Date: 4 - 27 September 2023
Duration: 2 weeks
Venue: NMISA Training Center, Building 4, CSIR Campus, Pretoria
Course Objectives
Supporting sustainable agricultural practices, ecosystem health and exports through accurate measurement. The agricultural sector is a major contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP), as well as total employment of many African Countries. To place exports in context, the value of edible fruits and nuts from Africa to the European Union represent a € 4.3 billion market.
The nutritional value of agricultural and food products is, in part, determined by the mineral content of the food. Conversely, the presence of toxic elements adversely affects health, thus necessitating local and international legislation in this regard. This makes accurate quantification of elemental content not only crucial in safeguarding human and animal health, but also in securing exports.
Outside agriculture, many African countries have mineral-based economies, which in recent times includes recycling of electronic goods. Historic mining activities as well as the methods used, can lead to soils and water enriched with elements normally found at only trace levels.