Dr David Olivier is a Cape Town-based researcher working for the Global Change Institute (GCI) of the University of the Witwatersrand. He received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Stellenbosch in 2014 on the social and physical benefits of urban agriculture projects run by non-governmental organisations in Cape Town. He subsequently worked as project manager to the Southern Africa Food Lab on social protection for sustainable agriculture. David's research explores the intersection of nature and society in South Africa. His current focus is on sustainable urban water use.
Experience
2016–present
Postdoctoral research fellow, University of the Witwatersrand
2015–2016
Project manager, Southern Africa Food Lab
2012–2015
Research consultant, Private
2010–2012
Sociology tutor, University of Stellenbosch
Education
2014
University of Stellenbosch , PhD (Sociology)
2011
University of Stellenbosch, MA (Sociology)
2008
University of Stellenbosch, BA with honours (Sociology)
Publications
2019
Urban agriculture promotes sustainable livelihoods in Cape Town, Development Southern Africa
2018
Urban agriculture in Cape Town: building sustainable livelihoods, Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research
2018
A Cropping System for Resource-Constrained Urban Agriculture: Lessons from Cape Town, Sustainability
2018
Re-imagining the potential of effective drought responses in South Africa, Regional Environmental Change
2018
Urban agriculture in Cape Town: Building sustainable livelihoods, Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research
2018
Making effective use of groundwater to avoid another water supply crisis in Cape Town, South Africa, Hydrogeology Journal
2017
Beyond food security: women’s experiences of urban agriculture in Cape Town, Agriculture and Human Values
2016
The personal and social benefits of urban agriculture experienced by cultivators on the Cape Flats, Development Southern Africa
2013
Mussel and oyster culture in Saldanha Bay, South Africa: potential for sustainable growth, development and employment creation, Food Security
Grants and Contracts
2018
Pan-African Research College on Sustainable Cities