A systematic review of sub-national food insecurity research in South Africa: Missed opportunities for policy insights

Abstract

Food insecurity is an intractable problem in South Africa. The country has a tradition of evidence-based decision making, grounded in the findings of national surveys. However, the rich insights from sub-national surveys remain a largely untapped resource for understandings of the contextual experience of food insecurity. A web-based search identified 169 sub-national food insecurity studies conducted in the post-apartheid period between 1994 and 2014. The systematic review found that the studies used 27 different measures of food insecurity, confounding the comparative analysis of food insecurity at this level. While social grants have brought a measure of poverty relief at household level, unaffordable diets were the root cause of food insecurity. The increasing consumption of cheaper, more available and preferred ‘globalised’ foods with high energy content and low nutritional value lead to overweight and obesity alongside child stunting. Unless a comparable set of indicators is used in such surveys, they are not able to provide comparable information on the scope and scale of the problem. Policy makers should be engaging with researchers to learn from these studies, while researchers need to share this wealth of sub-national study findings with government to strengthen food security planning, monitoring, and evaluation at all levels.

Prominent Influence of Socioeconomic and Governance Factors on the Food‐Energy‐Water Nexus in sub‐Saharan Africa

“…For example, although there are tariffs imposed on high consumption, high water demand and usage in richer parts of the country have led to an unstable and decreasing supply of water for the poorer regions. Climate change, in particular, is expected to pose a significant risk to South Africa's water-dependent economy and the affordability of FEW services in the future (Misselhorn & Hendriks, 2017;Mission 2017Mission , 2017Muller, 2017). The recent Cape Town water crisis highlights that although infrastructure (such as desalination plants) is being developed, the nation will likely continue to face water shortages (Dawson, 2018;Shelly, 2018;Scott, 2018).…”

“…The recent Cape Town water crisis highlights that although infrastructure (such as desalination plants) is being developed, the nation will likely continue to face water shortages (Dawson, 2018;Shelly, 2018;Scott, 2018). Climate change, in particular, is expected to pose a significant risk to South Africa's water-dependent economy and the affordability of FEW services in the future (Misselhorn & Hendriks, 2017;Mission 2017Mission , 2017Muller, 2017). The energy sector also faces similar infrastructure challenges from overloading and power outages due to increasing demand, underinvestment, and maintenance failures (Hedden, 2015;Trollip et al, 2014).…”

Assessment of nutritional water productivity and improvement strategies for traditional vegetables in South Africa

“…Yet, these vegetables are nutrient dense in micronutrients and vitamins (Oelofse and Van Averbeke, 2012). However, in times of food shortages, rural resource-poor households are likely to consume traditional leafy vegetables (Misselhorn and Hendriks, 2017). The HLPE (2017) recognises three types of the food system; these are the traditional food system, the mixed food systems, and the modern food systems:…”

“…Several authors (Afari-Sefa et al, 2012;Chibarabada et al, 2017;Chivenge et al, 2015;Dube and Fanadzo, 2013;Govender et al, 2017;Misselhorn and Hendriks, 2017;Mabhaudhi et al, 2017a) agreed that traditional vegetables can play a major role in supplementing iron, zinc, and β-carotene.. Therefore, traditional vegetables should be promoted for improved nutritional food security of rural resource-poor households.…”

Interpreting Food Security Research Findings With Rural South African Communities

“…Settlements are an often-crowded patchwork of household gardens, small livestock, small-scale farming, dwindling access to natural and ecosystem resources, with a few successful medium and large-scale enterprises (Hendriks, 2014). Multiple shocks and stresses have affected rural livelihoods, including the HIV pandemic, which, before the rollout of a national treatment program, decimated the working-age population in many communities, contributing to both acute and chronic food security (Misselhorn & Hendriks, 2017). More recently, climate change, including prolonged drought, is having profound impacts on food security across the region (Thomson, et al, 2010).…”