Food insecurity in South Africa: To what extent can social grants and consumption of wild foods eradicate hunger?
- Chakona, Gamuchirai, Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179541 , vital:43081 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2019.02.001"
- Description: As the world continues to face widespread food insecurity, achieving food security for all at all times is increasingly complicated. In South Africa, social grants and the use of wild foods have been reported as some ways to improve household food insecurity and reduce poverty. The study examined if social grants and consumption of wild foods alleviate food insecurity in South Africa. Household surveys and focus group discussions were conducted along the rural-urban continuum in three South African towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. We explored the differences in household food security indicators, mean monthly food expenditure and wealth index between households receiving social grants, households consuming wild foods, and those who did not. Households receiving social grants were more food insecure with lower mean monthly food expenditure and wealth index than those who did not. Overall all towns, the use of wild foods improved household food security which was not true within towns where wild foods were mostly consumed by low income and more food insecure households. Social grants alone cannot eradicate food insecurity as the money is not enough to cater for all household needs whilst wild foods can potentially alleviate household food insecurity. As food prices continue to increase gradually and worsening household food insecurity, ways to shift ‘income circumstances’ of households and promote the use and consumption of wild foods which may increase dietary diversity and diversifying food access. Focus should be placed on capacity building, employment creation and promoting awareness on own food production which is one way to improve food security of poor households rather than depending on purchases from the grant money alone.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179541 , vital:43081 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2019.02.001"
- Description: As the world continues to face widespread food insecurity, achieving food security for all at all times is increasingly complicated. In South Africa, social grants and the use of wild foods have been reported as some ways to improve household food insecurity and reduce poverty. The study examined if social grants and consumption of wild foods alleviate food insecurity in South Africa. Household surveys and focus group discussions were conducted along the rural-urban continuum in three South African towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. We explored the differences in household food security indicators, mean monthly food expenditure and wealth index between households receiving social grants, households consuming wild foods, and those who did not. Households receiving social grants were more food insecure with lower mean monthly food expenditure and wealth index than those who did not. Overall all towns, the use of wild foods improved household food security which was not true within towns where wild foods were mostly consumed by low income and more food insecure households. Social grants alone cannot eradicate food insecurity as the money is not enough to cater for all household needs whilst wild foods can potentially alleviate household food insecurity. As food prices continue to increase gradually and worsening household food insecurity, ways to shift ‘income circumstances’ of households and promote the use and consumption of wild foods which may increase dietary diversity and diversifying food access. Focus should be placed on capacity building, employment creation and promoting awareness on own food production which is one way to improve food security of poor households rather than depending on purchases from the grant money alone.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Food taboos and cultural beliefs influence food choice and dietary preferences among pregnant women in the eastern cape, South Africa
- Chakona, Gamuchirai, Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177444 , vital:42822 , https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112668
- Description: A well-nourished and healthy population is a central tenet of sustainable development. In South Africa, cultural beliefs and food taboos followed by some pregnant women influence their food consumption, which impacts the health of mothers and children during pregnancy and immediately afterwards. We documented food taboos and beliefs amongst pregnant isiXhosa women from five communities in the Kat River Valley, South Africa. A mixed-methods approach was used, which was comprised of questionnaire interviews with 224 women and nine focus group discussions with 94 participants.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177444 , vital:42822 , https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112668
- Description: A well-nourished and healthy population is a central tenet of sustainable development. In South Africa, cultural beliefs and food taboos followed by some pregnant women influence their food consumption, which impacts the health of mothers and children during pregnancy and immediately afterwards. We documented food taboos and beliefs amongst pregnant isiXhosa women from five communities in the Kat River Valley, South Africa. A mixed-methods approach was used, which was comprised of questionnaire interviews with 224 women and nine focus group discussions with 94 participants.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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