Abstract
Lack of access to nutritious and balanced diets remains a major impediment to the health and well-being of people living in rural areas. The study utilizes a qualitative systematic approach to conduct an environmental scan and review of scientific literature of studies conducted in South Africa, specifically KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Availability and access to nutritious, diverse and balanced diets were identified as key constraints for achieving food and nutrition security as well as for human health and well-being. This has led to both under- and over-nutrition, with the former, in particular stunting, affecting children under 5 years. A high incidence of over-nutrition, both overweight and obesity, was observed among black African females. In South Africa, poor people rely mostly on social grants and cannot afford a balanced diet. Under these circumstances, agriculture could be used to increase availability and access to diverse and nutritious foods for the attainment of a balanced diet. The wider use of traditional vegetable crops and pulses could improve availability and access to healthy and locally available alternatives. The promotion of household and community food gardens, and the use of nutrient dense crops with low levels of water use, i.e., high nutritional water productivity, offers prospects for addressing malnutrition in poor rural areas.
Highlights
Lack of balanced diets, manifested as under- and over-nutrition, is a major concern inSouth Africa [1] and other developing parts of the world
47%–53% of black South Africans are affected by poverty, with the largest proportion of poor households being found in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) [9]
Undernutrition is regarded as a serious problem as it leads to poor quality of life due to the loss of body cell mass
Summary
South Africa [1] and other developing parts of the world This has affected human health and well-being as observed by the increased risk of chronic lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease and hyperlipidaemia [1,2,3,4,5]. 47%–53% of black South Africans are affected by poverty, with the largest proportion of poor households being found in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) [9]. Such poor households are often at a high risk of malnutrition as they cannot afford a balanced diet [10].
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