THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM AND THE NEED FOR A JUST TRANSITION

The document analyzes the South African food system, describing it as a concentrated, corporate-led industrial model that prioritizes export markets over domestic food security. It highlights systemic issues including high food insecurity—affecting at least one in five households—and environmental degradation caused by large-scale commercial farming. The author advocates for a 'just transition' characterized by the redistribution of land, the adoption of agroecology to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, and the establishment of a universal basic income grant to ensure the right to food for all citizens.

• The South African food system is characterized by concentrated ownership and corporate control, particularly in sectors such as agricultural inputs, grain storage, feedlots, food manufacturing, and formal retail, with many large companies sold to foreign buyers.
• Domestic food security is undermined by a policy focus on export markets and the influence of the World Trade Organization, which forces open markets and leads to the import of cheap, subsidized food with low nutritional value, thereby destroying local production capacity.
• Food insecurity is widespread in South Africa, affecting at least one in five households, with black women and residents of rural areas and informal settlements being the most severely impacted.
• Large-scale commercial agriculture causes significant environmental damage, including excessive water use, toxic chemical pollution of soil and water, and greenhouse gas emissions, while the sector remains highly vulnerable to climate change due to its weather dependence.
• A just transition to a transformed food system would require the redistribution of land, the implementation of a universal basic income grant, and the expansion of agroecology to provide an integrated response to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (n.d.). THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM AND THE NEED FOR A JUST TRANSITION. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-02-AFR-SA-food-system-just-transition_Web_fin.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM AND THE NEED FOR A JUST TRANSITION. n.d. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-02-AFR-SA-food-system-just-transition_Web_fin.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM AND THE NEED FOR A JUST TRANSITION |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-02-AFR-SA-food-system-just-transition_Web_fin.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforeconomicjusticendsouth, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM AND THE NEED FOR A JUST TRANSITION}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FactS-02-AFR-SA-food-system-just-transition_Web_fin.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }