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THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE ZERO HUNGER PROGRAMME   

ACTUATING THE INTERGRATED FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY FOR SOUTH AFRICA
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ACRONYMS

AgriBEE              Agricultural Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
BBBEEE             Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
CASP		Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme
CADP		Comprehensive Agricultural Development Programme
DAFF                   Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
DBE		Department of Basic Education
DG		Director General
DOD                    Department of Defence and Military Veterans
DOH	Department of Health	
DPW                    Department of Public Works
DRDLR               Department of Rural Development and Land Reform
DSD		Department of Social Development
The DTI              The Department of Trade and Industry		
EPWP		Expanded Public Works Programme
FAO		Food and Agriculture Organization 
FOSAD                Forum of South African Director Generals (South Africa)
GDP                     Gross Domestic Product
HFPP                  Household Food Production Programme
IFSNP		Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Programme
IFSS	   Integrated Food Security Strategy
LRAD		Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development
LARP                   Land and Agrarian Reform 
LED                     Local Economic Development
MAFISA               Micro Agricultural Financial Institutional Scheme of South Africa 
MINMEC            Ministers and Members of Executive
MDGs		Millennium Development Goals
MoH		Ministry of Health
M&E                    Monitoring and Evaluation 
NAMC                 National Agricultural Marketing Council
NFCS                  The National Food Consumption Survey 
NSNP                  National School Nutrition Programme
OECD                 The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development 
PPP		Public-Private Partnership	
RSA                      Republic of South Africa
RDP		Reconstruction and Development Programme
SADC		Southern African Development Community
SA		South Africa
SMME                 Small Medium or Micro Enterprises
Stats SA               Statistics South Africa 
SASSA		South African Social Services Agency
TOR                    Terms of Reference 
UN                       United Nations
UNDP                 United Nations Development Programme	
WFS		World Food Summit
WFSPA  	   World Food Summit’s Plan of Action
WHO		World Health Organization
ZAR		South African Rand			
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. BACKGROUND
2.THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
3. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF THE ZERO HUNGER PROGRAMME
4. KEY PILLARS OF THE ZERO HUNGER PROGRAMME
4.1 Improving food production capacity of households and poor resource farmers.
4.1.1 Access to cheap finance by the emerging agricultural sector
4.2 Improve food access for the poor and vulnerable
4.2.1 Social protection programmes (food & cash transfers)
4.3 Nutrition security
4.3.1 Nutrition Awareness Programme
4.4 Market channels development
4.4.1 Government bulk Food Purchase Program
5. APPROACH IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ZERO HUNGER PROGRAMME
6. FOOD SECURITY MONITORING SYSTEM
7. CONCLUDING REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Poverty is a key underlying determinant of household food security, caring capacity and health environments. Poor households and individuals are unable to achieve food security have inadequate resources for care, or cannot utilize resources on a sustained basis (Smith and Haddad, 2000). Higher rates of malnutrition and child mortality are often found in poor households. Poor families not only struggle to put sufficient quantity of food on the table, but are also prone to food insecurity with regard to quality of their diets: even when dietary energy requirements are met, their diets may lack essential micro nutrients. The Zero Hunger programme is aimed at combating hunger and its structural causes, which continues to perpetuate inequality and social exclusion. It is aimed at more than just creating food secure country for all South Africans but to also put an end to hunger.

The Zero Hunger programme from a South African context is a strategy to reduce incidences of food insecurity through improving the capabilities of all South Africans to access nutritious food.  This includes strengthening the Integrated Food Security Strategy Pillar I of ‘increasing food production and trade’. This is aimed to guarantee the basic human right of access to adequate food and through this programme South Africa should contribute towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs). Thus impacting not only on hunger and poverty but also on goals related to health and education. The programme will bring together all three spheres of government and organs of the civil society as part of implementing a plethora of policies related to food security. 

The Zero Hunger programme combines short‐term responses to emergency situations with medium‐ and long‐term responses that help create the necessary conditions for people to improve their food security. Moreover, it recognizes that the needs of people living in rural and urban areas differ and offers a specific set of interventions for each case. Also crucial to the Zero Hunger programme is the need for a new model of economic development that is more inclusive and gives opportunities to all citizens irrespective of their dwelling. If structural changes are not made to reduce social exclusion and concentration of resources (income, land, tangible and/or intangible) and break from the vicious circle linking social exclusion to poverty and hunger, then the food security policy cannot be successful.

1.	BACKGROUND 

The Republic of South Africa’s Constitution enshrines the right of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity and equality. Section 27, 1 (b) states that every citizen has a right to have access to sufficient food and water and the State must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the realisation of this right. Section 28, 1 (c) states that every child has the right to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services. Section 7 (2) of the Constitution requires that the State must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the bill of rights. 
It was year 2000 when the Millennium Summit was held, and all world leaders present including South Africa adopted the United Nations (UN) Millennium Declaration. This UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) concluded with the adoption of a global action plan to achieve the eight anti-poverty goals by year 2015. Goal 1 focuses on the ‘eradication of extreme hunger and poverty’, and a target to ‘halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger’ was also set. The recent reports show that, “more than 900 million people world-wide suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition”. Some progress in hunger reduction and improving the nutritional status of men, women and children is being achieved.  Nevertheless, insufficient investment aimed at reducing food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition in many developing countries means that World Food Summit (WFS) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets are unlikely to be achieved by the year 2015 (FAO, 2011).

After the enactment of the Constitution the South African Government progressively developed a national programme called the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) in 1994 to realise some of the basic human rights mentioned and protected by the Constitution. This programme identified food security as one of its priority policy objective and as a result the Government reprioritised public spending to focus on improving the food security conditions of historically disadvantaged people. This policy objective resulted into increased public spending in solidarity based public programmes such as school feeding schemes, social assistance grants, free health services for children between 0-6 years & for pregnant and lactating women, working for water, community public works programmes, community food production initiatives like Ilema / Letsema, Land and Agrarian Reform (LARP), Masibuyele Emasimini, land reform and farmer settlement. 
This also led to the improvements in the resource mobilisation for the emerging agricultural sector such as the production loans scheme for small scale farmers, Micro Agricultural Financial Institutional Scheme of South Africa (MAFISA), infrastructure grant for smallholder farmers , Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) and the mechanisation scheme which are some of the initiative by Government contributing in creating a food secure country.  

The Cabinet in 2002 further approved a national strategy to streamline, harmonize and integrate these diverse food security programmes into the Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS). The strategy was then implemented as from 2002 till to- date, there has been progressive achievement on implementation of the strategic priority areas, but about 23.9 % South Africa population still experience inadequate to severe inadequate access to food (Stats SA, 2010). Due to such statistics DAFF Ministry which is responsible for the co-ordination and implementation of the IFSS therefore determined a need to review the implementation of the strategy to strengthen its impact on the poor and marginalised members of our society. Core to this review was to draw lessons learnt at both the continental and international level, Brazil therefore became the ideal country to have solved their own problems of food insecurity. The Zero Hunger programme was then conceptualised to strengthen and assist in the actualisation of the Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS) for South Africa. 

2.	THE PROBLEM STATEMENT 

Hunger continues to be one of the greatest challenges in the new South Africa; a challenge that links directly with issues of wealth distribution in the country. As is the case in most of the Southern African states, South Africa’s biggest food security challenge is ‘access to food’. The country exports food, yet according to the 2009 - General Household survey, about 20.1 percent of South African households have inadequate or severely inadequate access to food (Stats SA, 2010). See figure1 below.

Figure 1: Vulnerability to hunger in 2009 (Stats SA, 2010)

South Africa may be considered an example of a country experiencing the nutrition transition where both under- and over-nutrition co-exist. While substantial progress has been recorded with regard to folate and iodine status, findings on other micronutrient deficiencies among women and children indicate that these situations exist. The 2005 National Food Consumption survey (NFCS) found that 18% of children between 1-9 years were stunted (Figure 1) (Labadarios et al., 2000).  Stunting is higher in rural formal areas (24.5%) tribal areas (19.5%) and urban informal areas (18.5%). In terms of stunting the national average prevalence has decreased from 21.6% in 1999 (Labadarios et al., 2000) to 18% in 2005 with the best improvement in the rural areas (26.5% to 20.3%) whereas the prevalence did not change in urban areas.  Underweight affects 9.3% of children; about 4.5% of children are wasted. 

The 2005 National Food Consumption Survey also revealed that 27.9% of children were anaemic, moderate anaemia in 6.4% and severe anaemia in 0.3% of the children (Figure 2).  Anaemia in women was found to be 29.4%.  In 2005 survey, iron depletion was found in 5.7% of children and in 7.7% of women. The prevalence of poor iron status (combined depletion and iron deficiency anaemia) was 18.2% in women and 13.3% in children. Vitamin A deficiency was found in 63,6% of children and is fairly consistent among the age groups 1-3 years, 4-6 years and 7-9 years. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in women is 27.2%.  About 45.3% of children were zinc deficient. The prevalence was the highest among 1-3 year olds, namely 51.3%, followed by 4-6 year olds at 45.4% and 7-9 year old children (36%). Figure 1 and 2 give a summary of key nutritional indicators in South Africa according to the findings of the surveys conducted from 1994 to date.

At the national level about 51,6% of households experienced hunger and approximately 28.2% were at risk of hunger and 20.2% appeared to be food secure. In the rural areas a higher percentage of households (58.1%) experienced hunger when compared with households in the urban areas (46.3%) and a lower percentage of households were food secure in the rural areas   (14.4% compared to the 24.7% in the urban areas). 

Figure 2: Anthropometric status of children in South Africa, 1994, 1999 and 2005
This paradox of over and under nutrition, as well as the range of micronutrient deficiencies of public health significance, requires complementary strategies and an integrated approach to ensure optimal nutrition for all South Africans. The situation is further complicated by the multiple causes of malnutrition which could be direct factors such as inadequate food intake, or underlying factors such as household food insecurity or even basic factors such as a lack of resources.

Figure 3: Biochemical status of children in South Africa (1994 and 2005)

Hunger and malnutrition are closely linked with poverty, in a “malnutrition-poverty trap” where cause and effect are difficult to disentangle. Malnutrition if experienced early in the human life it can lead to the reduction in one’s life time earnings of more than 10% per affected individual and at the national level to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) losses of 2-3%. Stunting in early years is associated with inadequate growth and sub-optimal educational achievements. Sub-optimal education achievement in turn contributes to a reduction in life-time earnings, and hence poverty therefore prevails. As malnutrition leads to poverty, poverty leads to hunger and malnutrition because poor people have less to spend on food. Therefore, multi-sectoral approaches are urgently needed to reduce under nutrition in South Africa. Mainstreaming nutrition for improved developed outcomes will need the acceleration of actions on determinants of under-nutrition like inadequate income and agricultural production or by improving gender equality and girl’s education, which are known to have a powerful impact over time in preventing under-nutrition. Access to proper nutrition has implications on educational achievement, cognition, mental health, productivity, stress, adult obesity, household expenditure and food allocation, and economic growth.

Food prices are also one of the key detrimental factors affecting food security in our country. The 2008/09 food prices increase as influenced by a number of factors such as oil price, climate variability, bio fuels production, urbanization, transport costs and other input costs. The global financial crisis also had serious direct and indirect impacts on the livelihoods and food security status for millions of South Africans whose access to sufficient food was already a daily struggle means that their situation has worsened. The current levels of food insecurity, unemployment and poverty levels of many South Africans calls for radical action from all stakeholders across the food value chain. 
  
 3.          STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF THE ZERO HUNGER PROGRAMME
  
The vision of the Zero Hunger Programme is to attain universal physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food by all South African at all times to meet their dietary and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The strategic goal is to improve South Africa’s adequacy and stability of access to safe and nutritious food at both national and household level. Key to this goal is the alleviation of hunger and poverty in South Africa. In the plight where South Africa is having about 11.5 million (Stats SA, 2010) individuals that are experiencing inadequate to severe inadequate access to food, the emphasis of this programme will be to half this number by 2015 and to continue working on eradicating hunger and contribute towards poverty alleviation in South Africa. 

The strategic objectives of the Zero-Hunger framework are to:
i)	Ensure access to food  the poor and vulnerable members of our society 
ii)	Improve food production capacity of households and poor resource farmers.
iii)	Improve nutrition security of the citizens.
iv)	Develop market channels through bulk government procurement of food linked to the emerging agricultural sector. 
v)	Fostering partnerships with relevant stakeholders within the food supply chain.

4.	KEY PILLARS OF THE ZERO HUNGER PROGRAMME

The logical framework below provides an overview of the South African zero-hunger strategic objectives, anticipated outcomes and the role of different stakeholders towards the realisation of a zero hunger framework. The successful implementation of this framework cannot be delivered holistically by a single government department as it is multi-sectoral and multipronged strategy, it require an integrated service delivery approach that is coordinated through accountable institutional mechanisms at appropriate levels of intervention. 

Figure 4:  Logic framework for the Zero Hunger Programme implementation
The Zero Hunger programme interventions will be composed of the following key programmes: 

4.1  	Improving food production capacity of households and poor resource farmers.

4.1.1  	Access to cheap finance by the emerging agricultural sector

DAFF programmes to capacitate the resource poor farmers will be synchronised to improve and maintain primary production of both the subsistence and small holder farmers. These programmes include CASP, MAFISA, Land Care, Ilema / Lestema, the Mechanisation centres and Household Food Production Programme. The intention will be to ensure that the small holder producers and fisheries will supply 80% of the Government Food Purchase Programme and the remaining 20% will be supplied from the subsistence farmers. The business plans approved within the 2011/12 financial years for CASP, Ilima / Letsema and Land Care will be initial pilot to support production for the implementation of the Zero Hunger Programme. The supply of food to the respective institutions as per the bulk food purchasing by Government does not only involve primary production, the issues of agro-logistics, synchronised planting and harvesting according to the market needs, quality and food safety controls, agro-processing etc. DAFF therefore herein acknowledges the magnitude of investment required by this programme to be fully implemented. 

4.2  	Improve food access for the poor and vulnerable 

4.2.1  	Social protection programmes (food & cash transfers) 

This pillar is aimed at ensuring direct access to food by the neediest based on humanitarian consideration and protecting the violation of their constitutional right of having access to food. The prerequisite for the attainment of this objective is the existence of information that identifies accurately who the hungry and vulnerable are and where they are located.  The Social Assistance Act, 2004 allows social protection to be provided as financial or non financial assistance which is cash, vouchers or food parcels. The Social Protection Programme provided under this Act provides a limited coverage of the broader spectrum of the food insecure and hungry individuals. 

The areas of intervention by the department of Social Development in the zero hunger programme are centered on ensuring access to food through: 
-	The provision of social safety nets in a form of cash transfer which includes all types of social grants, and food transfer which includes all feeding and food distribution programmes i.e.:. soup kitchens, drop-inn centers, community nutrition and development centers, one stop development centre, food parcels and food banks; Of particular concern to the Department of Social Development will be to ensure that all children in the crucial ‘development’ stage of 0 – 9, access the necessary levels of nutrition.  This will be done through ensuring that all children whose care-givers qualify for social assistance receive such assistance.  This point is particularly important as since research conducted by UNICEF and other research organisations have illustrated that the expansion of particularly, the Child Support Grant has reduced reported incidences of hunger since the rapid expansion of the CSG since 2002.

-	Linked to the provision of social assistance grants is the need to ensure that people are able to use these resources to purchase nutritious food.  This would require strategies by the DSD and DAFF to integrate markets for fresh produce and cooked nutritious food into communities.  This includes the establishment and management of restaurants based in communities along the lines of the Peoples Restaurants in Brazil and public markets as envisaged by the DAFF.  The establishment of such nods for people to access food, together with programmes such as universal school nutrition programmes provides a basis for procurement programmes that will stimulate production by small holder and subsistence producers.

-	In line with the recognition that dealing with food insecurity will require various channels of food distribution, the DSD will seek to strengthen partnerships with stakeholders such as the FoodBanks who have the abilities to provide food to thousands of people on a regular basis.  The FoodBanks model has the potential to assist in efforts to stimulate changes to the production and consumption value chain through increasingly procuring food from small scale producers and family farms.  (The model is known as the Reverse Logistics Model).

-	Supporting community driven processes such as the Community Works Pogramme that seeks to mobilize increased levels of subsistence but nonetheless, nutritious food production through public employment schemes. Improving the abilities of poor households to purchase nutritious food in the market may require more than just social assistance grants.  A key strategy would be to ensure that even the working poor’s abilities to purchase nutritious food is improved.  This may require macro-based strategies such as raising minimum wage levels across all sectors of the economy.  The DSD and DAFF will need to work with other key stakeholders in government around this strategy.

4.3 	Nutrition security 

4.3.1  	Nutrition Awareness Programme 

The economic costs of undernutrition are substantial: productivity losses to individuals are estimated at more than 10 percent of lifetime earnings, and losses to gross domestic product may be as high as 2–3 percent (World Bank, 2006). The human costs of undernutrition are tragic, falling hardest on the most vulnerable in the developing world. Malnutrition is the largest single contributor to child mortality worldwide, and nearly and 35 percent of all child deaths are attributable to undernutrition. Investment now will accelerate the pace of reduction in malnutrition and hence help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of halving child hunger and reducing child mortality by two-thirds.  

Better household food security, through strengthened agricultural and social protection programmes, is essential to sustain efforts to improve nutrition. There is a need to incorporate nutrition interventions into Agriculture and rural livelihoods programs, through encouraging home production of foods like fruits and vegetables and animal products that are rich in nutrients. Research should be intensified on bio-fortification as well as on increasing yields of nutrient-rich foods and of staple foods of the poor. The packages of nutrition interventions need to be implemented in conjunction with relevant health and water/sanitation interventions – particularly those addressing treatment and prevention of the major childhood illnesses closely associated with under-nutrition. Food availability and access does not translate into a well-nourished population, hence nutrition awareness and education coupled with socio-economic programmes is integral to the improved health status of our population. Awareness moves the individual from lack of interest and ignorance to increasing appreciation of knowledge and finally to action. To improve the nutritional status of South Africans, the following evidence-based interventions should be implemented at scale, namely: 
-	breastfeeding promotion; 
-	complementary feeding promotion and strategies with or without food supplements; 
-	micronutrient interventions which include fortification and supplementation; 
-	interventions for maternal nutrition and
-	interventions for the prevention of malnutrition 

Figure 5 proposes a logic framework of dealing with nutrition education to be co-ordinated by both the Department of Health and Basic Education. 
   Figure 5: Logic model for healthy eating everyday (Source: adapted from Port Townsend Library]

4.4	 Market channels development 

4.4.1 	Government bulk Food Purchase Program 
Government led food procurement linked to the emerging agricultural will sustain the economic viability of this vulnerable agricultural sector. The South African Government is a major player within the food industry, it procurers food products and food oriented services worth over R7 billion each fiscal year.  The food industry which is supported mainly by the agricultural sector stimulates major income and employment linkages throughout the economy and this financial support from the State is crucial for the sustainability of the industry. The agricultural sector therefore has the potential to stimulate economic growth with equity if the small scale and subsistence production is not subjected to competition regulation. Through this programme Government will re-prioritise its procurement on food to create market for the subsistence and small holder farmers in rural, urban and peri-urban areas, this objective is supported by the Preferential Procurement Policy of 2005. 
This position will be supported by the DBE’s National School Nutrition Programmes (NSNP), DOH’s health centre’s, Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and Department of Defense and Military Veterans (DOD) and commodities to be procured through the programme will be determined by the needs of the different programmes. This programme will be the determinant of the new food distribution systems to be supported by the industrial development for value adding on the key procured commodities, i.e. staples, vegetables and animal protein. Agro-industrial development led by the agricultural area production potentiality and markets through the Government led food procurement programme will induce agriculture development. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Food Security led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will assess the Department’s spending on the implementation of this programme.
The Agri-BEE Transformation Charter is one of the progressive interventions by the State to promote economic transformation by increasing the participation of black people in the Agri-industry. The charter compels the industry to implement the BBBEE principles throughout the industry value chain. This will be achieved through ownership and preferential procurement / trade for the emerging agriculture to actively participate in the agricultural economy. It is therefore pivotal for the Agri-industry through the preferential procurement clause 5.5 of the Agri-BEE charter to procure certain percentage of their total products from the emerging agricultural sector. The following logic framework proposes the implementation of the Government Food Purchasing and Distribution. 
Government outlet / distribution agency:  The distribution of locally produced and processed food to the Government institutions and to the public at large is key in the reduction of food prizes. The small scale and subsistence farmers have the potential to positively contribute towards the development of the rural economies and fighting high rate of unemployment in SA. It is also rather very crucial to note the challenges of doing business with the State i.e. delays in payment of service rendered and to plan ahead in solving the challenges. In order to address the situation and fast track payment of service rendered, DAFF proposes the inclusion of agencies [SASSA & Post Bank], since they are easily accessible and effective in transacting with the State funds.

Proposed transaction procedure: DAFF herein proposes that the budget of the respective programmes i.e. National School Nutrition Programme be transferred to the agency [SASSA & Post Bank] following the supply of produce to the respective government department. For quality control the supplied produce by the emerging farmer should be verified by the extension officer, the producer / farmer and the delegated official from the receiving Government institution. These forms should depicts the service rendered [quantity/ quality of the produce] and payment authorization forms stipulating the exact amount to be issued to the small-scale producers. The prizing of produce will be food market related prizes for now and small-scale producers will therefore submit the forms to the respective agency, wherein the stipulated amount will be immediately transferred to the small-scale producer’s business account.
Contractual Agreement: The contracted service providers will therefore provide subsistence/smallholder producers with relevant market needs. This will determine or guide primary production. Service providers will further facilitate linkage of subsistence farmers to domestic and export markets. Furthermore, Terms of Reference (TOR) and service level agreement should be developed between service providers and DAFF.

5.	 APPROACH IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ZERO HUNGER PROGRAMME

Food security is a multifaceted and multidimensional concept which will never be attained through primary agriculture production alone but requires the inter-sectoral co-ordination of existing policies / programmes such as health, education, and environmental / ecological protection, food for work programme, agrarian and agricultural development. The emphases of the programme implementation will be guided by the IFSS and will prioritise household food security not overlooking national food security. This will be attained through the implementation of these IFSS strategic objectives: 

i)	Increased emerging sector’s food production linked to markets; [DAFF]
ii) 	Improve income generation and job creation opportunities; [Ministry of Economic Development/DTI/ DPW]
iii) 	Improve nutrition and food safety; [DBE & DOH]
iv) 	Implementation of safety nets and food emergency management systems; [DSD]
v) 	Improving data analysis and food insecurity information management; [DAFF & Stats SA]
vi) 	Provide capacity building to stakeholders and all spheres Government for the programme implementation process; [ALL]
vii) 	Hold stakeholder dialogue to inform food security policies of the country. [ALL]

The Zero Hunger Programme will be implemented through an integrated approach which entrenches public, private and civil society partnerships with focus on household food security. The strategy in the implementation of this Programme will be situational specific and the logic framework will be followed (see figure 5). Firstly, food security interventions should ensure that the food insecure population gains access to productive resources and always linked to protected markets and where the food insecure population is unable to gain access to productive resources, then food security interventions should ensure that segment gains access to income and job opportunities to enhance their power to purchase food. Where the food insecure population does not have control over any means of production and are in destitute situation due disability, extreme conditions of destitute – food security interventions should ensure that the state provides relief measures that may be short-term to being medium-term on sustained basis in a form of food and cash transfers. Food security interventions should always proceed from an analysis that is grounded on accurate information to monitor and evaluate the implemented interventions. and the impact of which - in eradicating hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity - is constantly monitored and evaluated. 

Under the current 12 outcomes as defined by the President as the key deliverable for the current administration, Outcome number 7 is aimed at having vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities and food security for all in South Africa. Because food security is multi-sectoral the Minister’s for Social Cluster and Community Protection will be integral to the implementation of the Zero Hunger Programme. The strategic objectives of the Zero Hunger Programme requires the following Ministries to achieve its intended objectives, the Departments of Health; Social Development; Public Works; Water Affairs and Environment; Transport; Education; Housing; Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform; Science and Technology and Statistics South Africa. The lead Department on the co-ordination and implementation of the programme will be the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with other sector Department’s collaboration. The partnership with the civil society organisations, NGO’s, social movements, religious institutions and professional associates is crucial for the attainment of the programme objectives.   

The implementation of the Zero Hunger programme requires a sound institutional framework and active political, administrative and technical support for the translation of goals, objectives of this programme into actual programmes. Due to the multifaceted nature of food security issues and the factors that impact on them, the implementation of this programme will be the responsibility of the entire government at all levels and in all sectors, the private sector, civil society and all South Africans. Food security requires a high level co-ordination to help in the integration of the different public programmes to eliminate the duplication of efforts, which are evident in the coexistent of a large number of programmes covering the issue in a sectoral fragmented approach. 

The current food security institutional framework proposed by the IFSS will be used to implement this programme with string emphasis on ensuring that at every sphere of Government there is accountability of access to food by all South Africans as prescribed by the Constitution. The IMC, Social Cluster, FOSAD, MINMEC and the Portfolio Committee will have to play the overseeing role. The aims of the stakeholder engagement will be ensure that there is:  
 
-	Enhancement of inter-governmental relations through improved programme co-ordination among the Regional, National, Provincial and Local Government in supporting the food security objectives.
-	Fostering co-operation among government, parastatals, private sector and NGOs in implementing, monitoring and evaluation of the attainment of this policy objectives.  
-	Strengthening of inter and intra-departmental decentralised planning and the provision of required resources and technical advice for programme implementation. 
-	Enabling co-ordination amongst the political and administrative structures. 
-	Monitoring and evaluation of the policy impact to the livelihoods of South Africans 

6. 	FOOD SECURITY MONITORING SYSTEM
		
As the social cluster task team leader, the information expert working group as a sub-committee of the IFSNTT will be the main analyst resource to measure the impact that the Zero Hunger will make to the vulnerable group of the society. The focus will be on the following strategic objectives of the Zero Hunger: 

i)	Improving food production capacity of households and resource poor farmers.
ii)	Ensuring access to food by the poor and vulnerable members of our society 
iii)	Improve nutrition security of the citizens.
iv)	Develop market channels through bulk government procurement of food linked to the emerging agricultural sector. 
v)	Fostering partnerships with relevant stakeholders within the food supply chain, requires a series of data inventory and surveys to be analysed and understood. 

i) Improving food production capacity of households and poor resource farmers: Situation analysis will be conducted to establish the actual capacity of targeted households and resource poor farmer, to produce food while ensuring adequate supply through out the year. Key indicators; access to land, crops and livestock production and identification of households and resource poor farmers experiencing food shortages and inadequate access to production inputs respectively.  This will assist to intervene and improve their food adequacy throughout the year.

Indicator 	Source 	
% of households who were involved in agricultural activities during the twelve months period.	General Household Survey [Stats SA]	
% of households that received support from the DAFF or from other organisations. 	DAFF
IFSNP Comprehensive Report	
% household owning productive land 	General Household Survey / Census 	
% of food inflation 	Consumer Price Index [Stats SA]	
Volumes of food sold on the local markets, imports and export. 	Import & Export [SARS]
Marketing Directorate
Stats SA	

ii) Ensuring access to food by the poor and vulnerable members of our society: Livelihood analysis will be conducted on vulnerable households to establish their ability to access food and meet their dietary food intake needs. Key indicators will be; own production, social protection, income generation and micro &macro enterprise development, proper functioning markets and marketing infrastructure for easy accessibility to food.

Indicator	Source	
% of households receiving social protection grants	DSD	
% of households who get an income from wages/salaries/commission	General Household Survey [Stats SA]	
%of households that produce & sells food	Generals Household Survey [Stats SA]	
% of households involve in business activities	General Household Survey [Stats SA]	
% households who expenditure exceeds 60% of their monthly income on food. 	General Household Survey [Stats SA]	
Number of function markets	DAFF
NAMC	

iii) Improve nutrition security of the citizens: nutrition and education awareness will be conducted nationwide to educate citizens the need to handle and consume food in a sanitary, nutritionally balanced and equitable manner. Key indicators nutrition, food preparation and consumption, sanitation and public health.

Indicator 	Source	
% of population undernourished [malnutrition] 	Dept. of Health	
% of children under five years not stunted	Dept. of Health 	
% of children under five years not wasted	Dept. of health	
% of mothers and children receiving nutrition training 	Dept of Health 
General Household Survey [Stats SA]	
% of households with water supply infrastructure	DWAF	
% households with access to functioning basic sanitation facilities. 	General Household Survey	
% of households with refuse removed by municipality	General Household Survey	

iv)  Develop market channels through bulk government procurement of food linked to the emerging agricultural sector: A database will be developed for all emerging farmers in order to link them to the Government bulk procurement program. Key indicators; Land reform project and LED Agricultural projects. 

Indicator 	Source	
Number of Land Reform projects	DRDLR	
Number of community agricultural projects 	Provincial Departments	
LED Agricultural projects 	Municipalities	

v) Fostering partnerships with relevant stakeholders within the food supply chain: there is a need to partner with relevant stakeholders right from the primary agricultural activities to the final stage of food supply chain (consumption).

7.  	CONCLUDING REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) alludes to the fact that food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty are deeply interrelated phenomena.

Poverty

Low productivity

Food insecurity, hunger & malnutrition

Poor physical & cognitive development

 

Figure 6: Food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty are deeply interrelated phenomena

“Poverty encompasses different dimensions of deprivation that relate to human capabilities including consumption and food security, health, education, rights, voice, security, dignity and decent work.”It is argued that a strategy for attacking poverty in conjunction with policies to ensure food security offers the best hope of swiftly reducing mass poverty and hunger. However, recent studies show that economic growth alone will not take care of the problem of food security. What is needed is a combination of: income growth; supported by direct nutrition interventions; and investment in health, water and education.

There is a need for consolidation and evaluation of existing programme interventions in South Africa and ensuring that a better coordinated and integrated approach is applied when addressing hunger and poverty across all the spheres of government and delivery agencies. 

ANNEXURE 1

AGRI- BUSINESS OPTIONS [small scale and subsistence production] (DAFF)

Type of Business/ Production System	
Description	
Target Areas/Group	
Target Outcome	
Project Phase	
Vegetable production 	cluster/mega farms 	schools / clinics, household and community gardens	Agricultural production training and employment opportunities; Sustainable small-scale commercial vegetable farming and own consumption	P1, P2	
Small stock	Goats, sheep	households and community farms	Sustainable small-scale commercial small stock 	P1	
Small scale fisheries	Fresh water fish farming	households and community farms	Income generation and own consumption as a nutrient supplement	P2	
Large stock	Beef, milk	households and community farms 	Income generation and own consumption (milk)	P2	
Agro-processing	Value-add on all the different production systems 	Community entrepreneurs 	Income generation and employment opportunities	P3	
Table 1: Agribusiness option package under consideration

For sustainable execution of the broad production categories, the following will be the underlying principles:
i)	Water conservation and control:- this includes consideration of introduction of small scale irrigation systems and management to farmers, the promotion of garden irrigations/water harvesting techniques for vegetable and fruit production, and improved water conservation for dry land agriculture
ii)	Crop diversification and intensification:- this will be achieved through the introduction of appropriate varieties, certified seeds, appropriate plant nutrition and improved husbandry practices, pest management, mechanization and land cultivation practices
iii)	Enterprise diversification: - this will be achieved through the introduction of alternative Agri-production systems at household level (including vegetables, chickens, layers, broilers, sheep, goats, pigs, aquaculture, etc). This will directly contribute towards supplementing protein to the rural diet. 

ANNEXURE 2

                          COSTING IMPLICATIONS
Type of Business/ Production System	
Description	
Number Units	
Cost (R)	Number of jobs created 	
Locations 	
Vegetable production 	Cluster farms 	1 	12 million 	12	Gauteng 	
	mega farms	2	10 million 	20	Mpumalanga, Free State 	
	Schools gardens	22 000	20 000 per garden 	66 000	Across all 9 provinces 	
	Community Gardens	90	400 000 per garden	900	Across all 9 provinces 	
	Household gardens 	2 700	5 000 per garden 	2 700	Across all 9 provinces 	
Small stock	Poultry production 
( Layers and broilers) 	18 	120 000 per structure and unit 	36	Across all 9 provinces	
Small scale fisheries	Fresh water fish farming (households and community farms)	1	49 million 	63	Eastern Cape 	
Agro-processing	Value-add on all the different production systems 	3	N/A	32	Mpumalanga  Free State , Gauteng 	
Table 2: Costing implications