Today, 16 October 2025, marks World Food Day. To commemorate the day, Netwerk24 has published an op-ed written by SERI's Dr Yvonne Erasmus entitled, Hoe hanteer ons honger in ’n land van oorvloed? (Hunger in the land of plenty: How do we move forward?). The op-ed has been published in Afrikaans.
In the op-ed, Erasmus reflects on the paradox of South Africa's abundant food supply alongside vast food insecurity. She argues that while addressing food insecurity is complex due to the multiple causes of the problem, it is vital that the Department of Agriculture, together with other government stakeholders such as the Departments of Health and Social Development, uphold and advance the right to food as enshrined in the Constitution. The country's draft National Food and Nutrition Security Plan (NFNSP), led by the Department of Agriculture provides these stakeholders with an important opportunity to prioritise the crisis of hunger through its offering of a coherent roadmap along with measurable objectives.
She also writes that:
"Alhoewel dit nie grondwetlik gebonde is nie, moet supermarkte as pligdraers van die reg op voedsel beskou word. As 'n onderneming wins maak uit iets wat noodsaaklik is vir menslike oorlewing, kan meer gedoen word om voedsel bekostigbaar te maak vir diegene wat dit die nodigste het, soos om pryse te verlaag of 'n voedsame mandjie kos te subsidieer. Supermarkte kan ook deursigtiger wees oor hoe noodsaaklike voedselpryse vasgestel word sodat dit maklik deur eksterne rolspelers gemonitor kan word en supermarkte aanspreeklik gehou kan word. Laastens is werkgewers van huiswerkers en plaaswerkers, benewens regtehouers, waarskynlik ook pligdraers. So 'n verantwoordelikheid vereis dat billike lone betaal word, dat mense toegelaat word om hul eie kos te kweek, en wanneer kos voorsien word, dat dit voldoende is wat gehalte en hoeveelheid betref."
"Although not constitutionally bound, supermarkets should be considered duty-bearers of the right to food. If a business is built on profiting from something that is essential to human survival, more can be done to make food affordable for those most in need, such as lowering prices or subsidising a nutritious basket of food. Retailers can also be more transparent about how essential food prices are set so that these can easily be monitored by external actors and retailers can be hold to account. Finally, employers of domestic workers and farm workers are, in addition to being rights-holders, arguably also duty-bearers. Such a responsibility requires that fair wages are paid, that people are allowed to grow their own food, and then when food is provided, it is sufficient both in quality and quantity."
This op-ed draws on SERI's research report entitled ‘Food for Thought: Reflections on Food (In)Security. Laws, Experiences, Interventions’.
- Read the full op-ed here.
- Download the Food (In)Security report here.
- Download the Food (In)Security executive summary here.