Building Communities of Practice for a Sustainable Food System
Please join us at 13h00 South Africa Standard Time
at:
Dear Friends of iZindaba Zokudla
The year 2020 was difficult for everyone. COVID affected not only our health, but disrupted the very fabric of society. We could only host two workshops in 2020, and both these workshops, on “Mycotoxins in the Food Chain”, and the “Grobank” workshop saw over 400 guests attending.
The impact of COVID is severe. The lockdown and restrictions on assemblies in a sense terminated the public and open access activities of iZindaba Zokudla. However, in 2021 we are planning a series of Virtual Labs that will renew our own organizing and mobilizing.
We are well aware that we need to be very innovative if we want to continue to enable emerging and all other entrepreneurs to develop sustainable businesses in the food system. Currently, we cannot host both “social gatherings” and “political gatherings” and we are forced to adopt a model for the Labs that depends upon broadcasting through the internet.
We intend to present the programme set out below. In the past, I had the opportunity to conduct a participatory planning session and we developed schedules for the Lab in the past. This year we are moving forward with a new approach. Should we be allowed to host events again, we will adapt the schedule to allow open air events.
The iZindaba Zokudla Facebook page has grown and we are seeing a number of groups emerging. One part of our offering this year will be to enable these groups to manage themselves as Communities of Practice as they move towards establishing and growing enterprises. We will do so by inviting members of these groups and other experts to panel discussions on how to build these enterprises, or new practices and activism. This will enable the group to gain access to new information, technology, opportunities amongst others. Members are encouraged to email Naudé at nmalan@uj.ac.za with requests to participate.
We will also set up an announcement tab on izindabazokudla.com, and this is an opportunity for anyone to announce his or her enterprise, activism, or new practices and activities on the site. We can accommodate 2-5 minute cell phone videos, voice notes or written presentations. You are welcome!
We can use the electronic resources at our disposal to build relationships amongst the members of groups, and this can move them forward. We will be managing these groups as Communities of Practice and we will show what this entails in the first Lab in February.
You should be aware that we are trying to do much more than merely allowing entrepreneurs, activists, and practitioners an opportunity to speak. When people form groups of like-minded individuals, certain patterns and structures emerge. Because everyone wants to get ahead, we want to maximise those relationships and patterns that have learning outcomes. This is how we will be managing these groups as Communities of Practice.
Communities of Practice (CoP) emerge amongst groups on their own. People create meaning and identities (a name, profile, enterprise, and products), learning (the learnings on the message services like Telegram, is a good example and also relationships and networks that transmit learning and information) and activities (new products, enterprise operations, marketing etc.) in the safety of a group. We want to enhance the relationships amongst those in groups so they can help each other to build proper farms, enterprises, and activities that promote sustainable food systems. People also manage themselves in groups to forward their own agenda, and here we want to link farmers and entrepreneurs with social movements and NGOs. We want to sharpen this process, assist it, and allow such a Community of Practice to build itself, as this will in turn enable individuals to build their own enterprises and activities.
Related to this, the UJ is responding to the call to make knowledge and learning available to all. We will collaborate with the group UJ#WIL ROCK! “UJ Work Integrated Learning Rock!” to make available short courses in all aspects of business development, and Work Integrated Learning opportunities for students – who can thus serve emergent entrepreneurs. We are also able to link entrepreneurs with PG students, who can address a key problem as entrepreneurs, activists, stakeholders, or practitioners see it. Students will act as a bridge between people and the university and this will enable great learning by all about what it takes to build a sustainable food system with real economic opportunities! #PhambiliBalimi!
We thus want to propose a few strategies for these groups as Communities of Practice. As you build your group, enterprise, and activities, the UJ and iZindaba Zokudla will assist in a meaningful way!
Identity: Each group can build its own identity with its name, the names, logos, brands, and meanings of each farmers’ enterprise. This builds coherence and farmers can manage themselves in this way, as those who do not subscribe to the name, brand, or activities – like organic farming – will not join. This is a way to build both the enterprise and the product.
Networking: The IZ Facebook page and website izindabazokudla.com will allow you to build networks that serve the group. We will maximise opportunities to network as students, stakeholders, academics, activists, and practitioners are prevalent in the iZindaba Zokudla website.
Learning: Each group can link to Whatsapp, Telegram, and Signal groups that in fact share learnings amongst each other. The announcements will also enable learning. We hope we can sharpen the use of these opportunities and bring to the table real good lessons that can be shared. We want to invite key experts to the on-line sessions and groups can use the group chats, Facebook Page, and the Website for learning.
Below is a schedule that sets out how we aim to realise the above programme. We can combine people’s own learning with selected engagement with stakeholders, academics, students, researchers, and practitioners. We can involve experts in the online sessions. We will make opportunities available to anyone to participate in these on-line discussions.
Please keep an eye out for a heads-up on the presenters!
I will see you on the internet soon. This will continue even if we host the iZindaba Zokudla Farmers’ Lab in real life again!
Please contact Naudé Malan, Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, University of Johannesburg; nmalan@uj.ac.za; +27(0)822145792.
iZindaba Zokudla is a research project in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, University of Johannesburg.
Please note this 2021 Schedule will change depending on the availability of speakers.
February
12: An Introduction to the IZ Website: building a Community of Practice
26: Food Gardens and the creation of a sustainable food system.
March
12: Cannabis as an economic opportunity
26: UJ#WIL ROCK! Collaboration between UJ and emerging enterprises
April
16: Getting ahead in Chicken Farming
30: Technology integration in your business
May
14: Aquaponics hydroponics and vertical farming
26: UJ#WIL ROCK! Collaboration between UJ and emerging enterprises
June
11: Vegetable Gardens: Advanced Composting and Liquid Manure
25: Short Learning Programmes at the UJ for emerging entrepreneurs
July
16: Mycotoxins and Food Safety
30: The Siyakhana Garden in Bez Valley and The UJ Centre for Ecological Intelligence
August
13: Seed Libraries: Where are they and how to expand them.
27: The Food Evolution Research Centre: Nutrition
September
10: Beekeeping
24: IProp and the Agri-Hub in City Deep & Maximum Group FarmToFork: Feeding the South African nation: Opportunities for Entrepreneurs.
October
15: Trench Gardens and advanced technique for food gardens
29: NGOs in the Food System
November
12: Moringa farmers
26: Food Technology and Biotechnology at the UJ: opportunities for Entrepreneurs.
Please note the format of all virtual Farmers’ Labs:
An Editorial that will set the scene for the discussion;
A Panel discussion by up to 4 different presenters;
Questions and answers, moderated for up to 1 hour; and
Conclusion and advertising for next virtual Lab.
We are almost ready! Please follow the MS Teams link to the iZindaba Zokudla Virtual Farmers' Lab!