INTRODUCTION
Food security plays an important role in
The world environment day was established by
UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the
opening of Stockholm Conference on the
human environment, which is being celebrated
in June month every year. In 2013 the World
Environment Day is celebrated under the
theme Think, Eat, Save, which primarily focus
on anti-food waste and food loss across the
world. This is to encourage people to reduce
their "foodprint”.
improving the resilience of communities and
individuals, especially in the face of climate
change induced stresses on livelihoods. Food
security cannot be understood in isolation
from other developmental questions such as
social protection, sources of income, rural and
urban
development,
changing
household
structures, health, access to land, water and
inputs, retail markets, or education and
nutritional knowledge. Livelihood patterns and
Source:
sustainable asset accumulation along with
http://www.unep.org/wed/foodpreservation.as
structural dynamics are increasingly important
In South Africa, food security is one of the
Constitutional rights. The Constitution states
that: Every citizen has the right to have access
to sufficient food and water, and that “the
state must by legislation and other measures,
within
its
available
resources,
avail
to
determinants.
The
multiple
factors
that
influence access to food are not well
understood, and this impacts negatively on the
ability to identify appropriate policies to
improve individual and household access
(HSRC 2009).
progressive realisation of the right to sufficient
According to studies conducted by Human
food”.
Sciences Research Council, South Africa ranks
With efforts to meet this Constitutional Right
among the countries with the highest rate of
South Africa developed the Integrated Food
income inequality in the world. It has
Security Strategy (2002), which defines food
extremely high levels of absolute poverty
security as “physical, social, and economic
when compared to other middle income
access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food
countries (HSRC, 2004).
by all South Africans at all times to meet their
dietary and food preferences for an active and
healthy life”.
Poverty levels in South Africa has decreased
between 2000 and 2006, but increased
between 2006 and 2009 (Stats SA, 2012). The
Think, Eat and Save
relationship
between
poverty
and
Source: SA Tourism
environmental degradation has been highly
THE STATUS QUO
contested by many. For the most part, it is
believed that poverty impacts negatively on
the environment as poor people do not have
access to basic services. This leads to the use
of fossil fuels and the pollution of water
sources due to lack of sanitation facilities. Thus
with an increase in poverty, there will
therefore be an increase in the degradation of
According to the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tons
of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the
same amount produced in the whole of subSaharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7
people in the world go to bed hungry and
more than 20,000 children under the age of 5
die daily from hunger.
the environment.
In South Africa, between 1999 and 2008 the
According to World Economic Forum, over the
past years food security has been a challenge
that needs urgent intervention. One billion
people across world lack adequate food and
nutrition for their survival. The Environmental
Food Crisis report warns that 25% of the
world’s food production might be lost due to
environmental breakdown by 2050.
prevalence of food insecurity appeared to
have been reduced by more than half from
52.3% to 25.9%. The cause of hunger and
malnutrition is not due to a shortage of food
but rather an inadequate access to food by
certain
categories
of
individuals
and
households in the population. This means that
even when food is available in a market it does
Source: http://www.fao.org/index_en.htm
mean that is accessible to every household
(HSRC, 2004).
However, the proportion of people at risk of
experiencing
food
insecurity
remained
unchanged. The reduction was noted in both
urban and rural areas where food insecurity
decreased from 42.0% to 20.5% and from
62.0% to 33.1%.
Eastern Cape had the highest prevalence of
food insecurity in 1999 83.0%, followed by the
Think, Eat and Save
Northern Cape (63.0%), Limpopo 55.0% and
Deforestation is mainly caused by cutting
the North West province 62.0% all of which
down of tress for agricultural practices which
are rural. By 2008, the prevalence of food
include both subsistence and commercial
insecurity had decreased in all provinces,
farming. Subsistence farming is responsible for
although the Eastern Cape still had the highest
48% of deforestation, commercial agriculture
prevalence of 45.4%. On the other hand food
is responsible for 32% of deforestation, logging
insecurity in the Northern Cape had decreased
is responsible for 14% of deforestation and
dramatically from 63% to 14.2% (HSRC, 2008).
fuel
wood
removals
make
up
5%
of
deforestation. On the other hand clearing of
There are number of impacts that contribute
towards shortage of food around in South
Africa, these are:
Acid Rain
Water and air pollution are the common
of
environmental problems and shortage of food
at large.
Water and Air Pollution
causes
land for urban development also contribute to
environmental
degradation.
Pollution introduces contaminants into rivers,
dams, lake, land and atmosphere and as a
result it impact negatively on human beings
and livestock as well as food production due to
global warming and its effects. On the other
Acid rain occurs when sulphur dioxide from
coal plant emissions combines with moisture
present in the air. Acid rain has far reaching
impacts which have negative impact regionally
and globally. In most cases it acidifies and
pollutes different water bodies at any given
time.
hand climate change and agriculture are
interrelated processes and have significant
Agricultural Runoff
impacts on conditions affecting agriculture.
These conditions determine the carrying
capacity of the biosphere to produce enough
food
for
the
human
domesticated animals.
population
and
Large scale and small scale farming practices
with the use of pesticides and fertilizers
pollutes the land and other water bodies
through run-off in which it directly or indirectly
impact the environment.
Deforestation
Source: http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/
Think, Eat and Save
RESPONSE TO CURRENT STATE OF FOOD AS A
five strategic objectives have been identified
RESOURCE
which need to guide development path, these
Food
security
is
a
multifaceted
and
are:
multidimensional issue which will never be
attained
through
agricultural
production
alone. It requires inter-sectoral co-ordination
•
•
Enhancing systems for integrated
planning and implementation.
Sustaining our ecosystems and using
natural resources efficiently.
and the integration of existing policies and
and
•
Working towards a green economy.
environmental protection, as well as in
•
Building sustainable communities.
agrarian reform and agricultural development.
•
Responding
programmes
in
health,
education,
effectively
to
climate
change.
http://www.pmg.org.za/report/20120515department-human-agriculture-forestry-andfishing-zero-hunger-program
This can be achieved through objectives of the
National Development Plan objectives which
ensure household food and nutrition security.
This will be done by increasing agricultural
output. However the challenge linked to this
will be the significant additional water needed
to
increase
the
output.
South
African
government duly recognizes and actively
promotes
sustainable
development
path
which balances the need of the population
with the carrying capacity of the country’s
natural resources. For instance National
(www.environment.gov.za)
Source: National Framework for Sustainable
Development 2008(DEA).
Strategy for Sustainable Development has
been compiled to provide a roadmap for the
Furthermore, interplay between government,
proactive
an
civil society, private sector, science and
environmentally, socially and economically
legislative processes will steer the country
sustainable development plan. To achieve this,
towards sustainable use of resources which
implementation
of
Think, Eat and Save
will result in good environmental governance
sustainable economic growth path that is
that gives effect to constitutional imperatives.
sustainable. This is in line with the president’s
South African Government in collaboration
call to create jobs. These programmes and
with other countries India and Brazil (IBSA)
projects are:
had formed an alliance to fight poverty and
hunger through IBSA fund to combat hunger in
o Working for water.
other parts of the world.
o Working for land.
o Working for wetland.
http://www.southafrica.info/news/internation
o Climate action now.
al/mdgaward2010.htm#ixzz2Ufy45d9w
o Man and the biosphere
o Green economy etc.
There are many ways that we can use to
change our unsustainable consumption habits
while also improving our quality of life. It is
very crucial that we change our current living
standards and adopt innovative and creative
There are number of policies, frameworks and
strategies that have been formulated to
address environmental challenges in the
country. Some of these include:
solutions on how we utilise and dispose the
product. This will enable us to move from
•
New
Growth
Path,
This
is
new
unsustainable use of food consumption and
economic growth path in a bid to
production patterns toward more sustainable
create five-million jobs and reduce
way and lifestyles which will protect the
unemployment from 25% to 15% over
world’s natural resources. This can be
the next 10 years in South Africa.
achieved by developing and implementing
•
National
Strategy
for
Sustainable
strategic initiatives that advance knowledge
Development- The purpose of this
and increase capacity within the anti-hunger
framework is to articulate South
community.
Africa’s national vision for sustainable
development and indicate strategic
Department of Environmental Affairs as
interventions to orientate the country
competent authority is running number of
towards sustainable developments.
programmes and project to create job
•
National Climate Change Response
opportunities in order to deal with hunger and
White Paper. This paper presents the
poverty
South Africa’s vision for an effective
alleviation
while
focusing
on
Think, Eat and Save
climate change response and transition
Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa: will
to climate resilient and low carbon
launch
economy and society.
Development for Youth Programme that is
Integrated Resource Plan. It is a
aimed at dealing with youth unemployment
National Electricity Plan, a subset of the
and
Integrated Energy Plan.
Department of Environmental Affairs will
Integrated Energy Plan, The Integrated
celebrates this day focusing on anti-food waste
Energy Plan outlines the direction and steps to
and food loss which matches with the world
be taken by South Africa to meet energy
environment theme Think, Eat and Save as
needs. The plan declares South Africa’s
outlined by world environment organisation
continued reliance on coal, but also uses
UNEP.
•
•
the
jobs
unemployed
in
Waste
people
of
Enterprise
all
ages.
modeling to forecast different energy sources
Date: 05 June 2013
that can be used.
Venue: Free State Province (Phuthaditjhaba)
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
In
addition
Environmental
to
this,
Affairs
Department
will
continue
of
to
celebrate the Environment month in a form of
campaigns which link directly with the
Departmental
environmental
days
as
stipulated in Departmental environmental
calendar, namely:
Source: http://www.unep.org
o World ocean day on the 08th June 2013
The theme for this year’s World Environment
Day is Think.Eat.Savhink.Eat.Save is an antifood waste and food loss campaign that
encourages everyone to reduce their food
print.
o World desertification day 17 June 2013
o Launch of the Groen Sebenza with
SANBI on the 11 June 2013. This is a
programme which contributes toward
green jobs creation, particularly in
biodiversity sector.
Source: http://www.unep.org
o DEA stakeholder Engagement Forum
In commemoration of this unique day, the
Honourable
Minister
of
Water
and
18 June 2013
Think, Eat and Save
o Awarding of the Greenest Municipality
competition.
Lastly, it is encouraged that people reduce
their food print and share food with one
o Launch of South Africa Green Economy
another.
Modelling Report.
REFERENCES
This is to amplify environmental awareness
and initiatives that the Department is doing to
1.
NPC (2012). National Development Plan 2030:
Our future – make it work, National Planning
Commission.
2.
HSRC (2004) “Food security in South Africa:
Key policy Issues for the medium term”.
Human Sciences Research Council. 2004
3.
Dept Agri (2002) “The Integrated Food
advance sustainable development agenda.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
It is evident that environmental resources
forms large part of our economy and sustain
Security Strategy for South Africa”.
our livelihoods regionally and globally. The
Department of Agriculture, Republic of South
over-exploitation of these resources may
Africa 2002.
endanger or threatens some of the plants and
4.
www.energy.gov.za/files/iep_frame.html
5.
South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS).
Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council;
2008.
6.
http://www.environment.gov.za
fight hunger and poverty. Hunger and poverty
7.
http://www.fao.org/index_en.htm
is a reality that needs to be dealt with it
8.
National Framework for Sustainable
animal species in which human being relies on
for survival. It is imperative for the society in
general to start thinking out of the box and
start making gardens in their back yards to
collectively.
The
Food
and
Agriculture
Development, 2008.
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is
9.
working with its members and the entire
10. http://www.southafrica.info/news/internation
al/mdgaward2010.htm#ixzz2Ufy45d9w
international communities to achieve Millennium
Development Goals, which among other include
11. http://www.unep.org
eradication of extreme poverty and hunger across
12.
the globe.
http://www.pmg.org.za/report/20120515-
department-human-agriculture-forestry-andfishing-zero-hunger-progra
According to Statistics South Africa food
insecurity is not an exceptional, short-term
event, but is rather a continuous threat for
more than a third of the population,