As of 2009, September is known as Arbor Month here at FTFA, to allow the many companies, schools, communities and individuals who celebrate the focus on tree planting in this period.  Whilst every month is Arbor Month for South Africa’s greening social enterprise, FTFA joins the nation to celebrate this special tree time by  responding to the many community and company requests for trees. All are urged to get their requests in no later than end July so that preparations can be made for the many tree plantings that will take place! Download and send this in as soon as possible: Tree Application Form

The successful and innovative Trees for Homes public greening initiative contributes nationally in a visible way to more sustainable settlements and enhanced environments. Trees for Homes started in 2000 to address climate change, improve quality of life and create sustainable settlements by giving low-income communities fruit or indigenous trees to plant at their homes, as well as providing training, some short term paid employment and environmental awareness.

In addition to requests for Permaculture food gardens, FTFA receives many other greening requests from communities and government. These fall under the Urban Greening and Community Food Gardening Programme which supports partnerships for sustainable development through tree planting, parks, nurseries and food gardening projects (including the Permaculture Starter Packs and long term Permaculture projects), as well as environmental awareness and education. Based on the fast growing interest from various government departments, aid agencies, private companies, HIV/AIDS organisations and others in the South African development sector, urban greening and food production is increasingly looked on as an answer to urban food security, poverty alleviation and improved health and nutrition. Linked to this is need to preserve and increase what remains of our planet's green natural and open spaces, trees, food gardens and agricultural land. Through natural processes, these green spaces remove carbon dioxide from the environment to replenish our air with life-sustaining oxygen, as well as mitigating global warming, both fundamental environmental issues inherently linked to quality of life.

FTFA uses Permaculture for all food gardening/urban farming projects. Permaculture is essentially a design approach towards more sustainable human settlements and a healthier life for all.  Most importantly, it takes into account the fact that we as humans are a part of an ecosystem, rather than a seperate, superior entity. Permaculture is a radical approach to food production and urban renewal, water, energy and pollution, integrating ecology, landscape, organic gardening, architecture and agro-forestry in creating a rich and sustainable way of living which produces more energy than it uses and recycles all nutrients and waste. Permaculture creates sustainable food rich environments by following nature's patterns. Permaculture, as related to instance of food security, is Permanent Agriculture.  However, when considered as Permanent Culture it encompasses far more than merely food. It integrates the connections and relationships between plants, animals, birds, buildings, water,  energy, soil, light, wind & other resources.  Permaculture is an attitude, a way of living in harmony with nature and enhancing life in a sustainable way. 

Permaculture Starter Pack Application

The 2010 EduPlant workshops have been a great success. This year the programme welcomes Engen, Absa, and the Woolworths Trust as the funding partners. They are growing and developing this national school greening and food gardening programme, founded and coordinated by FTFA, that is now in its 16th year.

Ahead of the United Nations World Food Day (16 October), twenty-one of South Africa’s top food gardening schools have been selected from over 350 national entries as the winners of the 2009 EduPlant competition.

The competition recognises and rewards schools using sustainable permaculture techniques to produce good food for the benefit of learners and the wider school community.   Representatives of sixty-nine finalist schools attended the exciting EduPlant Finals Event that was held at the Bosco Youth Centre in Walkerville, Gauteng from 29 September until 1 October.   These motivated schools showcased their outstanding permaculture food gardening projects to a panel of judges and the ‘Best of the Best’ were awarded top honours at the final awards ceremony.

Despite recent petrol price reductions, South Africans are still experiencing high food costs.  No one feels this pinch more seriously than the estimated thirty-five percent of the population, about 15 million people, who are chronically vulnerable to food insecurity.