It's time for SA to rethink its food security strategies

In these trying times of high food prices, we need to reconsider how all South Africans can be afforded access to safe, nutritional diets that enable them to live healthy lives

- Dr Koos Coetzee.

The World Bank defines food security as “when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. Food security thus implies that food should be both available and affordable.

Policymakers have believed for many years that imports can secure a country’s food security. When farmers complain about low prices, they are sometimes told they must be able to produce at import parity prices in order to survive.

The 2008 global food crisis resulted in more than 29 countries limiting food exports. COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulted in global food shortages. Various countries enforced regulations to limit food exports, as they could no longer depend on imports to safeguard household food security. In times of crisis, countries protect their own food security.

HARD HIT 

Embargoes on food exports as a result of animal disease can severely decrease supply in importing countries. Recently, pork exports from South Africa were halted as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. In Namibia, the price of pork doubled and this commodity is currently more expensive than lamb.