Coherence of agro-food policies with NCD prevention in South Africa: lessons for policy & practice

Abstract

Diet related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, can be controlled through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables in South Africa requires the alignment of agro-food policies with, trade, investment, and health sectors. The aim of this policy brief is to examine the extent to which fruit and vegetable policies are aligned to NCD prevention in South Africa. A study conducted in 2019-2021 (Ndinda & Sinyolo, 2019) found that, despite improvement in fruit and vegetable consumption in in recent years, there is limited alignment of agricultural policies with NCD prevention policies and programmes in South Africa. While the health and nutrition policies are strongly aligned to NCD prevention, they focus mainly on behavioural changes such as exercises or nutrient supplementation. The agri-food and trade policies are weakly aligned to NCD prevention, with no explicitly stated objectives or targets for NCD prevention. They focus is on food availability and access, and less on the nutrition component of food security. There is a need to explicitly insert NCD prevention and control objectives into agro-food policies to ensure the achievement of a healthy nation. Critical stakeholders in the achievement of policy coherence for NCD prevention are departments of agriculture, health, trade and industry, and national treasury. In addition non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations are critical grassroots stakeholders as they deal with the outcomes of policy incoherence.