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

Many rural households in the developing world are subject to chronic seasonal food insecurity. Foraging for wild foods is often cited among coping strategies. This study examined the role of wild food in household food security in Timor-Leste. Information on wild food use came from three sources: (a) a longitudinal study of food consumption among 14 subsistence farmer households across four districts in 2006–2007; (b) a survey in 2011 of 1,800 farmer households across all 13 districts in Timor-Leste; and (c) a survey of 64 households from eight community seed groups in three districts in 2013. The consumption of wild food fluctuated widely across the year with consumption much reduced in the wet season (December–April) compared to the dry season (May–November). Wild food use in a normal year, 2006–2007, and a food-deficit year, 2011, characterized by a severe hungry season, were compared. In the normal year, the maize grain store was exhausted in 50% of households (expressed as cumulative percentage of ‘at-risk’ households) during the month of August with 9.2% of households consuming wild food. By contrast in the food-deficit year, maize grain stores were typically exhausted two months earlier than in a normal year, and 50% of all interviewed households were foraging for wild food by May in four districts. In the food-deficit season, wild food foraging dramatically increased compared to a normal year, particularly by poor at-risk households. The early depletion of stored grain stocks under food insecurity resulted in greater coincidence of the period of wild food foraging with the hungry season than in a normal year. In two surveys, clear differences existed between districts in the extent of wild food foraging. The most widely eaten wild plant foods in Timor-Leste are lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta considered wild in Timor-Leste) followed by elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) and bitter bean (Phaseolus lunatus). In the future in Timor-Leste, the wild food resource will continue to provide an important food buffer in deficit years especially to poor at-risk households, increasing their resilience and reducing their vulnerability.

Many rural households in the developing world are subject to chronic seasonal food insecurity. Often cited among coping strategies is foraging for wild foods. This study was to understand the role of wild food in household food security in Timor-Leste. Information on wild food use comes from three sources: a) a longitudinal study of food consumption among 14 subsistence farmer households across four districts in 2006–2007; b) a survey in 2011 of 1,800 farmer households across all 13 districts in Timor-Leste; and c) a survey of 64 households from eight community seed groups in three districts in 2013. The consumption of wild food fluctuated widely across the year with consumption much reduced in the wet season (December – April) compared to the dry season (May – November). Wild food use in a normal year – 2006–2007 and a food-deficit year – 2011, characterized by a severe hungry season, were compared. In the normal year the maize grain store was exhausted in 50 % of households (expressed as cumulative percentage of ‘at risk’ households) during the month of August and the percent of households consuming wild food was 9.2 %. By contrast in the food deficit year, maize grain stores were typically exhausted 2 months earlier than in a normal year, and 50 % of all interviewed households were foraging for wild food by May in four districts. Clearly in the food deficit season wild food foraging was dramatically increased compared to a normal year, particularly by poor at-risk households. The early depletion of grains store stocks under food insecurity resulted in greater coincidence of the period of wild food foraging with the hungry season than in a normal year. In two surveys there were clear differences between districts in the extent of wild food foraging. The most widely eaten wild plant foods in Timor-Leste are lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta considered wild in Timor-Leste) followed by elephant’s foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) and bitter bean (Phaseolus lunatus). Looking to the future in Timor-Leste, the wild food resource will continue to provide an important food buffer in deficit years especially to poor at-risk households, increasing their resilience and reducing their vulnerability.

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.

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.

Household food insecurity in South African suburban low-income households is a major challenge. Research outcomes that will inform decisions on effective solutions towards reducing household food insecurity in South Africa are essential. The purpose of this study was firstly to determine the food security status of households and the skills of household members in Ward 60 of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. Secondly, it was also to determine the association between the socioeconomic and demographic variables of the households and their level of food (in-)security. The study employed a mixed method of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, comprising a qualitative Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) methodology and a quantitative household food security survey methodology. A household food security survey was employed using a questionnaire that was based on the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). The questionnaire was used to collect data from 170 randomly selected households. The data analysis used the HFIAS score and logistic regression analysis. The results show 6.1% of households as food secure, 3.05% as mildly food insecure, 13.4% as moderately food insecure, and 77.4% as severely food insecure. The results also show that a significant unemployment rate, a reliance on social grants, and absence of income seriously impact the extent of household food insecurity. The results show a significant association between the household food security and the variables of unemployment, income, and gender. The regression analysis results suggest that gender, household size, age, employment, and household income influence household food security. The results of the household skills show that the households had a variety of skills. These results can help to inform decisions by the government, local municipalities, NGOs, and other stakeholders towards designing effective solutions for enhancing household food security.

Wild foods may offer unique benefits to households afflicted by AIDS, providing a nutritious and freely available food source at minimal labour and financial costs. This article presents the results of food security assessments in two rural South African sites. Detailed household dietary recalls from 227 households, combined with qualitative work, explored the association of household AIDS proxies (recent morbidity, mortality and orphan fostering) with household food security and dietary composition. The study found that AIDS-proxy households were significantly more food insecure, and households fostering orphans were both poorer and more food insecure. Wild foods were evident in 40.3% of the 48 h recalls, with significantly greater likelihood of use in households with fostering paternal orphans, and/or with at least one AIDS proxy. Only paternal orphans were significantly associated with likelihood of using wild foods when controlling for household socio-economic status. Qualitative data suggests that households afflicted by AIDS might curtail their use of wild foods due to household labour shortages and stigma. This is unfortunate, as regressions indicate that households using wild foods may be more economically resilient. This may be particularly important for households registering AIDS proxies, due to a demonstrated negative correlation between accumulated household AIDS proxies and household income.

BackgroundSouth Africa is rated a food secure nation, but large numbers of households within the country have inadequate access to nutrient-rich diverse foods. The study sought to investigate households’ physical and economic access and availability of food, in relation to local context which influences households’ access to and ability to grow food which may affect the dietary quality. We sought to understand self-reported healthy diets, food insecurity from the perspective of people who experienced it, barriers to household food security and perceptions and feelings on food access as well as strategies households use to cope with food shortages and their perceptions on improving household food security.MethodsFocus group discussions were conducted along a rural–urban continuum in three South African towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. Participants were asked about their knowledge of healthy diets, factors influencing their food consumption, their perceptions regarding food insecurity, barriers to food security, coping strategies and solutions to improve access to nutrient-rich foods.ResultsA total of 91 people participated in 11 focus groups, with 76% females. The majority of participants aged between 31 and 50 years. Participants were knowledgeable about healthy diets but had limited access to it hence consumed monotonous diets. The perceptions provided insights into the pressing issues of inadequate access to food, food insecurity, coping strategies and ideas on improving food security. The majority of participants reported on experiencing food insecurity and female-headed households, unemployed and orphaned children were most vulnerable. Focus group participants highlighted the complexity of the food system in their communities which relies on own production, collecting from open spaces, donations and to a larger extent purchase, in the context of unemployment, low income, water and land shortages as well as theft.ConclusionThe results provide a significant contribution from a needs assessment perspective from the communities, identify “hidden” constrains in household food access and provide effective future solutions for improving food security in the communities. Government should assist with capacity building, employment creation and providing resources (especially, land and water) for communities to practise agriculture which they all agreed can improve food security.

Addressing the disproportionate burden of food insecurity in South Africa requires targeted efforts to help smallholder farmers to access markets. The purpose of this study was to assess determinants of market participation and its contribution to household food security. The secondary data used in this study were collected from 1520 respondents; however, 389 smallholder farmers participated in the market. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale revealed that out of the total sample size, 85% of the households were food insecure while 15% were food secure. Gender of household head, receiving social grants and higher wealth index positively impacted market participation. Having a family member with HIV had a negative impact on market participation among smallholder farmers. The results from the extended ordered probit regression model showed that household size, having a family member with HIV and agricultural assistance had a positive and significant contribution to the household food insecurity situation of the smallholder farmers. On the other hand, the educational level of household head, ownership of livestock, age of household head, gender of household head, and having access to social grants had a negative and significant effect on the food insecurity status. Access to education and the market can improve household food security. Linking smallholder farmers, particularly women and aged farmers, to markets should form an intrinsic part of the government’s efforts to improve farming and food security and increase access to diversified food.

Food insecurity in urban South Africa is situated in both historic and contemporary factors. This article argues that there is a need to reimagine and reconceptualise national, socio-ecclesial and theological responses to urban food insecurity in South Africa. We contend that the global and enduring nature of food insecurity is indicative of the violence of hunger and poverty and can be viewed as structural violence. While the church has since its inception been involved in feeding the hungry, the structural and systemic nature of food insecurity requires more nuanced theological responses and reflections. As a prophetic voice, the church and theological reflection and action are important partners in conversations, dialogue, measures and interventions geared towards the eradication of hunger and food insecurity in urban South Africa. A descriptive and evaluative method of enquiry was adopted in order to identify the historic structural and systemic factors that perpetuate food insecurity in South Africa. This article concludes that social inequality, economic disenfranchisement and poverty are as a result of structural inequalities that amount to structural violence inflicted on the most vulnerable of society.

Harvesting wild food is an important coping strategy to deal with food insecurity in farming households across the Caribbean. The practice is tightly connected to the region's unique agrarian history, food heritage, traditional cuisine, and local knowledge of wild or semidomesticated plants. In Jamaica, small-scale farmers are the chief stewards of agrobiodiversity, and their food security and well-being are often dependent on wild food harvest. Yet, there is a paucity of empirical research on the relationship between wild food use, food security, and biodiversity conservation. In this paper, we use the knowledge and lived experience of rural farmers in a remote community (Millbank) at the edge of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (BJMNP) to explore the relationship between wild food harvest and food insecurity within the context of protected area management. Specifically, we seek to (1) characterize different patterns of wild food harvest; (2) examine the relationship between food insecurity and wild food harvest, and (3) explore the implications of forest conservation measures for wild food harvest. Detailed interviews were conducted with 43 farmers to capture data on food insecurity, wild food collection, livelihood satisfaction, household characteristics, farming activities, livelihood strategies, and forest resource interaction. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was used to characterize food insecurity, while participatory techniques were used to develop indicators to assess the well-being of farmers. The results show strong evidence of a relationship between wild food harvest and food insecurity (p< 0.001). Overall, the findings support the importance of wild foods to the well-being of rural households and provide empirical evidence for its inclusion in food security, poverty, and biodiversity conservation policies.

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

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.

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.

A Consideration of the Evaluation of Demonstration Projects to End Childhood Hunger (EDECH)

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.