Finding Ways to Increase Access to Nutritious Food in an Urban Township Through the Informal Economy

Finding ways to increase access to nutritious food in an urban township through the informal economy by Aabida Davis Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Sustainable Development in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Ms Candice Kelly Co Supervisor: Etai- Even Zahav March 2017 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date: March 2017 Copyright © 2017 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved i Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract The current food system has been described as inadequate in meeting the food security needs of the global population given high levels of environmental degradation, malnourishment and non-communicable diseases (WHO 2016; FAO 2016). The drivers of this increased nutrition burden, also known as the nutrition transition (a shift to energy dense, nutrient-poor foods), have been linked to globalisation and urbanisation (Popkin 2012). One implication of the rapid urbanisation of the African continent means an increased reliance on purchasing as opposed to producing food. As South Africa is 65 percent urban (World Bank 2016), food is accessed mostly through retail thus making the urban poor highly dependent on food prices and proximity to food retailers. The urban poor make monthly bulk purchases at supermarkets but affordable and accessible foods are often associated with the nutrition transition. Simultaneously, the informal economy is used to access proximate daily/weekly food needs (Frayne et al. 2009). The informal food economy, however, has been criticised for contributing to non- communicable diseases due to the lack of nutritionally dense food and food utilisation methods. The main aim of this thesis was to understand the challenges and opportunities of promoting nutritious food through the informal food economy. Using a pragmatic approach and an action research design, an informal food market focusing on the sale of nutritious food, was set up with grassroots activists in Khayelitsha, an urban township in Cape Town. Given the lack of action research found in the urban food security literature, this research aimed to provide a voice to members who are often the subjects of research, yet never partake in the design or implementation of the research. The market focused on the sale of prepared food made with a high diversity of vegetables, raw organic vegetables sourced from local urban agricultural producers and donated organic fruit and vegetables. The market also acted as a platform for local grassroots food activists to further reach out to their community. The results of this thesis suggest that it is possible to intervene in the informal food economy to make nutritious food accessible to those living in urban townships. This research also found that there was a network of local grassroots activists who were working to improve their community and to follow the ideals of food sovereignty. By leveraging this network and their resources, through an action research design, research coordinators were given further capacity to manage the problem of lack of access to nutritious food, which is evident through their commitment to the continuation of the market. This thesis found that further research is needed on how to increase the financial feasibility of the sale of prepared nutritious food in urban townships and how urban agriculture could be promoted through the informal food economy. A key recommendation is that any intervention in the informal food economy should take advantage of the energy and context knowledge of local activists, and should be accompanied by education that is relevant to the local setting. ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming As gevolg van die verhoogde stand van omgewingsagteruitgang, wanvoeding en nie-oordraagbare siektes (WGO 2016; FOA 2016) word die huidige voedselvoorsieningstelsel as ontoereikend beskryf om in die wêreld se voedselsekuriteitbehoeftes te voorsien. Die oorsaak van hierdie verhoogde voedsellas, ook bekend as voedingsoorgang (ŉ wisseling na voedsel met ŉ energiedigtheid en swak energiewaarde) word gekoppel aan globalisering en verstedeliking (Popkin 2012). Een van die gevolge van die versnelde verstedeliking in Afrika het tot gevolg die toenemende steun op die aankoop, in plaas van die produsering en verbouing, van voedsel. Die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking is 65% verstedelik (Wêreldbank 2016). Toeganklikheid tot voedsel word dus grootliks bepaal deur die handelsektor. Die stedelike armes se posisie word dus afhanklik van hul nabyheid aan handelaars en die voedselpryse soos deur handelaars bepaal. Die verstedelike armes koop hul voedsel maandeliks in groot maat by supermarkte. Bekostigbare en toeganklike voedsel word egter vereenselwig met voedingsoorgang. Gelyktydig maak die informele ekonomie dit moontlik dat die stedelike armes daagliks en weekliks toegang tot voedsel verkry (Frayne et al. 2009). Die informele ekonomie word egter gekritiseer dat dit bydra tot die daarstelling van nie-oordraagbare siektes as gevolg van die swak gehalte van voedingsdigtheid en voedselvoorsieningsmetodes. Die hoofdoel van hierdie tesis is om begrip te vekry vir die uitdagings en geleenthede t.o.v. die bevordering van voedsame voedsel deur die informele ekonomie. Deur gebruik te maak van ŉ pragmatiese benadering asook ŉ daadwerklike navorsingsplan is ŉ informele voedselmark met die ondersteuning van plaaslike aktiviste in Khayelitsha, ŉ stedelike voorstad in Kaapstad, opgerig. Aangesien daar so weinig aktiewe navorsing bestaan in die stedelike voedselsekuriteitsliteratuur, was die doel van hierdie navorsing ook om diegene wat onderhewig is aan navorsing, maar nooit die geleentheid gegun word om die navorsing te ontwerp of te implementer nie, geleentheid te gun vir hul bydraes. Die mark was toegespits op die voorsiening van voorbereide voedsel met ŉ hoë verskeidenheid van rou organiese groente, geskenk deur die plaaslike landbouers asook ander skenkers van organiese vrugte en groente. Hierdie mark kon ook dien as platform vir die plaaslike voedselaktiviste om na die gemeenskap uit te reik. Die uitslae van hierdie tesis dui daarop dat dit moontlik is om in te gryp in die informele voedselekonomie met die gevolge dat voedsame voedsel toeganklik word vir die stedelike lokasie. Hierdie navorsing het ook vasgestel dat daar ŉ network van plaaslike voetsoolvlak aktiviste bestaan wat hulle bearbei vir die opheffing van die plaaslike gemeenskap en wat die ideale van voedselsekuriteit volg. Deur van die invloed van hierdie aktiviste gebruit te maak, asook deur daadwerklike navorsingsplanne, was die navorsers die geleentheid gegun om die probleem van swak toeganklikheid tot goeie voedsel te beheer: dit is duidelik deur hul verbintenis tot die voortsetting van die mark. Hierdie navorsing het ook vasgestel dat verdere navorsing nodig is t.o.v. die finansiële uitvoerbaarheid van die verkoop van goeie gehalte voedsame voedsel in die stedelike lokasie, asook hoe stedelike landbou bevorder kan word deur die informele voedselekonomie. ŉ Sleutelaanbeveling is dat enige ingryping in die informele voedselekonomie moet voordeel trek uit die energie en kontekstuele kennis van die plaaslike aktiviste, en behoort vergesel te word van opvoeding wat relevant is in die plaaslike opset. iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements Firstly, thank you to my mother for your continued love and support. Candice and Tai- thank you for pushing me to the bitter end. Robyn, your support this year has been amazing. To the rest of the SI Food Team, thank you for the great support structure. Dine with Khayelitsha, Xolisa, Artist X , Loubie and Thando, thank you for your willingness to engage and accept uncertainties of all kinds. iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Table of Contents Declaration i Abstract ii Opsomming iii Acknowledgements iv List of Acronyms and Abbreviations viii List of Figures ix List of Tables x Chapter 1 - Background and thesis overview 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Background of research problem 1 1.3 Fieldwork context: Khayelitsha 4 1.4 Preliminary problem statement 4 1.5 Research objective 4 1.6 Overview of research design, methodology and approach 5 1.7 Academic discourse, audience and action research 6 1.8 Fieldwork access: Background of collaborators 6 1.8.1 Xolisa 6 1.8.2 Artist X 7 1.9 Re-formulating the problem statement 7 1.9.1 Revised problem statement 8 1.9.2 Revised research objective 8 1.10 Clarification of key concepts 8 1.11 Significance of this research 9 1.12 Conclusion and thesis outline 10 Chapter 2 – Literature Review 11 2.1 Introduction 11 2.2 An urban state of affairs 11 2.3 ‘Food security’ in an urban environment 12 2.4 Nutrition transition in South Africa 13 2.5 Nutrition interventions in South Africa 16 2.6 Barriers to accessing nutritious food 19 2.7 Access to food in South African urban townships 22 2.8 Informal and formal sources of food 23 2.9 The South African food retail system 24 2.10 The informal economy in an African and South

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