SIBHEKE OSHINTSHWENI OLUNOBULUNGISWA EZINHLELWENI ZOKUDLA ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA

The document outlines the necessity of a 'just transition' in South Africa's food systems, moving away from industrial models that marginalize small-scale farmers and workers. It identifies key barriers, such as the dominance of large corporations and a policy focus limited to the energy sector, and proposes a framework based on agroecology, fair livelihoods, and the right to nutritious food. The text emphasizes that industrial food production contributes approximately 18% of South Africa's greenhouse gas emissions and leaves the food supply highly vulnerable to climate change.

• South Africa's food system is characterized by deep systemic inequalities, where a few large-scale farmers control most of the land and production, while millions of small-scale farmers lack secure land rights, resources, and market access. This is linked to historical land dispossession of Black people and a lack of significant land ownership reform since 1994.
• Industrial food production in South Africa is a significant driver of climate change, accounting for roughly 18% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. These systems also cause water pollution and biodiversity loss through monocropping and the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
• The document identifies several barriers to a just transition, including a policy environment that prioritizes market-led food systems (following the Agricultural Products Markets Act of 1996) and a narrow public discourse on 'just transition' that focuses almost exclusively on the energy sector rather than food systems.
• A just transition in food systems requires three broad goals: establishing equitable livelihoods (including decent wages and job security for workers and secure land rights for small farmers), adopting agroecology to work with nature and reduce emissions, and ensuring the right to nutritious and accessible food for all.
• Labor conditions in the agricultural and food processing sectors are precarious, with many workers receiving wages below the minimum wage that are insufficient to afford healthy food for their families. Farm workers specifically face a lack of housing security and frequent evictions.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (n.d.). SIBHEKE OSHINTSHWENI OLUNOBULUNGISWA EZINHLELWENI ZOKUDLA ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-01-ZUL-Towards-a-just-transition_Web.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. SIBHEKE OSHINTSHWENI OLUNOBULUNGISWA EZINHLELWENI ZOKUDLA ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA. n.d. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-01-ZUL-Towards-a-just-transition_Web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=SIBHEKE OSHINTSHWENI OLUNOBULUNGISWA EZINHLELWENI ZOKUDLA ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-01-ZUL-Towards-a-just-transition_Web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforeconomicjusticendsibheke, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{SIBHEKE OSHINTSHWENI OLUNOBULUNGISWA EZINHLELWENI ZOKUDLA ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-01-ZUL-Towards-a-just-transition_Web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }