The stomach is crying: patterns of food insecurity and the role of social grants in South Africa

Abstract

Ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition is one of the core UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and features in the National Development Plan, both as a national objective, and as a core element in the strategy to uplift rural areas. Yet, ensuring that all South Africans have sufficient food to meet the needs of their households remains an enduring challenge, especially given food price inflation, climatic vulnerability, and crop diseases and pests. In this article, Benjamin Roberts, Samela Mtyingizane, Steven Gordon and Jare Struwig present SASAS trends in self-reported food insecurity between 2007 and 2015, examine geographic differences in such patterns, and report on the results of a micro-study from rural KwaZulu-Natal that examines the role of social grants in assisting families to cope with food insecurity.