In Cape Town, young international researchers are examining food systems
Last September, a field school organized by the “Nutrition and Food Systems” (FOODS) Collaborative Doctoral Platform took place in Cape Town, South Africa. It provided an opportunity for the program’s two cohorts to meet, present their work, and enhance their training through informative field visits.
Following the University of Montpellier and then the Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture at the University of São Paulo (ESALQ/USP) in Brazil, it was South Africa’s turn to host the doctoral researchers from the UM-UP collaborative doctoral platform dedicated to food systems and nutrition, under the scientific leadership of Karen Lambert-Cordillac, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy (affiliated with the PhyMdEx laboratory) at the University of Montpellier.
Held from September 8 to 17 at the University of Cape Town, in partnership with the University of Pretoria and the University of the Western Cape, this field school marked the conclusion of the first cohort’s program, during which the students presented their group projects, while the doctoral researchers the second cohort introduced their thesis topics.
During this fieldwork week, visits to Cape Town’s fresh produce market and Paradise Market allowed the doctoral researchers learn more about the organization of food systems in South Africa. They also gained a better understanding of the area’s historical and cultural heritage. A visit to the Steenbras Dam and its filtration treatment plant gave them the opportunity to explore the water distribution and filtration system that serves the Cape Town metropolitan area.
A crucial role in addressing global challenges
At the close of the September 12 symposium, François Pierrot, Vice President for International Relations at the University of Montpellier , emphasized “the crucial role of the next generations of researchers in addressing today’s global challenges.” Led by UM and the University of Pretoria, these gatherings of young scientists from around the world aim to create a transdisciplinary international cooperation network dedicated to research on nutrition and food systems. Each cohort of the collaborative doctoral platform participates in two training programs, in conjunction with the platform’s 16 partner universities, as well as in the production of collaborative scientific work.
Next stop: Laval University in Quebec, Canada, where the next field school will take place from October 29 to November 6, 2025.