Food price fluctuations and accessibility to nutritious foods by households during COVID-19 in the Senqu local municipality, South Africa

Résumé

Food insecurity is a major problem at the individual, household, community, and national levels in South Africa. To achieve sufficient food security, the four aspects of food security need to be achieved simultaneously. These aspects are availability, accessibility, utilisation and stability. Studies have shown that South Africa has enough food available for the population, but not everyone has access to food. Food prices play a big role in access to nutritious food, and it is important to draw up policies and implement programmes that increase access to nutritious food for the population so that food insecurity can be reduced. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the effect that fluctuating food prices have on the access to nutritious food by households. The study design used was an observational descriptive cross-sectional design, and the data collected were quantitative. The data was collected using a questionnaire that was administered to the participants. The questionnaire had a section for the Household Food Security Survey Module and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Ethics approval was obtained from Stellenbosch University. Most households bought more starchy foods and less meat due to the fluctuating food prices. Households did not consume enough protein, either from animal or plant sources. It is recommended to ensure that education and support are given to grow the proper food gardens to promote a more varied or diversified diet. Also, to educate consumers about more affordable foods to increase dietary diversity, like legumes and traditional vegetables as a protein source, as well as the increased consumption of different forms of dairy products.

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