Mpho Putu
South Africa has enough food to feed its entire population, and yet many people, especially the poor in the rural areas, remain vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition. Hunger is a reality today, it kills and is a scandal in a democratic South Africa, a country of plenty. Hunger has become so deeply entrenched and prevalent, not only in the rural communities as it was thought, but also the major cities have been found to be struggling with food.
A five-year study by the University of Cape Town's African Food Security Unit Network has exposed a food crisis that constitutes a "death sentence" for many and which the government has labelled as "serious".
The survey found the hungriest people in South Africa are found in Cape Town (80%) and Msunduzi, in KwaZulu-Natal (87%), that, in Johannesburg, 43% of the poor faced starvation and malnutrition. Researchers believe the figure could be higher.
The plight of the hungry was highlighted in 2011 when four children, aged between two and nine, died in a farmer's field as they began an 18km walk in search of their mother and food in Verdwaal, near Lichtenburg, North West. It was later discovered that they had not eaten for more than a week.
The Constitution of South Africa Chapter 2 section 27 and other pieces of legislature state “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.” while the Freedom Charter talks to “ no one should go hungry”. The new policy on Food and Nutrition Security and other government programmes such as Zero Hunger emphasises the need by government and other role players to ensure food for all.
Facts
• Twenty percent of South African households have inadequate or severely inadequate access to food. This translates to 2.8 million households – or 14 million people – deemed food insecure (SA. General Household survey).
• A report by the Human Sciences Research Council showed that only two of every four households in the country have access to food, this is 45.6% of the population.
• The HSRC said 26 percent of South Africans are hungry on a regular basis.
• Another 28.6 percent are at risk of hunger.
• A new study by the HSRC said the Eastern Cape and the Limpopo province have the most number of people living in hunger
• One in five children in South Africa under the age of nine suffers from stunted growth (ie underweight and undersize) as a result of malnutrition. (SA National Food Consumption Survey)
• A study done by the Human Science Research Council in 2011, revealed that 19% of households reported skipping meals, and 20% ran out of money to buy food, 35% to 70% of expenditure goes to food in poor households, 50% to 80% of households could not afford an acceptable nutritional balance and based on current prices and levels of fortification only 20% of households could afford a minimum nutritionally adequate diet.
• Based on recent information from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO 2011), supported by independent sources (Heady & Fan 2008), food prices will continue to increase steadily over the next decade.
The Current Situation
South Africa has about more than 50 million people and a wide variety of cultures, languages and religious beliefs. Close to 15 million South Africans, including 10 million children are beneficiaries of state social grants. This is one of the programme the government is implementing, to support the most vulnerable people in our society.
In addressing and eliminating hunger in South Africa, it is essential to first recognize that the root cause is not simply a shortage of food, but factors which impede people’s access to food, be it environmental, political, economic or socio-cultural. These are results of the long standing apartheid policies of the past. One need also to recognise that it is not the responsibility of the state alone, but business, communities and individual households too
Managing hunger
While the link between poverty and hunger is undisputed, poverty reduction is a complex issue requiring long term state, business and technological interventions. In the interim, sustainable intervention measures are required to reverse the cycle of malnutrition, dependency, poor education, lack of skills and feelings of hopelessness.
The provision of food hand-outs alone by small independent organisations is no longer an option. The solution lies in the development of sustainable community projects that centre on food production activities in partnership with organisations that, through a collective pooling of resources, skills and knowledge and a participatory approach, ensure that the beneficiaries of such interventions are actively involved and as a result retain and/or regain their self-respect and sense of human dignity.
It should be understood that food production activities include not only the establishment of gardens and food kitchens, but also, amongst others, clean water supplies, education pertaining to child rearing techniques, hygiene, good nutrition and the introduction of child care centres in which developmental activities are introduced thereby feeding not only the body, but also the mind.
Ownership of any project, the development of skills focused intervention strategies and tangible outcomes, such as supplying vegetables for soup kitchens as well as for sale, are key to success. The community is thereby encouraged to engage in new activities such as brick making or chicken farming leading ultimately to thriving self-sustaining healthy communities. The ultimate aim of any community development organisation is to work itself out of business
The current economic conditions in South Africa have resulted in funding becoming a problem with the result that it is increasingly difficult for non-profit-making organisations to go it alone. In addition, state departments and municipalities do not always have the resources or even the necessary expertise to engage in extensive community development work. Commercial and business enterprises, while often prepared to contribute towards funding are under pressure from an ever increasing number of organisations requesting financial support and may not even be aware that there are other ways in which they can contribute towards poverty and hunger alleviation e.g. goods and services in kind. Solutions lie in partnerships with like-minded organisations, a collective pooling of resources, skills and knowledge and authentic engagement with communities, in full recognition that the community itself is capable of contributing towards problem solving activities. A participatory approach ensures that beneficiaries of interventions are actively involved.
Community Participation
Based on its years of service to communities, Non-Government Organisations (NGO), such as FoodbankSA, Meal on Wheels, in conjunction with a community organisation or business corporation may identify a focus area such as the development of nutrition and skills training programme. Pooling of resources is of critical importance e.g. an organisation may be able to provide facilities, donations and/or goods in kind, while the NGOs provides staff with skills and expertise in community development, health related issues and networking as well opportunities for sourcing funding for special projects and provision of equipment. This partnership forges links with relevant communities through meetings with local and/or traditional leaders.
NGO networks with various service providers such as the Departments of Social Development, and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Rural Development and local health clinics, all of which have a role to play in hunger management. Furthermore, outside sources such as retailers, manufactures, transport companies can be requested to transport equipment when needed in conjunction with scheduled deliveries to the area and shop owners asked to contribute goods in kind.Partnerships involving all sectors of society play a vital role in hunger management through the development of sustainable self-help projects that contribute towards the quality of life, independence and dignity of individuals and communities.
Home-grown foodEducating people on the importance of fresh produce for their health and giving them the skills and means to produce these foods at home (dark green leafy vegetables and orange sweet potatoes, for example, are cheap and easy to grow), could play an important role in improved nutrition in the rural communities
The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry promotes food gardens at homes and schools, and assists rural smallholders to produce food.
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