When a food garden becomes a change agent | Michael Rudolph | TEDxJohannesburgSalon

Can a nutritionally diverse and healthy diet, comprised of fresh organic produce, replete with micro-nutrients and immune-boosting properties, alleviate and/or address food and nutrition insecurity? Professor Michael Rudolph believed – and continues to believe – that indeed it can; a view which is supported by rigorous research. Consequently, in 2005 on a hectare-sized piece of land located in the middle of Bezuidenhout Park within the inner city of Johannesburg, he, together with colleagues and community representatives, established Siyakhana, a thriving food garden and social entrepreneurial enterprise that evolved into a platform for research, training and a capacity building incubator and resource hub. He shares his thoughts about how this simple garden changed the lives of everyone who touched it.
Michael is Emeritus Professor at Wits University, and Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg. He is best known for Siyakhana Initiative, a hallmark for integrated urban agriculture, ecological health, job creation, and healthier environments. At the forefront of teaching, research, advocacy and community engagement, Michael has spawned black academic leadership in South Africa, and Africa. A keynote speaker at conferences around the world, he has published in local and overseas journals, and is a Wits Vice Chancellor’s Academic Citizenship awardee. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx