Cape Town’s innovative green approach to feeding crisis in schools

By Khanyisa Tabata
25 February 2010

The City of Cape Town is to launch a Food Gardens programme at Silversands Primary School in Silversands.

Councilor Frank Martin says a Food Tent is a makeshift greenhouse made out of shade cloth and in the shape of a tunnel.

“It houses 330 nursery bags in which vegetables are grown. An adapted hydroponics technique is used and all that the beneficiary needs to do is water twice a day with the nutrients provided.

“A Food Tent can be erected in 45 minutes. This revolutionary, make-shift greenhouse increases the production of fruit and vegetables significantly. They can be harvested every six weeks, feeding approximately 50 people per month," said Martin.

Food Tent installations also make fantastic, fun, inexpensive, easy-to-do community projects and volunteerism packages. Food Tents are proving to be extremely popular as a solution to the lack of food security in South Africa.

Martin added that this partnership to set up these Food Tents in Ward 19 shows that the City of Cape Town is serious about its commitment to community development through these holistic greening programmes and environmental education.