Food Security, Agriculture and Rural Development

Focus areas

	Evidence-based employment scenarios		Employment monitoring
	Macro-economy, economic bias & employment		Employment-oriented industry studies
	The informal economy		Government employment creation programmes
	Labour markets and social policy		Migration
	Regional dynamics		Social dialogue
	Employment policy network		Food Security, Agriculture and Rural Development

It is estimated that about 40% of South Africa's population live in rural areas.  Not only are rural people isolated from economic opportunities, but they also tend to have less access to social services such as health, sanitation and education. In the context of these rural realities, it is crucial to understand the livelihood and coping strategies of the poor.

An overarching theme guiding work in this thematic area is developing sustainable food security scenarios to achieve national and global anti-poverty targets. This fits into our research, networking and selective pilot activities to define and test the impacts of a range of realistic interventions (agricultural development support, food subsidies for the poor and other pro-poor rural development policies) to half poverty and unemployment by 2014. 

At the moment the activities of this research team cover two related fields, namely (a) food security and (b) agriculture and rural development.

Food Security

The first phase of research (2008-2009) in this area strives to achieve two outcomes: to publish a comprehensive status report that brings together what is known about food security and to identify elements and strategies to set food security targets for South Africa. Some of the themes being investigated are: hunger and nutrition deficiencies, food marketing and pricing, etc.

Agriculture and Rural Development

This area of work focuses on the livelihood strategies of small-scale farmers and the rural poor. Some of the themes being investigated are: land reform, support for agricultural extension, appropriate small farmer inputs and technologies, rural infrastructure and service delivery.

Research outputs 2010

• Altman, M., Hart, T. & Jacobs, P. (2010) Household food security status in South Africa. Agrekon. 48 (4) 345-361
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Research outputs 2009

• Aliber, M. (2009) Exploring statistics: South Africa's national household surveys as sources of information about food security and subsistence agriculture. (March).
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• Aliber, M. (2009)  Exploring statistics South Africa's national household surverys as sources of information about household-level food security.  Agrekon. 48 (4) 384-409
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• Aliber, M. & Hart, T. (2009) Should subsistence agriculture be supported as a strategy to address rural food insecurity? Agrekon. 48(4):434-458.
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• Altman, M., Hart, T. & Jacobs, P. (2010) Food security in South Africa. (March).
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Andrews, N and Jacobs, P. (2009) Nourishing Rural Poverty - South Africa's Unchanging Land Relations
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• Baiphethi, M. & Jacobs, P. (2009) The contribution of subsistence farming to food security in South Africa. (March) 
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• Baiphethi, M.N. & Jacobs, P.T. (2009) The contribution of subsistence farming to food security in South Africa. Agrekon. 48(4):459-482.
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• Hart, T., (2009) Exploring definitions of food insecurity and vulnerability: time to refocus assessments. Agrekon. 48(4):362-383
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• Hart, T., Vorster, I. & Jansen van Rensburg, W. (2009) Indigenous knowledge and African vegetables. In: National Agricultural Directory. Johannesburg: Rainbow South Africa. 209-214.
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• Hart, T. (2009) Fruit - general. In: National Agricultural Directory. Pretoria: Rainbow South Africa. 186-189.
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•  Hart, T. (2009) Food security definitions, measurements and recent initiatives in South Africa and southern Africa. (March).
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Jacobs, P., (2009) Agricultural Market Reforms and the Rural Poor in South Africa, Paper presented at the PLAAS Workshop
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Jacobs, P. (2009) Identifying targets for household food security in South Africa. (March). 
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Jacobs, P.T. (2009) The status of household food security targets in South Africa. Agrekon. 48(4):410-433
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Ladzani, R. (2009) The impact of HIV/AIDS on food security and nutrition in South Africa. (February).
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Labadarios, D., Davids, Y.D., Mciza, Z. & Weir-Smith, G. (2009) The assessment of food insecurity in South Africa. (March).
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Matshe, I. (2009) Contribution of own-production to food security: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. (March).
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Matshe, I. (2009) Boosting smallholder production for food security: some approaches and evidence from studies in sub-Saharan Africa. Agrekon. 48(4):483-51
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Reddy, V. & Moletsane, R. (2009) The gendered dimensions of food security in South Africa: a review of the literature. (March).
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Research outputs 2008

• Baiphethi, M. (2008) Measures to increase food production and mitigating against increased food prices: the Malawi case study. (November) 
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• Hart, T. (2008) Demystifying participatory research and its role in development. (Occasional paper; no. 21). Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch
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• Jacobs, P. et al. (2008) Review of Rural Development:  15 Year Review of Economic and Social Sector Programme
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• Jacobs, P. (2008) Market Development and Smallholder Farmers - A Selective Literature Survey
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• Baiphethi, M., Viljoen, M.N. & Kundhlande, G. (2008) Rural women and rainwater harvesting and conservation practices: anecdotal evidence from the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces. Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity. 78:163-171.
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
• Hart, T. (2008) The ignorance of gender in agrarian livelihoods in rural South Africa. Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity. 78:144-155.
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
• Hart, T. & Baiphethi, M. (2008) Tshepo Khumbane - Growing South Africa's women and landscape. Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity. 78:156-162.
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
  Jacobs, P. & Xaba, T. (2008) Women in urban and peri-agriculture: sustaining livelihoods in the Cape metropolitan area. Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity. 78:186-197.
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
• Matshe, I. (2008) Food security aspects of the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural women in smallholder agriculture. Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity. 78:132-143.
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
• Mazibuko, M., et al (2008) Baseline Information on Technology-Oriented Initiative in Rural Areas to Promote Economic Development
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• Faber, M., Schwabe, C. & Drimie, S. (2008) Dietary diversity in relation to other household food security indicators. International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health. 1(2):157-171.
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za

Research outputs 2007

• Aliber, M., Baipheti, M. & Jacobs, P. (2007) Agricultural employment scenarios. (August)
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• Hart, T. & Vorster, H.J. (eds). (2007) African indigenous knowledge systems in agricultural production: a consultative report for Department of Science and Technology, National Indigenous Knowledge Sytems Office (NIKSO), Pretoria, South Africa. Pretoria: Department of Science and Technology (DST)
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za

Research outputs 2006 and older

• Davids, Y.D. (2006) Poverty in South Africa: extent of access to food and income. HSRC review. 4(4):16-17.
  Full text    http://www.hsrc.ac.za/HSRC_Review_Article-47.phtml
• Monde, N., Fraser, G., Botha, J.J. & Anderson, K. (2006) Making home gardening a viable livelihood option in rural areas of South Africa: the case of Guquka and Khayalethu in central Eastern Cape. (Paper presented at the 4th International Conference on Environmental Management for Sustainable Universities, Steven's Point, Wisconsin, USA, 26-30 June).
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• Hart, T. (2005) Local innovations using traditional vegetables to improve soil quality. IK notes. 79:1-4.
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
• Aliber, M., Tlabela, K., Drimie, S. & Walker, C. (2005) HIV/AIDS, land-based livelihoods, and land reform in South Africa. (Report to the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Department of Land Affairs, South Africa, December)
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• Drimie, S. & Mullins, D. (2005) Mainstreaming HIV and AIDS into livelihoods and food security programmes: the experience of CARE Malawi. (Paper presented at the International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Food and Nutrition Security, International Food Policy Research Institute, Durban, 14 to 16 April)
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• Drimie, S. (2004) HIV/AIDS and food security: examples of "best practice" from regional NGOs. (Paper presented at the ActionAid Workshop, Centurion, 10-11 August).
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
• Drimie, S. (2004) A study to determine the links between HIV/AIDS, current demographic status and livelihoods in rural Swaziland. (Commissioned by the Swaziland Vulnerability Assessment Committee)
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
• Drimie, S. (2004) What do we know about food insecurity measurement compared to poverty in South Africa?. (Paper presented at the UKZN National Workshop on Food Security. 1-2 June)
  If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Rossinger at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za
• Rule, S., Aird, R., Drimie, S., Faber, M., Germishuyse, T., Jordaan, A., Kok, P.C., Roberts, B., Roefs, M., Schonfeldt, H., Schwabe, C., Van Lieshout, M., Van Zyl, J. & Vermeulen, H. (2005) Report on survey in Sekhukhune to pilot the development of a food insecurity and vulnerability modelling system (FIVIMS) for South Africa. (Commissioned by the FIVIMS Consortium, March)
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• Drimie, S. (2005) Regional vulnerability and food insecurity: unravelling the entangling crises?(Presentation to the World Vision Roundtable, 8 March)
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