Food and cash: understanding the role of the retail sector in rural food security in South Africa

Abstract

A decline in subsistence agriculture across sub-Saharan Africa has meant an increased role for the private sector in food security strategies, but this role remains a relatively blind spot in food policy. We address this gap by analyzing retailers and consumers in a rural region of South Africa. Our results show that purchasing food is an important food security strategy for the rural poor, but is constrained by a lack of access to income. Furthermore, a reliance on specific non-perishable foodstuffs impacts the micronutrients that the poorest can access if they are unable to grow their own fresh produce. Adaptive food policy thus requires a holistic appreciation of the food system - emphasizing production as well as building livelihoods outside of agriculture.

Citation

Pereira, L.M.; Cuneo, C.N.; Twine, W.C. Food and cash: understanding the role of the retail sector in rural food security in South Africa. Food Security (2014) : [DOI: 10.1007/s12571-014-0349-1]

Food and cash: understanding the role of the retail sector in rural food security in South Africa

Published 1 January 2014