Ahead of FairPlay’s Food Security Summit next month, South Africa has been reminded of the millions and millions of citizens who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
South Africa is food secure as a nation, but not at household level. And the extent of hunger has been shown in the latest Food Index published by leading retailer Shoprite.
The research projects that, by 2025, nearly half of South Africa’s 60 million people will be food insecure, with just under half of the population potentially not having enough to eat. The number is an improvement on the 52% of food insecure people in 2020 but, when 30 million people will still be hungry, the country’s food security problem remains serious and extensive.
Also this week, the AgriSA annual conference focused on food security. Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza praised the agricultural sector for increasing production and employment, but warned of tough times ahead with drought conditions a possibility. She said further improvements were necessary – involving government, business and agriculture – because millions could not produce or afford food.
And Mervyn Abrahams of the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) repeated his persistent warning that, while plenty of food is being produced, food price inflation puts a nutritious diet out of reach for millions of South Africans.
These and other issues will be explored at the Food Security Summit, to be held in Johannesburg on 3 November.
It will be a solutions-focused event, involving experts from various sectors. FairPlay is looking to develop workable and practical action plans to improve South Africa’s food security immediately, in the medium term and over the longer term.
