ARC-VIMP Team Promotes Backyard Gardening and Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato During National Nutrition Week 2026

The Agricultural Research Council’s Food Security and Community Education and Development (FSCED) team at ARC-VIMP participated in National Nutrition Week 2026 in Welkom, Free State, with a focus on backyard gardening and orange-fleshed sweet potato products. The team demonstrated backyard gardening at Motheo Day Care Centre and showcased products made from orange-fleshed sweet potato. The activities highlighted the importance of household food production and nutritious food choices. The event reinforced the message that good nutrition begins at home. It also encouraged households to establish backyard gardens to improve access to fresh, nutritious food while reducing food costs.

Backyard gardening was a key feature of the team’s participation in the event. Households were encouraged to grow food at home as a way to improve access to fresh produce. This approach places household food production at the centre of efforts to support food security and nutrition. The demonstration at Motheo Day Care Centre provided a practical focus for the discussion around growing food at home. The message was that households can take steps towards improving access to nutritious food through backyard gardening.

The ARC-VIMP FSCED team also showcased products made from orange-fleshed sweet potato. This formed part of the event’s focus on nutrition and food choices. Orange-fleshed sweet potato was highlighted through products that demonstrated its use in food preparation. The display brought attention to the crop in the context of household nutrition. It also complemented the backyard gardening demonstration by linking food production with the foods people prepare and eat.

The event was attended by Free State MEC for Health, Mr Monyatso Mahlatsi, and Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla. Their attendance placed the activities within a broader public health and nutrition awareness event. National Nutrition Week provided an opportunity to highlight the importance of healthy food choices and household access to nutritious food. The ARC-VIMP FSCED team contributed by focusing on practical food production and orange-fleshed sweet potato products. These activities supported the event’s central message that good nutrition begins at home.

The participation of the ARC-VIMP FSCED team in National Nutrition Week 2026 highlighted the connection between agriculture, household food production and nutrition. Through the backyard gardening demonstration at Motheo Day Care Centre, the team encouraged households to grow their own food and improve access to fresh produce. The showcase of orange-fleshed sweet potato products added a food preparation dimension to the programme. Together, these activities reinforced the value of household gardening and nutritious food choices. The event brought attention to practical ways households can contribute to food security and make nutrition a part of everyday life.