This is the opinion of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson speaking on World Food Day (16 October). She told residents of Sokhulumi village outside Bronkhorstspruit having enough food was a challenge for households across various sectors of the population, but more so in rural areas.
She said food security and reasonable food prices played a big role in maintaining a stable, democratic state and appealed to South Africans to go back to basics to counter the challenge of rising food prices by reverting to gardening. “We are urging all families to have vegetable gardens. Each family, every school and every church should have one vegetable garden. Every South African must be involved in vegetable gardens in order to fight soaring food prices,” said Joemat-Pettersson.
Although South Africa as a country was food secure, the minister said the country’s exportation of primary agricultural products meant the nation was now contending with high food prices. She said the foremost goal for the country was to deal with the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment.
According to the minister, about 20 percent of South Africans were food insecure. “That is about 10 million people in South Africa that are food insecure, and while the rest of the people eat fatty foods, others are starving and those are the contradictions and inequalities we have in our society.
“We cannot fold our hands as government and watch poverty, malnutrition and starvation; this is our response to it (the distribution of seeds in an effort to encourage residents to establish food gardens).
“We are working with non-governmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that we feed our people,” she said.
