Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the gendered social relations that are attached to food, through an exploration of women’s management of food and food security in poor households in Paternoster, a small fishing community on the west coast of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. My study explores how women navigate the everyday provision, management and distribution of food within a context of limited resources, with food understood both in terms of sustenance and as implicated in processes whereby gender norms and larger concerns with ‘respectability’ (ordentlikheid) are established and maintained under difficult economic conditions. One of the important strategies employed to ensure food security within households in Paternoster is the establishment and maintenance by and among women of foodways in and between households. An exploration of foodways between households sheds light on the various social networks that exist in Paternoster and the important role of women within these networks. Paternoster is a space where the navigation of these issues is informed by the long history of subsistence fishing in the area and the symbolism attached to fish and fishing in the ways in which the local fishing community engages with the challenges of food security. Of particular interest is how women manage individual and/or household food security in Paternoster in the light of existing gender dynamics involved in the production, collection and consumption of food. The sharp division of labour historically has meant that women have traditionally been involved in the pre- and post-harvest sector, rather than in the actual catching of fish. This study is also driven by concerns around the impacts of the changing fishing environment on food security and social relations in this small village. One of the major consequences of these changes is the feeling of impending food insecurity experienced by many households. The increase in mechanization in marine resource use activities, drastic changes in fishing policies and the process of fisheries rights allocations as well as diminishing fish stocks are systematically impacting on the social systems and lived experiences of the people who were, and still are, heavily dependent on the fishing industry in Paternoster for their livelihoods.. Paternoster has seen the development of new sources of employment as a result of the growth of tourism, which has presented women in particular with new work opportunities, including working in guest houses and restaurants. However, this is on the low wage end. In this context the management of food security within the household and between households through maintaining foodways and established food networks is predominantly the responsibility of women. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op sosiale verhoudings van gender wat verband hou met voedsel, deur‘n verkenning van vroue se bestuur van voedsel en voedselsekerheid in arm huishoudings in Paternoster, ‘n klein vissersgemeenskap aan die weskus van die Wes-Kaap Provinsie van Suid-Afrika. My studie verken hoe vroue die daaglikse voorsiening, bestuur en verspreiding van voedsel navigeer in ‘n konteks van beperkte hulpbronne, met ‘n begrip van voedsel as lewensmiddele sowel as geïmpliseer in prosesse waarin gender-norme en ‘n gerigtheid op 'ordentlikheid' onder moeilike ekonomiese omstandighede gevestig en onderhou word. Een van die belangrike strategieë wat deur en tussen vroue in huishoudings in Paternoster onderneem word om voedselsekerheid te verseker is die vestiging en onderhouding van voedselnetwerke (foodways) in en tussen huishoudings. ‘n Verkenning van voedselnetwerke tussen huishoudings werp lig op die verskeidenheid sosiale netwerke wat in Paternoster bestaan en die belangrike rol van vroue in hierdie netwerke. Paternoster is ‘n plek waar die navigasie van hierdie kwessies ingelig word deur die lang geskiedenis van bestaansvissery in die gebied sowel as die simboliek wat aan vis en visvang geheg word in die wyses waarop die plaaslike gemeenskap met die uitdagings van voedselsekerheid handel. Wat van besondere belang is, is hoe vroue individuele en huishoudelike voedselsekerheid in Paternoster bestuur in die lig van die bestaande gender-dinamika met betrekking tot die produksie, versameling en gebruik van voedsel. Die skerp historiese geslagsverdeling van arbeid het beteken dat vroue tradisioneel betrokke was in die voor- en na-oes proses, eerder as in die werklike vang van vis. Hierdie studie word ook gemotiveer deur kommer oor die impak wat die veranderende vissery-omgewing op voedselsekerheid en sosiale verhoudings in hierdie dorpie het. Een van die belangrikste gevolge van hierdie veranderinge is die gevoel van dreigende voedselonsekerheid wat deur talle huishoudings ondervind word. Die toename in meganisering in die aktiwiteite rondom die gebruik van mariene hulpbronne, die drastiese veranderinge in visserybeleid en die toekenningsproses van visregte asook die afname in visbronne impakteer sistemies op die sosiale sisteme en ervaring van die mense wat sterk afhanklik was van die visindustrie in Paternoster vir hul leeftog afhanklik was en nog steeds is. Paternoster het die ontwikkeling van nuwe bronne van werk ervaar as gevolg van die groei van toerisme. Dit het aan vroue veral nuwe werksgeleenthede gebied, insluitend werk in gastehuise en restourante. Hierdie werk was egter op die lae loonvlak. In hierdie konteks is die bestuur van voedselsekerheid binne die huishouding en tussen huishoudings, deur die handhawing van foodways en gevestigde voedselnetwerke hoofsaaklik die verantwoordelikheid van vroue.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / Africa is the continent where home sapiens was born and with its worn out soils, fitful rain and rising population could very well provide a glimpse of our species’ future. The trends that are behind the current deterioration in food security go far beyond agriculture itself. South Africa is food secure at a national level and has been meeting its food needs from domestic sources in the past twenty years. However, in spite of its food secure status, 35% or 14.3 million South Africans are vulnerable to food insecurity. Food security challenges appear to be considerable against a backdrop of a South Africa being a net importer of wheat together with local cereal production that can fluctuate by up to 36% between years. It is unknown to what extend the true impact of climate change might affect this and other agricultural activity; a declining indigenous population as the HIV/AIDS pandemic takes effect; a population poorly endowed with an entitlement to gain access to sufficient food and nutrition; a dependency on oil for energy resulting in an outflow of foreign exchange, expensive agriculture and agricultural crops changed into fuel crops and markets that allocates the limited resources, but not feeding the needy poor. Considering the above, the determinants of food security for South Africa were grouped under the following headings: - Entitlement - Demography - Agriculture - Energy - Climate change - Markets. Nobody who has money to pay for food is starving therefore, given the pervasiveness of malnutrition, the money made by merchants in the food trade does seem an affront to common notions of economic justice. The economic and political point is missed when merchants are blamed for conditions that promoted huge food imports and malnutrition. Merchants are not interested in famine but in commercial markets. These merchants thrive upon a system that excludes the hungry. Recent protectionist behaviour by food export countries and the structural shift in the demand of food require South Africa to evaluate its food security determinants. South Africa requires accurate policies to guide its food security efforts towards 2030.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master Technology: Consumer Science Food and Nutrition, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2014. / Food security is a global concern and the insecurity thereof is prevalent in South Africa even though the country is deemed to be secure in terms of food availability. The study was conducted to determine the socio-economic, health and nutrition and food security status of the community living in the Valley of a Thousand Hills in KwaZulu Natal, in addition to analysing their coping strategies. Two hundred and fifty seven respondents were required to participate in this study. Data were collected by interviewing the respondents using pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaires; socio demographic questionnaires, dietary intake questionnaires- namely 24 hour recall and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and the coping strategy questionnaires were used. Lastly anthropometric measurements were taken to determine BMI. A prevalence of extreme poverty exists as a magnitude of the high unemployment rate, out of which 75.8% had been unemployed for more than 3 years. The household monthly income was less than R500 per month for 37.3% of the respondents. The mean Food Variety Scores (FVS) (±SD) for all foods consumed from the food groups during seven days was 22.45 (±10.32), indicating a low food variety score. In this study the food group diversity is summarized as the majority of the respondents (91.1%, n=226) being classified with a good dietary diversity score using 6-9 food groups. The mean of the three 24-Hour recall nutrient analysis indicated a deficient intake by both men and women in all of the nutrients (100% of the men and women could not meet the DRI’s for energy and calcium) except for the mean (±SD) carbohydrate intake by men aged 19-50 (214.71 ± 80.22). The main source of food intake was from the carbohydrate food group with an insufficient intake of animal products, dairy products and fruits and vegetables respectively; contributing to the macro and micro nutrient inadequacies. Ninety six percent of this community experienced some level of food insecurity with the worst Coping Strategy Index food insecurity score being 117 out of a possible 175. Four percent of this community was classified as being food secure. Overweight and obesity were the most exceptional anthropometric features by the women respondents with 26.5% (n=66) being overweight and 57% (n=142) obese. The men’s anthropometric features were predominantly normal weight. This study has established poverty and unemployment as being the principal contributors for the food insecurity experienced by the populace and poor dietary intakes. The low food variety diet consumed by the respondents resulted in the DRI’s not achieved for most nutrients. The majority of the respondents only consumed two meals a day, as a coping strategy to reduce/prevent temporary food insecurity. Intervention strategies are needed to improve the food security status and dietary intake of the community members to overcome the crisis of malnutrition. / M

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geography. 24 March 2017 / There is substantial evidence to show that the climate has been changing on various scales across the world. The change in climate conditions has had negative impacts for developing countries, particularly poorer communities who use climate-sensitive resources such as urban agriculture which is prone to extreme weather. It is evident that urban agriculture has become a major source of income for a lot of people and its contribution to household food security is significant and in many instances it is increasing. The MSc study investigated the implications of climate variability and change on food production focusing on urban agriculture. It was also of key interest to explore the different adaptive approaches that FHH employ in reducing the impacts thereof. The approach informing the study combined two approaches; firstly, the `bottom-up' participatory research undertaken in three communities namely Inanda, Ntuzuma and Kwamashu; secondly, a rapid appraisal of policies, programs and institutions. The results were then triangulated using a micro-action planning workshop and a consultation process. A total of 84 small scale farmers who are actively involved in subsistence farming participated in the research study. From the empirical findings it is evident that climate change has manifested itself in floods and droughts and has been ranked extremely prevalent and frequent by 75% and 86% of the overall responses from the three study sites. The combination of these two extreme events has had negative impacts on food production and food accessibility. However, it has been found that FHH use asset based adaptation to modify and adjust their livelihoods as a way of coping with established threats. The eThekwini municipality has developed the Municipal Climate Change Protection Programme (eTMCCPP) with the purpose to mainstream climate change adaptation in the general city planning and development framework as well as to harmonize local urban responses to climate variability. However, only 48% of the participants have received any form of assistance and support from the Municipality. More needs to be done to help build capacity at household level and improve livelihoods of the local community particularly of Female headed households. / MT 2017

Information on the present situation of household food insecurity in South Africa is fragmented. There is no comprehensive study comparing different indicators of household food security. Better information on the household food security situation in South Africa would permit relevant policy formulation and better decision-making on the allocation of limited resources. The availability of a national dataset, the first South African National Food Consumption Survey data (1999) , provided the opportunity to investigate some of the issues raised above, and to contribute to knowledge on the measurement of household food security. The aim of this study was to use the data from the 1999 National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) to : • Determine and compare the prevalence of household food insecurity using different indicators of household food security ; • Determine the overlap of households identified as food insecure by the different indicators (i.e. how many of the same households are identified as food insecure); and to • Investigate whether there was any correlation between the indicators selected . The indicators of household food security selected were: household income, household hunger experienced, and using the index child: energy and vitamin A intake (from 24 Hour Recall (24HR) and Quantified Food Frequency data), dietary diversity (from 24HR data) and anthropometric indicators stunting and underweight. The cut offs to determine food insecure household were those used in the NFCS and the cut off for dietary diversity was exploratory. The main results of the study were as follows : • The prevalence estimates of household food insecurity ranged from 10% (underweight indicator) to 70% (low income indicator). Rural areas consistently had a higher prevalence of household food insecurity than urban areas . The Free State and Northern Cape provinces had higher levels of household food insecurity, with the Western Cape and Gauteng the lower levels of household food insecurity . • Quantified Food Frequency (QFF) data yielded lower prevalence of household food insecurity estimates than 24 hour recall (24HR) data. Household food insecurity as determined by low vitamin A intakes was higher than that determined by low energy intakes for both the 24HR and QFF data . • There was little overlap with the indicators (9-52%), indicating that the same households were not being identified by the different indicators. Low dietary diversity, low income, 24HR low vitamin A intake and hunger had higher overlaps with the other indicators. Only 12 of 2826 households (0.4%) were classified by all nine indicators as food insecure. • The dataset revealed a number of statistically significant correlations. Overall , low dietary diversity, low income, 24HR low energy intake and hunger had the stronger correlations with the other indicators. Food security is a complex, multi-dimensional concept, and from the findings of this study there was clearly no single best indicator of household food insecurity status. Overall , the five better performing indicators (higher overlaps and correlations) were : low income, 24 hour recall low energy intake, 24 hour recall low vitamin A intake, low dietary diversity and hunger; this merits their use over the other selected indicators in this study. The indicator selected should be appropriate for the purpose it is being used for, e.g. estimating prevalence of food insecurity versus monitoring the long term impact of an intervention. There are other important criteria in the selection of an indicator. Income data on a national scale has the advantage of being available annually in South Africa, and this saves time and money. The 24HR vitamin A intake and 24HR energy intake indicators has as its main draw back the skill and time needed to collect and analyse the information, which increases cost and decreases sustainability. Dietary diversity and hunger have the advantage of being simple to understand, and quicker and easier to administer and analyse. It is suggested that a national food security monitoring system in South Africa uses more than one indicator, namely : 1) household income from already existing national data, 2) the potential for including a hunger questionnaire in the census should be explored, and 3) when further researched and validated, dietary diversity could also be used in national surveys. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Rural women‘s land rights in South Africa remain secondary in spite of laws founded on a constitution that promotes gender equality. Patriarchal customary laws prevail and women‘s land rights and use security are inextricably linked to their relationships with their male relatives. Rural women are key producers of agricultural products due to historical and continued male outward migration, which has led to a feminisation of agriculture. Although women farm the land, their land use security is poor and can be further threatened by divorce or widowhood. Given that most vulnerable women are based in rural communal South Africa, how can their land rights be secured under the customary law framework? While the statutory law framework seems to provide a solution, it is less applicable in rural areas where customary law and traditional practices prevail. If statutory law cannot be superimposed on the existing customary law framework, how can women‘s land use be further secured to support their household food security efforts? What kind of framework can be introduced to strengthen women‘s land use security? A study was conducted in rural Limpopo Province to explore this complex and yet important question. A mixed methods approach comprising interview style questionnaires with a mixture of closed and open-ended questions, coupled with focus group discussions and observation was employed. Qualitative data from the focus group discussions and open-ended questions was analysed for common themes using content analysis. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS to establish descriptive data, frequencies and establish the relationships between variables. Results of the analyses were used for building blocks to develop a land rights framework that is more gender sensitive and secures the rights of the actual land users. Women‘s land rights were largely confirmed to be secondary and land use security was linked to the continued relationship to male relatives through marriage and natural blood lines. From these findings, a gender sensitive framework that enables and improves land-based food security efforts has been proposed. / Thesis (M.Sc.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

Sub-Saharan African nations are highly dependent on the agricultural sector for livelihoods. South Africa and Nigeria depend on agriculture due to the availability of abundant land, labour and natural resources. According to the theory of comparative advantage a state exports the products that it has a comparative advantage in and imports those where it does not have a comparative advantage. This is facilitated by international trade. International trade is defined as trade among nations that enables a nation to buy certain products that it cannot produce from other nations at a cheaper rate. Furthermore, it is expected that every sovereign state would be able to provide not only food and water but also good access to sufficient food and water to its people. Section 27.1b of Chapter 2 of the South African Constitution of 1996 and Article 16 of Nigeria’s Constitution of 1999 enshrine this provision. A number of factors impact food security. The first is international trade. This is spelt out in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). The agreement establishing the WTO is commonly known as the “Marrakesh Agreement.” It was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco on the 15th of April, 1994, at the end of the Uruguay Round of Multiple Trade Negotiations. The AoA consists of three pillars: market access, export subsidies and domestic support .Market access requires all parties to the AoA to remove non-tariff barriers which comprise of import quotas and restrictions and convert them to tariffs; a process known as ‘tariffication’. States are also obliged to reduce export subsidies at the same time as increasing their imports. Domestic support, states are to remove subsidy it gives to its people a process that increases the price of goods. Another factor is trade liberalization. This study examines the effects of WTO agricultural trade liberalization on food security and the mechanisms available to address this issue. It focuses on the food security implications of the WTO AoA and asserts that the AoA favours agricultural producers in developed countries. The study seeks to ascertain the extent to which the realization of the objectives of the agreement will promote food security by looking into the abovementioned three pillars and their relationship with food security. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Thesis (Mnutr)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Objectives: To describe the mothers/ primary caregivers’ (PCGs) and children’ anthropometric status; their household food security and poverty in relation to type of housing; and compare households receiving and not receiving a Child Support Grant (CSG) in relation to mothers/ PCGs’ anthropometric status, their dietary diversity, age, employment, educational level, monthly household income, size, food security and children’s anthropometric status. Design: Cross sectional, descriptive study. Subjects: Mothers/ PCGs (443) and their children from 211 households in Avian Park and 242 Zweletemba in Worcester, Western Cape Province. Methods: Data collected by interviewer administered questionnaires included socio-demographic data, Lived Poverty Index, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and dietary diversity score (DDS). Anthropometric measurements included weight, height and waist circumference (WC) of mothers/ PCGS and weight, height and mid-upper-arm circumference of children. Households living in formal (brick houses, town houses, flats) and informal (squatter shacks, huts) houses, and households receiving CSGs and those without CSG, were compared using X2-test for categorical data and the independent t-test for continuous data. Results: Prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting in children was 20.7%, 5.6% and 1.2% respectively. Overweight and obesity occurred in 27% and 37% of mothers/PCGs respectively and together with a mean WC (89.5 cm; SD 16.7) indicated an increased risk for non-communicable diseases. Food security existed in 63.1% households. Formal households were more food secure than informal households (68% versus 50%; p=0.0004) and fewer mothers/ PCGs of formal households had a DDS < 4 (52.2% versus 64.7%; p = 0.0157). The healthier socio-economic situation in formal households compared to informal households was shown by the higher monthly income (R3 479 versus R2 316; p = 0.0009) and Household Asset Index (2.24 versus –5.31; p <0.0001). Age, marital status, education level and employment status of mothers/primary caregivers in CSG households and non-CSG households were similar. Household size was larger (p<0.0001) in CSG (median = 5 persons) versus non-CSG households (median = 4 persons); CSG households had more people per room (2.7 [SD 1.5] versus 2.3 [SD 1.2]; p=0.0037). CSG households had lower monthly income than non-CSG households (R2 723 [SD R3 297] versus R4 520 [SD R6 464]; p=0.0033). Mean HFIAS scores showed more food insecurity in CSG households than non-CSG (3.55 versus 2.37; p= 0.0178), but dietary diversity was similar. Stunting in children was higher in CSG (34.9%) versus non-CSG (22.7%) households. CSG mothers/PCGs had larger (p = 0.021) waist circumferences (90.0 cm; SD = 16.8) than non-CSG mother/PCGs (88.5 cm; SD = 16.5) Conclusion: Childhood malnutrition and maternal overweight /obesity co-existed. Dietary diversity of all mothers/ PCGs was low. The assessment of type of housing and social security showed children in informal housing households had a poorer socio-economic situation and children in CSG households also experienced more monthly income poverty and household food insecurity. The level of stunting was higher in CSG households. Improving low dietary diversity should be a priority in interventions addressing food insecurity, taking into consideration this may be more difficult to achieve in informal households and CSG households. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Doel: Om die antropometriese status van moeders/ primêre versorgers en hul kinders; hul huishoudelike voedselsekerheid en armoede met betrekking tot tipe behuising waarin hul woon, te beskryf; asook om huishoudings wat ‘n kindersorgtoelaag ontvang te vergelyk met die daarsonder in terme van die antropometriese status van moeders/ primêre versorgers, hul dieetdiversiteit, ouderdom, indiensneming/ werkstatus, opvoedkundige vlak, huishoudelike maandelikse inkomste en grootte, voedselsekerheid en die antropometriese status van hul kinders. Ontwerp: ‘n Beskrywende, deursnit studie. Deelnemers: Moeders/ primêre versorgers (447) en hul kinders van 211 huishoudings in Avian Park en 242 in Zweletemba. Metodes: Data-insameling is gedoen met onderhoudvoerder geadministreerde vraelyste insluitend sosio-demografiese inligting, die belewing-van-armoede-indeks, huishoudelike voedselonsekerheid-en-toegangskaal en dieetdiversiteitstelling. Antropometriese metings van moeders/ primêre versorgers het behels gewig, lengte en middelyfomtrek en gewig lengte en bo-armomtrek van kinders. Huishoudings woonagtig in formele (baksteenhuise, meenthuise, woonstelle) en informele huise (plakkershutte), en huishoudings wat die kindersorgtoelaag ontvang en nie, is vergelyk met behulp van die X2-toets vir kategoriese data en ‘n onafhanklike t-toets vir aaneenlopende data. Resultate: Die voorkoms van dwerggroei, ondergewig en uittering in kinders was onderskeidelik 20.7%, 5.6% en 1.2%. Oorgewig en vetsug het onderskeidelik voorgekom by 27% en 37% van moeders/ primêre versorgers en hul gemiddelde middelyfomtrek was 89.5 sentimeter (SA 16.7), wat aanduidend is van ‘n verhoogde risiko vir nie-oordraagbare siektes. Voedselsekerheid het voorgekom in 63.1% van huishoudings. Formele huishoudings het meer voedsekerheid ervaar as informele huishoudings (68% versus 50%; p=0.0004) en minder formele huishouding moeders/ primêre versorgers het ‘n dieetdiversiteitstelling < 4 (52.2% versus 64.7%; p = 0.0157) gehad. Beter sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede van formele huishoudings in vergelyking met informele huishoudings was sigbaar in hul hoër maandelikse inkomste (R3 479 versus R2 316; p = 0.0009) en huishoudelike bates-indeks (2.24 versus –5.31; p <0.0001). Die ouderdom, huwelikstatus, opvoedkundige vlak en werkstatus van moeders/ primêre versorgers in huishoudings wat ‘n kindersorgtoelaag ontvang en die huishoudings daarsonder was soortgelyk. Huishoudingsgrootte was groter (p<0.0001) in kindersorgtoelaag- (mediaan = 5 persone) versus geen-kindersorgtoelaaghuishoudings (mediaan = 4 persone); In kindersorgtoelaaghuishoudings het meer persone ‘n kamer gedeel (2.7 [SA 1.5] versus 2.3 [SA 1.2]; p=0.0037). Die maandelikse inkomste in kindersorgtoelaaghuishoudings was laer as in dié daarsonder (R2 723 [SA R3 297] versus R4 520 [SA R6 464]; p=0.0033). Die huishoudelike voedselonsekerheid-en-toegangskaal-tellings het meer voedselonsekerheid (p = 0.0178) getoon in kindersorgtoelaaghuishoudings as in huishoudings daarsonder (3.55 versus 2.37; p= 0.0178), maar hul dieetdiversiteit was dieselfde. Dwerggroei was meer in kindersorgtoellaagkinders (34.9%) versus geen-kindersorgtoelaagkinders (22.7%). Die gemiddelde middellyfomtrek van kindersorgtoellaagmoeders/ -primêre versorgers was groter (t-toets: p = 0.021) (90.0 cm; SA = 16.8) as die van moeders/ primêre versorgers wat nie ‘n kindersorgtoelaag (88.5 cm; SA = 16.5) ontvang het nie. Samevatting: Wanvoeding in kinders, tesame met oorgewig en obesiteit in moeders/ primêre versorgers is waargeneem Die dieetdiversiteit van die moeders/ primêre versorgers was laag. Die ontleding van die rol van behuising en sosiale sekerheid het getoon dat die sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede van kinders woonagtig in informele behuising, asook die waarvoor moeders/ primêre versorgers ‘n kindersorgtoelaag ontvang het, is blootgestel aan meer inkomste-armoede en voedselonsekerheid in hul huishoudings. Die verbetering van lae dieetdiversiteit moet ‘n prioriteit wees in intervensieprogramme om voedselsekerheid aan te spreek, met inagneming dat die bereiking daarvan moeilker mag wees om in informele en kindersorgtoelaag-huishoudings.

Food insecurity remains a major challenge affecting the rural poor households in South Africa. The consumption of green leafy vegetables is important to address micronutrients deficiency in rural communities and, at the same time, it contributes to fibre intake. This study investigated the people’s attitude towards the cultivation and utilisation of ILVs in rural communities. A cross-section survey study was conducted among 1 000 respondents in randomly selected households in communities. The majority of respondents were not willingly consuming ILVs. This is because most consumers were black and of the low-income group. ILVs that are consumed grow mainly in the wild. The regular consumption of these vegetables as indicated in this study is interesting, as this will help in mitigating micronutrient deficiency. Furthermore, these vegetables could be incorporated in formulated food to improve iron and zinc, especially in infant foods formulation. Based on the findings of this study it would be important to find ways of encouraging cultivation of ILVs for both nutrition and as income generating activities. / Life and Consumer Science / M.CS.

The Government of the Eastern Cape Province introduced the Massive Food Production programme, which is a cornerstone within the agrarian reform initiative of the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP). The programme has been going on for more than seven years, however little has been documented on its impact. The main objective of the study was to investigate the impact of the Massive Food Production Programme on the livelihoods in Nkonkobe Municipality. This study did not only investigate its impact on the participants but also assessed its impact on the recipient communities. Accordingly, the specific objectives of the study were to investigate the impact of the Massive Food Programme on the asset base of participants, the general livelihood activities, and the livelihood outcomes. Among other livelihood activities, the study made an in-depth investigation on the impact of the Massive Food Production Programme on maize crop production. This is because the Massive Food Production was aimed at maize crop production. Previous studies investigated on the indicators of success that can be used to measure the impact of this programme. After the wide-ranging evaluation of views, arguments and research findings, a model to measure impact of the programme was designed. The asset base improvement was used as the proxy of impact. Nine factors were selected from the principal component analysis of the many factors that were taken to affect participation. Three other dummy variables to proximate location, participation and group turnover were added to the regression model that was developed to measure impact. The DFID Sustainable Livelihood Framework was used to investigate the impact of the Massive Food Production Programme. This approach was used in both conceptualizing the study and the selection of variables. The DFID Sustainable Livelihood Approach was selected because unlike the CARE or UNDP Sustainable Livelihood models, it was designed for such purposes. Data collection was accomplished through observation, interviewing, and focus group discussions. The researcher also made use of project annual reports on change of livelihoods, baseline survey reports, project log frame, internal reports, work plans, budgets and mid-term evaluation reports as sources of secondary data. v The research findings were analysed using several analytical procedures, including the conventional descriptive statistics, principal components analysis, and linear regression analysis. The use of the different types of analysis was driven by the research questions under investigation and the theories on which they are based, and by the available data. The study revealed that to some extent the Massive Food Production Programme has managed to improve the asset base of the farmers. However, its impact on ensuring food security is still debatable. Findings of the study revealed that most of the participants and the non-participants communities experienced food shortages in the last season 2007/8 for at most three months. The study revealed that the highest agricultural income is from livestock sales. The varying locations showed the potential of livestock production. It is recommended that development agencies consider livestock production as an agricultural strategy with immense potential for enhancing sustaining rural livelihoods