The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem
Abstract Objective: To examine power and governance arrangements in food and nutrition policy formulation and agenda-setting in South Africa Design: Analysis of the policy implementation environment and in-depth interviews were conducted focussing on: existing policy content and priorities acros...
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Cambridge University Press
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000163/type/journal_article |
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| author | Busiso Helard Moyo Anne Marie Thow Florian Kroll Scott Drimie |
| author_facet | Busiso Helard Moyo Anne Marie Thow Florian Kroll Scott Drimie |
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Abstract
Objective:
To examine power and governance arrangements in food and nutrition policy formulation and agenda-setting in South Africa
Design:
Analysis of the policy implementation environment and in-depth interviews were conducted focussing on: existing policy content and priorities across food system sectors; institutional structures for cross-sectoral and external stakeholder engagement; exercise of power in relation to food system policies; and opportunities to strengthen action on nutrition.
Setting:
South Africa
Participants:
Interviews were conducted with 48 key stakeholders involved in the food and nutrition policy sphere: government sectors relevant to food systems (n=21), the private sector (n=4), academia (n=10), NGOs (n=11) and farmers (n=2).
Results:
This study found that there are power dynamics involved in shaping the planning agenda that is inadvertently generating a food system that undermines the right to food. The concept of nutrition governance remains poorly defined and applied in different ways and usually based on a relatively narrow interpretation – therefore limiting policy coherence and coordination. South Africa has strong legal institutions and practices, and social policies that support public provisioning of food, but a non-interventionist approach to the food system.
Conclusions:
The right to food and nutrition, as outlined in the South African Constitution, has not yet been effectively utilized to establish a robust normative and legal basis for tackling the dual challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition. Currently, the governance of the food system is grappling with substantial obstacles, balancing the influence of powerful stakeholders who uphold the status quo against its responsibilities for food justice.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-19f36090838a400cabb93bcc28309ba4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-19f36090838a400cabb93bcc28309ba42025-02-03T12:01:32ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-272713210.1017/S1368980025000163The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystemBusiso Helard Moyo0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4956-3851Anne Marie Thow1Florian Kroll2Scott Drimie3Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, School of Public Health & DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS), University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Rd, Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa, 7535. E-mail –School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown NSW 2006, Australia. E-mail –Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), University of the Western Cape Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535.Department of Global Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine Sciences, University of Stellenbosch Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602 South Africa. . Abstract Objective: To examine power and governance arrangements in food and nutrition policy formulation and agenda-setting in South Africa Design: Analysis of the policy implementation environment and in-depth interviews were conducted focussing on: existing policy content and priorities across food system sectors; institutional structures for cross-sectoral and external stakeholder engagement; exercise of power in relation to food system policies; and opportunities to strengthen action on nutrition. Setting: South Africa Participants: Interviews were conducted with 48 key stakeholders involved in the food and nutrition policy sphere: government sectors relevant to food systems (n=21), the private sector (n=4), academia (n=10), NGOs (n=11) and farmers (n=2). Results: This study found that there are power dynamics involved in shaping the planning agenda that is inadvertently generating a food system that undermines the right to food. The concept of nutrition governance remains poorly defined and applied in different ways and usually based on a relatively narrow interpretation – therefore limiting policy coherence and coordination. South Africa has strong legal institutions and practices, and social policies that support public provisioning of food, but a non-interventionist approach to the food system. Conclusions: The right to food and nutrition, as outlined in the South African Constitution, has not yet been effectively utilized to establish a robust normative and legal basis for tackling the dual challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition. Currently, the governance of the food system is grappling with substantial obstacles, balancing the influence of powerful stakeholders who uphold the status quo against its responsibilities for food justice. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000163/type/journal_articleRight to foodnutritionSouth AfricaMalnutritionDouble burdenPolicySustainable Development GoalsFood sovereignty |
| spellingShingle | Busiso Helard Moyo Anne Marie Thow Florian Kroll Scott Drimie The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem Public Health Nutrition Right to food nutrition South Africa Malnutrition Double burden Policy Sustainable Development Goals Food sovereignty |
| title | The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem |
| title_full | The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem |
| title_fullStr | The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem |
| title_full_unstemmed | The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem |
| title_short | The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem |
| title_sort | anti politics of food in south africa transformation accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem |
| topic | Right to food nutrition South Africa Malnutrition Double burden Policy Sustainable Development Goals Food sovereignty |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000163/type/journal_article |
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