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SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE
FOOD SECURITY RESEARCH PROJECT
Stellenbosch Food System Strategy
Region-based Food Security, Agriculture & Sustainability | Imagining a new paradigm
Gareth Haysom - 06 June 2011
Stellenbosch Food Security Project
• Contents:
Background to the study
Case Studies and Research
Food System Strategy
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Key Research Questions and Motivation for the Study
This project aimed to focus on the 3 food security dynamics faced in SouthAfrica, with specific focus on the Stellenbosch region:
• Production related challenges: How to find ways to maintain and enhancefood production while seeking both to improve the positive side-effectsand to eliminate the negative ones?
• Access related challenges: What is the most appropriate way to increaseaccess to nutritious food in South Africa where millions of people areexcluded from this? What does this mean for Stellenbosch?
• Understanding of utilisation challenges: Appreciating the diverse aspectsof this within Stellenbosch and also some of the differences, who is eatingwhat, why and who is not able to eat what they wish?
What then are the implications for food security within the policy andimplementation contexts and what approaches should be adopted in order torespond to these challenges? What does it mean for Stellenbosch?
SI OSP FSI Submission ,2009
Urbanisation
Financial Crises
Demographic Shifts
Inequality
Ecosystem Decline
Peak Oil
Climate Change
Food Crisis
A New Development and Governance Paradigm?
Adapted from Morin, 1999 and Swilling, 2010.
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SI OSP Student Research and Case Studies
• 3 x Masters
• Research Projects and Multi Media work
• 6 x Detailed Case Studies
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And for Stellenbosch?
Mat & Family R1200/Week Audrey & David R565/Week
Pieter & Thelma R 89/Week
Nora R120/Week
Brendon & Anneke R310/Week
Natasha R510/Week
Food Patterns reflecting the inequalities within a small SA town
Pictures: L Meterlerkamp
Thesis | The Stellenbosch Food “Economy”…
53%
8%
7%
7%
6%
6%
4%4%
Cereals
Milk
Meat
Sugar
Vegetables
Fruits
Roots
Alcohol
Current consumption composition as percentage of total diet by weight
88%
10%
3%
Deciduous fruits (incl grapes)
Vegetables
Other horticultural
Food production contribution as percentage of total gross farm income
Schulshenk, 2010
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Export and the food economy?
• Flash survey with WC Sacco to identify where funds being requested ito loans are being used:
• Found that 80% of loans are being used for food purchases.
• What does this mean for the notion that export economy creates jobs – what type of jobs, what quality of jobs and who are the net winners and losers in this export economy?
Although commercial farmers in the Swartland may not have specifically conceptualised the challenges of sustainable development, the pressures of the polycrisis are reflected in many of the challenges these farmers are facing.
7 case study farmers demonstrated that a growing body of promising knowledge and practices is developing within the commercial agricultural sector in the Swartland.
The changes in approach addresses some of the key sustainability issues, including peak oil, ecosystem degradation, climate change and food insecurity.
This knowledge of how more sustainable and restorative agricultural practices can be applied to larger-scale farm systems in the Global South is likely to become increasingly valuable asset in addressing the core elements of the polycrisis.
Thesis | Farmer Learning Shifts: Changes in approach and philosophy
Meterlerkamp, 2011
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Farmer Learning Shifts | Changes in approach and philosophy
Indirect links between economic pressure on Swartland farms and the polycrisis Meterlerkamp, 2011
Case Study | Potential opportunities: An agricultural shift in the region
• Study was a first attempt to document some of the agroecological farmers and farms in and around Stellenbosch.
• It showed that there is increasing agroecological activity and innovations taking place in the region, but that these farmers are not benefiting from each other’s knowledge and lessons.
• A network between these farmers can become a powerful tool that could support them in their efforts - advice and support could come from such a network and it could also function to capture valuable knowledge and data.
• It could also be an information hub for other farmers who wish to convert to more agroecological approaches - Farmers learn from others farmers …
• Database of these farmers developed and distributed
Kate et al, 2010
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Farm Farmer Contact Details
Location GPS Size Products Certification Held
Farm Details Labour External Inputs
Livestock Compost Mulch
Cover Crops & Green
Manures
Additional Techniques
Describe techniques
Permanent Casual Water Soil Type Structures Roads Irrigation External Inputs
De Zalze
Francois Malan
083 665 4537
De Zalze Estate Stellenbosch. Off R44
33'58'20S 18'48''58E
30 ha 70t Grapes, 30t Lemons, 20t Clementines, 1t mixed vegetables, Free-range Eggs
Organic but awaiting Demeter Biodynamic
Cows, Sheep, Chickens, Ducks
Yes - large manure component
Legumes and others
Kashurina Trees used in BD preps, BD preps used extensively, BD water activation
4 male When required
Dam on site
Sandy Soils above a Clay base
Main House Good Condition, mostly paved or gravel
Micro and Drip Irrigation
5000kg Chicken Feed per season, seed for Green Manure, Vegetable Seeds and Seedlings
Farm 502
Eric Swartz 723127195 Annandale Road off R310 Stellenbosch
33'59''16S 18'47''17E
10ha Beans, butternuts, small Japanese pumpkins, gem squash, corn, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, basil and broccoli, cabbage, leaks, peas and kale
Oxen on Farm for Animal Traction and other agroecological activities
Yes, mostly own compost made with high quantities of oxen manure. Also uses Sanjeevac and Vermicompost
Yes, when affordable
Yes, a mix of N fixing and other crops. Also uses weeds as cover crops. Also plants green manures
Sanjeevac is one of main additions but also uses weeks and EM. Using animal tractions has also added dynamics to the farm and supports production
Sanjeevac is a mixture made from cattle urine, a small amount of dung, water and molasses. This is then fermented and applied to the plants and soil. Uses windrows and nature strips as homes for predatory insects.
2 male 3 females when required
Part of the Theewaterskloof irrigation scheme
A thin layer of sandy soil above a thick clay base. Soil is highly depleted
Law permits permanent structures, temporary pack shed, toilet and nursery
Very poor and eroded
Sprinkler irrigation
50l folio spray monthly and 50t compost through the year, 2l of EM per year
Spier Biodynamic Farm
Angus Macintosh
082 680 8978; 082 379 4391
In corner of the Spier Estate accessible off the Annandale Road
33'58''20S 18'48''04E
300ha[1]
Biodynamic beef, chickens, eggs, wine grapes, wine, vegetables (mixed) and Olives. Medicinal herbs and gogi berries
BD certification pending
Nguni and Bosmara Cattles, Broiler Chickens and Bushveld Chickens
Yes, large compost production site services the farm. Also uses EM vermicompost and vermitea
Yes, used extensively, particularly in the conversion stages in the vineyards
Yes, a number of different types used dependant on the need. Also use BD favoured plants as covers
Extensive use of BD techniques but also permaculture design in the vegetable garden. A number of natural remedies applied and Holistic Management applied in grazing regime
Holistic Management applied in grazing with small areas grazed for very limited time. Cattle frequently moved. Results are greater agro diversity and improved soil structure
8 male and 4 female
2 male Access to Theewaterskloof but harvest rainwater (150000l capacity), also have access to dam if required
Sandy soils but significant improvements already noted in vineyards and vegetable areas and grazed area improving gradually
Housing, pack shed, office facilities, additional housing, Geodesic nursery, abattoir
All in good condition, some paved
Yes, using most applicable irrigation for crop
BD preparations, molasses, compost, seeds and seedlings
Uitzicht
Johan Reyneke
021 813 3517; 083 659 1826
Off M12 near Stellenbosch
33'57''31S 18'45''08E
35 + 10ha
Wine and Grapes Demeter and others
4 Cows, 10 Geese, 20 ducks, 2 pigs and chickens
Compost produced on site with large amounts of animal manure. Vermicompost also used
Yes used extensively and cover crops also felled in situ to support this
Yes, with in situ seeding and re-growth
Full BD techniques applied. Animals form a critical part of the farm system
Focus on soil enhancement through animal integration. Simple working with nature as a philosophy
6 male and 2 female
When required
Theewaterskloof scheme and on farm rainwater catchment for BD preps & wine
Top 60cm sandy loam, 20cm gravel & clay base
House, 4 cottages, office building, tasting room and cellar
Good gravel roads
Guano and Seagrow, kelp and allowed quantities of copper and sulphur.
Electricity paid and transport(after 10 years given a house). Savings initiative in place
Villeria
Erick Zanzele
838 676 454
Kraaifontein area adjacent to Villeria
33'51''48S 18'44''33E
1.5ha lettuce, rocket, soup celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, spinach, radishes, spring onions, carrots, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli
Afrisco Organic
29 goats, 7 Nguni cows, 2 bulls and 7 chickens
Compost made with cow dung and goat droppings, chicken manure and green manures – garlic is added for pest control.
Fertiliser tea. Harvests all his own seeds and keeps a small seed bank. Planting of metal, with its shiny side facing the beetroot roots to intensify its colour and give its leaves more vigour. donkey dung and pine needles mixture is used to keep moles away
Fertiliser tea made with green organic materials, chillies, garlic, coffee bags, teabags and cigarette butts and mixed into water and left to ferment. Erick also harvests all his own seeds and keeps a small seed bank. interventions include the planting of metal, like cut open beverage cans, with its shiny side facing the beetroot roots to intensify its colour and give its leaves more vigour. donkey dung and pine needles mixture is used to keep moles away
All Family, 2 sisters brother and brother’s wife
3 female when needed
Makes use of Villeria dam water
Predominantly sandy soils but self generated soil through a permaculture process in specific beds
Cement slabs from old chicken batteries for pathways on the land
Gravel road adjacent to the farm
Water from Villeria and biodegradable plastic bags
Annexure 1
Projects included in the study were categorized as follows, and the database is disaggregated as such.
1. Faith based feeding schemes
2. Faith based soup kitchens
3. Food garden development projects - community
4. Food garden development projects - individual
5. NGO run feeding schemes where corporations are key donors but play no role in process and simply donate food
6. Other faith based food projects
7. School feeding schemes to schools that cannot access formal DOE feeding scheme partners
8. Soup kitchens and other feeding schemes (NGO oriented – non faith based)
9. NGO food security work by organisations whose express brief is Food Security in Stellenbosch
Case Study | Food Security Interventions: Faith Based and NGO actions
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• Daily, in excess of 27 000 meals are being provided by NGOs, FBGs and other such organisations to the residents of Stellenbosch region.
• The scale of this intervention indicates both the high levels of food insecurity as well as the significant inequality in the Stellenbosch food System
Meals per day Projects Average per project
Paarl 13 343 33 404
Stellenbosch 9 014 31 290
Franschoek 3 166 19 166
Other 1 519 11 138
27 042 94 288
Food Security Interventions | Faith Based and NGO actions
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
School feeding
Food gardens - individual
Soup kitchens and other
Faith based feeding schemes
Faith based soup kitchens
Food gardens - community
NGO food security work
Amount of Projects Included in Sample | NGO & Faith Based Feeding projects reviewed
Food Security Interventions | Faith Based and NGO actions
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Food Security Interventions | Faith Based and NGO actions
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000
NGO run feeding schemes incl PSFA
NGO food security work
School feeding excl PSFA
Food gardens - community
Soup kitchens and other
Faith based soup kitchens
Food gardens - individual
Faith based feeding schemes
Amount of Meals served per day | Meals served by NGOs & FBOs in Stellenbosch Municipal are per day
Food Security Interventions | Faith Based and NGO actions
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Case Study | Understanding food utilisation habits: Lynedoch
33%
33%
7%
13%
13%
Self
Wife
Husband
Mother
All
70%
20%
5%5%
Supermarket
Local Farmer
Street Vendor
Local Shop
40%
60%
Ethos
Cost
27%
47%
27%
Protein
Fruit
Vegetables
Who Cooks?
Where do you buy?
Why Local/Seasonal?
What’s Lacking?
Lynedoch LSM distribution
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
R - R 1 000.00 R 2 000.00 R 3 000.00 R 4 000.00 R 5 000.00 R 6 000.00 R 7 000.00
LSM
LSM
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Lynedoch DDS
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
Vegetables
Dairy
Beef
Fish
Eggs
Chicken
Bread
Rice
Potatoes
Maize
Grains
0
15%
17%
18%
38%
12%Dietary Mix
Vegetables
Dairy
Protein
Carbohydrates
Grains
While Lynedoch is not a regular community, it does reflect a far healthier & diverse diet than most communities in SA, driven largely by 2 key aspects:
• Access to a farmer for fresh fruit and veg; and
• Access to gardens /allotments for access over the famine period each month
Thesis | The Stellenbosch Food System: Local Food Economies
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• Highlighted the conceptual and physical network connections between various local-food distribution initiatives, as well as the factors preventing and promoting their sustainability.
• Although a local-food distribution network exists in Stellenbosch, it is fragile and lacks defined conceptual connections.
• This in turn constrains the formation of physical connections and thus the food system’s progress toward sustainability.
• Current shared focus indicates that localisation already constitutes a practical tool in the growth of a sustainable food system; however, the network’s lack of social capital still needs to be addressed.
The Stellenbosch Food System | Local Food Economies
Landman, 2011
Enter the Food System Strategy
• A food system strategy is deemed to be a more appropriate response to the evidence emerging from the various research projects.
• The national and regional food insecurity challenges and the anticipated challenges associated with the polycrises demand a different approach to the existing strategies and conceptualisations.
• A Food Security only approach was deemed to be inadequate
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Ericksen, 2009
Food System Approaches
• Reviewed international food system approaches and identified 3 typologies:
• View Stellenbosch as a hybrid of all, taking most applicable aspects and adapting these to specific needs.
Municipality Led
Community/ Municipal
Partnership
Community Driven
Belo Horizonte -Brazil
Food Policy Council -TorontoFood Strategy -Vancouver
Food Policy Council -Portland & Multnomah County
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Approach
• The suggested approach is based on partnerships across sectors, facilitated by local government, with consumers and producers supported by clear alignment between state agencies and related bodies.
• The starting point is an acknowledgement of the fundamental weaknesses inherent in the existing food system that characterises Stellenbosch today.
Vision
• The ultimate vision of the Stellenbosch food strategy is of local consumers who can afford, choose and understand healthy and sustainable food – whose demand is met by profitable, resilient and sustainable farming, all supported by first class research and development.
Priorities
• In order to achieve this vision, five key priorities have been identified that systematically feed into each other to rebuild and adapt the Stellenbosch food system. These priorities in turn help to structure the strategy required to achieve this. These priorities are:
– Enabling and encouraging people to eat a healthy, sustainable diet;
– Ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and competitive food system;
– Reducing the food system’s environmental impact whilst increasing production sustainably;
– Reducing, reusing and reprocessing waste; and
– Increasing the influence and impact of knowledge, research and technology.
1. Enabling and encouraging people
to eat a healthy, sustainable diet
3. Reducing food system’s environmental impact
(increasing production sustainably)
4. Reducing, reusing and reprocessing
waste
2. Ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and competitive food
system
5. Increasing the influence and impact of
knowledge, research and technology
A Strategic Framework?
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1. Enabling and encouraging people
to eat a healthy, sustainable diet
3. Reducing food system’s environmental impact
(increasing production sustainably)
4. Reducing, reusing and reprocessing
waste
2. Ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and competitive food
system
5. Increasing the influence and impact of
knowledge, research and technology
• Guaranteed access to healthy food alternatives
• Zoning Regulations• Nutritional information –
behaviour change & communication
• Culturally Relevant Foods
1. Enabling and encouraging people
to eat a healthy, sustainable diet
3. Reducing food system’s environmental impact
(increasing production sustainably)
4. Reducing, reusing and reprocessing
waste
2. Ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and competitive food
system
5. Increasing the influence and impact of
knowledge, research and technology
• Support the local food economy
• Facilitate alternative markets• Community supported
agriculture• Preferential procurement• School feeding schemes• Placing “food” at the centre
of development• Address Land Reform
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1. Enabling and encouraging people
to eat a healthy, sustainable diet
3. Reducing food system’s environmental impact
(increasing production sustainably)
4. Reducing, reusing and reprocessing
waste
2. Ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and competitive food
system
5. Increasing the influence and impact of
knowledge, research and technology
• Encourage sustainable production
• Sustainable & Equitable Access
• Urban Agriculture
1. Enabling and encouraging people
to eat a healthy, sustainable diet
3. Reducing food system’s environmental impact
(increasing production sustainably)
4. Reducing, reusing and reprocessing
waste
2. Ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and competitive food
system
5. Increasing the influence and impact of
knowledge, research and technology • Closing Metabolic flows/Loops
• Diverting “waste” foods to the needy
• Composting
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1. Enabling and encouraging people
to eat a healthy, sustainable diet
3. Reducing food system’s environmental impact
(increasing production sustainably)
4. Reducing, reusing and reprocessing
waste
2. Ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and competitive food
system
5. Increasing the influence and impact of
knowledge, research and technology
• Equitable Knowledge Economy• Needs assessment,• Food Asset Mapping,• Community food assessment,• Land inventory
1. Enabling and encouraging people to
eat a healthy, sustainable diet
3. Reducing food system’s environmental impact
(increasing production sustainably)
4. Reducing, reusing and reprocessing waste
2. Ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and competitive food
system
5. Increasing the influence and impact of knowledge, research and technology
• Equitable Knowledge Economy
• Needs assessment,• Food Asset Mapping,• Community food
assessment,• Land inventory
• Guaranteed access to healthy food Alternatives
• Zoning Regulations• Nutritional information – behaviour
change communication• Culturally Relevant Foods
• Encourage sustainable production• Sustainable & Equitable Access• Urban Agriculture
• Closing Metabolic flows/Loops
• Diverting “waste” foods to the needy
• Composting
• Support the local food economy
• Facilitate alternative markets• Community supported
agriculture• Preferential procurement• School feeding schemes• Placing “food” at the centre of
development• Address Land Reform
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ImplementationResponsibility
• The greatest challenge in structuring such a body is that those responsible for facilitating the management of a regional food system strategy need to be able to act in the interests of the constituents/communities/voiceless within the region.
• As such, the group needs to be representative of the stakeholders within the region.
– Stage 1 – Conceptualisation and consultation
• Director of social development appoint a task team to initiate this process.
– Stage 2 – Structure and Leadership (12)
• 2 permanent municipal delegates
• 5 seats reserved for specific sectors
– NGO and Faith Based groups
– Organised Agriculture
– Food Retail Sector
– Organised Labour
– Stellenbosch University
• 5 seats would be available to broader stakeholder group volunteers/elected
– Stage 3 – Implementation
• Institutional and budgetary arrangements that facilitate the effective roll out of the proposed process would be just as critical to the long term viability of the proposed strategy.
Key organizational variables Variable Comment/Action
1. Leadership It is helpful to work with more than one recognised community leader
when dealing with food issues. When several leaders come from different
sectors (public, private, nonprofit), they need to be aware of each other‘s
orientations and work styles. Ideally, leaders can work together over a long
enough time to develop collaborative leadership, where tasks can be
rotated or delegated with relative ease.
2. Work styles of groups These can be seen across three somewhat-overlapping spectrums. One of
these goes from an emphasis on ad hoc responses to one on strategic
planning; another shows the relative emphasis given to specific projects
versus developing a process to pursue change; finally, the last ranges from a
project emphasis to a policy or policy-development emphasis. Experience
suggests that the more community workers pursue planning, process, and
policy, the more effective they will be.
3. Funding Virtually all other food system plans implemented internationally agree that
it is crucial to have funding for full- or part-time staff exclusively devoted
to food-systems work. Without this, staff time tends to be consumed in
dealing with other, more immediate issues of employment.
4. Administrative
approaches
The administrative approaches of key staff (and their location) are
important. In some cases, key staff are also key leaders. In others, they may
be different people. Administrative questions include the degree of
centralisation and the types of delegation preferred. Relations between
leaders and staff are of obvious importance.
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Implementing body structure
SFSS Chair
Municipal Seat
Municipal Seat
Organised Agriculture
Food Retail Sector
Organised Labour
Stellenbosch University
NGO/FBO bodies
Community Seat
Community Seat
Community Seat
Community Seat
Community Seat
Propose 7 permanent seats & 5community seats: either elected ornominated. Chair could be electedfrom 12 member group and needsto be supported by full time“office”...Or, Chair could be an appointeeresponsible to the 12 membergroup – seen as critical that aperson wakes up and worriesabout this. √ √ √
Key contextual parameters Parameter Comment/Action
1. Scale Need to find and show the area covered, plus its total population. These
affect the prospects for intervention (distances to be travelled to
meetings, numbers and types of people or organisations that need to be
involved, etc.).
2. Landscape patterns Any work with an urban–rural spectrum suggests that landscape patterns
provide very little insights about the patterns of people and land use
important to local food systems. More useful descriptors and typologies
are required.
3. Population patterns These vary considerably between communities and even in reporting by
various authorative bodies. Certain areas may be dense, others mixed
while other areas may be dispersed, while area may be partly dispersed
but with an element of major population concentration. The question to
ask in connection with this parameter is what types of organising
approach these variations suggest.
4. Socioeconomic patterns These include the role and importance of the general economic structure
of the community (whether it is diverse and to what degree it is
autonomous), agriculture, various food enterprises, and social structures
(patterns of race, class, poverty,informality, culture etc.).
5. Food organisation
patterns
Need to examine such patterns in both food-system and other food-
related organisations in the community. One also needs to assess the
linkages among them.
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ImplementationCommunication and Reporting
• The process of developing a Food System Strategy is essentially one of Food Regime Change and as such, there will be net losers in this process. – Need to allow those that are currently excluded from the system, or those that are unable to
access the system fully, greater access
• Process would result in tensions, rumour and misinformation (either deliberate or perceived) and as such an effective communication and reporting strategy is essential.
• Structures need to be established, from the outset, to ensure effective anddeliberate communication.
• Variety of stakeholders from various communities, cultures and organisations who all have a vested interest in the food system:– Media and publicity specialist to develop a communication strategy for all external
communications
– Set of discussions with the key stakeholders identified in this process
– Strategy would need to be devised to formally report on both the process but also on the lessons learnt in order to debate and discuss these
Strategy Step Detail
Inform decision-making processes – High Level Detail, specifics in other detailed projects
Conducting a needs assessment that compiles information on food access, food production, diet-related health trends, and other information to illustrate the current state of the food system as well as to identify opportunities for improvements.
Will include deliverables such as:
Food asset-mapping, land inventories and databases, sets of maps, recommendationsoutlining collaboration with public, private, and non-profit partners, and policies for land access and lease agreements.
Conduct a Community Food Assessment. The end result would be a detailed framework for action supported by a collection of regionally focussed and applicable data sets.
Agreed actions and accountable role players
Conduct Food System Stakeholder Mapping – Part of Process Initiation and Stakeholder Identification
There are a variety of stakeholders within the food system. This strategy has identified a set of stakeholders but there are far more present in the various communities.
A full audit of all such activities needs to be conducted so that there can be necessary representivity through the strategy development process. The mapping process would need to work at a variety of levels, one would be to innumerate all known service providers.
During that process, new providers will be identified and these would need to be drawn into the process
Document Food Support
Providers
– NGOs/FBOs/ECDs/
The detailing of all groups working to support food access and production. This would include
all groups deemed to be active in promoting food security
Document and map Food
Service Providers
- RETAIL/SPAZAs/etc
This group is made up of all commercial food providers, both at the distribution and retail level.
Retail level to include all formal retail outlets as well as all informal traders.
This mapping would list occasional and seasonal retailers. Included in this would also be all
farmstall and farmers markets.
Groups would need to be recorded in accordance with the various categories in which they
operate.
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Strategy Step Detail
Adopt an interdisciplinary and
interdepartmental approach
Critical to the effective development of a Food System Strategy is to ensure that the silos
present in municipal structures do no undermine the adoption of the strategy. Leadership
must ensure that structures/systems are in place to ensure interdisciplinary & inter-
departmental collaboration.
Conduct Food Security Assessment
(FANTA) or similar
Food security includes three fundamental elements: adequate food availability, adequate access
to food, and appropriate food utilization/consumption. Separate indicators and data collection
methods are needed to assess each element, and comparative data are useful to inform
decisions.
This needs to be carried out for what would be deemed a suitable, diverse and
representative sample with the region
Conduct Full Regional Nutritional
Review
While costly, understanding the nutritional status of the community of Stellenbosch is a critical
part of the process of understanding the nature of the food security situation.
Understanding the disaggregated nutritional status is critical is planning adequate and
appropriate responses to the needs of the region.
Consider Implementing Belo
Horizonte-type programmes
Review and consider the adoption of specific Belo Horizonte programmes within the food
system. Focus on Nutrition and Securing Food Access are critical and this model offers
significant opportunities – feeds into national food security plans
Conduct Food Mapping Exercise
Following detail by Ericksen the food system needs to be mapped to enable effective and clear
understanding of the system and interaction between components within the system,
including other components of the system such as nature, threats, water, ,etc. Overlay of other
maps
Strategy Step Detail
Support the local food economy
Recognition that local food and agriculture are components of economic development, and removing barriers to successful food businesses.
Farmer support in financing, business planning, site assembly, marketing, and transition planning (Specifically land reform farmers).
Seek to support reintroduction of on-farm sale services to facilitate on-farm direct marketing through regulations that allow and regulate this (specifically land reform beneficiaries) and appropriate siting of, and long-term access to off-farm food retail locations.
Local authorities need to establish preferential procurement policies for local food businesses, including farmers, processors, caterers, food service providers and local food distributors.
Local authorities take the initiative to sponsor farmers’ markets and CSA pick-up sites, buy local food on an ad hoc basis for special events, and make public land available for land reform initiatives, community gardens & urban farms.
Partner with the local school feeding schemes (as long as this does not hinder the schemes) or higher education institutions to start farm-to-school programs, which include nutrition education, food-focused curriculum, on-farm visits, and school gardens
Reduce or reuse food waste
Food waste is an often neglected part of the food system, much of which is still fit for consumption (evidenced by the success of the FoodBank initiative). Need to work with all actors within the food chain to establish a Stellenbosch FoodBank.
Composting is the most common way to reduce food waste and provide valuable inputs to local food production.
Address land reform
Land Reform in the region provides great opportunities to support a local food system strategy.
Utilisation of municipal commonage is seen as being a far better intervention than the conventional South African route of direct land reform – this requires urgent attention and action.
A critical aspect of the land reform challenge is that of tenure and rights to the land of farm workers residing on existing farms – A regional approach to this needs to be developed and enforced
Consider food and other community challenges
Food is the proverbial “canary in the coalmine”.
Food needs to be viewed as a multi-departmental and multi accountability (public & private) issue. Food is not just something that sits within the domain of the Department of Agriculture or the Food Security Directorate, emergency food packages cannot be seen as the responsibility of Social Development alone and medication cannot be seen as only the responsibility of health service workers.
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Strategy Step Detail
Constitute a Food System
Steering Committee
It is essential that a body is convened and directed to take overall accountability for the entire management of the Food System.
Responsibility of managing the food system strategy needs to be carefully thought out, correctly resourced, effectively empowered, and led in a non- partisan and non-political manner.
Authorities need to appreciate that the primary role is long term food system sustainability and not immediate band-aiding of the food system.
A three stage process is proposed:
Stage 1 – Conceptualisation and consultation
Stage 2 – Structure and Leadership
Stage 3 – Implementation
Establish a Communication and
Reporting Strategy
Effective and clear communication of the process is essential.
Requires the establishment of an effective communication and reporting strategy to ensure that all in the region are informed and participate in the process.
Process …
This is a draft:
The intention is to provide a resource, informed by preliminary research, the would provoke a new and innovative way of understanding food security, the sustainability of the food system and the agricultural system.
The hope is that this will now be owned by the Stellenbosch community who will then imagine and craft their own food future …
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Institutionalisation
Design
Desire/Aspirations
Beliefs/Entitlement
Politics
Food System Dynamics and Conceptualisation
6/6/2011
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Thank you