ZZ2 was hailed as a great example of how the private sector can work together with government institutions to bring about positive change for sustainable futures.The 4th biennial National Global Change Conference was held from 3 to 6 December 2018 at Bolivia Lodge in Polokwane.

It is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation in partnership with the University of Limpopo and the Limpopo Provincial Government.ZZ2’s involvement to host the more than 500 delegates is an investment and commitment to a sustainable future for the agricultural sector in South Africa, said Wiam Haddad, ZZ2 ecologist and panellist during a discussion by key role players. Haddad gave a short contribution highlighting the three key drivers of change in the agricultural sector.

The central theme of this year’s conference was “Sustainable futures through science and innovation”. It is one of the focus areas of the Department of Science and Technology known as the “grand challenge from the 10-year Innovation Plan”.The conference provided a platform for networking and knowledge sharing among global change stakeholders and brings together representatives from the research and development sector, industry, government and civil society. They shared and debated the latest research, technology and other strategic solutions.One of the aims of the conference was for young scientists to present their research and interact with more experienced scientists. More than 200 scientific papers were submitted, of which the best seventy contributions were selected for oral presentations during the event.A field trip to ZZ2’s Natuurboerdery campus in Mooketsi was undertaken and hailed as a great example of how ecologically sustainable farming is implemented on a very large scale.‍

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