Feeding Tomorrow: How Luther Chipembere Turns Data into Hope

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In this special episode of Lift Club with Llewellyn Buys and Mophethi Mabeba, we sit down with Luther Chipembere, Stellenbosch University’s first-ever winner of the national FameLab science communication competition.

Luther, a doctoral student in Agricultural Economics and Artificial Intelligence, shares how his groundbreaking research uses AI, satellite imagery, and climate data to predict crop yields before harvest — giving farmers, governments, and communities vital early warning signals to safeguard food systems.

We talk about what it means to make history at SU, why science needs to be communicated beyond research institutions, and how his work connects directly to the UN’s Zero Hunger goal. Luther also opens up about preparing to represent South Africa on the international stage at CERN in Geneva later this year.

A powerful conversation about science, storytelling, and the role of research in shaping a more food-secure future.
1 Oct English South Africa News · Society & Culture

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