A Socially-engaged Theological Response to the Historic and Structural Nature of Food Insecurity in South Africa

PurposeHousehold food insecurity in South Africa is a pervasive public health challenge. Although its link to chronic health conditions is well established, its relationship to mental illness, particularly major depression, is not well-understood. Despite KwaZulu-Natal Province being the epicenter of the drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) epidemic, and having the largest share of poverty in South Africa, this relationship remains unexamined. This study investigated the association between major depressive episode (MDE) and household food insecurity among individuals with MDR-TB.MethodsWe enrolled and interviewed 141 newly admitted microbiologically confirmed MDR-TB inpatients at a specialized TB hospital in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Logistic regression models were fitted to assess the relationship between MDE and household food insecurity, while accounting for socio-demographic status (e.g., age, gender, education, marital status, social grant status, income, and preference for living in one’s community).ResultsThe prevalence of MDE and household food insecurity was 11.35% and 21.01%, respectively. MDE was significantly associated with household food insecurity (aOR 4.63, 95% CI 1.17–18.38). Individuals who are female (aOR 6.29, 95% CI 1.13–35.03), young (aOR 8.86, 95% CI 1.69–46.34), have low educational attainment (aOR 6.19, 95% CI 1.70–22.59) and receive social grants (aOR 7.60, 95% CI 2.36–24.48) were most at risk of household food insecurity.ConclusionsMDE in individuals with MDR-TB was significantly associated with household food insecurity, independent of socio-economic status. Although MDR-TB is not exclusively a disease of the poor, individuals from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., female, young adults, low education, and social grant recipients) were more likely to experience household food insecurity. Our study underscores the need to address the co-occurring cycles of food insecurity and untreated MDE in South Africa.

This study aims to integrate underutilized crops (UCs) into the food system to address climate change impacts, and food -water insecurity. UCs have immense potential to mitigate food shortages, yet their role remains largely unexplored in mainstream agricultural and food security strategies. A multidisciplinary approach using social psychology, resource-based theory (RBT), and a new ecological paradigm was used to investigate factors influencing UCs adoption and their potential contribution to water and food insecurity in South Africa. The water poverty index (WPI) and household food insecurity access score (HFIAS) were used to determine the water and food insecurity status of rural households. The study found that UCs cultivation was driven by awareness, access to extension advisory services, and climate information. The findings indicate that adopting UCs significantly improves water and food insecurity in South Africa. Consequently, households that integrated UCs into their farming systems experienced higher WPI scores, reflecting improved water availability and conservation, as UCs require less water than conventional crops. Likewise, lower HFIAS values suggest that UCs enhance food insecurity by diversifying diets, stabilizing food access, and reducing seasonal hunger. Statistically, households in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North-West provinces who adopted UCs saw 25.18 (21%), 31.03 (26%), and 28.77 (24%) rise in WPI and HFIAS compared to those who did not embrace UCs, respectively. These results highlight the potential of UCs as climate-resilient crops that mitigate water scarcity and food insecurity, making them a viable strategy for enhancing rural livelihoods amid climate change. Therefore, prioritizing UCs cultivation could build more resilient agricultural systems, address water scarcity and improve food security.

Quantitative Indicators from a Food Expenditure Survey Can Be Used to Target the Food Insecure in South Africa

This article maps food insecurity in South Africa and plumbs the data to women-headed households at the municipal level. Local contexts provide a better understanding of people's experiences by studying the impact their geographical location has on their economic status, and the impact their raced and gendered identities have on that experience. Localised information could also ensure that more nuanced policies are developed to address inequalities. Food insecurity is a marker of exclusion and poverty in urban and rural areas across South Africa, but women are more likely than men to be food insecure, especially in the rural areas. Data are combined from Statistics South Africa's Income and Expenditure Survey and Community Survey (both 2008) to arrive at a more accurate assessment of food insecurity at municipal level in South Africa. The National Department of Agriculture places food insecurity at 50%, while this study argues that approximately 64% of households in South Africa are food insecure, a result which has policy implications. Our study also uses data that provide a more nuanced approach that shows provincial and municipal variations that are much higher than the national average, which should support provincial and local government policies that address food insecurity more effectively. The article also argues that due to male-biased economic, cultural and community practices, women-headed households are most food insecure. In light of this information, the article provides a nuanced understanding of women's food insecurity in the country. We offer policy recommendations on how women's food insecurity could be reduced in the areas where it is most prevalent. The importance of gender-sensitive development policies, localised contextual knowledge, and innovative strategies that would assist women in their efforts to become food secure, particularly in rural areas across South Africa, are highlighted.

Food insecurity in South Africa remains a persistent challenge. Traditionally, food insecurity has been seen as affecting rural areas only, and this perspective had previously informed, and is still informing, policy and food security responses. South Africa is over 60% urbanised and yet policies and mandates regarding food security do not reflect this shift. This chapter seeks to answer the question ‘how food secure are South Africa’s cities?’, describing the state of food insecurity in South Africa’s cities, but also highlighting the specific nature of urban food insecurity. The chapter argues that food insecurity is the result of poorly framed and mandated policies, that food insecurity is driven by changes in the food system, and that spatial and structural issues also drive food insecurity. These challenges are reinforced in cities where the food insecure rely on the market as a means to ensure food availability. South Africa’s cities are food insecure and will remain so within the current market and governance regimes.

Food insecurity in South Africa: To what extent can social grants and consumption of wild foods eradicate hunger?

This study examines how the smoking behavior of household head impacts the food insecurity status of household in South Africa, with a focus on smoking behavior transition. The study used the fifth wave of the 2017 National Income Dynamics Study survey. Additionally, the smoking transition variable was computed using smoking status in waves 3 and 5 of the survey. Foster-Greer-Thorbecke food insecurity index, descriptive statistics, and logit regression techniques were deployed in the study. Surprisingly, the analysis shows that households headed by current smokers have a lower prevalence of food insecurity (compared to households whose heads are nonsmokers). Similarly, household food insecurity prevalence is lesser for homes whose head initiated smoking behavior or remained a smoker compared to those whose head remained a nonsmoker or transition to nonsmoking. Nevertheless, the findings from the applied logit regression suggested that household food insecurity significantly increases when a household head is a current smoker and a consistent smoker. The finding indicates that household head smoking behavior does contribute to household food insecurity in South Africa. The need to address food insecurity at the household level is a compelling argument for tobacco smoking cessation or control in addition to health consequence concerns.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted South Africa’s economy, exacerbating household vulnerabilities. In response, the government established the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant in 2020 to support working-age adults facing economic hardship. Although initially conceived as a temporary measure, the grant has been extended multiple times. Despite extensive research on social assistance programs, evidence on their long-term effects on food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries remains limited. This study examines the effect of the COVID-19 SRD grant on household food insecurity in South Africa over a four-year period (2020–2023), using fixed-effects analysis of nationally representative General Household Survey (GHS) data. Contrary to expectations, the findings indicate that receipt of the grant was associated with a significant increase in food insecurity. These results underscore the complexities of cash transfer programs, suggesting that immediate financial relief may not translate into long-term economic stability. The study emphasises the importance of integrated policy interventions, including direct food support, employment initiatives, and sustainable income-generating strategies, in enhancing household food security. Policymakers and stakeholders should consider these unintended consequences when designing future social protection measures to ensure they effectively support vulnerable populations during crises.

The novel coronavirus has revealed major impediments in South African food distribution. Existing challenges will be greatly exacerbated by an economic recession projected to be worse than the Great Depression. Home gardens are decidedly utilised to fortify food security and economic resiliency in the face of crises, especially in impoverished communities. For these communities, home garden produce favourably augments diets consisting predominantly of industrially produced staples and the surplus yield can be sold. Despite many campaigns to alleviate food insecurity – some aimed at developing industrial agriculture and others to establish and uplift home gardens – malnutrition and hunger still plague the impoverished. Dissection of these campaigns reveals common flaws in those that failed and key aspects related to those that succeeded, with successful projects even managing to provide a household’s total supply of vegetables. One of the crucial failings was a ‘top-down’ approach that condescended to participants, ignoring existing knowledge, preferences and social consolidation whilst focusing on meticulously consistent packaged methodologies. Successful projects exalted recipients’ own bid for food sovereignty and increased individual and community capacity by providing insightful consultation and access to requested necessary inputs. Obstacles especially present in South Africa include drought and collapse of social capital after withdrawal of institutional support. It has been proven possible that these can be overcome with application of technologies, such as rainwater harvesting, and the creation of common cause such as in national drives. This review of the literature clearly reveals that purposefully uplifted home and community gardens alleviate food insecurity.Significance: Citizens aim for food sovereignty in times of economic crises such as will be brought about by the novel coronavirus. We assess the potential of the establishment of home and community gardens to alleviate food insecurity in South Africa. Home gardens should mainly target the alleviation of malnutrition, producing vegetables to augment cereal-based diets. Protection of social capital by institutional networks ensures durability and long-term success of campaigns. Rainwater harvesting technology is immensely influential for the success of home gardens in a South African context.

Although classified as an upper middle-income country, food insecurity is still a concern throughout South Africa, as was evident in 2014–2015 when a drought left 22% of households food insecure. Further, a range of domestic and international factors make the local currency unstable, leaving South Africa exposed to risk in global wheat and exchange rate markets and increasing its food insecurity vulnerability. As such, agricultural research in South Africa is needed specifically in plant breeding to increase yields and help mitigate future food insecurity. To foster scientific innovation for food security, the South African government funds the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), which conducts holistic research on wheat and other crops. This study estimates the proportions of increases in yield of ARC’s wheat cultivars, which are attributable solely to genetic improvements. In total, 25,690 yield observations from 125 countrywide test plots from 1998 to 2014 were utilized to estimate the proportions of yield increases attributable to the ARC. We found that South African farmers who adopted the ARC’s wheat varieties experienced an annual yield gain of 0.75%, 0.30%, and 0.093% in winter, facultative, and irrigated spring wheat types, respectively. Using observed area sown to ARC varieties, we estimated that wheat producers gained $106.45 million (2016 USD) during 1992–2015 via the adoption of ARC varieties. We estimated that every dollar invested in the ARC wheat breeding program generated a return of $5.10. Assuming the South African per capita wheat consumption is 60.9 kg/year, our results suggest that the ARC breeding program provided an average of 253,318 additional wheat rations from 1992–2015. Further, the net surplus (consumer plus producer) from the ARC breeding program was estimated at 42.64 million 2016 USD from 1992–2015. Public breeding programs, especially those focused on wheat and other staple foods, must continue if South Africa is to meet growing global food demand, decrease present global food insecurity, and maintain the genetic enhancements that directly enhances yield and benefits low-income consumers.

ABSTRACTAfrica’s high level of food insecurity is exacerbated by rapid urbanisation, leading to the diversion of resources from food production in rural areas. Despite this, food insecurity policies continue to disproportionately focus on rural dwellers due to persistently high levels of rural poverty. We examine the association between housing type and urban food insecurity using the 2017 South Africa General Household Survey. Using the Household Food Security Access Scale and a dietary diversity indicator, we find that like other forms of deprivation in South Africa, food insecurity has significant racial and gender dimensions. Dwelling type is vital in influencing the food insecurity of households using both measures. Persons living in informal homes are more likely to experience food insecurity than those in semi-formal and formal dwellings. There is a need to create a synergy between new and already existing programmes so that they are appropriately leveraged.

BackgroundRecent studies have confirmed that the COVID-19 lockdown has caused massive job losses. However, the impact of this loss on food security is not well-understood. Moreover, a paucity of evidence exists regarding social protection grants’ countervailing effects against such shocks. This study examined the effects of job loss (labour income loss) on child and household hungers (our two measures food insecurity) during COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. It also ascertained whether these effect were offset by alternative social grant programs to document the protective role of the latter.Data and methodsWe used South Africa’s National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) and the Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (CRAM) data. These data cover a nationally representative sample of 7073 individuals. We employed a probit model to estimate the effect of job loss and receipts of various social grants on child and households’ hungers. We also estimated the double-selection logit model to account for the model’s uncertainty surrounding the variable selection and treatment-effects estimation using lasso (Telasso) for causal inference of our analysis.ResultsOur analyses showed that households exposed to a labour market shock during the pandemic experienced a significant increase in our measures of food insecurity (child and household hungers). Specifically, we found that compared with households containing employed respondents, households with respondents who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 lockdown were 5.4% more likely to report child hunger and 2.6% more likely to report household hunger in the past seven days A receipt of child support grant reduces the likelihood of reporting child hunger and household hunger by 21.7%and 16.9% respectively among these households. A receipt of old age pension grant reduces the likelihood of reporting household hunger by 24% with no significant effect on child hunger.ConclusionThe COVID-19 lockdown resulted in unprecedent job losses with significant implications for food insecurity. Job loss due to COVID-19 lockdown significantly increased food insecurity in South Africa. Receipts of social grants effectively offset this adverse effect. The protective effect of the social grant is heterogenous across its alternative programs (child support grant and old age pension grant) and food insecurity, suggesting the differences in the size of transfers and motivations for sending these transfers.

Agriculture, industry, and service sectors’ employment composition is often associated with economic development metrics. The question, however, remains whether sectoral reallocation improves all dimensions of development, or whether some outcomes – such as food insecurity, one of the critical socioeconomic challenges – are being left behind. Despite the observed reduction, though persistent, in national hunger trends in South Africa, it is still unknown whether this reallocation, which reflects structural economic transformation, contributes significantly to the reduction of food insecurity in the country. Thus, this study examines the impact of sectoral employment composition on food insecurity in South Africa. The study employs the Johansen cointegration tests and Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) techniques on data series for the year 1991 to 2023. Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR) estimation was also employed as robust check. The Johansen cointegration tests confirm a stable long-run equilibrium between sectoral employment and hunger reduction. The findings from the FMOLS estimation for the long-run impact indicate that increases in employment share across agriculture, tertiary, and secondary sectors may correlate with heightened food insecurity, underscoring the complexity of employment-driven transformation in adressing this socioeconomic challenge. The findings further highlight the role of income in alleviating hunger. Some policy implications are put forward, such as: i) promotion of inclusive industrial policy, ii) strengthening of skills development and vocational training, and iii) promotion of sectoral employment quality, not just quantity. Future research should conduct analysis that disaggregates the Global Hunger Index (GHI) into its dimensions (i.e., undernourishment, child wasting, stunting, and mortality) to identify which aspects are most affected by sectoral employment changes. Addressing food insecurity as a key socioeconomic challenge must remain central to South Africa’s development agenda.

Various research results point out poverty, inadequate food production and inadequate distribution as the main culprits for food insecurity in many African countries. This article wishes to contribute to the existing knowledge on food insecurity and concentrate on South Africa and investigate whether food symbolism can also lead to systematic food insecurity and discrimination of some people. Since the official end of political apartheid in 1994, there have been great improvements in terms of grants, aid, increase in food production and change of structures. Nevertheless, food insecurity still persists. This research seeks to uncover new facts concerning the cause for food insecurity in South Africa. It brings to the fore that instead of focusing on structural changes only, researchers need to re-evaluate some of the cultural and religious beliefs attached to food production, distribution and consumption. The article also hopes to highlight that the Eucharist which is a centre of Christian life ought to unite the faith-based communities and confront the vice of injustice in all its forms which exacerbates the problem of food insecurity. Christian encounter with Christ through the Eucharist forms the believers into a community of brothers and sisters and empowers people to participate in the liberating mission of the Lord. This solution would go to the roots of the moral problem of food insecurity and put institutions and structures on a new, more humane and beneficial foundation.

The indigent and societally vulnerable have compromised capacities to achieve their full welfare potential. This necessitates polices that can cushion them, such as the indigent support policy in South Africa. However, there is little acknowledgement on the welfare effects of community and contextually derived support policies. The study seeks an understanding of the effectiveness of the indigent support policy on food insecurity in Matatiele Local Municipality, South Africa, using a cross sectional survey of a purposively selected sample of 549 households. Food insecurity, determinants of awareness and beneficiation as well as effectiveness from the policy are assessed through the Household Food In-Access Scale (HFIAS), Heckman two step model and Propensity Score Matching (PSM), respectively. Households are found to be food secure, with awareness and beneficiation from the indigent policy being affected by duration of stay, employment status, location, tenure, total monthly income, monthly food expenditure and food insecurity status. To add, the indigent support policy has a positive impact on food security. In conclusion, there is food security partly due to indigent support with beneficiation affected by various socio-economic factors. There is need to compliment indigent support products to include food products and promote the policy to increase awareness. Furthermore, there is need to capacitate and coordinate policy making to target food insecure households to augment and magnify the positive effects of indigent support.