The anti-politics of food in South Africa
Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15091633 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Busiso Helard Moyo (0000-0003-4956-3851, University of the Western Cape, corresponding author), Anne Marie Thow (0000-0002-6460-5864, The University of Sydney), Florian Kroll (0000-0003-1244-914X, Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies), Scott Drimie (0000-0003-3827-8051, Stellenbosch University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-32 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Public Health Nutrition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1368980025000163 |
| PMID | 39898430 |
| OpenAlex | W4407083570 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
Objective: To examine power and governance arrangements in food and nutrition policy formulation and agenda-setting in South Africa Design: Analysis of the policy implementation environment and in-depth interviews were conducted focussing on: existing policy content and priorities across food system sectors; institutional structures for cross-sectoral and external stakeholder engagement; exercise of power in relation to food system policies; and opportunities to strengthen action on nutrition. Setting: South Africa Participants: Interviews were conducted with 48 key stakeholders involved in the food and nutrition policy sphere: government sectors relevant to food systems (n=21), the private sector (n=4), academia (n=10), NGOs (n=11) and farmers (n=2). Results: This study found that there are power dynamics involved in shaping the planning agenda that is inadvertently generating a food system that undermines the right to food. The concept of nutrition governance remains poorly defined and applied in different ways and usually based on a relatively narrow interpretation – therefore limiting policy coherence and coordination. South Africa has strong legal institutions and practices, and social policies that support public provisioning of food, but a non-interventionist approach to the food system. Conclusions: The right to food and nutrition, as outlined in the South African Constitution, has not yet been effectively utilized to establish a robust normative and legal basis for tackling the dual challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition. Currently, the governance of the food system is grappling with substantial obstacles, balancing the influence of powerful stakeholders who uphold the status quo against its responsibilities for food justice
Accountability · Business · Civil society · Corporate governance · Economic growth · Economics · Food policy · Food security · Food systems · Geography · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Right to food · Stakeholder · Status quo · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |