As part of the ‘African-German Centre of Excellence for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Nutritional Data Science’, projects and measures will be carried out in the period from 2025 to 2029 that contribute to the further qualification of young scientists in agricultural and nutrition research in South Africa. Another important component of the programme is the promotion of the transfer of research results to the economy, politics and civil society in southern Africa.

One research focus is on the sustainability and resilience of agricultural systems under stress or extreme conditions. The aim of the research is to utilise data-based and digital approaches to contribute to the improvement of food systems in Southern Africa.

Background and departments involved:

The Center for Food Systems and Data Science is part of the DAAD program “Fachzentren Afrika-Centres of African Excellence”. It is a joint synergy project between German and African institutions. On the German side, the Center is funded by the DAAD with funds from the Federal Foreign Office (AA), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). On the South African side, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) are involved.