World Food Day: Bauchi farmers urged to embrace dry-season farming’

On World Food Day, hunger must be at the forefront of discussions surrounding South Africa's upcoming local government elections. The national food plan has lapsed, and the coordinating council has never met, leaving children in hospitals to suffer from preventable malnutrition. Despite this, hunger is not an uncontrollable phenomenon, but rather a result of a concentrated food system controlled by a few large players.

Price-fixing cartels in staples like bread and maize meal have made food unaffordable for many, forcing them to purchase cheap and unhealthy alternatives. The National Food and Nutrition Security Plan expired in 2023, leaving a budget-less draft plan in its place.

Civil society has called for the revival of this plan and the adoption of new policies to address hunger. The University of the Western Cape has suggested that municipalities can use their power to regulate markets, reduce food waste, and discourage the promotion of unhealthy foods. Additionally, a maternal grant has been proposed to address hunger and adequate nutrition for expectant mothers and their unborn children.

While the cost of implementing these solutions has been estimated at R2-billion annually, the public health costs of hunger and malnutrition-related issues are significantly higher at R13.8-billion. As South Africans prepare to vote on 4 November, it is crucial to question candidates about their plans for food security, water for food gardens, market access for informal traders, and ensuring the availability of healthy and affordable food for all.