Insights for food systems transformation from southern Africa

This report details the outcomes of the Southern African Resilience Academy (SARA) in 2021, focusing on transforming food systems in southern Africa. Through a series of workshops and dialogues, SARA identified key leverage points for change, including the need for water-energy-food (WEF) nexus approaches, the integration of indigenous knowledge, and the empowerment of women and youth. The document provides 14 comprehensive recommendations for regional transformation, emphasizing a shift from siloed sectoral thinking to systemic, people-centered governance and the adoption of 'futuring' methodologies to plan for resilient food landscapes.

• Southern Africa faces significant food and water security challenges, with approximately 70% of the population relying on rain-fed agriculture and 43% of the region being arid or semiarid.
• The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus approach is critical for resilience, as it helps manage trade-offs in resource production, ensures equitable access to water and energy, and reduces risks of shortages for food producers.
• Current information ecosystems in the region are predominantly supply-led, conducted in English, and dominated by large corporate organisations, creating a need for data and education in local languages.
• Gender inequality remains a systemic barrier; women and girls have fewer opportunities to own land, acquire production assets, and connect to food value chains.
• There is a tension between the desire to increase local food production to reduce import dependence and the constraints imposed by free and open trade agreements among SADC member states.
• The report identifies 'Seeds of Change'—small-scale, experimental projects that demonstrate potential for transformation—such as the Umgibe organic vegetable box scheme in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
• Transforming food systems requires a shift toward agroecology and climate-smart agriculture (CSA) to address soil degradation, water depletion, and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Effective governance for food systems is hindered by the lack of a single 'food systems ministry,' as the issue is multi-sectoral and often managed in silos across different government departments.
• The report recommends using 'futuring' tools—such as the Three Horizons Framework and Causal Layered Analysis—to challenge assumptions and identify pathways for systemic change.
• Financing for transformation could be scaled by redirecting funds from negative food system dimensions, such as implementing a sugar tax to fund sustainable food initiatives.

APA

Chesterman, S., Hamann, M., & Norström, A. (2022). Insights for food systems transformation from southern Africa. Global Resilience Partnership. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/insights-for-food-systems-transformation_sara-outcomes.pdf

Chicago

Chesterman, Sabrina, Maike Hamann, and Albert Norström. Insights for food systems transformation from southern Africa. Global Resilience Partnership, 2022. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/insights-for-food-systems-transformation_sara-outcomes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chesterman |first1=Sabrina |last2=Hamann |first2=Maike |last3=Norström |first3=Albert |title=Insights for food systems transformation from southern Africa |publisher=Global Resilience Partnership |date=August 2022 |url=https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/insights-for-food-systems-transformation_sara-outcomes.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chesterman2022insights, author = {Chesterman, Sabrina and Hamann, Maike and Norström, Albert}, title = {{Insights for food systems transformation from southern Africa}}, institution = {Global Resilience Partnership}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/insights-for-food-systems-transformation_sara-outcomes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }