South Africa: Urban farming with an organic twist
What started as a Covid-19 project in her back garden, has turned into a blossoming venture for organic urban farmer Tanya van Stade
By Octavia Avesca Spandiel
Food For Mzansi
26th April 2023
Excerpt:
In this episode, Tanya van Stade, founder of Seeds For Life, talks about their organic urban farming initiative and distribution rights on BioAge Certified Organic fertilisers in the Western Cape and Northern Cape.
Seeds For Life started during the Covid-19 pandemic with subsistence gardening. They started by drying their own seeds, planting and sharing their harvest with neighbours, friends and family.
“The cooperative came to life when we extended to a community vegetable garden. We grow and sell organic vegetables to our local community at affordable prices, which is much less than conventional produce,” Van Stade explains.
According to Van Stade, what is of utmost importance to them as a cooperative is that they remain to thrive with sustainable development goals in mind. Their goal, she adds, is to address hunger in the country.
“Organic urban farming is [a] healthier option when you grow your own crops without the use of chemical fertilisers, in other words, conventional methods. Organic farming speaks to the sustainable development goals, especially goal No 2 which addresses zero hunger.”
