by invitation
Current methods of food
production threaten the
environment and human
health, and change is
thus urgently required
in South Africa’s food
system. In a report,
recently published by
the WWF-SA, titled
‘Agri-food Systems:
Facts and Futures:
How South Africa can
produce50%moreby
2050’,theorganisation’s
seniormanagerof the
policyandfuturesunit,
TatjanavonBormann,
detailsthechanges
neededto achievea
betterfoodfuturefor the
country.
TatjanavonBormann,WWF-SA’s
seniormanagerofthepolicyand
futuresunit,wasoneofthespeakers
at theProduceMarketingAssociation
SouthernAfricaConferenceandTrade
Show,heldinCapeTownrecently,
whereshepresentedselectfindings
fromthereport‘Agri-foodSystems:
FactsandFutures:HowSouthAfrica
canproduce50%moreby2050’.
Thereportwaspublishedby
WWF-SA,andis availableat
tinyurl.com/y4bokhsh.
A better food future for SA
In the past few decades, millions of
people across the world have been
lifted out of poverty. This has led to a rapid
growth in the middle class, particularly
in developing economies, with resultant
lifestyle changes. These macro-trends
are expected to continue to 2050, when a
projected global population of more than
nine billion will need to be fed through a
food system that right now is fraught with
challenges. These include accelerating
climate change, rising input costs, ecosystem
and resource degradation, shifting
dietary preferences, social inequality,
andresourceconstraintsandconflicts.
Populationandincomegrowth,which
areinevitablylinkedtoa moreresource-
intensivedietandgreaterwaste,intersect
withenvironmentalchallengestoadd
furtherstressorswithinthefixedlimits
ofplanetaryboundaries.Giventhese
multipledrivers,foodsecuritycannotbe
understoodinisolation;it haseconomic,
socialandenvironmentalimplications,
andmustbeviewedwithintheframework
oftheintersectingresourcesofland,
biodiversity,waterandenergy.A complexsystem
Inrecentyears,anefforttounderstandthe
boundariesandcomplexityofwide-reaching
foodsystemshasreplacedtheconventional
thinkingoffoodproductionthatresults
froma simple,linearprocesssupplychain.
Inthisexpandedunderstanding,allthe
componentsinvolvedintheproduction,
processing,distribution,consumptionand
wasteoffood,needtobeconsidered.
Thecomplexfoodsystemlandscapeis
particularlyevidentindevelopingeconomies
withintheSouthernAfricanregion.The
abilityofthealreadyfragmentedand
underdevelopedfoodsystemsinSouthern
Africatomeettheneedsofa growing
populationwithrisingincomelevelswill
befurthercompromisedastheeffectsof
climatechangebecomemorepronounced.
ThechallengesacrossSouthernAfrica
arequitesimilar,includingincreasingly
degradedecosystemsandnaturalresources,
aswellasresourceconstraints,povertyand
conflict.Inaddition,malnutritioninallits
formsis evidentnotonlyintheregion,butacross the continent. Urbanisation is also
on the increase. Yet, there is reason to be
optimistic, as there is potential for improved
yields from African agriculture, especially
in sub-Saharan Africa, which has close
to half of the world’s potentially available
uncultivated land and underutilised water
resources. These land and water resources
suggest that Africa can become self-sufficient
and play a bigger role in global food security.
However, there is considerable work to be
done to ensure that production increases are
sustainable and supported by responsible
land and water use, and farm planning
ona smallholderandcommercialscale.effectsonnAturAl resources
South Africa has kept the prevalence of
undernourishment below 5% since 1990, and
is close to reaching the World Food Summit
goal of decreasing the undernourished
population to 50% of the 1996 value.
However, in a country where half the
population lives below the poverty line,
South Africa still faces significant challenges.
Access to food and adequate nutrition
are rights enshrined in the Constitution of
South Africa, but while there is sufficient
food to meet calorie requirements, hunger
is rife: 22% of households have inadequate
access to food. Despite the evident need,
33% of all food produced goes to waste.
The food system has done more damage
to our natural environment than any
other human enterprise. Of all activities
on Earth, the production of food is the
largest contributor to biodiversity loss,
deforestation, desertification and soil
degradation. It escalates water scarcity,
leads to declining water quality, and causes
widespread damage to marine ecosystems.
Global food production uses almost
40% of the Earth’s land surface and 70%
of freshwater resources. In South Africa,
agriculture is the largest land-use type.
It includes tribal land, communal areas
and private commercial farms, and has
significant consequences for biodiversity
and ecosystem functioning. Soil degradation
results in a net loss of arable land every
year. Commercial agricultural practices
amplify the negative environmental
impacts associated with food production.6 farmer’sweekly 23 August 2019