In South Africa, the right to access to adequate food is entrenched in the
Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. The
government of South Africa has committed itself to promote and protect the
right to access to adequate food, and to directly afford this right to people who
are unable to enjoy it for reasons they cannot control. Access to adequate food
is one of the pillars of food security, interrelated with food availability, food
utilisation and stability of food supply. The approval of the National Policy on
Food and Nutrition Security and the Household Food and Nutrition Security
Strategy in 2013 by the cabinet indicates a commitment by government to
promote the eradication of hunger and the achievement of food security.
There is however fragmentation in the current and proposed institutional
arrangements applicable to food security in the Policy and the Strategy. This
article advocates for a coordinated approach in the implementation of the
National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security, as the guiding framework for
maximising synergy between government departments and civil society. The
article recommends strategies to promote the coordination and collaboration
of the various government departments that are responsible for implementing
programmes that have an impact on the four pillars of food security.