The real meaning of food security in South Africa

Consumers probably do not realise that South Africa is a farming-unfriendly country

- ROELOF BEZUIDENHOUT

IT’S EASY to oversimplify the food security issue. Sure, food security begins out in the farmlands but, critically, depends on farmers that can produce at a big enough profit to justify their risk and hard work. Once farming confidence goes and younger farmers lose interest and move elsewhere no amount of social or political engineering will turn things around.

A healthy agricultural industry needs balance between exports and domestic markets but the latter depends on the spending power of local consumers. Real food security therefore depends not only on a thriving farmer but also a thriving consumer. You can't have the one without the other. However, the primary producer - who takes most of the risk gets the smallest percentage of the profits along the food chain.

To impoverished families in deep rural areas food security means being able to grow their staple diet. Sophisticated urban shoppers would describe it as having an unlimited choice of foods, irrespective of source, even if it's a little expensive. For most South African consumers real food security means the availability and affordability of nutritious and safe-to-eat meals.

Given restraints such as water, good soil and infrastructure, few people - even small-scale farmers - are able to produce their own vegetables more cheaply than they can buy from a vendor. Vegetable gardens have to be protected from plant pests, animals as well as thieves. As food prices rise out of the reach of ordinary wage earners, pensioners, and social security beneficiaries, more and more shops in marginal towns and impoverished townships are stocking basic, long-life foods at the expense of fresh produce and delicatessen lines.