Urgent action needed on food insecurity in SA

By Johnathan Paoli

As the globe observed World Food Day under the theme “Right to Foods for a Better Life and Better Future” on Wednesday, the reality in South Africa is that more than 60% of households are currently experiencing food insecurity.

In Gauteng, which is the economic hub of the country, one in four people face food insecurity, according to the provincial agriculture and rural development department.

“Access to food must not be conditional; it cannot depend on one’s economic status,” agriculture MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa said in a statement.

She emphasised that achieving food equity necessitated transformative changes in agricultural systems, local food production and economic growth.

Ramokgopa said the situation was one of the systemic failures that hindered the nation’s potential and collective prosperity.

With approximately 34% of the province’s population facing moderate to severe food insecurity, the urgency for equitable access to nutritious food has never been