Despite South Africa’s attainment of a middle income status country and food security at the national level, the experience of food insecurity and malnutrition at the household and individual levels are immense. The South African government has committed itself to increasing food and nutrition security among its population through policy initiatives. These initiatives are informed by Section 27 of the 1996 constitution. However, policy reviews indicate that there are challenges. For example, Drimie and Ruysenaar, found that the institutional arrangements for the Integrated Food Security Strategy was weak and siloed.
This review examines policies and programs made by the government to address food and nutrition security in South Africa between 2002 and 2017. The policies were examined to ascertain 1) how the policy address the four pillars of food security; 2) how they complement or constrain each other; 3) selected committees and legislative branch agencies that are influential in food policy and 4) the impact of the programs and activities on land use and agro-ecosystems.
