South Africa has a Food Crisis

The food system – made up of all the activities and actors involved in the production, processing, transportation, selling, consumption, and disposal of food – produces starkly unequal access to nutritious foods. As a result, many households in the country cannot afford a healthy diet, 27% of children under five are stunted, and the prevalence of diet-related diseases is rising rapidly. The food system contributes to pollution and climate change using agro-chemicals, fossil fuels for transport, processing and refrigeration, as well as unsustainable packaging. On top of this, over one-third of the food is wasted. These harms disproportionately affect poor people and women. Black-headed households are seven times more likely than white-headed households to have inadequate access to food.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION