Assessment of food security among households in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebenezer Toyin Megbowon ◽  
Abbyssinia Mushunje
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Poisson Regression ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dietary Diversity Score ◽  
Household Dietary Diversity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze food security status and its determinants among households in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on the General Household Survey which was conducted in 2014 where 3,033 households were sampled from the province. Specifically, this study examines the determinants of food security proxy by dietary diversity (24-hour recall) using descriptive statistics, Poisson regression. A frequency count of food groups consumed household dietary diversity score was used as the explained variable. Findings The descriptive analysis shows that, although 61.7 percent of households in the study area have a high dietary diversity score, however, food group giving micronutrients are less consumed as food groups having cereals (maize), beef, sugar and oil was mostly consumed. Results on the marginal effect of Poisson regression indicate that household head characteristics (age, gender, education, marital status, and employment status), pension receiving households and geographical location significantly influence household dietary diversity. Originality/value This study advocates for the intensification of rural development and food security programs, formal and informal education for household heads, female empowerment and dietary enlightenment for households in order to promote the consumption of diverse diets and more healthful food groups.

Assessment of alternative building technologies (ABT) for pre-tertiary school infrastructure delivery in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1152-1170
Author(s):  
Ngxito Bonisile ◽  
Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu ◽  
Akintayo Opawole
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Conventional Method ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Infrastructure ◽  
Policy Responses

Purpose Anecdotal evidence indicates that there is a backlog in the pre-tertiary school infrastructure in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The purpose of this paper is to assess the adoption of alternative building technologies (ABT) for pre-tertiary educational infrastructure delivery with a view to providing empirical evidence that could guide policy responses towards its wider adoption. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a mixed methodology approach. This comprises a triangulation of a questionnaire survey and interviews. In total, 100 participants were randomly selected from 182 built environment professionals namely quantity surveyors, architects and engineers (electrical, mechanical, civil and structural) from the Department of Roads and Public Works (DRPW), who are currently involved in the Eastern Cape School Building Program (ECSBP). The questionnaire survey was supplemented by semi-structured interviews conducted with four top government officials (three from the Department of Education (DoE) and one from DRPW) who were also part of the questionnaire survey. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and phenomenological interpretation respectively. Findings The key findings showed that the level of adoption of ABT for pre-tertiary school infrastructure in the Eastern Cape province is primarily influenced and explained by perceptions that ABT offers inferior quality products compared to the conventional method, and limited awareness of its benefits. Research limitations/implications The study provides useful insights into the implications of the limited awareness of ABT as a an alternative technology for educational infrastructure delivery and policy responses towards its wider adoption and environmental sustainability. Originality/value Empirical evidence from this study indicates that the main motivation for the adoption of ABT is the limited government’s budget to cope with school infrastructural backlog, while environmental sustainability benefit is only secondary. Nonetheless, the realization that the backlogs in the provision of school infrastructure has resulted from sole reliance on the use of the conventional method is an indication of the potential that the adoption of ABT holds for minimizing of the backlog.

scholarly journals Exploring Food Security and Household Dietary Diversity in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1851
Author(s):  
Priviledge Cheteni ◽  
Yohane Khamfula ◽  
Gisele Mah
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Binary Model ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Food Consumption Score ◽  
Household Dietary Diversity

Food security is one of the most severe challenges facing the majority of African countries. The objective of this study was to explore household food dietary diversity and food security in a rural area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A total of 296 household heads were randomly sampled to participate in the study. The Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and Household Food Consumption Score (HFCS) were used to identify the consumption patterns of the households and their food security status. Meanwhile, a binary model was used to identify the variables that had an impact on household food security. Findings from the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) revealed that 61 percent of the households had lower dietary diversity and were consuming at least three food groups, which mainly include pulses, milk, and cereals. The results from the Household Food Consumption Score (HFCS), however, showed that the majority of the households had adequate levels of food consumption. The binary model revealed that age, household income, access to credit, and gender are statistically significant in influencing household food security status in the study area. It can be concluded that household dietary diversity is not guaranteed by food security, as proven by the regression model. Therefore, the government should consider the impact of low income on food security and it should intensify efforts directed at helping rural households to reduce incidences of food insecurity.

scholarly journals Cultural innovation, aspirations and success among smallholders in former homelands of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-422
Author(s):  
Siphe Zantsi ◽  
Gabriele Mack ◽  
Stefan Mann
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
South African ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Innovation ◽  
Commercial Farms

PurposeAfter unsuccessful attempts of South African governments to carry out a land reform that distributes farmland more justly, this study aims to undertake a stronger segmentation of potential beneficiaries for a better targeting of future reforms.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical model has been developed along the axes of cultural innovation and aspirations that identifies the segment of current smallholders who would most likely relocate to become commercial farmers in the future. A survey among smallholders in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa confirms the approach.FindingsA number of indicators can be identified, particularly for cultural innovation, that predict willingness to relocate to a region where commercial farms can be managed.Originality/valueThe importance of cultural innovation has been neglected both in theoretical frameworks and in practical concepts of land reform.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2018-0226

scholarly journals Foraging Wild Food in Urban Spaces: The Contribution of Wild Foods to Urban Dietary Diversity in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hesekia Garekae ◽  
Charlie M. Shackleton
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Wild Foods ◽  
Vegetables And Fruits

Globally, approximately one billion people benefit from contributions of wild foods to their food security and dietary diversity. Wild foods are known to be important in rural communities in terms of food and micronutrient provision, diversifying diets, reducing vulnerability to non-communicable diseases and overall health. However, the potential contribution of wild foods towards food security and dietary diversity in urban food systems has been largely overlooked. This study examined the contribution of wild foods to household dietary diversity in two towns in South Africa, based on a survey of 137 households. Household diets were quite diverse, with half (51%) having consumed ≥ 8 food groups, 39% consumed 6 or 7 food groups, and only 10% recorded ≤ 5 food groups in the previous 48 h. Wild foods were prevalent across the sample, with 62% of the households consuming them to some degree. Wild vegetables and fruits were the most common wild foods, consumed by 96 and 79% of the households, respectively. Although wild foods had limited significance on overall dietary diversity, they exhibited substantial contributions within particular food groups. For example, the consumption of vegetables and oil and fats was most prevalent among households consuming wild foods than those who did not. The findings show that wild foods could contribute towards diversifying urban diets at a micro-level, within particular food groups consumed, such as vegetables and fruits. Hence, wild foods are important in ameliorating the monotonous diets of some households and in turn promoting dietary diversity.

scholarly journals Dairy farmers’ knowledge and perception of climate change in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanga Simamkele Diniso ◽  
Leocadia Zhou ◽  
Ishmael Festus Jaja
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Farm Workers ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Participants

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of dairy farmers about climate change in dairy farms in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted following a cross-sectional research design (Bryman, 2012). The study was conducted mainly on dairy farms located on the south-eastern part of the Eastern Cape province in five districts out of the province’s six districts (Figure 1). These districts include Amathole, Chris Hani, OR Tambo and Cacadu; these regions were not included in a recent surveying study (Galloway et al., 2018). Findings In all, 71.7% of dairy farm workers heard about climate change from the television, and 60.4% of participants reported that they gathered information from radio. Eighty-two out of 106 (77.4%) correctly indicated that climate change is a significant long-term change in expected weather patterns over time, and almost 10% of the study participants had no clue about climate change. Approximately 63% of the respondents incorrectly referred to climate change as a mere hotness or coldness of the day, whereas the remainder of participants correctly refuted that definition of climate change. Most of the study participants correctly mentioned that climate change has an influence on dairy production (92.5%), it limits the dairy cows’ productivity (69.8%) and that dry matter intake of dairy cows is reduced under higher temperatures (75.5%). Research limitations/implications The use of questionnaire to gather data limits the study, as respondents relied on recall information. Also, the sample size and study area limits use of the study as an inference for the excluded parts of the Eastern Cape Province. Also, it focused only on dairy farm workers and did not request information from beef farmers. Practical implications This study imply that farmers without adequate knowledge of the impact of climate change keep complaining of a poor yield/ animal productivity and changing pattern of livestock diseases. Hence, a study such as the present one helps to bridge that gap and provide relevant governing authority the needed evidence for policy changes and intervention. Social implications Farmers will begin to get help from the government regarding climate change. Originality/value This a first study in South Africa seeking to document the knowledge of dairy farm workers about climate change and its impacts on productivity.

scholarly journals Market Participation and Volume Sold: Empirical Evidence From Irrigated Crop Farmers in the Eastern Cape

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
L. Mdoda ◽  
A. Obi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Market Participation ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Technical Factors

The market partaking of smallholder farmers in market-oriented production has the perspective to expand profits, upsurge agricultural output and ultimately promote food security. However, the participation of smallholder’s irrigators and homestead gardeners in markets in South Africa remains low despite numerous interventions, especially since the dawn of democracy in 1994. However, up-to-date, there is not enough evidence that these attempts had been met successfully. This paper examines factors influencing smallholders’ choice to partake in markets and volume sold in the Eastern Cape Province. The study employed survey data of 150 irrigated crop farmers. A random sampling procedure was used in the study areas. The study used a Heckman regression to assess factors impelling market participation and volume sold. Results reveal that market participation and volume sold are influenced by socio-economic and technical factors. Based on the results, the needed policy change to encourage group marketing and upgrading of roads to enable smooth accessibility of output markets are highlighted.

scholarly journals What are we measuring? Comparison of household food security indicators in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheryl L. Hendriks ◽  
Corné van der Merwe ◽  
Mjabuliseni S. Ngidi ◽  
Christopher Manyamba ◽  
Mondli Mbele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Indicators ◽  
Security Indicators

scholarly journals Agroforestry Practices in Livelihood Improvement in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8477
Author(s):  
Mulatu Fekadu Zerihun
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Sustainable Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Agroforestry Practices

Agroforestry plays a significant role in increasing agricultural productivity. In South Africa, there is a pressing need for promoting smallholder agriculture to promote sustainable rural livelihoods, to ensure food security, to lower inflation in food prices, and address rampant rural unemployment in the country. The agricultural economy is characterised by a monopoly structure where almost every single staple in South Africa is already produced by large manufacturers that can produce it at better quality and lower cost than the average smallholder enterprise or cooperative. Such a monopoly structure fundamentally undermines the development of local markets, where local small-scale producers sell to their local community. The novelty of this study is addressing the research gap that conventional rural livelihood analyses often neglect, i.e., the role of environmental products in general, and forest and agroforestry products. Using a log linear regression model with cross-sectional data collected from a sample of 300 households, this study explores the likely impact of agroforestry practices in promoting the livelihood of rural communities in the study areas. Results obtained from multiple linear regression analysis showed that average household income increased as a function of utilization of agroforestry practices. Agroforestry contributes to sustainable rural livelihoods in South African provinces where the predominant means of livelihoods is rural subsistence farming and agriculture. Since valuation of agroforestry products and services are technically difficult, farmers often underestimate the contribution of agroforestry to the household’s livelihood income. These findings have policy implications in promoting food security in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and beyond.

scholarly journals Water Scarcity and Food Security in Ngqeleni Locality in the Eastern Cape Province- South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 10(1) (10(1)) ◽  
pp. 40-53
Author(s):  
Laura Novienyo Abla Amoah
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Water Shortages ◽  
Focus Group Research ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

South Africa in general and the Eastern Cape Province in particular face increasing water shortages. However, little empirical evidence exists on how rural households are affected by water scarcity and the impact thereof on food security. This paper discusses the relationship between water scarcity and food security in Ngqeleni, a rural location in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Through empirical evidence collected using techniques inspired by the tradition of participatory focus group research and self-administered questionnaires in Ngqeleni, it is argued that there is a significant relationship between water scarcity and food security. Results also reveal that population growth, lack of political will and commitment, inadequate water resource infrastructure, and weaknesses within the institutional framework are some of the causes of water scarcity. Until effective water management systems are identified and enforced, food security will continue to plague Ngqeleni.

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