Food Security in Rural Areas of North West Province: An Evaluation of Policy Impact
.
Mpho Putu, PhD Candidate
Student number:212560882
333 Columbine Avenue
Mondeor
2110
Mobile Number: 084 836 0966
Email: Mphoputu@gmail.com
Promoters: Dr Mudara, Prof Bogali, Dr Kolanisi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Background……………………………………………………………………………………………….3
2. Preliminary Literature review……………………………………………………………………...4
2.1 Problem Statement……………………………………………………………………….………..4
2.2 Justification of the Research……………………………………………………….……………..7
2.3. Research objectives………………………………………………………………………………7
2.4. Research questions……………………………………………………………………………….8
3. Theoretical and conceptual Frame work………………………………………………………..8
3.1 Concept of Food Security………………………………………………………………………....8
3.2. Food Security Component………………………………………………………………………..9
3.3. Poverty and vulnerability…………………………………………………………………………10
3.4. Food policies……………………………………………………………………………………….11
3.5. Policy impact evaluation………………………………………………………………………….12
4. Research Design and Methodology………………………………………………………………14
4.1 Research methods....……………………………………………………………………………...14
4.1.1 Data source and acquisition methods………………………………………………………….14
4.1.1.1 Primary data…………………………………………………………………………………….14
4.1.1.2. Focus groups…………………………………………………………………………………..15
4.1.1.3 Observation……………………………………………………………………………………..15
5. Draft Structure of the dissertation………….……….……………………………………………..16
6. Research Schedule………………………………………………………………….……………………17
7. Reference………………………………………………………………………………………………….…18
1. Background
The South African food situation has been and is still characterised by a visible state of sufficiency for the nation. Despite this national food security and relative wealth, the experience of most South African households is that of continued poverty which is manifested in food insecurity, ill health and strenuous work for low returns. Like many countries, South Africa's inability to meet essential needs of the poor communities comes from many sources, but poverty and hunger in South Africa are particularly shaped by the impact of apartheid (Koch:2011).
Despite the dramatic changes in South Africa during the 1990's, many of the distortions and dynamics introduced by apartheid continue to perpetuate conditions that lead to food insecurity. Contained in the South African constitution is the Bill of Rights, which is regarded as a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom, and calls for the state to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights. Section 27 1 (b and c) states that “Everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water; and social security, including, if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants, appropriate social assistance, the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights” (SA Constitution 1996).
The constitution indicates that every South African citizen has a right to sufficient food and water; and social security. In light of the above, government was mandated to develop agricultural policies and support programmes to ensure that South African citizens are given agricultural opportunities that will enable them to meet their basic food needs (Du Toit: 2011).
Food security and insecurity are terms used to describe whether or not people have access to sufficient quality and quantity of food. They are affected by factors such as poverty, health, food production, political stability, infrastructure, access to markets, and natural hazards.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) report for 2008 indicates that international estimates of people experiencing chronic hunger increased dramatically over the period 1990 to 2007. According to the report the increase in numbers of chronically hungry people was due to increased food prices worldwide as a result of lower production of staple food around the world such as cereals. The price of oil also contributed to the high food prices in many parts of the world. Political instability, wars, and lack of agricultural inputs in many parts of African countries, played a role in food insecurity as arable land lay fallow.
South Africa is unlikely to feature at the top of the agenda at any international dialogue on food security. The country is a net exporter of agricultural commodities and has a high per capita income, even for an emerging economy. There are no tight foreign-exchange constraints, and the country is not landlocked. The innovative constitution entrenches the right to adequate nutrition, and this is the basis of the national Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS). Taking these features into account, one could easily conclude that food ought to be available and accessible in South Africa at all times. But is this conclusion correct?
The confusing reality is that despite all the favourable indicators and South Africa’s national “food-secure” status, about 14 per cent of the population is estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity, and 25 per cent of children under the age of six are reckoned to have had their development stunted by malnutrition (Altman et, 2009).
Despite the political and economic advances made since 1994, South Africa continues to experience major challenges of poverty, unemployment and, more recently, steep increases in food and fuel prices, energy tariffs and interest rates. These adverse conditions have placed ordinary South Africans, already struggling to meet their basic household needs, in an ever more vulnerable situation (Labadarios et al, 2009).
The Northwest Province is 70% rural, two districts Ngaka Modiri Molema and Dr RSM Mompati have been declared by the South African cabinet to be most districts with the highest levels of food insecurity, poverty and vulnerability, and as a result more attention is to be given to households in these areas. Through the war of poverty strategy, the Northwest government has in particular initiated several interventions programmes to address the food insecurity in the Province. These interventions include among other to increase the availability and accessibility of food through domestic production, relief programmes, identifying and capacitating change agents in a struggling house holds. Thus, evaluating the effectiveness of government interventions carried out over the past periods to address the problems of food insecurity is vital in assessing policy goals and as well as planning for future improvements.
2. Literature review
An extensive review of literature will be conducted with the view to locate the proposed research within the broader study on Food Security development. The literature review will focus on the background of Food Security, South African policies, impact evaluation, and the gaps being investigated including the questions that will be explored
2.1. Research Problem
South Africa is largely deemed a food secure nation producing enough staple foods or having the capacity to import food, if needed in order to meet the basic nutritional requirements of its population (FAO 2008). Hart et al (2009) supported the argument that South Africa seems to be food secure at national level but the same cannot be said about households in rural areas. The national food self-sufficiency index clearly illustrates that South Africa is food self-sufficient or nearly self-sufficient in almost all the major food product, with the ability to import shortages when necessary. The South African food situation has been and is still characterised by an apparent state of sufficiency for the nation.
Despite this national food security and relative wealth, the experience of most South African households is that of continued poverty which is manifested in food insecurity, ill health and arduous work for low returns. In common with many countries, South Africa's inability to satisfy essential needs stems from many sources, but poverty and hunger in South Africa are particularly shaped by the impact of apartheid. (Altman et al:2009)
Recent survey by Statistics South Africa (General Household Survey, 2009) reported that an estimated 20% of South African households have inadequate or severely inadequate food access. The General Household Survey (GHS) report indicates further that during 2008 food access problems were mostly serious in Free State where 33.5 % of the households have inadequate food access. They were followed by household in KwaZulu- Natal with 23%, Eastern Cape 21, 4 % and Mpumalanga 21, 5 %. Limpopo (11, 9 %) and Western Cape (14, 5 %) had the least food security problems in 2008. According to the FAO report (2008), high unemployment rate, inadequate social welfare systems and a high HIV/AIDS infection rate have all contributed to food insecurity in the country.
Du Toit et al (2005) indicates that food (in)security is a serious challenge that still persists in South Africa after fifteen years of democracy. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA, 2009) mid year estimates indicate that South Africa had an estimated population of 49 million in 2009 with a population growth rate of 1.7 % per annum. National foods security indicators reveal that South Africa has been able to meet the food needs of its growing population over the past year. However, there are no clear statistics to ascertain that the food insecurity condition is the same at household level, especially in rural areas of South Africa. Literature by Labadarios et al (2009), confirm South Africa’s national food secure status but suggests that more than 14 million people, or about 35 % of the population in the country are estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity. It is also reckoned that as many as 1, 5 million, or about one quarter, of children under the age of six is to have been stunted by malnutrition. This is supported by Jacobs (2009) in his study which confirms that food insecurity is more persuasive in rural areas. According to the report, the majority of poor people are found in rural areas with roughly 75% of those chronically poor.
The North West Province has a total population of approximately 3, 4 million (8% of the national total) with some 65% of the population living in rural areas. The more populated industrial centres include Rustenburg, Brits and Ga-Rankuwa in the eastern region of the Province. Mafikeng is the provincial capital and was the administrative centre of the Bophuthatswana homeland (from 1978 to 1994).
The Province is one of the poorest in South Africa with a provincial gross geographic product (GGP) of R 3 964 per person, which is well below the national average of R 6 498. The Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, is above 0, 6 in the Province, placing it amongst the most unequal regions in the world. Rural poverty and rural-urban income differences exacerbate social problems such as violence, crime and HIV infection (NW State of Environment: 2011)
The estimated unemployment rate is 38%, slightly higher than the average in South Africa. Unemployment rates amongst women are above 50%. Some 30% of the adult population is illiterate, the highest figure among all provinces in South Africa. It is semi arid but has potential for dry land cropping, although more than 80 percent is primary suitable for grazing. More than 60 percent of its citizens are described as poor. The province has a relative small economy, while the sector with sector with the highest contribution in employment is agriculture, mining and services. Next to mining, agriculture is the most important economic sector in the province. The province is one of the regions in South Africa worst affected by recurrent hunger. State of poverty in the province is among the worst by most social and human development indicators (Du Toit, 2011).
As is the case with most of the other provinces in South Africa, the North West is marred by high poverty rates, inequalities in the distribution of income between various population subgroups, and unemployment. Poverty and unemployment in South Africa are often rural phenomena, and given that many of the rural inhabitants are linked to agricultural activities, the various Departments of Agriculture in South Africa have an important role to play in addressing the needs in rural areas.
The province is challenged in making substantial progress in food security because average yield have remained stagnant over the past decades. Particularly in the drought prone districts such as Ngaka Modiri Molema, Dr RS Mompati and Bojanala, the majority of the rural people can not feed themselves and have thus to depend on various government social grants for their survival.
The adoption of the South African Constitution in 1996 provided the rights aimed at ensuring the physical well being and health of all South Africans, including the right to food (Greer –Love 2003) As part of the policy revolution after 1994 and influenced by the country‘s poverty and food insecurity, emphasis was placed on developing a comprehensive food security strategy. The Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS), developed within the framework of the National government’s overall development and food security policy, to improve the livelihood position of the rural people and thereby address the problem of food insecurity in the Province (Koch:2011). The IFSS turned out to be a multidimensional strategy, structured mainly around household food security in rural areas. The vision of the integrated Food Security Strategy is “to attain universal physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food by all South Africans at all times to meet their dietary and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. The vision is closely aligned with the definition of food security provided by the United Nation Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). It is also linked to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’S) especially MDG 1 and is “to eradicate hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity by half in 2015”.
Some of the question to be explored in the research asks whether these policy interventions achieve its intended objectives. Or do the food security policy interventions bring change on the livelihood of the rural people? Or is food insecurity in the Province continues to grow? These questions are the rationale for conducting evaluation research to investigate the impacts of the policy in the rural areas of North West province.
2.2. Justification of the Research
The above mentioned problems are general to developing countries and findings of this research will contribute to the application of policy design and analysis in policy and evaluating policy within the framework of Government’s food security programme and evaluating policy effectiveness is also viewed by many as the basic tool for monitoring progress. Therefore, it is in this respect that the researcher intends to carry out a study so as to evaluate the effectiveness of government’s Food Security Policy particularly in the rural areas of the North West Province in ensuring food security
2.3. Research Objectives
The main research objective is to analyse the effectiveness of food security policy in ensuring food security and poverty reduction in the rural areas (Ngaka Modiri Molema District and Dr RS Mompati District) of Northwest Province of South Africa
Specific Objectives
• To assess the sources and vulnerability situation of communities to food crisis in the study area.
• To analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of the policy in ensuring food security.
• To analyse the effect of other external factors on ensuring food security.
2.4. Research Questions
Central to the research question that is to be answered is - do the food security policy interventions bring change on the livelihood of the rural people?
The research is further narrowed by posing specific questions below and are categorised in three sub-objectives
Question for sub- objective 1
• What are the basic causes of food insecurity?
• What coping mechanisms and survival strategies are used by food insecure households themselves to mitigate the impact of food shortage?
• What are communities’ initiatives to address their own food insecurity challenges?
• What are government interventions to deal with hunger and malnutrition?
Question for sub-objective 2
• What is the impact of the policy in alleviating rural food insecurity?
• Do the key policies achieve the intended goal?
• Are the changes in food security outcomes explained by the policy?
• Do key food security program impacts vary across different districts and overtime?
Question for sub-objective 3
• What is other mitigating factors contributing in ensuring food security?
3. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
In this Chapter a careful and detailed examination of definitions, terms, concepts and theories relevant to the problem will be raised to assess the impact of policies, taking account of the concepts such as food security, policies and policy impact evaluation.
3.1 The Concept of Food Security
The concepts of food security have evolved in the last thirty year to reflect changes in the policy thinking, The term first originated in the mid 1970’s when the World Food Conference defined the food security in terms of food supply- assuring the availability and the price stability of basic food stuffs at the international and national level (FAO 2006) and since then it has been a topic of considerable attention. However, the concept has become more complex due to a shift in the level of analysis from global and national to household and individual levels. The 1974 World Food Conference defined food security as: “availability at all times of adequate world supplies of basic food-stuffs” (United Nations 1975).
According to the World Bank(1986), food security was defined ass access all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life” The committee on world food security defined it as physical and economic access tot adequate food by all households members without undue risk of loosing the access. However, the definition adopted by the countries attending the World Food Summit of 1996 and reconfirmed in 2002, accepts the US Aid’s concept which has three key elements namely food availability, food access, and food utilization. However, a fourth concept is the increasingly becoming accepted, that is “the risk that can disrupt anyone of the first three, (Titus and Adetokunbo 2007). There are therefore four major elements of food, that is food availability, food access, food utilization and not loosing such access security,
Since the 1980s, it has been recognized that the achievement of food security requires paying attention to both supply-side and demand-side variables and the concept of food security attained wider attention that shifted from global and national level to household and individual levels.
The World Food Summit 1996, defines food security as: "Food security exists when all people at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet the dietary needs and food preferences for an active, healthy life" (FAO 1996). FAO has defined food security not in terms of access to, and availability of food, but also in terms of resource distribution to produce food and purchasing power to buy food, where it is produced.
Research evidence indicates that inappropriate government policies have become a major barrier to increased food security and economic development in many sub-Saharan African countries (HSRC: 2004)
The poor farmers, who bear the greatest burden of misguided government policy measures in many African countries, have responded rationally to damaging agricultural policies by turning to private market alternatives. Following the new democracy in South Africa, there was a failure of agricultural policies and a growing inability of the country to feed its own people (Labadarios et al: 2009)
In a nutshell food insecurity is a multi-disciplinary concept which takes into account of technical, economic, social cultural and political dimensions. Thus, the concept of food security must form part of the broader concept of food strategy, which in itself forms parts of a socio-economic development strategy and poverty reduction policies.
3.2. Food Security Components
Food security is multi-dimensional having interrelationships with vulnerability indicators; it cannot be captured by any single or specific indicator. It would therefore be important to understand the essential dimensions of food security – Access to food, Availability of food, and Utilization of food. The interactions and combinations of these dimensions represent food security together. Currently Stability is also considered as the fourth component of Food security (FAO, 2006)
Access is referred to access by individuals to adequate resources to acquire appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. Securing access to enough food at all times for an active and healthy life is a prime objective of all modern society because of the role played by food in economy, culture, and politics.
• Food access is largely determined by the ability of households and individuals to obtain food from own production, purchases and other sources, such as gifts, government transfers and food aid.
• Availability refers to the availability of sufficient quantities of food of appropriate qualities, supplied through domestic production or imports (including food aid). On the supply side, cereal output is the key indicator, as cereals provide about 60% of dietary energy in developing countries. At micro or household level, availability is taken as the capacity of the households to produce the food they need.
• Utilization is related to utilisation of food through adequate diet, clean water, sanitation, and health care, to reach a state of nutritional well-being for which all physiological needs are met. This brings out the importance of non-food inputs in food security. It is not enough that someone is getting what appears to be an adequate quantity of food if that person is unable to make use of the food because he or she is often falling sick. The dimension of food utilization underlines the importance of such processes, including marketing, storage, processing, cooking practices, feeding practices and nutrition to the attainment of food security.
• Stability is a very important component of the food security indicator. To be food secure a population, household, or individual must have access to adequate food at all times. They should not be at risk of losing access to food as a consequence of a shock (e.g. an economic or climatic crisis), or cyclically (e.g. during a particular period of the year – seasonal food insecurity). The concept of stability can therefore refer to both the availability and access dimensions of food security.
3.3 Poverty and food insecurity
Despite the political and economical advances made since 1994, South Africa continues to experience major challenges of poverty, unemployment and more recently, steep increases in food and fuel prices, energy tariffs and interest rates. These adverse conditions have placed ordinary South Africans, already struggling to meet their basic need in an ever more vulnerable situation (Labadarios: 2009).
The concept of food insecurity is closely linked with poverty in most South Africa, particularly in the North West Province. The two concepts are interrelated and to some extend have influence on one another. In any food security discourse, it is also essential to highlight in a nutshell the plight of poverty in the country. According to Du Toit et al, (2011), Poverty refers to the condition of not having the means to afford the basic human needs such as clean water, health care, education, clothing and shelter.
Poverty and food insecurity manifest themselves differently in urban and rural areas, The 2007 UN “World Urbanisation prospects” highlights an upward trend in urbanisation in South Africa and in 2010 it projected that over 30 million people (61.7 per cent) will live in urban areas (UN:2007). The prospects indicate that the annual population growth rate is negative at -0.92 per cent, compared to positive growth of 1.17 per cent in urban areas. Koch (2011) concluded that the difference in the presence of hunger by area of residence urban or rural and by province were both significant
United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) 2006, pointed out that food insecurity is closely linked to poverty, income and unemployment. The report reveals that poverty and unemployment have strong relationship with food insecurity and in most cases food insecurity manifest in multiple depravations. Food insecurity begins with the loss of employment, which in turn leads to a significant degradation in living standard. Living in poverty creates additional challenges which limit the ability for people to search for employment and that contribute to a long term unemployment trap. Lack of income due to unemployment, contribute to food insecurity and leading to social exclusion problems (Frayne et al 2009)
3.4 South African Food Policies
The right of access to sufficient food and water is enshrined in the South African constitution. The state has a primary responsibility to provide a framework within which households and individuals can exercise choices to achieve food security in a manner that will not jeopardise the security of future generations. The state must also take appropriate measures to ensure that vulnerable groups, particularly young children and the elderly are able to meet their food needs
Food Security is part of section 27 Constitutional rights in South Africa. On these rights the constitution state the every person has the right to have access to sufficient food and water, and that the “state must by legislations and other measures, within its available resources, avail to progressive realisation of the right to food”. (Constitution of South Africa) The Reconstruction Development Plan, adopted by the Government of National Unity in 1994, identifies food as a basic need that should be met. It recognised poverty as a direct consequence of apartheid and the skewed nature of incomes which accompanied it. It identifies sustainability, productivity, participation, nation-building and democratisation as the principles guiding strategies to tackle poverty (Kaschula 2008).
The Agriculture White Paper (1995) commits the South African government to addressing both national and household food security. A key focus of the agriculture strategy is to broaden access to agriculture of those who were previously excluded from the sector, within an increasingly competitive global environment. Thus, the strategic role of agriculture requires a rethinking of existing strategies and support programmes for actions which can effectively support economic growth and contribute to equity and achieve food security for all. As part of Department of Agriculture, the Integrated Food Security Strategy was developed in 2002. The vision is “to attain universal physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food by all South Africans at all times to meet their dietary and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” This vision is closely aligned with the definition of food security provided by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO: 2009).
3.5 Policy Impact Evaluation
Development programs and policies are typically designed to change outcomes, for example, to raise the standard of living, improve social problems, or to reduce illness. Whether or not these changes are actually achieved is a crucial public policy question but one that is not often examined (Gertler et al: 2011). Impact evaluation assess of how the intervention being evaluated affects outcomes, whether these effects are intended or unintended. The proper analysis of impact requires a counterfactual of what those outcomes would have been in the absence of the intervention (ADB: 2006).
According to Legovini (2006), an impact evaluation assesses the changes in well-being that can be attributed to a particular policy or program. The impact of a program or policy is the amount of change in any outcome (short, medium or long-term) which is caused by a program or policy The impact of the program is thus the difference between the outcome with the program and the outcome without the program. Thus evaluation research is undertaken for the purpose of determining the impact of some social intervention, such as a program aimed at solving a social problem. In its simplest sense, evaluation research is the process of determining whether a social intervention has produced the intended results. Similarly, (Gertler et al: 2011). explains impact evaluation as the most widely practiced type of evaluation which is used to assess what changes can be attributable to the introduction of a particular intervention, program or policy.
Impact evaluation performs several main functions in policy analysis. First, and most important, evaluation provides reliable and valid information about policy performance, that is, the extents to which needs, values, and opportunities have been realized through public action. In this respect, evaluation reveals the extent to which particular goals and objective have been attained (Gertler et al: 2011).
Thus, impact evaluations help identify the causal link between outputs and outcome and are required to inform policymakers and the public on which public actions have been effective and which ones have not worked so well in reducing food insecurity and poverty.
Evaluations are used in a large number of fields and to answer a very wide range of questions about when and how interventions work. There are numerous approaches that can be used, and the decisions about which evaluation model or models to adopt will depend crucially on the questions of interest and the nature of the policy or program to be evaluated. At the very basic level, in designing an evaluation the key questions that need to be considered are:
• Do we need to know how the policy or program operates on the ground? Process evaluation addresses these questions. Almost all large scale evaluations of government policy will include some elements of process evaluation since this is the side of the evaluation that provides most information on how the policy should be managed or developed in the future. Process evaluation verifies what the program is and whether or not it is delivered as intended to the targeted recipients.
• Do we need to know what impact the policy or program has in terms of desired outcomes? Do we need to know what would happen, should it not be in place? Impact evaluation addresses these types of questions. The primary aim of an impact evaluation is to measure whether a particular program has achieved its desired outcomes. To do this, outcomes with the program in place are measured and compare them to outcomes without the program (i.e. the counterfactual).
Sometimes, evaluations may only need focus on either the process or the impact of the policy or program. More commonly, researches involve both elements and thus both types of evaluation. There are various ways developed to measure the impact of a policy or program has on a relevant outcome or outcomes. In most instances, it is extremely difficult to make an accurate estimate of the program’s impact (Purdon, Lessof et al. 2001). To do this, it should be measured what would happen to the relevant outcome or outcomes if the program were not in place. This is called, measuring the counterfactual. The counterfactual should only be estimated when the primary outcomes for a policy or program are expressed in terms of change. For instance a policy objective might be written in terms of increasing rural households (the poor) access to food, increasing food availability or reducing the numbers on food insecure population/drought affected population. In these instances the counterfactual is the figure from which the increase or reduction is achieved.
4. Research design and Methodology
The study will be conducted in the two districts of the Northwest Province Dr RS Mompati, and Ngaka Modiri Molema. The areas are a focus of this research represent the most rural and food vulnerable communities in the Province and have the history of recurrent food shortages. All the two districts will be investigated. Thirty sample households from each district municipality totalling 60 will randomly be selected in collaboration with the respective Community development workers. In order to randomly select the 60 sample households, list of household heads (which is the sampling frame from which a probability sample is selected) by Community Development workers will be supplied by respective district officials.
4.1 The Research methods
The proposed research strategies to be employed in this study will combine both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative method is used to capture data pertaining local perception and opinions on the effectiveness of policy intervention and policy outcomes using semi-structured questionnaire. Quantitative data on households asset ownership, income status, food security status, demographic characteristics and other basic information was collected from sample households using structured questionnaire where my data collector interview each sample household head following the standard administration of interview procedure in this method (Legovini (2006), .
4.1.1 Data Source and Acquisition Methods
The study is based on both primary and secondary sources of information. Primary data will be collected through survey, focus group discussions, and field observations. Secondary data will be collected from governmental and non government organisations both at Provincial and district level. The sources and methods used to acquire data for the research are outlined below.
4.1.1.1. Primary data
Most of the data required to answer and validate the research questions will be collected from primary sources. To generate the required data from the primary sources, different methodological approaches such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations were employed. These techniques were used to collect data pertaining household demographic characteristics, main livelihoods, asset ownership, income, crop production, household coping strategies, farm input use, food security status of households, opinions and understandings of households as to how the government policy intervention has addressed to the problem.
4.1.1.2. Focus Group Discussion
Focus group discussion provides an appropriate area to bring together program beneficiaries to share their experience of the policy interventions. Focus group discussions with target groups will be held in each district to enrich the first hand data collected through interview. Discussion with local and district level concerned officials, such as Agriculture and Rural Development, Food Security Coordination Office, War Room coordinators, Finance and Economic Development both at the local and district level including with some experts will be held. Besides, group and individual discussions will also be carried with the target beneficiaries’ and with key informants from local non-governmental organizations.
4.1.3. Observation
Observations of the people’s way of life, their assets and resources, the ups and downs to overcome their daily struggles, their activities for living, etc, would provide valuable and supportive information. Having a good look at the physical and socio-economic infrastructures, the different economic activities people are involved with and government intervention programs currently undertaken would provide valuable contributions to understand the existing real situations and the overall situation of the poor. Thus, in this study an attempt will be made to carefully observe every situation and understand them fully. Besides, direct field observation will be employed as one of the methods to look how the policy programs are integrated with environmental sustainability.
4.1.4. Interviews
Interviews are important source of the research information gathering. Yin (2003) identifies two jobs that need to be carried out in the interview process. First, there is a and need to follow a line of inquiry, in this case an “appreciative inquiry”, second, ask the actual question in an unbiased manner serving the needs of the line of inquiry. The questions in the interviews will be open ended and encourage unsolicited discussions. The strength of data collection through interviews is that it focuses directly on the topic and is insightful
5. Draft Structure of the dissertation
The research will be arranged into eight chapters.
Chapter one: will include background, the problem statement, the reason for the study, objectives of the study, research questions and the research design.
Chapter two: will focus on the conceptual and theoretical framework along with the literature reviews relevant to the study. It includes the concept of food security, policy framework, and policy evaluation.
Chapter Three: will look at the methods to be carried out to accomplish the research task, including the research techniques, the study area and selection of respondents, sources of data and acquisition methods, method of data analysis, issues of reliability and validity of the research outcome and limitations of the study.
Chapter Four: presents a brief introduction of the study area. It discusses the physical, demographic and socio economic conditions of North West Province including districts profile.
Chapter Five: presents’ insights into the underlying causes of community food insecurity in the districts
Chapter Six: discusses the policy interventions carried out by the government to address problems of community food insecurity and their impact on the main food security policy level indicators.
Chapter Seven: review the results of the community survey on of food security, perceptions and opinions on government policy interventions.
Chapter Eight will focuses on challenges identified and consolidate lessons learnt throughout the study, and conclude by providing recommendations for improvements.
6. Research Schedule
Time Period Duration Activity Outcome
February – March 2012 2 Months Preliminary Literature Review Preliminary list of literature
April – May 2012 3 Months Drafting Research Proposal Complete research proposal
June – December 2012 6 months Extensive Literature Review Detailed list of Literature
January – February 2013 2 Months Develop Interview schedule List of interviews required and interview questionnaire completed
April – June 2013 3months Conduct interviews Interview times scheduled and all interviews conducted
July - August2013 2 months Transcribe interviews Complete transcription
September 2013 - December 2013 3months Data Analysis, and interpreting results Write up of initial interpretation
January – June 2014 6 Months Writing of thesis First draft of thesis complete
July – August 2014 2 Months Feedback from Supervisors First draft with extensive comments
September – October 2014 2 Months Addressing comments Final draft of thesis
November – January 3 Months Final Editing Final thesis complete
7. References
Altman, M, Hart, T. Jacobs P, (2009) Food security in South Africa, HSRC, Pretoria, South Africa
Asian Development Bank (2006) Impact Evaluation: methodological and operational issues,
Department of Agriculture (2002), Integrated food Security Strategy. South Africa
Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs (1997) Food security Policy for South Africa: A Discussion Document
Du Toit, A. (2005). 'Chronic and structural poverty in South Africa: challenges for action and research.' University of Western Cape, Cape Town.
Du Toit, DC , .et al ( 2011) Food Security: directorate Economic Services, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa
FAO (2006). The State of Food Insecurity in the World, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, Rome, Italy.
FAO (2007). The State of Food Insecurity in the World, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, Rome, Italy.
FAO (2011). The State of Food Insecurity in the World, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, Rome, Italy.
FIVIMS (2010). Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems in South Africa. Rome, FAO.
Frayne, B. et al. 2009. Urban Food Security in South Africa: Case study of Cape Town, Msunduzi and Johannesburg. Development Planning Division Working Paper Series No.15, DBSA: Midrand.
Gertler et al (2011). Evaluation in practice. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / the World Bank, Washington DC
Government of South Africa (1996). ‘The South African Constitution–Bill of Rights’.
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