Earlier this year, the Department of Agriculture released the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey (NFNSS), conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council. This worrying study of South African’s access to food found that 63.5% of South African households were food insecure, meaning that they don’t have enough food or access to food for most or all their meals. The level of food insecurity increases in rural areas.
Although depressing, this cannot come as a surprise. South Africa’s much-reported unemployment rate is still at a staggering 32%, with the expanded rate of unemployment reaching almost 42% of the nation.
These two crises are linked.
The first recommendation (of eight) the NFNSS makes to address food insecurity is to encourage the domestic production of food in urban and rural areas.
On the face of it, this sounds like a logical recommendation. But the solution to food insecurity cannot and should not be to firstly encourage a reliance on subsistence farming. To grow enough food to feed yourself and your family year-round, even at base level, is completely out of reach for most people. Growing food requires access to land, water, inputs, and when done at sufficient scale is time-intensive and requires specialised skills.
The third recommendation of the NFNSS is job creation – and this is arguably the recommendation that South Africa needs most. The Government of National Unity’s priorities, as set out by President Cyril Ramaphosa, include driving inclusive growth, reducing poverty and to create jobs.
But to achieve this, South Africa needs more than just a bold vision – we need action.
The Department of Trade and Industry’s master plan processes can help guide and shape the future of agricultural sectors, they will only work if the stated objectives are supported by all of government and put in action in meaningful ways.
For example, South Africa needs cohesive policies that align between different government departments that prioritise growth and job creation. We should get rid of policies that dampen demand of agricultural products. We should create an environment that favour investment – either by farmers back into their own farms or by investors looking to capitalise on existing and new agro-processing. Government should partner with private industry in creating effective and specialised farm extension services – relying in industry-specific knowledge and experience of commercial farmers to create new commercial farmers.
The local and export market offer many opportunities for South Africa’s farming sector to create more jobs and contribute to the country’s GDP. With an efficient and working rail, road and port system, we can increase our already in-demand exports. Again, private-public partnerships will be key to get back to a level of high efficiency.
These are big problems to solve, but if our best alternative is to encourage subsistence farming, we have given up.
Sustainable, long-term employment is the only solution to food security. Employment will also bring better health outcomes and better social security.
In short: we need policy in action. This is critical for the millions of South Africans who are unemployed and living with food insecurity, and an agricultural sector that is ready to offer South Africa so much more.
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