Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
17 October 2023 | 18:54 CAT

Image: The Mail and Guardian

Despite millions of South Africans living under the breadline, South Africa celebrated World Food Day with the rest of the world yesterday.

World Food Day is commemorated every year on the 16th of October to create awareness around global food insecurity issues while addressing the plight of many impoverished people.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development smallholder development director, Dr Jemina Moeng, said that the country is seeing a decline in the involvement of households in agriculture due to the climatic challenges people are exposed to.

“A lot of communities are reluctant to engage in agricultural production. Some are constrained; they need land and natural resources for production, such as water.

“But a household garden in your backyard, even in a township or even in Sandton, will provide you with some vegetables. You do not necessarily need huge farms, but even at your backyard where we support household production at a garden level will definitely provide that household with food. So the biggest threat is people shying away from home food production and wanting to rely on food purchasing, which relies again on the amount of money you earn to be able to buy nutritious food,” Moeng said.

Some factors that have had a detrimental effect on food security in the country include the recent COVID-19 pandemic, unrest, the Russia-Ukraine war and floods, among others.

“These challenges have caused a massive and rapid shock on the economy, exacerbating the already existing food insecurity challenges,” Moeng said.

The department’s rapid assessment in collaboration with the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in 2020 revealed that the pandemic had affected the entire food system domestically and globally, laying bare its fragility.

This included disruptions in farming operations in local markets, especially for smallholder farmers during the hard lockdown.

Moeng said her department was working towards combating threats to food security by implementing the six strategic objectives of the National Food and Nutrition Security Plan.

“Overall, the National Food and Nutrition Security Plan requires an average increase in funding of 13.7% for Food and Nutrition Security over the 5-year period. Robust strategies to mobilise funds for this sector are urgent and require strong Public-Private Partnerships,” she said.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.