Hunger Summit Presentation

1. Towards Realisation of Food Security in
the City of Tshwane
Dr Lovemore Rugube
Visiting Senior Lecturer, Postgraduate School of Agriculture and
Rural Development, University of Pretoria
and
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension
University of Zimbabwe
Prof Charles L. Machethe
Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension & Rural
Development
and
Postgraduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development,
University of Pretoria

2. Presentation Outline
 Introduction and Background
 Concept of Food Security/ Insecurity
 Food Security Situation in South Africa
Food Security Situation in the City of Tshwane
5. Why Food Insecurity/Hunger/Poverty?
6. Food Insecurity Strategies: Lessons from Global
Experiences
7. Strategies for Addressing Food Insecurity in
Tshwane
8. Summary and Conclusions

3. Introduction
South Africa is largely self-sufficient in food
but 1.5 million children suffer from chronic
malnutrition, and14 million people are
vulnerable to food insecurity (World Bank,
2003).
Most food insecurity and poverty are rural,
especially in former homeland areas.
Urban food insecurity and poverty are also
major problems.

4. What is Food Security?
WFS definition: “Food security exists when all people at all times,
have physical an economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious
food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active
and healthy life”.
SA’s Integrated Food Security Strategy definition: “ … physical,
social an 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”.
Above definitions almost the same and emphasize:
Availability: physical presence of food at different levels.
Access: ability to obtain food.
Utilization: ability to covert food to energy.
Stability/sustainability: ability to sustain availability of food.

5. Food Insecurity
Failure to achieve food security = Food insecurity.
Food insecurity not necessarily the result of inability to produce
enough food but largely inability to purchase it.
Roots of food insecurity range from improper macroeconomic
policies to economic and political structures inhibiting access to
food.
Transitory food insecurity: temporary decline in access to food --
results from instability in production and prices or incomes.
Chronic food insecurity: continuously inadequate diet (access) --
results from lack of means to produce or acquire food – attributed to
poverty.

6. Food Security Situation in South Africa
While South Africa produces sufficient food, this in
no way ensures food security at household level.
About 35% of the total population, or 14.3 million
South Africans are vulnerable to food insecurity.
Poverty continues to be the main factor in household
food insecurity.
Proportion of people living in poverty in South
Africa has not changed significantly over the years.
Many households have sunk deeper into poverty and
the gap between rich and poor has widened.

7. Food Security Situation in South Africa
contd.
About 57% of individuals in South Africa were living
below the poverty income line in 2001, unchanged from
1996.
Limpopo and Eastern Cape had the highest proportion of
the poor (77% and 72%, respectively).
Western Cape had the lowest proportion in poverty (32%),
followed by Gauteng (42%).
Major city with the lowest poverty rate is Cape Town
(30%).
Pretoria and Johannesburg have somewhat higher rates of
35% and 38%, respectively, while Durban has a rate of
44%.

8. Food Security Situation in Tshwane
The city of Tshwane has a population of just over a million
people and the poverty rate is about 35 percent.
Can infer from above that about 35% of the population of
the city are food insecure.
Food insecurity is rising in the City due to diminishing
accessibility of food to the poor and limited access to
resources for agricultural purposes.
Food insecurity in the city persists despite having a large
rural area within its municipal boundaries.
Availability of agricultural land opens up the possibility of
addressing food insecurity through agricultural activities.
Main challenge for the City is to unlock untapped potential
in agriculture.

9. Why Food Insecurity/Poverty/Hunger?
Lack of food entitlement is the main reason for existence of
food insecurity (trade-based, production-based, own-labour
& inheritance and transfer entitlement).
Causes of hunger/food insecurity related to those of
poverty.
Rising food prices due to rising production costs.
Poor people most affected by rising food prices as they
spent most of their income on food.
High rate of unemployment exacerbated food
insecurity/hunger/poverty for rural and urban poor.
Lack of adequate education also contributes to food
insecurity/poverty/hunger.

10. Why Food Insecurity/Poverty/Hunger? contd.
Drought and floods lead to inadequate and unstable
food production (transitory food insecurity).
Rising population growth.
Inadequate safety nets.
Weak support networks and disaster management
systems
HIV/AIDS.

11. Addressing Food Insecurity: Lessons from
Global Experiences
Start at national level: food distribution systems, transport
& communications, early warning systems, and stock &
trade policies.
Rapid economic growth: must differentially benefit the
poor.
Generate income earning opportunities: people must earn
sufficient incomes to acquire food.
Rapid growth in food production: Smallholder agriculture
does contribute to food security and poverty alleviation.

12. Addressing Food Insecurity: Lessons from
Global Experiences contd.
Temporary employment: Public works program.
Food price stabilisation: to deal with insecurity
resulting from price instability.
Income relief to victims: cash or in kind.
Address the HIV/AIDS issue.

13. Strategies for Addressing Food Insecurity in
the City of Tshwane
The 5-Year Strategic Plan for the City of Tshwane
identifies “fighting poverty and building clean, healthy, safe
and sustainable communities” as one of the key strategic
objectives.
City of Tshwane proposes to fight poverty by accelerating
the growth of entrepreneurship and halving unemployment
by 50 percent by 2014.
Addressing food insecurity involves promoting farm and
non-farm activities and strengthening the linkages.

14. Strategies for Addressing Food Insecurity in
the City of Tshwane (Agriculture-related)
Addressing food insecurity and poverty requires
greater attention to smallholder agriculture.
Focus on supporting black farmers to ultimately
become successful commercial farmers.
Need to raise smallholder agricultural productivity
on existing land.
Lack of access to farmer support services and
appropriate technology is a major reason for low
productivity of smallholder agriculture.

15. Strategies for Addressing Food Insecurity in
the City of Tshwane (Agriculture-related)
contd.
High value crops for niche markets would generate
income and contribute to food security.
Small land portions could also be optimally utilized
by employing intensive animal production methods.
Value adding processing of raw material such as
canning and other forms of packaging will greatly
enhance land utilization and create jobs at the same
time increasing revenue.
Urban agriculture is proving to be important in
reducing food insecurity and poverty in urban centers

16. Strategies for Addressing Food Insecurity in
the City of Tshwane (Nonfarm-related)
Enhancing the incomes and income generating
capacity of vulnerable groups in urban and rural
areas.
Social security and welfare services; Ensuring
effective and targeted access by eligible individuals
to social security welfare services and targeted
benefits.
Disaster mitigation; Protecting livelihoods during
periods of stress caused by national disasters.
Food consumption and nutrition; Promoting
nutritious diets and a safe food supply.

17. Strategies for Addressing Food Insecurity in
the City of Tshwane (Nonfarm-related)
Enhancing the incomes and income generating capacity of
vulnerable groups in urban and rural areas.
Social security and welfare services -- ensure effective
and targeted access by eligible individuals.
Disaster mitigation -- protect livelihoods during periods of
stress caused by national disasters.
Food consumption and nutrition -- promote nutritious
diets and a safe food supply.
Initiatives like Capital Food Initiative and Food Bank
should be supported to become sustainable.

18. Summary & Conclusion
South Africa is largely self-sufficient in food but 1.5
million children suffer from chronic malnutrition, and14
million people are vulnerable to food insecurity
Unemployment continues to increase and household
incomes are low to sustain many households.
Many South Africans living in rural areas and some urban
areas are poor and food insecure and subjected to poverty
and hunger.
A strategic long-term approach to food security is
therefore required.
Lack of food entitlement is the main reason for existence
of food insecurity (trade-based, production-based, own-
labour & inheritance and transfer entitlement).

19. Summary & Conclusion (contd)
The most important among this is provision of
resources for own production particularly in rural
areas.
Land access becomes very important in this respect.
Although land access is not a sufficient condition
for household food security it can contribute
significantly in reducing households’ vulnerability
to food insecurity.
Addressing food insecurity and poverty requires
greater attention to smallholder agriculture.
Urban agriculture is proving to be important in
reducing food insecurity and poverty in urban
centers

20. Summary & Conclusion (contd)
Addressing food insecurity involves promoting farm and
non-farm activities and strengthening the linkages.
Enhancing the incomes and income generating
capacity of vulnerable groups in urban and rural
areas.
Social security and welfare services.
Initiatives like Capital Food Initiative and Food
Bank should be supported to become sustainable.

21. THANK YOU