Today, on World Hunger Day, the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) stands in solidarity with communities around the country who experience hunger and food insecurity daily. Despite South Africa having the means to feed its population, millions still struggle to access sufficient and nutritious food.
Official statistics paint a bleak picture. According to Stats SA’s General Household Survey published in 2023, 23,1% of households nationally, more than one in five, report inadequate or severely inadequate access to food. A 2023 study Commissioned by the then Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) found that half of all adults in South Africa are considered overweight or obese, while 69% of adults who are obese live in households that are food insecure and therefore have little choice about the food they eat and its nutritional value. The triple burden of malnutrition exists in the country, which happens when undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overnutrition exist simultaneously in society. South Africa’s 2016 Demographic and Health Survey published by the National Department of Health and others show that stunting, which refers to a low height for one’s age, is evident in 30% of boys in South Africa under the age of five years, and 25% of girls in the same age bracket.
Despite this, it is estimated that 10 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in South Africa, which constitutes about one-third of all available food. A disconnect exists between available food, and those who struggle to access their next meal. Like the rest of the world, South Africa faces critical questions about how to produce food in a just and sustainable manner. Food wastage is not only a social and humanitarian concern, but also an environmental one.
Many of SERI’s partners and clients – such as those in precarious work (domestic workers and farm workers), the informal sector (informal traders and reclaimers), and city residents (both those in the inner city and informal settlements) have been severely impacted by persistent food insecurity that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the important role that many of them play in the South African food system. SERI explores these struggles and the remedies that people seek in a forthcoming research report ‘Food for Thought: Reflections on Food (In)security. Laws, Experiences, Interventions’. The report will be published on the 3rd of June 2025. In the lead up to the report’s publication, SERI will be embarking on a #FoodJusticeWeek, commencing today during which we will share the experiences and coping strategies of our client groups to highlight the impacts of food insecurity. Throughout the week we will showcase content on social media relating to the right to food, experiences of food insecurity, and potential solutions. [Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and visit our website for updates.]
Food insecurity is a complex problem and requires multi-faceted solutions, which should include amongst others: expansion of social support; more transparent and comprehensive monitoring of food prices; a potential subsidy for people to be able to access an affordable, nutritious basket of food; continued support to those who are growing their own food; efforts by everyone in the food system to minimise food waste; and ultimately the just transition of the South African food system.
World Hunger Day reminds us of the urgent need to confront the deep inequalities embedded in South Africa’s food system and to reaffirm our shared commitment to realising the right to food as enshrined in our Constitution as well as achieving food justice as part of the realisation of socio-economic rights.
Contact details:
- Yvonne Erasmus, SERI senior researcher: yvonne[at]seri-sa.org / 082 590 9243.
- Edward Molopi, SERI senior communications and advocacy officer: edward[at]seri-sa.org / 082 590 9638.