Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 21 October 2025 | 16:16 CAT

📸 Indigenous golden sage in bloom, one of South Africa’s resilient native herbs being revived by University of Pretoria researchers for its flavour and environmental benefits. Image: Shutterstock

As the world grapples with hunger, climate change, and a growing dependence on industrialised agriculture, researchers at the University of Pretoria are turning their attention to what has long been overlooked: indigenous or “orphan” crops. These forgotten plants, once a staple in African diets, could hold the key to future food security and biodiversity restoration.

Dr Hennie Fisher, Culinary Arts Lecturer in the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, is leading research that seeks to reintroduce nutrient-rich plants such as the African wild rosemary and golden sage back into kitchens and diets. “We’re saying that the broader commercial world has forgotten them,” Dr Fisher explained in an interview on Radio Islam International. “There’s not just one green vegetable to eat, there are plenty that one can eat.”

Industrial agriculture, she added, has narrowed global crop diversity to a handful of high-yield crops such as maize and wheat. “These crops are well-established and profitable, but we can’t keep feeding a whole planet with just a few plant materials when there are so many more that we can choose from,” said Fisher.

Her research goes beyond the laboratory and into the kitchen. By working with junior culinary students, the project explores how local herbs can be used as substitutes for Western varieties. “We asked students to experiment with golden sage, the indigenous version of the culinary herb. Many found it a bit harsh and invasive in flavour, but that’s about exposure,” she noted. “It’s about training the palate to experience new textures and flavours.”

Dr Fisher calls this concept the “blending of the plate” – diversifying what we eat to reflect the biodiversity around us. “If every single day the plate of food is the same, your palate becomes accustomed to those few ingredients. We want to open that palate, to invite curiosity and experimentation,” she explained.

The long-term vision, she says, is to shift consumer habits first, then influence supply chains. “When consumers start asking for these indigenous options, supermarkets and producers will respond. That’s how biodiversity makes its way back into our food systems.”

Environmentally, these indigenous crops offer resilience, thriving with minimal cultivation and adapting naturally to local climates. “If we encourage people to plant them, even just for home use, we reduce strain on commercial farming and reconnect with sustainable food traditions,” Dr Fisher concluded.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Dr Hennie Fisher.