Papers by Godfrey Tawodzera
Although South Africa is food security at a national level, there is widespread household food in... more Although South Africa is food security at a national level, there is widespread household food insecurity. Despite clear evidence of high levels of urban food insecurity, the problem is generally framed as being predominantly rural. This has led to a neglect of urban considerations in food security policies and programmes at the national and provincial levels, and an approach that fails to consider the systemic drivers of food insecurity. This has left local government without a clear mandate to address food insecurity. Although National policies and strategies continue to neglect the drivers of urban food security, the 2014 National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security does identify a role for local government. The National Development Plan argues for a more complex understanding of food security and its possible solutions. Although the vast majorty of local government food security initiatives focus on urban agriculture, there are indications that a more systemic approach is being considered. This policy brief calls for national government to formally acknowledge the mandate for food security to local government, and for provincial government to provide more scope for local government to drive the provincial urban food security agenda. The South African Cities Network has an important role to play in driving these processes, and in providing opportunities for horizontal learning. The brief argues that local governments should seek to maximise their food security programming and interventions within their existing mandates and develop over-arching food security and food system strategies, which address sustaianability issues and vulnerabilities to mega-trends. Finally, it argues that food systems governance should be recognised as an intervention with multiple benefits and returns on investment.
224! 9.2)))Measuring)Food)Security)and)Insecurity).
Journal of Food and Nutritional Disorders, 2016
Following the Crisis: Poverty and Food Security in Harare, Zimbabwe Household food security in Af... more Following the Crisis: Poverty and Food Security in Harare, Zimbabwe Household food security in African cities has received increasing academic and policy attention in the past decade as the continent rapidly urbanizes. The African Food Security Urban Network has played a leading role in producing empirical research on the extent of household food insecurity and on its causal factors, but to date it has produced little longitudinal data. This paper addresses this gap by presenting the results of household food security surveys conducted in low-income neighbourhoods in Harare, Zimbabwe in 2008 and 2012. The analytical focus is on the changes that took place from the “crisis” situation in 2008, when the formal sector economy virtually ceased to function, to the situation in 2012 after new economic policies and a political detente had led to economic stabilization. The results show an overall improvement in food security but with important qualifications, such as the continued importance of non-monetized and informal food sources, continued problems with access to basic services and infrastructure, and the accrual of food security gains mostly among wealthier households.
queensu.ca
urban food security series no. 2 african food security urban network (afsun) Note Those who contr... more urban food security series no. 2 african food security urban network (afsun) Note Those who contributed to the development of the survey on which this paper is based include
AfricAn food Security urbAn network (AfSun) AfricAn food Security urbAn network (AfSun) urbAn foo... more AfricAn food Security urbAn network (AfSun) AfricAn food Security urbAn network (AfSun) urbAn food Security SerieS no. 2
Food insecurity is a challenge for most countries in the Global South. South Africa is no excepti... more Food insecurity is a challenge for most countries in the Global South. South Africa is no exceptiona significant proportion of its population still remains in poverty and is therefore vulnerable to food insecurity. This paper argues that although South Africa is food secure at national level, such security is only true of caloric and not nutrient requirements. A section of the country still struggles to access food and survives on the margins-typified by the existence of malnutrition on one hand and on the other hand, the consumption of inappropriate foods leading to obesity. Poverty and unemployment are the major drivers of this insecurity and these should be addressed if the country aims to achieve food security for disparate sections of the South African society. But how are affected households and individuals coping with threats to food security? The paper shows that poor households in the country adopt a range of strategies for survival, such as borrowing from micro-lenders, substituting foods with cheaper ones, and disposing off assets. In conclusion, the paper points out that it is in South Africa's power to prioritise food security through various instruments as laid out in the country's food security strategy.
Spaza shops are an important component of the South African township economy as they provide vita... more Spaza shops are an important component of the South African township economy as they provide vital goods, employment and an income to most township dwellers.This notwithstanding, the sustainability ofspaza shops has been problematic, with most closing down within the first few years of operation.Against this backdrop, thispaperassessedthe structure and operations of spaza shops in the Mankweng area and investigated the problems that inhibit their viability.A quantitative approach that necessitated the use of a structured and closed ended questionnaire was adopted to collect data from 50 spaza shop owners.A GPS device provided the coordinates utilised to map the spatialdistribution of the spaza shops in the area. The results suggest that most of the spaza shops surveyed were foreign owned with the preponderance of Ethiopians (34%) and Somalians (34%). South African spaza shop owners constituted 26% of the sample.The study notes that although spaza shops generate income for owners and...
We would like to thank the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), the co-publisher ... more We would like to thank the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), the co-publisher of this report, for supporting the research on Zimbabwean migrant access to health and other services in South Africa. Funding for this publication was received from the Canadian IDRC, whose assistance is also gratefully acknowledged. Our thanks to the Zimbabwean students who assisted with the research and the Zimbabwean migrants who graciously consented to be interviewed.
Uploads
Papers by Godfrey Tawodzera