Trailblazers in food security

STELLENBOSCH University says students Hlanzeka Mpanza, Alison Barr and Anja Lategan will go down as the first three trailblazers after they each graduated with an MSc in food and nutrition security.

Mpanza is a nutritionist, while Barr and Lategan are food scientists.

“The skills that I obtained… such as critical and analytical thinking, report writing and how to collaborate with people, are of great value in my career,” said Lategan.

Barr investigated the competitiveness of the local wine sector and learnt about aspects of agricultural economics. Lategan’s research project was about the nutritional value of insects, and whether food products made from insects containing iron, zinc, vitamin A, folic acid and iodine could solve people’s nutritional needs.

“The range of modules that make up the course gave me wellrounded exposure to all aspects impacting food and nutrition security,” said Barr.

Mpanza works for a multinational food company in Durban. She wanted to gain more insight into the broader decisions made about food that influence sustainable change.

The programme, launched in 2017, provided them with a broad, comprehensive take on health and the role that nutrition plays.

SU Department of Food Science Professor Gunnar Sigge said: “The programme… aims to equip students to view the holistic nature of food and nutrition security… and to propose solutions to specific problems in the food system while keeping the bigger picture in mind. Only 15 students are selected each year.” |