 is hy vir ses maande gesekondeer na ’n patologiese firma, Van Drimmelen en Vennote, in Johannesburg vir die ontwikkeling van kennisgebaseerde sagteware. Met hierdie projek word hy een van slegs ’n handjievol navorsers in die wêreld wat daarin kon slaag om ’n mediese kundigheidstelsel te ontwikkel wat werklik gebruik word.

Hy verwerf sy Ph D in 1994 en in 1994/95 doen hy navorsing aan die Besigheidskool van Carleton Universiteit in Ottawa, Kanada. Hy word in 1997 bevorder tot mede-professor en in 2003 tot volprofessor. Vanaf 2003 tree hy op as departementele voorsitter van die UV se Departement Rekenaarwetenskap en Informatika.

Hy het meer as 30 publikasies al die lig laat sien, insluitend verskeie internasionale kongresbydraes en artikels in geakkrediteerde joernale. Hy was ook vir 2 siklusse geëvalueer by die NRF. Sy portfolio sluit in die ontwikkeling van sagteware of prototipes vir groot maatskappye soos Van Drimmelen en Vennote en Bayer Diagnostics (VSA). Sy privaatbesigheid fokus op die ontwikkeling van nismarksagteware vir tersiêre instellings. Die sagteware word tans gebruik deur afdelings aan verskeie universiteite in Suid-Afrika.

Die geleentheid vind om 19:00 in die CR Swart-ouditorium op die kampus plaas.

MEDIAVERKLARING

Uitgereik deur: Lacea Loader
Mediaverteenwoordiger
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Sel: 083 645 2454
E-pos: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
 

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