Horticultural Research & Practice for Improved Nutritional & Food Security

in Southern Africa

Stephanie Midgley & Martin de Wit

Combined Congress 22 January 2013 Durban

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1. Dimensions and drivers of food & nutritional insecurity

2. Fruit consumption and food insecurity in Southern Africa

3. Growing cities – hungry cities

4. A flawed food system

5. Opportunities for horticultural science research & practice

6. Finding solutions: an integrated systems approach

Structure

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Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life

World Food Summit, 1996

Food % Nutritional Security and Undernourishment

Undernourishment exists when caloric intake is below the minimum dietary energy requirement.

FAO/World Food Programme, 2009

Nutritional security refers to adequate nutritional status in terms of protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals for all household members at all times.

Int Food Policy Res Inst, 1995

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Dimensions of Food Security • Availability

The availability of sufficient quantities of food of appropriate quality, supplied through domestic production or imports.

• Access Access by individuals to adequate resources for acquiring appropriate

food for a nutritious diet. (Covers legal, political, economic and social arrangements of a community)

• Utilization Utilization of food through adequate diet, clean water, sanitation and

health care to reach a state of nutritional well-being where all physiological needs are met. (NB non-food inputs)

• Stability To be food secure, a population, household or individual must have

access to adequate food at all times. They should not risk losing access to food as a consequence of sudden shocks or cyclical events.

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• Lack of own production

• Erratic local food prices

• Weak integration of food markets

• Poverty: national income growth does not benefit the poor

• Climatic hazards

• Competing land use

• Social instability: diseases incl. HIV/AIDS, population changes

• Political instability

• Deteriorating land resources and water quality

• Lack of investment and failure of agricultural policies

Drivers of Food Insecurity in Southern Africa

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Drivers of Food Insecurity at different scales

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• Global shifts in dietary and nutritional patterns

• Drivers: population growth, urbanization, women in employment, changing food preferences, food industry (production and marketing), agricultural & trade policies

• Quantity: “Expansion phase”: increased calories from cheaper foods

• Quality: “Substitution phase”: shift from cereals, pulses, roots & tubers to vegetable oils, meat, dairy, sugar, salt

• Worldwide, fruit consumption per person is increasing, but not in Southern Africa – WHY?

• Considerable health consequences: child development, obesity, diabetes, non-communicable diseases, etc

• Considerable environmental consequences: carbon, water, etc

• Failure to identify and act on linkages between agriculture, human health (and other social factors) and the environment

Dietary and nutritional transitions

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Dietary deficiencies…

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Fruit intake requirements Fruits and vegetables: > 400 g/person/day

Fruits: >200 g/person/day

Fruit defined as: plantains, bananas, orange, lemons and limes, grapefruit and pomelos, tangerines, mandarins, clementines, satsumas, other citrus fruit, melons, watermelons, apples, apricots, avocados, cherries, figs, grapes, mangoes, papaya, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plums, quinces, blueberries, cranberries, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, other fruits (fresh), dates, figs (dried), prunes, currants, raisins, other dried fruit. (excl. tree nuts)

WHO Expert Committee, WHO/FAO 2003

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1963 1973 1983 1993 2003 2025 20500

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500North America

Oceania

Latin America & Caribbean

Europe

Asia

Fruit consumption patterns (g/person/day)

Adapted from: Kearney J Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 2010;365:2793-2807

Africa

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Vegetable, fruit and pulse consumption patterns Sub-Saharan Africa (g/person/day)

1963 1973 1983 1993 2003 2025 20500

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Roots and Tubers

Fruits

Sweet potatoesPulsesPotatoes

Adapted from: Kearney J Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 2010;365:2793-2807

Vegetables

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• Around 95 million people (40%) across SADC are undernourished• Of these, almost 84% are found in only five countries (2004-2006):

– DRC (43.9 million)– Tanzania (13.6 million)– Mozambique (7.5 million)– Angola (7.1 million)– Madagascar (6.6 million)

• A further 15% are found in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi

• 1.5% in the rest of SADC

• BUT: The rate of increase has slowed significantly from 46% to 10% between 1990-1997 and 2000-2006

Where in Southern Africa are the most food insecure populations?

De Wit and Midgley, 2009

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Relationships between undernourishment and food system indicators

Data: FAO, 14 SADC countries, 1990-2006

Variables: food consumption

food production

food imports

food exports

food aid

regional supply and demand

value of trade

prices

income

expenditure

relative size of agric sector

Statistical analysis: Correlation, covariance, price and income elasticities of undernourishment

De Wit and Midgley, 2009

Country Food%change

Cereal%change

Starchy roots %change

Protein %change

Fruit%change

Undernou-rishment %change

Angola +140 +36 +10 +20 -31 -1

Botswana -132 +4 +15 -6 -94 +67

DRC -543 -9 -47 -28 -166 +285

Lesotho -12 +6 +29 +2 -67 +50

Madagascar -162 +9 -19 -6 -25 +69

Malawi +460 -8 +80 +6 +28 -12

Mauritius +254 +3 -13 +11 +45 0

Mozambique +75 +35 -2 +28 -26 -9

Namibia +251 +8 +13 +10 -8 0

Swaziland +58 -26 -5 +10 -1 +100

Tanzania -313 +8 -50 -6 -37 +84

Zambia -54 -8 +8 -4 -7 +58

Zimbabwe -26 -9 +29 -2 -3 +19

SADC avg +1 +3 -2 -19 +85

Change in food consumption per food category in relation to undernourishment (1990-2 to 2003-5)

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Country Vit A (category)

Vit A categories:

1: <300 2: 300-600 3: >600 Retinol Activity Equivalents per person per day

RDA: 300-600 under-13 700-900 over-13

Namibia 3

Angola 3

South Africa 2

Mauritius 2

Swaziland 2

Botswana 2

Madagascar 2

Tanzania 2

Zimbabwe 1

Lesotho 1

Mozambique 1

Zambia 1

DRC 1

Malawi 1

Vitamin A and Iron available for human consumption 2003-5

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Food production has stagnated, fruit production is decliningg/person/day (excl. South Africa)

1990-2 1995-7 2003-5 % change 1990-2 to 2003-5

Alcoholic beverages 24 29 34 42%

Eggs 1 1 2 35%

Fish, Seafood 25 29 29 16%

Starchy roots 152 141 174 15%

Pulses 7 8 8 7%

Meat 17 16 16 -5%

Vegetables 22 22 20 -7%

Cereals - excl Beer) 81 95 75 -8%

Sugar & Sweeteners 97 83 85 -12%

Offals 2 2 1 -18%

Milk – excl Butter 26 21 21 -20%

Fruits – excl Wine 41 32 33 -22%Vegetable oils 3 2 2 -26%

Oilcrops 14 13 10 -27%

Animal fats 1 1 1 -44%

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Results(excl. South Africa)

• Insufficient per person carbohydrate and protein intake, but proportionally too much carbohydrate

• National per person food production has stagnated with declining production since the early 1990s (with some exceptions)

• Insufficient per person intake of essential micronutrients

A decrease in undernourishment is most strongly related to an increase in the consumption of fruits and starchy roots

De Wit and Midgley, 2009

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1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Tanzania

Swaziland

MalawiMauritius

Fruit supply quantity per SADC country (g/person/day) – top 4

Data source: FAO (faostat.fao.org) 2012

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1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

South Africa

NamibiaLesothoMozambiqueZimbabweZambia

Data source: FAO (faostat.fao.org) 2012

Fruit supply quantity per SADC country (g/person/day) – bottom 6

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Summary of factors that influence fruit consumption patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa

1. Income: consumption rises with income, although at a slower rate than income; explains higher consumption among wealthier urban households

2. Price and availability: consumption rises with lower prices and across-season availability

3. Consumer preferences: demand for calories/fat, cultural, household-specific, individual-specific (awareness and knowledge)

4. Education: mixed trends; often related to women’s work outside the home

5. Home production: can increase consumption but needs to be complemented with behaviour change

6. Intra-household decision-making: link between status of women (relative to men) and child nutritional and health outcomes; female-headed households spend more on fruit/vegetables

Adapted from: Ruel et al. 2005 Patterns and determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-country comparison. WHO.

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The role of food markets in Southern Africa

Jayne 2011 Forces shaping food markets in East and Southern Africa. BFAP Agricultural Baseline 2011

De Wit and Midgley 2009 Hunger in SADC with specific reference to climate change: A longer-term regional analysis. OneWorld.

1. National food production may be rising in some cases, but it is not resulting in broad-based income growth or poverty reduction

2. On a national level, rising average income is dissipating to other goals rather than addressing undernourishment

3. An average household spends approx half its income on food; volatile and rising food prices make them vulnerable; less spent on healthy foods

4. Approx 70% of rural populations are not participating meaningfully in food markets

5. Rapid urbanization and changing food preferences are raising food import demand

6. Consumer demand for supermarket services rising, but not as fast as previously imagined

7. How are we going to meet the unmet need for fruit?

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• Access to food: 24% of households have inadequate or severely inadequate access to food ; most serious in the North-West (35.7%), also serious in Northern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal and Free State

• Own production: 87.6% of households cultivate backyard gardens, of these 30.1% cultivate fruit/vegetables

• Consumption expenditure on fruit/vegetables on average 14%; good growth from 2011-2012 (6.3%) but not nearly as high as for oils/fats (34.8%), meat (12%), bread/grain products (16.4%), sugar (16.5%)

Situation in South Africa

South Africa General Household Survey 2010

Economic Review of South African Agriculture 2011/12

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Combating Malnutrition in South Africa. Input paper for health roadmap, 2008

Stunting: median height for age

Underweight: median weight for age

South Africa: children

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• Celeste Naude, MSc (Nutrition) thesis, US 2007• Data: 1999 National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS)• Mean daily fruit/veg consumption per capita 110.1 grams• Underweight and wasted children ate significantly less fruit and

vegetables• Procured by purchase (90% of households)• Low dietary diversity, poor nutrient intake• Differences between provinces: socio-economic, climatic, access to

water, cultural

Fruit/vegetable consumption by South African children aged 1-9 years

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Naude, 2007

Mean daily intake per capita of fruit in children

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Naude, 2007

Mean percentages of children consuming fruit

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• Rapid urbanization – rising numbers of urban poor – as vulnerable to food insecurity as rural people, if not more (77%)

• By 2025 half of southern African population will be urbanized• But cities also offer opportunities for a better life and better food security

and nutrition, huge market• Complex urban food supply chains• Rural and smallholder bias in food policies and public research support• Focus on rural agricultural growth and production rather than on “ensuring

food security for all” including the urban population• Increasing proportion of the rural poor depend on social grants and

remittances – purchase their food• Production is important, but the biggest challenge lies in getting healthy

affordable food to everyone

Urban food insecurity – the invisible crisis

Resource: AFSUN (African Food Security Urban Network), Cape Town

We must re-think our production and distribution systems and policies

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Frayne et al 2010 The State of Urban Food Insecurity in Southern Africa. AFSUN.

Levels of household food insecurity in SADC cities

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• On a per calorie basis, fruits and vegetables are significantly more expensive than cereals, fats and sweets

• Sufficient food is often available, in the face of chronic and acute hunger – gross failure of food flow

• Emphasis on production needs to be extended to access, safety and nutrition, and especially affordability

• Insufficient data and analysis of food systems and food flows• High risks: climate change, oil and food price spikes, population

growth• Creating a better food system:

– Health-based agriculture– Dealing with both undernutrition and overnutrition– Environmental sustainability– Price stability

A flawed food system

Where does Horticultural Science see its role in this crisis?

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• Supply– Post-harvest technology for multiple complex agri-food systems

and supply chains– Household fresh produce storage and preservation technologies– Reduce losses/waste across all systems– Rainfed production technologies for water-scarce/poor areas– School orchards/gardens– Affordable and accessible plant material and fertiliser

Opportunities for HortSci (1)(in addition to commercial/export focus)

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• Local consumer preferences and choices– Understand the needs and market– Adapt breeding programmes and planting decisions– Breed and grow for nutritional value

• Access, distribution and price– Support for smaller markets (rural, farmers’, urban)– Reduce cost of distribution and “shelf”

Opportunities for HortSci (2)

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• Education– Child and parent (especially women) nutritional and agricultural

education– Industry-wide lobbying for healthy food choices– Knowledge transfer to consultants, extension officers, farmer

organisations, students

• Data and analysis– Generate and analyse reliable system-wide data for all agri-food

systems in the region– Apply GIS for systems analysis of food flows– Study linkages with human and environmental health factors

Opportunities for HortSci (3)

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• Work within a larger CONTEXT• Work with consumer, food security, nutritional and health scientists to

identify needs and strategies• Work with agricultural economists and environmental scientists to

develop a more efficient and sustainable agri-food system• Big funding: emphasise multiple benefits of horticultural research in

this context, and how this addresses national development goals • Set up contextualised longer-term research programmes within which

students/researchers can work towards a larger goal and achieve combined impact

• Link with other programmes (e.g. food security at US, UKZN, UP)• Harness science for the benefit of all• Opportunity to attract students to agricultural science – interesting

and highly rewarding work with a strong “people component”

A multi- and trans-disciplinary systems approach

See: Hammond and Dube 2011 A systems science perspective and transdisciplinary models for food and nutrition security. PNAS 109(31).

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The challenge: to support economic growth while driving human and

social development and ecological sustainability

THANK YOU