How diverse is the diet of adult South Africans?

The original publication is available at http://www.nutritionj.com/content/10/1/33Abstract. Background. The objective of the current study was to measure dietary diversity in South Africans aged 16 years and older from all population groups as a proxy of food security. Methods. A cross-sectional study representative of adults from all specified ages, provinces, geographic localities, and socio-economic strata in South Africa was used (n = 3287). Trained interviewers visited participants at their homes during the survey. Dietary data was collected by means of a face validated 24 hour recall which was not quantified. A dietary diversity score (DDS) was calculated by counting each of 9 food groups. A DDS <4 was regarded as reflecting poor dietary diversity and poor food security. Results The provinces with the highest prevalence of poor dietary diversity (DDS <4) were Limpopo (61.8%) and the Eastern Cape (59.6%). By contrast, only 15.7% of participants in Western Cape had a low score. Participants in tribal areas (63.9%) and informal urban areas (55.7%) were by far the worst affected. There were significant differences in DDS by Living Standards Mean (LSM) analysis (p < 0.05) with the lowest LSM group having the lowest mean DDS (2.93).The most commonly consumed food groups were cereals/roots; meat/fish; dairy and vegetables other than vitamin A rich. Eggs, legumes, and vitamin A rich fruit and vegetables were the least consumed. Conclusion. Overall the majority of South Africans consumed a diet low in dietary variety. The tribal areas and informal urban areas were worst affected and eggs, legumes and vitamin A rich fruit and vegetables, were the least consumed.Publishers' versio

Defining Terms Used for Animals Working in Support Roles for People with Support Needs

This is the final version. Available on open access from MDPI via the DOI in this recordData Availability Statement: De-identified qualitative data can be made available by contacting the lead author.The nomenclature used to describe animals working in roles supporting people can be confusing. The same term may be used to describe different roles, or two terms may mean the same thing. This confusion is evident among researchers, practitioners, and end users. Because certain animal roles are provided with legal protections and/or government-funding support in some jurisdictions, it is necessary to clearly define the existing terms to avoid confusion. The aim of this paper is to provide operationalized definitions for nine terms, which would be useful in many world regions: "assistance animal", "companion animal", "educational/school support animal", "emotional support animal", "facility animal", "service animal", "skilled companion animal", "therapy animal", and "visiting/visitation animal". At the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) conferences in 2018 and 2020, over 100 delegates participated in workshops to define these terms, many of whom co-authored this paper. Through an iterative process, we have defined the nine terms and explained how they differ from each other. We recommend phasing out two terms (i.e., "skilled companion animal" and "service animal") due to overlap with other terms that could potentially exacerbate confusion. The implications for several regions of the world are discussed

Land reform: what have we learned?

Land reform has been a significant part of the South African agricultural agenda since 1994 with the creation of a national Department of Land Affairs to oversee and drive this process. While much has happened in the intervening years, some might argue that in many instances the results have been far from positive. The political current that winds its way through the land redistribution process has not helped matters. Using two different examples of land reform initiatives from the Western Cape and the Free State, a brief overview of how land reform has been implemented since 1996 is provided. Both cases involve aspects of the role played by agricultural support agencies, including Department of Land Affairs officials, extension, research and non-government organisations. The purpose of the discussion is to look at what can be learned from these cases, including their similarities and dissimilarities, and in light of this knowledge consider how we can possibly proceed towards land reform for agricultural development. Ultimately land reform and specifically the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development programme of the Department of Land Affairs must seek to ensure the appropriate identification of beneficiaries and land. Research, extension and the new national and provincial directorates of farmer settlement must ensure that the appropriate agricultural support services are available that will result in agricultural development. The land reform process and agricultural development will only be successful if the goals and objectives are realistic. The lessons from these cases provide us with some guidance for the way forward. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol.32 2003: 15-2

Local knowledge and agricultural applications: Lessons from a Ugandan Parish

A multidisciplinary team of agricultural researchers worked with residents of a rural parish in south-western Uganda to generate local knowledge about the diverse use of plants identified as African vegetables. While some were sold at the commercial fresh produce market in Kampala most were cultivated for household consumption. Some plants had properties which, when planted in specific ways, could improve the fertilisation of farmers\' marginal soils and protect their crops from pests. By focusing on people\'s local knowledge research and extension officials became aware of the importance of this knowledge for production purposes. The research illustrates, by using African vegetables as an example that it is important to focus on local knowledge in order to understand observed practices; including gender responsibilities. Such practices are largely governed by people\'s socio-economic and agro-ecological circumstances. In such contexts the utilisation of local resources are important. Understanding can enable agricultural professionals to optimise the integration of local knowledge in agricultural development. Keywords: African vegetables, Farmi`ng Systems, Gender Roles, Local/Indigenous Knowledge, Local Resources, Participatory Research, Uganda.South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 36 (1) 2007: pp. 229-24

How rural land reform policy translates into benefits

Lettere En WysbegeerteSosiologie & Sosiale AntropologiePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

How rural land reform policy translates into benefits

Lettere En WysbegeerteSosiologie & Sosiale AntropologiePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

Defining terms used for animals working in support roles for people with support needs

The nomenclature used to describe animals working in roles supporting people can be confusing. The same term may be used to describe different roles, or two terms may mean the same thing. This confusion is evident among researchers, practitioners, and end users. Because certain animal roles are provided with legal protections and/or government-funding support in some jurisdictions, it is necessary to clearly define the existing terms to avoid confusion. The aim of this paper is to provide operationalized definitions for nine terms, which would be useful in many world regions: “assistance animal”, “companion animal”, “educational/school support animal”, “emotional support animal”, “facility animal”, “service animal”, “skilled companion animal”, “therapy animal”, and “visiting/visitation animal”. At the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) conferences in 2018 and 2020, over 100 delegates participated in workshops to define these terms, many of whom co-authored this paper. Through an iterative process, we have defined the nine terms and explained how they differ from each other. We recommend phasing out two terms (i.e., “skilled companion animal” and “service animal”) due to overlap with other terms that could potentially exacerbate confusion. The implications for several regions of the world are discussed