How food secure are South Africa’s cities?

Abstract

This chapter in a forthcoming book describes the state of food insecurity in South Africa’s cities and highlights the specific nature of urban food insecurity. It argues that food insecurity is the result of poorly framed and mandated policies, that food insecurity is driven by changes in the food system, and that spatial and structural issues drive food insecurity. When the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) dimensions of food security are considered, South African cities are largely food insecure places, with nodes of extreme food insecurity in many areas within the urban fabric of the country.