Food System Reports: Lack Of Infrastructure, Drives Food Crises

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The Food Indaba has several academic programmes for 2024. One of these is an informative, free online talk about food security and how it is linked to a lack of infrastructure.

South Africa (07 July 2024) – A new report on Cape Town’s food system reveals deep-rooted inequalities — structural, infrastructural and historical — that influence urban food access and nutrition. It examines how the city’s social and physical landscape shapes residents’ interaction with food, influenced by its history, infrastructure and past policies.

The report, part of a series covering fifteen1 African cities, including Cape Town (South Africa), Tamale (Ghana) and Dakar (Senegal), amongst others, highlights that infrastructure significantly influences food access, quality, health outcomes and the food economy, more so than the type of food available alone. The reports will come under panel discussion on Wednesday 24 July at Food Indaba 2024

The quality of housing, stability of energy, accessibility of water and transportation are crucial factors in the food system, impacting nutrition and health outcomes more than typically acknowledged in media and academic circles, say the lead authors.

“The pace and scale of urban growth in Africa are unprecedented. Africa is predominantly urban, not rural as many think. To ensure thriving cities, we must focus on nourishing them well. These reports aim to address the essential aspects of this urban transition,” says Gareth Haysom, who will be leading the panel discussion on the State Of The City Food System Report which will be live-streamed, free for anyone to attend, from Cape Town TV Studios. The panel will analyse the Cape Town report to uncover the reasons behind the failure of current approaches.

Haysom, an urban food systems researcher at the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town, co-leads the Urban Food Systems Research Cluster with Jane Battersby. With 25 years of experience, his work explores how food systems intersect with urbanization in African cities, using food as a lens to study cities across the global South.

“The report doesn’t shy away from exposing the inequities within Cape Town’s food system and while solutions aren’t provided, highlighting these issues paves the way for future discussion and are a springboard for ongoing dialogue.”

The city food systems reports mark the initial phase of this initiative, with plans to expand on these insights at the Food Indaba in the coming years.

Nineteen events are scheduled for this year’s Food Indaba 2024, which takes place from Monday, 22 July to Sunday, 4 August, at venues across Cape Town, including the V&A Waterfront precinct, Mowbray, Langa, Philippi, Lynedoch and Stellenbosch. Events include talks, workshops, dining and drinks experiences, guided tours and family activities, all aimed at deepening our understanding of food in today’s world.

You can find out more here.