Food and nutrition security draft policy implementation plan
RATIONALE FOR FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION POLICY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN DEVELOPMENT
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- GOAL OF FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY POLICY
- Implementation plan prioritised outcomes
- ANALYSIS OF UNDERLYING CAUSES OF POVERTY, FOOD INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION IN SOUTH AFRICA
RATIONALE FOR FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION POLICY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN DEVELOPMENTThe rationale for the development of the Food Security and Nutrition Policy Implementation Plan is to provide a medium to long term Results Based Framework for the direction of Food Security and Nutrition Implementation in South Africa. This plan is expected to provide synergy for implementation of food and nutrition programs aimed at reducing poverty and addressing the causal factors for the current food and nutrition situation. The process of developing the plan will entail holding meetings, reviewing documents, internal SWOT analysis and general consultations. The process will include individual and group tasks that will be undertaken which give rise to synthesized issues contained in this document. This consultative nature of the planning process will enable the Inter-Governmental Working Group to obtain and access a wide range and in-depth information relevant for the development of realistic and deliverable outcomes and outputs pursued in this plan. While offering broad and clear guidelines on the role and functions of all different stakeholders, the implementation plan will also provide a clear framework for monitoring and evaluating national progress towards common and shared outcomes on food and nutrition security. Essential to this will be effective mechanisms for ensuring transparency and accountability of all key stakeholders to the South African population.
The main goal of the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy is to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of safe and nutritional food at national and household levels (NPFNS, 2013). This goal will be attained through implementation of five pillars which constitute the foundation of the policy and allows for multi-sectoral integration of initiatives and programmes. These pillars include availability of improved safety nets, improved nutrition education, alignment of investment in agriculture, improved market participation and risk management. The implementation plan has been developed through a multi-stakeholder consultative process to guide and facilitate implementation of the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy. It translates the policy into clear explicit prioritised outcomes, targets, expected outputs, activities and inputs.
Through this outcome, both subsistence and smallholder producers will be supported with production capital (inputs and resources) to act as agricultural hubs for the establishment of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries. A number of development partners, civil society organizations and Government Departments including health, education (National School Nutrition Programme), social development, agriculture, cooperative governance, trade and industry under the umbrella of Government Food Purchase Programme are expected to play an important role to realize this outcome. The development of the implementation plan has been premised on a participatory and inclusive engagement of all the relevant actors in various sectors, hence ensuring a shared ownership of the process and outcomes. The involvement of all key stakeholders is important for the successful implementation of the policy. In this regard, effective participation of all key stakeholders during the implementation of the plan is crucial, providing a platform for effective policy dialogue, review and shared responsibility, stronger and broadened partnerships, and strategic alliances with regional integration initiatives particularly CAADP the SADC.
Poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition are a concern to policy makers in South Africa as they deprive citizens of their food Constitutional right (Van der Berg, 2014). Stats SA (2013) indicated that 13.4 per cent of households experience hunger whereas 11.4 per cent are vulnerable to hunger in South Africa. Household food insecurity and malnutrition springs from an inability to meet nutritious daily food requirements and anxiety about the ability to produce, and or access food in future (Shisanya & Hendriks, 2011). Ensuring household food security is widely acknowledged as important in advancing the living standards of the rural poor. Although South Africa has enough food to feed its population, but available data suggests high incidence of household food insecurity (about 13.8 million South Africans) (Stats SA, 2013). Poor and food insecure households are typically comprised of socio-economically and or geographically disadvantaged people (Stats SA 2013) who typically do not have access to diversified, adequate and nutritious food (Stats SA, 2013). High unemployment rate, inadequate social welfare systems, unstable household food production, climate change, high fuel and food prices, lack of productive assets (financial, human, physical, social and natural), geographical location and high HIV / AIDS infection rate contribute to poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition in South Africa (DAFF, 2011). Malnutrition is also directly related to food intake and infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections and measles. SANHNES (2012) data indicates that stunting levels increased from 23.4 to 26.5 per cent whilst wasting and underweight declined from 5.1 to 2.2 and 11 to 6.1 per cent, respectively between 2005 and 2012 (Shisana et al., 2013 and Labadarios et al., 2011). This implies that both food insecurity and malnutrition reflect underlying social and economic conditions at household, community and national levels that might be supported by political, economic and ideological structures (UNICEF 1998). Poor institutional arrangements also contribute to food insecurity and malnutrition. Drimie and Ruysenaar (2010) indicated poorly executed institutional arrangement and uncoordinated and disintegrated strategies and interventions pose a major constraint to improved food and nutrition security in South Africa. There is more emphasis on agricultural productivity rather than multi-dimensional aspects of food and nutrition security. Addressing food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty in South Africa should involve a comprehensive understanding of availability, accessibility, utilisation and stability elements which by its nature is multi-disciplinary. The key challenge with regard to coordination is the poor clarification of roles and responsibilities for the various sectors involved and agencies across departments that are responsible for the implementation of food and nutrition related programmes. Drimie and Ruysenaar (2012) noted that food and nutrition security requires multi-dimensional stakeholders and does not fit easily into the existing structures. Literature (Drimie and Ruysenaar 2012; Watkinson 2003; Hamid 2005; Misselhorn 2006) also argues that the sector-specific organisation of government sectors and agencies contributes to limited communication, sharing of experiences and new technologies hence require cross-cutting integration and alignment of sectors for improved food and nutrition security.
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