While there may not be much evidence of widespread starvation and extreme undernutrition in South Africa, national and local surveys provide evidence of multiple forms of deprivation related to the experience of hunger, the widespread manifestation of micronutrient deficiencies and increasing rates of overweight and obesity.
A recently study by researchers from the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Wellbeing (IFNuW) investigated the consumption and production patterns of rural households in communities in four selected sites in the poorest local municipalities in South Africa. The study was funded by the Water Research Council and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
It is clear from the findings that most households are food insecure, with inadequate food available to meet the requirements for a diversified diet. Roughly one in four households reported experiencing hunger for most months of the year. In terms of food availability, it seemed that most households were able to purchase enough of the staple maize meal, which is consumed by all households every day. A high proportion of female caregivers were overweight and obese (59%), suggesting that for most households, sufficient dietary energy in the form of the staple food – refined, purchased white maize – is available. Relatively few young children and their female caregivers were underweight, but micronutrient deficiencies (termed ‘hidden hunger’) were rife.
The high levels of stunting (24%) indicate that the children experienced growth faltering early in life. Of concern also is how many of these stunted children were also overweight (47%). The largely starch-based diet is likely to lead to both growth faltering in young children and overweight in women and children.
The findings show that the diets of poor rural households lack diversity and do not include the frequent consumption of fruit and vegetables necessary to ensure good nutrition, productivity and child development. Seasonality affected While there may not be much evidence of widespread starvation and extreme undernutrition in South Africa, national and local surveys provide evidence of multiple forms of deprivation related to the experience of hunger, the widespread manifestation of micronutrient deficiencies and increasing rates of overweight and obesity. A recently study by researchers from the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Wellbeing (IFNuW) investigated the consumption and production patterns of rural households in communities in four selected sites in the poorest local municipalities in South Africa. The study was funded by the Water Research Council and the Department of Diet quality and food security in rural households Severe inadequacies related to the staple diets of most rural households in South Africa highlight the challenges experienced in achieving food security. the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables in winter, a situation that is exacerbated by a lack of water for the production of nutritious crops. Drought and climate change have further reduced opportunities for diversifying production and the availability of wild foods.
At the same time, a number of households were engaged in agriculture (on average 8 or 9 in 10 households) in the areas where production was possible (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo). The study found a strong link between engagement in agriculture and improved dietary quality. This resulted in improved household dietary diversity and children’s anthropometry scores. Income from farmland production and irrigated agriculture led to the increased intake of fruit and vegetables in general, but also meat, eggs, fish, milk, roots and tubers.
These findings are contrary to research carried out in the late 1990s. This earlier research showed that unless households produced enough food to sell and buy in other essential food (particularly dairy, fruit, fats and oils, meat and vegetables) and non-food items (such as fuel for food preparation and health care), their food security levels did not improve. It would seem that social grants now play a role in providing these essential basic needs, so that any crop production provides a direct improvement in dietary intakes.
Fieldwork undertaken in the Jozini area by IFNuW researcher, Dr Annemarie Viljoen
