| Overview : The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was assigned the role of being the integrator of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the UN Secretary General and the General Assembly. In translating this into a concrete action, the Administrator launched in 2019 a global network of UNDP Accelerator Labs with the intention of creating the world’s largest and fastest learning network around development challenges.The thematic focus area of the South African AccLab is the Food, Energy, Water Nexus, with crosscutting areas of gender and youth unemployment. The AccLab endeavours to surface local solutions that can be included in portfolio approaches that deliver co-benefits across multiple SDGs. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) seaweed are among the healthiest foods on the planet as they contain vitamins, over 90 minerals, and many antioxidants (Amosu et al, 2013). Seaweed aquaculture has grown faster than any other marine production sector over the last 20 years, and there is a growing body of literature that suggests that seaweed will become a major component of global marine aquaculture, contributing towards the production of aquafeeds, functional foods, nutraceuticals and possibly human food (Bolton et al., 2016). The known seaweed diversity in South Africa includes approximately 900 species, making the country one of the richest marine floras in the world, with a high level of endemism (Amosu et al, 2013). It is in this regard that we require services of a consultant in order to gain a deeper understanding regarding the use, or lack thereof, of seaweeds and kelp in coastal communities, for human consumption, livestock consumption, agriculture, or other products. (Detailed information can be found in the links found on tis procurement notice) |
