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Professor Albert Thembinkosi Modi of the University of KwaZulu-Natal's School of Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness on the Pietermaritzburg campus is the winner of the TWAS (Third World Academy of Science) Young Scientist Award 2007: Life Science Category.
This national prize, administered and managed by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), is awarded annually to a young scientist under the age of 40 working in the different fields of the natural sciences. Criteria for the award include ''the level of excellence of the scientific research carried out, its perceived potential value to society, and the success of the candidate in developing students and contributing to the public understanding of science and technology''.
The selection committee, comprising eminent scientists, technologists and engineers, ''was particularly impressed by Professor Modi's self-initiated research, his record of training postgraduate students and the potential contribution of his research to South African society.
Professor Modi's most significant achievements have been in community engagement. For several years he worked in the Umbumbulu area in KwaZulu-Natal researching indigenous agricultural systems and advising the community on how to improve seed quality and production outputs. In an effort to encourage farmers to use sustainable methods of production, he founded the Ezemvelo Farmers Organisation.
This community-based organisation was the first group of small-scale subsistence farmers in South Africa to be certified as using organic methodology. It created a historic opportunity for these rural farmers to market their organic produce to mainstream retailers, such as Woolworths and Pick and Pay. A key component of Professor Modi's work in this area involved improving the self-sustainability of women farmers.
Professor Pete Zacharias, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science said that Professor Modi is well deserving of the TWAS Award and that it is a ''fitting acknowledgement of a young South African who has taken the opportunities presented to him and used them not only to further his own career but also to develop and improve the lot of others''.
Professor Modi was presented with the TWAS Young Scientist Award at the ASSAf Awards Ceremony at the University of Pretoria on Monday, 26 November.
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