Amanzi for Food aims to help everyone involved in the growing of our food to use different ways of harvesting, storing, and using rainwater to improve food production.

South Africa is a water scarce country with all the available surface water resources already being used. This situation is likely to become even more serious as our climate becomes more extreme and more unpredictable. In South Africa there are signs that rainfall is likely to be reduced in the central and western areas of the country.

A reliable supply of good quality water is essential to growing food. Agriculture uses 62% of South Africa’s available water, and has a major responsibility to ensure the most efficient use of this most precious of resources.

We also have a pressing need to improve our children’s nutrition by providing fresh healthy foods. We must therefore support, in particular, women farmers in growing fresh healthy foods to feed their families and communities.

Sharing knowledge on the use and conservation of water for food production is therefore essential. Amanzi for Food aims to help everyone involved in the growing of our food to use different ways of harvesting, storing, and using rainwater to improve food production.

The people involved with Amanzi for Food include farmers, extension officers, agricultural education and training institutions and agricultural NGOs and CBOs. They learn together and implement different ways of harvesting, storing, and using rainwater according to their needs, to improve food production. We refer to all these activities as ‘Rainwater Harvesting and Conservation’ (RWH&C).

The Water Research Commission (WRC) has worked with many people over the years to do research, gather information, and develop materials on different methods of using rainwater for food production.

The Amanzi for Food project is funded by the WRC and implemented by the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC) at Rhodes University in Makhanda, South Africa. The project provides access to materials on different methods of using rainwater for food production. It also provides education and training in the use of these materials and the sharing of this important information on RWH&C.

All the materials on this website are freely accessible and can be easily downloaded and shared with others. Even the information provided in the Training of Trainers course is available for download and use by anyone without the need for registration.

The course is designed for people who train others in education and training institutions or through agricultural advice and extension services offered by government or NGOs. It is also valuable for farmers to share information with other farmers.

Everyone is welcome to follow the course at their own pace and use any materials they find useful. Registration is only required if you wish to complete the assignments and earn a Rhodes University Certificate of Competence.

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