World Food Day 2022 is observed across the globe on 16 October 2022. This year’s theme ‘Leave no one behind’ aims to create awareness about the hunger and malnutrition that still prevail in the world. The availability and accessibility of nutritious food is an important focus of World Food Day 2022.
“We have a responsibility to build a sustainable world where everyone has access to enough nutritional food. During the past couple of years, we faced many obstacles in the path of food security. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts between nations, unpredictable weather patterns, and logistical challenges with consequent rising input and food prices all created additional challenges that we had to, and in any case still have to address and overcome,” says Dr Nicole Hart, Managing Director Afrikelp™.
She adds that the increasing demand for safe and sustainably produced food makes it necessary for the agricultural sector to review and broaden its practices and business models. “Climate change and the increasing population will test our agricultural systems in the future. This complex scenario requires sustainable measures that will be capable of improving crop yield and quality, but at the same time foster the resilience of the agricultural sector. Afrikelp are in the privileged position that multiple areas of our business are making a positive impact on sustainable food production.”
Food security is dependent on a complex value chain including production, food processing, distribution, and access, all beginning with plant health in the field. Natural plant biostimulants are important in sustainable crop production systems as increased and improved quality crops means less food loss and wastage along the food value chain.
“Plant health is often overlooked in the food value chain, but we must remember that plants provide more than 80% of the food consumed by humans and are the primary source of nutrition for livestock. Yield losses of important staple crops due to poor plant health can have a major impact on food security. Afrikelp® is in the business of plant health and we believe improved plant health can contribute to increased farm productivity and crop yields, as well as play an important role in enhancing soil health and protecting the environment.”
Afrikelp’s products can play a significant role in helping global agriculture become more nutrient and water-use efficient by assisting with early plant establishment, root development and yield optimisation and thus contributing to achieving “more with less.” Kelp extracts are also key tools in assisting crops with the increase in biotic and abiotic stress from multiple causes which they need to overcome.
The natural hormone auxin is a major phytohormone that controls numerous aspects of plant development and coordinates plant responses to the environment. The uniquely South African kelp species, Ecklonia maxima, is used by Afrikelp to produce Afrikelp® LG-1, a liquid kelp concentrate that offers farmers a quality biostimulant option in their crop health package. The unique composition of natural biostimulants, mainly auxin, in Afrikelp® LG-1 has a positive impact on increased root growth which strengthens the plant and results in better yields.
