North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Kenny Mnisi presented a seminar on 20 April 2023 focusing on food security and safety.

The topic of the seminar was “Are we food secured now? If not, let us practise sustainable poultry production!”

According to Prof Mnisi the question is designed to measure the advances that researchers, governments, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and other civil society groups have made in ensuring global food and nutrition security.

‘‘Latest statistics indicate scary figures on the number of people who are exposed to hunger, starvation, and malnutrition. In fact, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, more than 10% of the world population, which translates to 815 million people, live in extreme poverty. Worse, two billion people are expected to be undernourished by 2050, as stated by the United Nations,’’ said Prof Mnisi.

‘‘My research seeks to provide sustainable multi-pronged nutritional solutions to address the myriad of challenges that face animal agriculture (particularly poultry production) and, consequently, threaten food security,’’ he added.

He says he identification of alternative protein and energy sources for intensively reared poultry birds is of immediate interest, so as to reduce the over-reliance on the rather expensive soybean and maize grains.

‘‘The use of nutraceutical plants, phytochemicals, and agro-waste by-products to supply nutritional and pharmaceutical benefits to poultry also forms part of my research.”

“Shifting away from conventional sources in poultry diets reduces the competition between humans and animals for these food sources, thereby ensuring that poultry production complements crop production in mitigating food and nutrition insecurity. However, a number of these alternative sources or natural additives contain large quantities of anti-nutrients that need to be ameliorated to increase their utilisation in poultry diets,’’ added Prof Mnisi.

He said by using various processing techniques and exogenous enzymatic treatments, his objective remains to enhance the feed value of poultry to ensure sustainable intensification, human health, food security and environmental stewardship.

‘‘I chose poultry because it is the fastest vehicle to eradicate hunger, malnutrition, and starvation. Also, poultry products are the most affordable major sources of animal protein and other micronutrients.

‘‘Poultry farming also provides more opportunities that can ensure a safe and healthy lifestyle. Researchers, governments, and NGOs can add more efforts to ensure through various programmes that every household in Africa is equipped with a flock of various poultry birds to ensure constant supply of nutrients,’’ concluded Prof Mnisi.

About Prof Mnisi

Prof Kenny Mnisi is an associate professor of animal science at the NWU. He holds a PhD in poultry nutritional sciences, an MSc in ruminant nutrition (cum laude), and a BScAgric in animal science (cum laude). He recently obtained a postgraduate diploma in higher education (cum laude) from the University of Johannesburg.

He is a Y2-rated researcher with the National Research Foundation and has published more than 50 research articles. He currently serves as a guest editor for two special issues in the journal Life, and as an associate editor in the South African Journal of Animal Science, Frontiers in Animal Science and Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

Prof Kenny Mnisi.