SDCEA to promote subsistence food security methods

THE South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) aims to improve the lot and highlight the importance of small scale local farmers and subsistence fishermen in Durban through a series of local meetings.

“The aim of this project is to highlight their significance to the community, nation and their contribution to the local economy and to uplift the citizens to sustain their livelihoods,” said SDCEA environmental project officer, Priya Pillay.

“In a time where resources are depleting, it is important to ensure food security. Subsistence and small scale farming and fishing can play an important role in the local economy. Looking at food security as being foremost a problem of access to food, subsistence food production is the best readily available route to entitlement – directly, to the food producers and indirectly, by driving down food prices as well as improving the health of people, considering the amount of chemicals injected in our foods today,” she added.

The SDCEA hopes to promote the benefits of organic, sustainable and affordable farming methods while educating the farmers and fishermen on conservation of the environment.

Meetings hosted by the SDCEA will be held over the next two weeks. The first set of meetings focus on farming and will be at the Chatsworth Youth Centre on 11 February from 5pm to 7pm, the Austerville Civic Centre on 17 February from 10am to 2pm and the YAS Education Centre on 20 February from 8 to 11am. The second group of meetings are for the fishermen and will be held at unit 6, Mosque Hall in Chatsworth on 15 February from 2pm to 5pm, John Dunn Hall in Wentworth on 18 February at 5.30pm, Rydalvale Primary School in Phoenix on 21 February from 2 to 5pm and North Pier on 22 February from 2pm to 5pm.

For information, call Priya Pillay on 031-461-1991 or Desmond D’Sa on 083-982-6939.