IZINHLELO ZOKUDLA ZASENINGIZIMU AFRIKA KANYE NESIDINGO SOSHINTSHO OLUNOBULUNGISWA

This fact sheet from the Institute for Economic Justice examines the current state of South Africa's food systems, highlighting the dominance of large-scale industrial agriculture and the resulting socio-economic and environmental inequalities. It advocates for a 'just transition' toward agroecology and a rights-based approach to food security.

• South Africa's food system is characterized by a concentration of economic power and ownership among large corporations and financial institutions, particularly in seed supply, grain storage, livestock feed, and formal retail.
• Government policies prioritize large-scale commercial farming and export markets over domestic food security, which benefits foreign countries and large corporations while limiting small-scale producers and those practicing agroecology.
• The influence of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has forced market openings that allow cheap, subsidized imports to enter South Africa, undermining local production and creating a cycle of dependency on foreign food sources.
• Current food systems contribute to malnutrition, including a coexistence of obesity, diabetes, and hunger, as industrial processing reduces nutrient density and low-income populations have limited access to proteins and diverse diets.
• Industrial food production causes significant environmental damage through excessive water use, toxic chemicals, and greenhouse gas emissions, whereas agroecology is proposed as a solution to climate change, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (n.d.). IZINHLELO ZOKUDLA ZASENINGIZIMU AFRIKA KANYE NESIDINGO SOSHINTSHO OLUNOBULUNGISWA. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-02-ZUL-SA-food-system-just-transition_Web.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. IZINHLELO ZOKUDLA ZASENINGIZIMU AFRIKA KANYE NESIDINGO SOSHINTSHO OLUNOBULUNGISWA. n.d. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-02-ZUL-SA-food-system-just-transition_Web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=IZINHLELO ZOKUDLA ZASENINGIZIMU AFRIKA KANYE NESIDINGO SOSHINTSHO OLUNOBULUNGISWA |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-02-ZUL-SA-food-system-just-transition_Web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforeconomicjusticendizinhlelo, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{IZINHLELO ZOKUDLA ZASENINGIZIMU AFRIKA KANYE NESIDINGO SOSHINTSHO OLUNOBULUNGISWA}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-02-ZUL-SA-food-system-just-transition_Web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }