No. 11: The State of Food Insecurity in Cape Town

Cape Town is one of the wealthiest cities in the Southern African region. Yet, the vast majority of households in poor areas of the city experience food insecurity. This paper uses AFSUN data to examine the characteristics and drivers of food insecurity in Cape Town. While food insecurity correlates closely with income poverty and household structure, broader factors also impact upon urban food security, most notably urban design and market structure. Efforts to address urban food insecurity should therefore not simply target the household. Instead, a food systems approach is necessary, which considers supply chains, procurement, nutrition support programmes, public health, environmental sustainability, water and waste, the support of local enterprise and so on. Furthermore, this approach must consider the geography of the urban food system, in particular planning and zoning regulations regarding the location of both formal and informal food retail within low-income areas of the city

No. 05: Mapping the Informal Food Economy in Cape Town, South Africa

The informal food retail sector is an important component of urban food systems and plays a vital role in ensuring access to food by the urban poor. Yet, policy frameworks both to address food security and to govern the informal sector neglect informal retail in the food system and, as a result, the sector is poorly understood. This discussion paper argues that it is essential to understand the dynamics of the informal food retail sector, which is diverse in terms of products traded as well as the business models utilized. The paper attempts to identify the characteristics of the sector that impact on its ability to address the food needs of the neighbourhoods in which the businesses are located. It illustrates that far from existing independently of each other, the informal and the formal food retail sectors intersect at various points upstream as well as through customer practices. The paper argues that it is essential to view the formal and informal sectors as part of the same food system and to generate policy and planning responses that acknowledge the role of both in meeting local food security needs. Although the paper is focused on Cape Town, South Africa, the findings are of broader relevance

Food insecurity in African cities : the necessity and challenge of food sensitive planning in Cape Town

In Cape Town food policies locate food security as the responsibility of the provincial government. Legal provisions clearly target the most vulnerable of subsistence traders who reside in informal settlements and are therefore automatically disqualified from trading. The presentation argues for better urban planning that includes a mandate for food security in line with the right to food. The Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (2013) must include a concept of spatial justice along with provisions that are flexible and appropriate for the management of disadvantaged areas, informal settlements and former homeland areas

No. 24: Mapping the Invisible: The Informal Food Economy of Cape Town, South Africa

The informal food retail sector, which is diverse in terms of products traded as well as business models utilized, is an important component of urban food systems and plays a vital role in ensuring access to food by the urban poor. Yet, policy frameworks both to address food security and to govern the informal sector neglect informal retail in the food system and, as a result, the sector is poorly understood. This report attempts to identify the characteristics of the sector that impact on its ability to address the food needs of the neighbourhoods in which the businesses are located. The findings illustrate that far from existing independently of each other, the informal and the formal food retail sectors intersect at various points upstream as well as through customer practices. It is therefore essential to view the formal and informal food sectors as part of the same food system and to generate policy and planning responses that acknowledge the role of both in meeting local food security needs. If South Africa’s constitutional right to food is to be achieved, it will be necessary to develop a multi-departmental food system and food security strategy that champions and facilitates the progressive realization of the right of all residents to access sufficient, nutritious, safe and culturally appropriate food. Although the research in this report is focused on Cape Town, South Africa, the findings are of broader relevance

Looking backward to go forward

Street food vendors play an integral role in the food security and nutrition of urban Africans, even in areas where modern food retail abounds. In addition to the planning and legal apparatuses of the state that cast street vending as informal and in opposition to formally mandated food retail, the departmental competencies of local government regarding food have further perpetuated the idea of street food as problematic. The article advocates for street activity and alternative framings of street vending - invisible to officials acting in their official capacity, despite their use of street vendors in their personal capacity

Malls, markets and malnutrition : food in/sensitive planning in African cities

The presentation promotes the integration of local food into city planning. It illustrates how city planners and local governments have no clear planning provisions for food markets/traders, which results in food insecurity and malnutrition. The Chisokone food market in urban Kitwe (Zambia) provides an example. Chisokone occupied zoned land that could be used for a mall and was relocated to make way for “development.” Anti-informality is entrenched through Master Plans and zoning schemes; conflicting practices reflect unclear mandates for local governments, with decisions about markets informed by a set of actors made powerful by historic planning frameworks (marketeers, large scale private sector, donor agencies)

Planning for and against street vending in African cities

The Chisokone food market in urban Kitwe (Zambia) occupied zoned land that could be used for a mall and was relocated to make way for “development.” This presentation by African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN) reviews the urban planning framework within which food markets operate. Anti-informality is entrenched through Master Plans and zoning schemes; conflicting practices illustrate no clear mandates for local governments, with decisions about markets informed by a set of actors made powerful by historic planning frameworks (marketeers, large scale private sector, donor agencies). AFSUN advocates for integrating food security into urban planning practices

African food systems in transition and the triple burden of malnutrition

The presentation provides a nutrition profile from African data that indicates the prevalence of adult overweight and obesity. There is a fundamental need to extend food security policy and thinking beyond the household and community scale, including reframing urban planning to integrate local food systems

Right to food and the right to the city : local and international advocacy challenges

The policy framing of food security must alter to consider food supply as a municipal function. Urban zoning laws that discriminate against small traders are highlighted. The presentation defines concepts regarding availability of food and food security. Availability is not just about having enough. It’s about the balance of types of food made available within the food system, and why certain types of food are more available than others. It also means accessibility, and in urban spaces this often means sacrificing food security and market stalls to meet other urban planning needs. Stability of supply can refer to both accessibility and availability

South Africa's lockdown regulations and the reinforcement of anti-informality bias

The South African State’s attempts to “flatten the curve” of Covid-19 include a set of regulations that demonstrate a limited understanding of how poor people access food, and an ongoing bias towards large scale, formal food system actors. These reflect historical biases against informality, the Africa-wide modernization agenda, and the power of large-scale food businesses to self-identify as partners-in-development. This brief one-page article provides insight into current conditions