Page 21 - Landscape-Issue134

FEATURE

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SOLUTIONS

IN HYDROPONICS

For food entrepreneur Bonothile Khuboni, addressing South Africa’s pressing issue
of food security through sustainable agriculture has become a key focus of her

business venture. Khuboni has found her solution in hydroculture, a method of
growing plants in water that uses very little space and no soil. Graduating from
Oribi’s #FoodSystem incubation programme, she has been able to create and scale
her first non-profit company (NPC), Imvelo Agri Solutions, to two schools in KwaZulu

Natal, while teaching students about the value of hydroponics as a sustainable
growing method.

hile South Africa is technically
food secure, access to nutritious
Wfood remains an issue affecting
18 million households. Food security is
further exacerbated by climate change and
soil erosion. In South Africa, approximately
61 million hectares of land is classified as
having a moderate to severe potential risk
of soil erosion - about half of the country’s
entire surface area. “Increasing soil erosion
and infertile soil makes it hard for South
Africans to grow their own food. I believe
that hydroponic farming systems offer
an innovative and sustainable solution to
growing food on both a subsistence level Bonothile Khuboni’s non-profit company inspires individuals to grow their own produce. She uses
and commercially,” says Khuboni. hydroponics to demonstrate the simplicity of cultivating fresh produce at home.
It was during academic research that
she gained a deeper understanding of
food security in South Africa. The more “Hydroponics, especially organic who also offers a service that includes the
she understood and learned about the methods, remain relatively novel in setting up of hydroponic stations.
impact of climate change on food systems, South Africa. Our journey with Banothile The next step she aims to focus on is
the more she wanted to do something has been profoundly enlightening as accessing the retail market in South Africa.
about it. This is reason she joined Oribi’s we, an incubator focused on nurturing “Retail has a certain demand that we have
#FoodSystem Incubation programme. social enterprises within South Africa’s to meet. At the moment, we are looking at
For the past year, Banothile’s NPC expansive food system, have witnessed ways to team up with suppliers,” she says.
has been running a pilot programme at her remarkable growth. Throughout the In the realm of selling organic vegetables,
Mqhawe Secondary School in KZN, where incubation process, Banothile faced the Banothile faces a challenging landscape,
she set up her first hydroponic stations to challenge of limited resources in organic mirroring the struggles of many small-scale
grow organic vegetables such as spinach hydroponics. Despite this she persevered, farmers across South Africa who grapple
and lettuce, and to educate and train using her inaugural hydroponic system as a with accessing markets. The prevailing
students. “I wholeheartedly believe that it platform for trial and error. We are hoping food system notably disadvantages smaller
is beneficial for our youth to learn about that the grant will empower her to translate enterprises due to price fluctuations
hydroponic systems. These systems are an her acquired knowledge into tangible and volatility in fresh produce pricing, a
excellent way to combat issues connected implementation,” says Nthakoana Maema, predicament exacerbated by escalating
to climate change and droughts as they CEO at Oribi in Cape Town. food costs.
require very little space, little water, and no Through her dual operations, Banothile Banothile’s immediate focus therefore
soil. We don’t only teach our students how endeavours to cultivate organic produce lies in securing buyers for smaller volumes
to operate these systems, we also allow for profitable sale at market rates. of organic produce in Durban. Her strategic
them to feel the pleasure of growing their Simultaneously, her non-profit company vision extends to the Western Cape, where
own nutritious food,” says Khuboni. “After is dedicated to inspiring individuals to she plans to expand her hydroponic
completing Oribi’s incubation programme, cultivate their own produce. This includes initiatives by establishing additional
I received a grant that enabled my social imparting essential skills through dedicated stations. To realise this goal, she actively
enterprise to grow and set up a second stations established in local schools. “We use seeks collaborative partners capable of
hydroponic system at another school, our hydroponic stations not just to educate offering suitable locations.
Waterloo Secondary School in KZN. Here young minds but also to demonstrate the For more information on Oribi and their
I am planning to produce 240 fresh, simplicity of cultivating fresh produce at programmes, visit https://www.oribi.org.za/
green, leafy organic vegetables within an home. Our approach involves repurposing Text and photos supplied by Sustainability
approximately 30 day cycle.” recycled plastic bottles,” explains Banothile, Communication Company. n

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