This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof. Riëtte de Kock, who lectures in the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, the Faculty of Natural Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria. The Department of Consumer and Food Sciences provides relevant, world-class education and training for future leaders in consumer science, food science, culinary science and nutrition, and takes in students from across the continent, like Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Lesotho, Uganda and South Africa.  According to the WEF Agriculture makes up 35% of Africa’s GDP and employs about half of its people. Food and agriculture is a vital part of the continent’s economy. Prof. de Kock has a particular interest on the optimisation of the sensory properties of food and beverages (taste, smell, texture, appearance, sound) that contribute to the nutrition status and well-being of consumers in sub-Saharan Africa. One aspect of her research is optimising the shelf life of wholegrain maize meal. She emphasises the importance of participating in professional networks to keep abreast of new knowledge and developments in your field and cultivating social connections with peers. She is a member of several associations such as Vice President: South African Association for Food Science Technology www.saafost.org.za; Representative for University of Pretoria as Associate member: South African Association for the Flavour and Fragrance Industry (SAAFFI) www.saaffi.co.za; Representative for University of Pretoria as Associate member: South African Meat Processors Association www.sampa.org.za; Chair: Africa Network for Sensory Evaluation Research ANSWER https://answernetwork.org/. She imparts an important learning for self-development, namely the more you share the more you grow and teams make you stronger. Tune in for more…