13 June 2023
by Lloyd Phillips
South Africa’s rapidly increasing food price inflation is putting the country’s food security, especially for nutritious food for developing children, in great peril.
A series of billboards is calling on South Africa’s politicians, their parties and food retailers to urgently step in to meaningfully address the “national emergency” that is child hunger, the resulting malnutrition and consequential mental and physical stunting. Furthermore, already one in five South African households does not have access to sufficient food and this situation is getting worse due to soaring food prices.
This is according to a statement issued jointly by the independent socio-economic development entity, the DG Murray Trust (DGMT), and the zero child-stunting advocacy non-governmental organisation, Grow Great.
Included in this campaign by the DGMT and Grow Great are over 300 billboards intended to highlight the need for more affordable basic nutritious food and to demand the necessary action from politicians and food retailers. This is especially pertinent ahead of South Africa’s general elections next year.
“Our campaign features a series of incisive messages that present child nutrition as a national priority for public health, education and economic growth. South Africa has the worst record of household food insecurity compared to middle-income countries of similar per capita gross domestic product. The last national survey, done in 2016, found that 27% of [South Africa’s] children under the age of five had stunted growth, [which is a] proxy for impaired brain development,” says the DGMT’s chief executive officer, David Harrison.
The statement adds that stunted children are more likely to drop out of school, to struggle to find employment and to live in poverty as adults. The consequence is successive generations of children who are unable to reach their full potential.
Harris states that according to the World Bank, high stunting rates are one of the main reasons for South Africa’s dismal economic growth because the country does not have a sufficient human capital pipeline to drive productivity. Ensuring that all children in South Africa have enough suitable nutritious food will radically alter the country’s long-term economic prospects.
The campaign by the DGMT and Grow Great proposes that food producers, food retailers and the government work together to reduce the cost of ten nutritious foods by at least 30%. These foods are eggs, dried beans and lentils, tinned fish, fortified maize meal, peanut butter, rice, amasi, soya mince, 4-in-1 soup mix and powdered full cream milk.
The statement explains, “The proposal involves food manufacturers and retailers agreeing to waive the mark-ups of at least one product label of each of the ’10 best buys’. Government would then show its support by agreeing to provide a rebate to retailers and manufacturers [for doing this].”
Grow Great’s executive director, Dr Edzani Mphaphuli, says that the provision of good nutrition cannot be the responsibility of only South Africa’s Department of Health. It requires mobilization of all society.
“We call on the government, food producers, wholesalers and retailers to stand in solidarity with South African families to close the food gap,” Mphaphuli says further.
African Farming’s affiliate publications, Landbouweekblad and Landbou.com, have previously reported how South Africa’s food price inflation continues to climb at a worrying rate. Latest statistics report that April 2023’s average food price inflation of 14,3% was more than double the 6,8% consumer price index for the same month. During April 2023, South Africa’s food price inflation for vegetables was 23,1%, for bread and grains it was 20,8%. Of all foods, only fruit’s 3,6% increase was below that of CPI in that month.
Meanwhile, international news agency, Reuters, reports that the French government has been able to secure pledges from 75 food companies there that they will be cutting prices on hundreds of their products from July.
Reuters writers, Benoit Van Overstraeten and Leigh Thomas say that French authorities “are furious” that supermarket prices in that country have hit record levels in recent months despite prices of many raw materials used in food production having been declining.Reuters’ report adds that France’s minister of finance, Bruno Le Maire, says that these food companies face possible sanctions if they do not meet their pledges.
