OP DIE PAD NA ’N REGVERDIGE OORGANG IN SUID-AFRIKA SE VOEDSELSTELSEL

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice outlines the necessity and framework for a 'just transition' within South Africa's food system. It argues that the current industrial food system is characterized by deep social inequality, corporate dominance, and environmental degradation, and proposes a shift toward food sovereignty and agro-ecology to ensure fair livelihoods, environmental sustainability, and the right to food.

• South Africa's food system is marked by severe land and agricultural inequality, where a small number of large-scale commercial farmers control the most productive land, while millions of small-scale farmers lack secure land access, support, or markets. Women small-scale farmers are particularly marginalized in accessing resources.
• Corporate power dominates the food system, with a few large corporations controlling commercial inputs, processing, distribution, and retail. This concentration of power allows for high profits while up to a quarter of households experience persistent food insecurity, exacerbated by sharp food price inflation.
• Labor in the food system is characterized by a shift from permanent employment to informal, temporary, and piecework. Many farm workers are paid only the minimum wage, which is insufficient to cover a minimum recommended nutritious diet for a family, and they face a lack of housing security.
• The industrial food system is a significant driver of climate change, contributing approximately 18% of South Africa's greenhouse gas emissions. The use of monocultures, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers leads to biodiversity loss and water pollution.
• Several obstacles hinder a just transition, including a policy focus that prioritizes the market's role (since the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act of 1996), incoherent government policies across departments, and 'green' transition paths that focus only on production sustainability or profit without addressing systemic inequality.
• A just transition in the food system should aim for three interrelated goals: fair livelihoods (including job security and gender justice), environmental sustainability through agro-ecology to minimize emissions and restore landscapes, and the realization of the right to food and improved nutrition for all.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (n.d.). OP DIE PAD NA ’N REGVERDIGE OORGANG IN SUID-AFRIKA SE VOEDSELSTELSEL. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-01-AFR-Towards-a-just-transition_fin_Web.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. OP DIE PAD NA ’N REGVERDIGE OORGANG IN SUID-AFRIKA SE VOEDSELSTELSEL. n.d. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-01-AFR-Towards-a-just-transition_fin_Web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=OP DIE PAD NA ’N REGVERDIGE OORGANG IN SUID-AFRIKA SE VOEDSELSTELSEL |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-01-AFR-Towards-a-just-transition_fin_Web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforeconomicjusticenddie, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{OP DIE PAD NA ’N REGVERDIGE OORGANG IN SUID-AFRIKA SE VOEDSELSTELSEL}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-01-AFR-Towards-a-just-transition_fin_Web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }