The Southern African Response to Food Security and the Global Food Crisis

This report examines food security policy responses within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the context of global food price hikes, analyzing the relationship between regional strategies, intraregional trade, and the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).

• Countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) exist in a state of near-permanent food security crisis, meaning there is little difference between their long-term policy frameworks and their immediate reactions to global food crises.
• SADC nations plan to establish strategic reserves for livestock and four types of grains, though the report notes that using such reserves to stabilize prices can discourage private traders from performing essential market functions.
• Rural households are better equipped to handle agricultural price increases than urban households because they can rely on subsistence farming or become net suppliers in a high-price market.
• Certain government trade interventions can be harmful: taxes may increase prices and encourage smuggling, price controls can be counterproductive, and untargeted consumer subsidies can strain government budgets.
• Short-term policy options to address food insecurity include supporting smallholder farmers to increase production and providing social protection and safety nets for vulnerable consumers in urban and rural areas.

APA

Zunckel,, H. E. (2010). The Southern African Response to Food Security and the Global Food Crisis. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/southern-african-response-food-security-and-global-food-crisis

Chicago

Zunckel,, Hilton E. The Southern African Response to Food Security and the Global Food Crisis. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/southern-african-response-food-security-and-global-food-crisis.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zunckel, |first1=Hilton E. |title=The Southern African Response to Food Security and the Global Food Crisis |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=17 August 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/southern-african-response-food-security-and-global-food-crisis |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zunckel2010southern, author = {Zunckel,, Hilton E.}, title = {{The Southern African Response to Food Security and the Global Food Crisis}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/southern-african-response-food-security-and-global-food-crisis}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }