HSRC survey sounds food security alarm bells in KZN

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has called for urgent intervention to address food insecurity in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The institution released its finding of a survey in Durban on the current food and nutrition status.

The report revealed that the province faces a severe problem of obesity and food scarcity, especially in some rural districts. Thirty scientists worked on the survey.

The Zululand and uMkhanyakude Districts have been cited as those with the biggest food scarcity in KZN. The survey was initiated in 2019.

People from over 10 000 households, from various parts of the province, participated.

Some of the key findings of the report indicate that, whilst there is land available for farming in some areas, residents have neglected farming as a way of combating poverty. An estimated 17% of the households in the province suffer from severe food insecurity and 4.3 % suffer from severe hunger.

“Some of the key recommendations of the reports say that the provincial government must ensure that a certain portion of land is strictly reserved for farming purposes because most residents have now chosen to build houses in places where they used to farm and produce food,” says HSRC’s Dr Thokozani Simelane.

A lack of nutritious food is also a worrying factor. The province is ranked the highest in the country when it comes to obesity. The provincial government has vowed to act on the recommendations of the report.

“Providing farmers, especially those who are emerging, with training is going to be very critical as we move and try to address this problem. Equipping farmers with knowledge will go a long way in improving the situation,” says Premier Thami Ntuli.

Over R80 million was spent to compile the report.

“We need to sit down and strategize on how we are going to take it forward because our aim is to see KwaZulu-Natal being green, producing something that can assist everyone within the sector and also to export, if possible,” says Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa, KZN MEC for Agriculture.

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