Why the African food basket should be full of beans and other pulses

Posted on July 05, 2016

Pulses -- or grain legumes such as dried beans, chickpeas and lentils -- are indigenous foods that can play a massive role in tackling food security on the African continent says Nokuthula Vilakati, a Post Doctoral Researcher with the University of Pretoria's Institute for Food, Nutrition and...

Limited food options take their toll on the health of South Africa’s rural poor

Posted on May 27, 2016

In the past 20 years, researchers have linked the increase of obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension in low- and middle-income countries to urbanisation, changing diets and less active lives.

Why a diverse diet is crucial for rural South Africans

Posted on May 27, 2016

Starvation and extreme under-nutrition are rare in South Africa’s poorest communities. The experience of hunger is related to many different forms of deprivation. There is widespread “hidden hunger,” in the form of micronutrient deficiencies, increasing rates of over-weight and...

Uniting researchers and journalists to bring about positive change

Posted on May 19, 2016

UP's Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being is involved in an international programme working towards bridging the gap between academia and the media by bringing them together to drive policy change in food security.

New Food Law initiative launched

Posted on May 12, 2016

In a seminar held to launch a new focus of the University's Institutional Research Theme (IRT) on Food, Nutrition and Well-being, Ms Anjanette Haller-Barker, lead researcher for this new research area, presented a theoretical framework for food law.

Indigenous, instant superfood for rural children

Posted on April 19, 2016

For her PhD research, Dr Nokuthula Vilakazi chose to investigate the possibility of using locally produced grains to develop a nutritious, ready-to-eat meal comparable to some of the so-called superfoods sold in shops.

Finding answers to herbicide resistance

Posted on August 13, 2015

The research component of the Monsanto/BE at UP Collaborative Research Programme aims to monitor whether glyphosate-resistance in weeds is developing and to assess the plant mechanisms involved.

The ethics of meat production

Posted on August 05, 2015

Prof Edward Webb has conducted years of intensive research in animal science to find acceptable ways of improving farming methods to enhance the well-being of animals, which, in turn, will result in better quality animal produce.