NOURICITY kick-off meeting, Cape Town, South Africa, 2018

ON December 6-7, 2018, the partners of the NOURICITY project first met as a group in Cape Town, South Africa. Hosted by the Center of Excellence in Food Security (University of Western Cape and University of Pretoria), the meeting allowed the partners to plan together the implementation of the research activities and program. In the beautiful surroundings of Gordon’s Bay, the team had ample time to interact and fine-tune the project activities. The team was also treated to a field visit to the Langa Township, where several of the project’s activities in Cape Town will take place. The team could experience first-hand the positive influence of local elders who created an urban community garden on which they rely to supply meals but also fruits and vegetables to the community. Project partners could also witness two types of meat processing and trades, largely operated by women, in the township: sheep heads cooked and sold on the street, and chicken slaughtered and prepared in semi-formal shops. Exchanges between all project partners during those visits reminded us all of the very cultural nature off food behavior and of the household food economy.