No. 12: The State of Food Insecurity in Johannesburg

Johannesburg is the economic hub of South Africa and the Southern African region. At the same time, it is a city of extremes which juxtaposes ostentatious wealth and conspicuous consumption with grinding poverty and food insecurity. Not enough is known about the prevalence and nature of food insecurity in the city, making it dif!cult to challenge and plan to reduce the urban food gap. This paper uses AFSUN data from three lower-income areas of the city (Alexandra, Orange Farm and the Inner City) to examine the characteristics and drivers of food insecurity in Johannesburg. Despite high overall levels of food insecurity, the three study areas exhibited important differences. While the proportion of food secure households was similar in each area, the proportion of severely food insecure households was highest in the informal settlement of Orange Farm and lowest in Alexandra. Household food insecurity is directly linked to household income as the vast majority of food consumed is purchased not grown. In general, the poorer the household, the greater the proportion of household income that is spent on food. Households rely signi!cantly on supermarkets and the informal food economy as food sources. Less than ten percent are involved in any form of urban agriculture or receive food transfers directly from rural areas. This paper also shows that food insecurity correlates with poor health outcomes and concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the AFSUN study

No. 12: The State of Food Insecurity in Johannesburg

Johannesburg is the economic hub of South Africa and the Southern African region. At the same time, it is a city of extremes which juxtaposes ostentatious wealth and conspicuous consumption with grinding poverty and food insecurity. Not enough is known about the prevalence and nature of food insecurity in the city, making it dif!cult to challenge and plan to reduce the urban food gap. This paper uses AFSUN data from three lower-income areas of the city (Alexandra, Orange Farm and the Inner City) to examine the characteristics and drivers of food insecurity in Johannesburg. Despite high overall levels of food insecurity, the three study areas exhibited important differences. While the proportion of food secure households was similar in each area, the proportion of severely food insecure households was highest in the informal settlement of Orange Farm and lowest in Alexandra. Household food insecurity is directly linked to household income as the vast majority of food consumed is purchased not grown. In general, the poorer the household, the greater the proportion of household income that is spent on food. Households rely signi!cantly on supermarkets and the informal food economy as food sources. Less than ten percent are involved in any form of urban agriculture or receive food transfers directly from rural areas. This paper also shows that food insecurity correlates with poor health outcomes and concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the AFSUN study

No. 02: The State of Urban Food Insecurity in Southern Africa

The number of people living in urban areas is rising rapidly in Southern Africa. By mid-century, the region is expected to be 60% urban. Rapid urbanization is leading to growing food insecurity in the region’s towns and cities. This paper presents the results of the first ever regional study of the prevalence of food insecurity in Southern Africa. The AFSUN food security household survey was conducted simultaneously in 2008-9 in 11 cities in 8 SADC countries. The results confirm high levels of food insecurity amongst the urban poor in terms of food availability, accessibility, reliability and dietary diversity. The survey provides important insights into the causes of food insecurity and the kinds of households that are most vulnerable to food insecurity. It also shows the heavy reliance of the urban poor on informal food sources and the growing importance of supermarket chains

Community Resident’s Opinions and Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Waste Management and Recycling Potential in the Umkhanyakude and Zululand District Municipalities in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa

Despite new environmental laws and regulations in South Africa during the last two decades, especially around municipal solid waste management, there is little emphasis towards waste minimization through recycling. Whereas most waste management research in South Africa has focused on urban municipalities, not much is known regarding the effectiveness of waste management services and recycling challenges in rural areas. This paper reports on the effectiveness of waste management practices from the perspective of community residents in selected rural districts of the KwaZulu-Natal province. A random sample comprised of 333 community residents was selected for questionnaire-administered interviews. Based on the opinions and perceptions of respondents, the provision of waste management services is generally inadequate. Apart from the successful collection of domestic solid wastes (66.7%) from households by municipalities, the collection of recyclable waste materials from illegal waste dumps (75%) and from households (68.7%) are not being adequately provided. Thus, levels of dissatisfaction regarding municipal collection services are very high (97.3%) amongst respondents. Furthermore, systematic recycling initiatives that involve communities are largely non-existent and most (96.7%) respondents lack relevant technical knowledge on waste recycling and how it can be carried out effectively through waste segregation at source and other processes

Mn-Ni-Co-O Spinel Oxides towards Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Medium: Mn0.5Ni0.5Co2O4/C Synergism and Cooperation

Mn-doped spinel oxides MnxNi1−xCo2O4 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1) were synthesized using the citric acid-assisted sol–gel method. The Mn0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 (x = 0.5) supported on carbon nanosheets, Mn0.5Ni0.5Co2O4/C, was also prepared using the same method employing NaCl and glucose as a template and carbon source, respectively, followed by pyrolysis under an inert atmosphere. The electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity was performed in alkaline media. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to investigate the oxygen reduction performance of MnxNi1−xCo2O4 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1), and Mn0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 was found to be the best-performing electrocatalyst. Upon supporting the Mn0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 on a carbon sheet, the electrocatalytic activity was significantly enhanced owing to its large surface area and the improved charge transfer brought about by the carbon support. Rotating disk electrode studies show that the ORR electrocatalytic activity of Mn0.5Ni0.5Co2O4/C proceeds via a four-electron pathway. Mn0.5Ni0.5Co2O4/C was found to possess E1/2(V) = 0.856, a current density of 5.54 mA cm−2, and a current loss of approximately 0.11% after 405 voltammetric scan cycles. This study suggests that the interesting electrocatalytic performance of multimetallic transition metal oxides can be further enhanced by supporting them on conductive carbon materials, which improve charge transfer and provide a more active surface area

No. 02: The State of Urban Food Insecurity in Southern Africa

The number of people living in urban areas is rising rapidly in Southern Africa. By mid-century, the region is expected to be 60% urban. Rapid urbanization is leading to growing food insecurity in the region’s towns and cities. This paper presents the results of the first ever regional study of the prevalence of food insecurity in Southern Africa. The AFSUN food security household survey was conducted simultaneously in 2008-9 in 11 cities in 8 SADC countries. The results confirm high levels of food insecurity amongst the urban poor in terms of food availability, accessibility, reliability and dietary diversity. The survey provides important insights into the causes of food insecurity and the kinds of households that are most vulnerable to food insecurity. It also shows the heavy reliance of the urban poor on informal food sources and the growing importance of supermarket chains