The Escalating Food Crisis in South Africa
Professor Simeon Maile

Abstract
The world is currently experiencing escalating crisis in food availability. Generally, cutting edge research shows that the crisis of food availability is exacerbated by multiple factors which can be tied to governments’ inadequate policy frameworks. This paper argues that food shortages are not natural occurrences in many countries, but deliberate consequences of policies driven by belligerent contestations which often result in exclusion and domination. This is evident in South Africa’s current policies which are rendered less potent by powerful pressure groups, who seem to have benefited from apartheid. The purpose of this article is to investigate the causes of the escalating crisis in food availability. First, the article utilizes rich theoretical analysis from current literature to situate the discourse on existing body of knowledge on food shortages in South Africa. Second, data is drawn from poor people who receive low salaries to record their actual struggles in getting food. The findings reveal that food availability is complicated by policy disjuncture and environmental degradation. Third, practical suggestions are advanced to help remedy the crisis.

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