George Herald

Great honour for retired local prof

- Eugene Gunning

Well-known George academic Prof Raymond Auerbach has been appointed to the Agricultur­al Research Council (ARC). The ARC recently brought out a new fiveyear strategic plan emphasisin­g sustainabl­e use of resources, and also a vision for agricultur­e in 2050. Under the leadership of the new ARC chair, Joyene Isaacs

(former head of Western Cape Agricultur­e Department), the new council will work to help South Africa produce healthy food while conserving soil and protecting natural resources.

The recently retired Auerbach's appointmen­t comes at a time when the world and agricultur­e faces huge challenges. He told George Herald that, due to Covid-19, six months from now there will be many hungry people around the world. Focus will shift to food security, as well as agro-ecology.

While farming is becoming more productive in tons of food per hectare, the quality of food has gone down, as convention­al agricultur­e uses many chemicals. About 15% of various minerals and proteins in vegetables and grains have been lost over the past 70 years. That is one of the reasons for the obesity pandemic and increases in diseases such as diabetes.

His message is that people should start taking soil health more seriously and focus on sustainabl­e food systems. "We have to get life back into the soil again to sustain ecosystems and human health; industrial agricultur­e is killing the soil. We have to get the soil biology right."

 ?? Photo: Eugene Gunning ?? Prof Raymond Auerbach who has been appointed to the Agricultur­al Research Council (ARC), in his vegetable garden.
Photo: Eugene Gunning Prof Raymond Auerbach who has been appointed to the Agricultur­al Research Council (ARC), in his vegetable garden.

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