Page 16 - MRC Newsletter Ed-1 (2021)

ZERI in the last

five years

The Zero Emission Research Initiatives (ZERI) Division aims at
providing affordable options that are viable and suitable
to generate income that can contribute to the reduction
of poverty for the people in Namibia’s rural and peri-urban
communities, through promoting mushroom farming and
mushroom consumption. The Division exists to transfer
scientific technology and skills to communities using organic
material that are deemed as waste generated through
agricultural and food processing industrial activities, Dr
Kadhila explained

In order to fulfil its aims, the researchers at ZERI engage in
various research activities and they seek collaborations both
internally and externally as a means to achieve the divisional
goals. Dr Kadhila indicated that ZERI focuses on mushroom
research, the domestication of indigenous edible and
medicinal mushrooms as well as product development from
the cultivated indigenous and exotic mushrooms. In order to
increase its impact all over southern Africa, Dr Kadhila said
that it was necessary for the division to position itself very
well by being at the forefront of a collaborative network
of researchers in southern Africa in terms of promoting
mushroom research. As Dr Kadhila explained, “ZERI is
recognised regionally and serves as the Mushroom Node for
the Southern African Network for Biosciences (SANBio) with Above and below, RUFORUM project team meeting the
community members at Okondjatu and the community
the objective of promoting mushroom research, production members identifying bushes to be used as mushroom substrates
and innovation in Southern Africa.” Dr Kadhila further stated
that the Division also promotes the growing of vegetables
on mushroom spent substrates to live up to its mandate of
zero emissions. ZERI researchers have become involved in
various projects funded by Regional Universities Forum for
Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), Deutscher
Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), and the University
of Namibia (UNAM). As part of the RUFORUM project roll
out, researchers, for example, were actively involved in
providing training to the Okondjatu community on how to
grow mushrooms as a means to promote community food
self-sufficiency.

016 RESEARCH MATTERS VOL 8. 2021 MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTRE