Research instruments developed in English and Setswana
- Jan 1, 2026
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 2
Dr Lefadola visited Justus Liebig University (JLU) in Germany from 9-23 November 2025, to broaden her knowledge of food waste management and upcycling. Also in November 2025, she participated in a conference by the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, where she presented a paper on the "Circular Economy Transitions in Botswana's Agro-Food Systems: A Multidimensional Perspective on Food Waste Reduction", related to her FAR-LeaF project. Furthermore, she participated in the Systematic Review training with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), which led to the refinement of a review paper in progress.
The project's experimental design has been refined and finalised, and research instruments were developed in both English and Setswana. She is currently finalising the paper for submission to a journal. As chair of the Food Security Cluster, she commemorated World Food Day with her group members by moderating a panel discussion and developing a reflection paper.
Dr Lefadola has successfully engaged the following stakeholders for her project:
Local Enterprise Authority: business training.
Farmers: sourcing of raw materials and major participants of the study.
Food processors (women at the community level): support the product development process.
Botswana Horticultural Farmers Association: recruitment of participants.
Ministry of Lands and Agriculture: science advocacy and consideration of findings in policy making.
National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI): use of the facility for testing of developed products.
Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (Department of Food Science): technical support in the context of Botswana.
University of Botswana: facilities for developing the value-added product.
University of Pretoria (Department of Consumer and Food Sciences): technical expertise, conducting lab work, and mentorship.
Dr Lefadola experienced delays in signing her contract, but her research funds have been released by the time of reporting on her Y1|Q2 progress. She has completed and submitted her ethical clearance application. She is currently awaiting feedback.
Dr Pearl Lefadola reporting on her progress for the following research project: Upcycling Food Waste into Value-Added Products: A Sustainable Approach to Food Loss in Botswana's Tomato Supply Chain.
Edited by Heidi Sonnekus & Leti Kleyn for the FAR-LeaF programme.
