As we mark World Food Day today, we will be picketing from 1100hrs at the National Parliament of South Africa to express our deep dissatisfaction with the rising cost of healthy foods in our country. What was once a basic necessity has now become a luxury for many South Africans. The soaring prices of nutritious food have placed it beyond the reach of millions, forcing many to resort to cheaper, ultra-processed foods. This reliance on unhealthy, processed foods has been scientifically linked to the alarming rise of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancers.
It is unacceptable that, in a country where the right to food is enshrined in our Constitution, access to healthy meals is becoming the privilege of the wealthy. Over the last decade, food prices have nearly doubled, leaving the poor with few options other than inexpensive, unhealthy alternatives. Yet, we are a nation capable of producing enough food for all. Despite this, almost 20 million South Africans go to bed hungry each day, and over 30 million face severe financial strain that threatens their ability to feed themselves and their families.
Adding to this crisis, a staggering 10 million tons of food — a third of our total food production—is wasted annually. This disparity between abundance and deprivation is a grave injustice.
In light of this, we, the People’s Health Movement South Africa, issue the following demands:
1. Prioritize public health: We urge the government to allocate more resources towards combating the non-communicable diseases that are responsible for the loss of millions of lives each year.
2. Address hunger and food insecurity: Immediate action must be taken to alleviate the hardship and hunger faced by millions of South Africans who go to bed without food.
3. Ensure access to healthy and affordable food: It is critical that government guarantees access to nutritious meals for all citizens, regardless of income.
4. Support small-scale farmers: Smallholder farmers and community gardening initiatives must be supported with essential resources such as water, land, and tools to ensure sustainable food production.
5. End monopolies in the food industry: The government must take action to break the monopolies in food processing and distribution and regulate food prices to ensure fairness and affordability.
6. Tax unhealthy food producers: We call for higher taxes on companies that produce and market unhealthy, ultra-processed foods that contribute to the rise in non-communicable diseases.
7. Tax non-essential agricultural production: Farmers who grow non-essential or luxury crops should bear higher taxes, to encourage a shift towards essential food production.
8. Improve wages and social support: Decent wages and permanent, adequate social grants are necessary so that all citizens can afford to buy healthy food for themselves and their families.
9. Make land available for food production: We demand that land be made available to communities so that people can grow their own food, increasing food sovereignty and reducing dependence on commercial food sources.
10. Address climate change: Climate change has had a devastating impact on food production. Urgent measures must be taken to address its effects, including supporting farmers in adapting to changing weather patterns.
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11. Curb food wastage: Strong policies must be enacted to reduce the waste of food across the supply chain and ensure that excess food is redirected to those in need.
As we commemorate *World Food Day*, we cannot ignore these pressing challenges. Hunger, malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases are preventable, but only with the necessary political will and decisive action. We call on Parliament to lead in this effort and ensure that the fundamental right to food is fully realized for all South Africans.
Issued by: People’s Health Movement South Africa on 16 October 2024
