Agbiz warns of alarming rise in food insecurity despite agricultural export success

THE Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) has expressed growing concern over alarming statistics from Statistics SA that revealed an unsettling increase in food insecurity across the nation.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

Data released in February showed that the percentage of food-insecure households rose significantly from 15.8% in 2019 to 19.7% in 2023, raising serious questions about the well-being of millions of South Africans.

According to Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, an increasing number of households were struggling to secure basic food needs although South Africa stands as a formidable leader in agricultural exports within Africa.

“If you look at Agricultural Trade Data, South Africa is the only country from Africa in the top 40 global exporters. In 2024, South Africa's agricultural exporters reached a record $13.7 billion (R248bn). Some of the key agricultural exports include grain, fruits, red meat, and wool,” he said.

The new findings from Stats SA were derived from the General Household Survey that assessed food security levels for 2019, 2022, and 2023.

Notably, the report highlighted an alarming trend: the proportion of households experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity rose from 15.8% in 2019 to 16.2% in 2022, escalating further to 19.7% in 2023.