Abstract:
Since 2002, a range of South African policies have attempted to address the disproportionate burden
of food and nutrition insecurity on the population. Yet malnutrition among the poor has worsened.
This study reviewed policies to examine their implications for food security and the treatment of
malnutrition. Policies enacted between 2002 and 2017 were retrieved from government departments
and the data were thematically analysed. A preliminary analysis shows that policy has aided
production through input provision and capacity building. Taxation, school nutrition programmes
and social grants are some of the food access initiatives, whilst micronutrient supplementation,
breastfeeding campaigns and food fortification are policies specifically focused on nutrition.
However, despite these interventions, food insecurity has remained due to gaps in and contradictions
among policies and the lack of coordination in policy development and implementation, especially
across sectors. To improve food and nutrition security, government must better engage with ideas
about how to address food and nutrition security systemically, and develop the appropriate
coordination mechanisms for a more holistic approach to this challenge.
