Fault lines in food system governance exposed : reflections from the listeria outbreak in South Africa

Abstract

South Africa experienced the largest ever recorded outbreak of listeria (Listeria monocytogenes), with almost 1049 confirmed cases and 209 deaths between January 2017 and June 2018. The outbreak provides an opportunity to interrogate the relative power of the state and the private sector in shaping the food system and to re-evaluate issues of traceability and broader governance. The health sector is still largely considered the sole policy sector responsible for the health of the population. This siloed thinking results in policy incoherence, with policies in the trade and food sectors, for example, antagonistic to health policies and targets.