The cost-of-living crisis will be one of the most severe risks to plague South Africa over the next two years. Food price increases are proving insurmountable, exacerbated by loadshedding, high unemployment and infrastructure vandalism.
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“While middle-income households are feeling the pressure, the poor have already been priced out,” says Andy Du Plessis, managing director of FoodForward South Africa (FFSA).
He continues, “The tragic reality is that millions of households simply can’t afford to buy the food they need to survive. This has an enormous impact on human health, rendering a weak and vulnerable future workforce.”
In the last year alone, the average cost of the household food basket has risen to R4,917.42, up by 11.7% from January 2022. There have also been sharp increases in the prices of popular food items like bread, from R13,92 to R16,50 per loaf; onions, from R7,10 to R12,40 per kilo; and cooking oil, from R140,90 to R185,89 per 5L.
As it becomes increasingly difficult for people to afford basic food items, with the annual food price inflation sitting at 12%, more and more South Africans are at risk of starvation and malnutrition.
“Over 100 new cases of child malnutrition were reported in the past six months,” reveals Du Plessis. “Of those 100 children, 43 have already passed away. They simply could not access basic, life-saving sustenance.”
Today, more than 15% of South African children are born with low birth weights. 27% of children up to 5 years of age suffer from stunting, the highest level of stunting in the world. And 33% do not reach basic milestones in cognitive or social-emotional development.
“South Africa’s prospects for future growth and development lie in the hands of our youth. Yet not enough is being done to ensure this generation has access to the basic resources it needs to thrive,” says Du Plessis.
One solution is to capitalise on inevitable food value chain weaknesses and supply chain disruptions, which result in over 10 million metric tonnes of good, edible food being lost or wasted each year. South Africa could change this by enacting a food donation policy.
FoodForward South Africa’s recommendations for such legislation focus on four areas that relate to food donations:
- Food safety for donations
- Liability protection for food donors
- Tax incentives
- Government grants
“Creating better access to safe and healthy food in a cost-effective and scaled manner must be realised now so that we can reduce starvation and malnutrition and ensure that political stability is achieved,” concludes Du Plessis.
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