In the third of our 2025 Eva Koch Scholar presentations, Hezron Masitsa shared his research into African traditional food preservation methods used by women to improve mortality rates among children while increasing life expectancy among the adults.
Most people in Africa experience food shortages due to prolonged drought and famine, leading to malnutrition among young children and reduced life expectancy among the adults. The state of food insecurity contributes to climate crisis where the poor resort to unsustainable land practices for subsistence.
For centuries, cultures across the globe have developed ingenious ways to preserve food, architecture, and knowledge, ensuring survival and continuity in the face of scarcity. The threat of planetary crisis calls for multiple efforts aimed at reversing the negative effects of climate change. The crisis is a call to look into some of the ancient practices that are less costly, but also promote good health and contribute to reversing the negative effects of climate change.
