Food security and rural safety are inseparable – to ensure one, we must fix the other
[{“type”:”text”,”content”:”As South Africa fights the battle against criminality, we have to address pervasive poverty in our society, often due to a lack of opportunity. Yet, we donu2019t often think about the reverse: how crime affects our ability to guarantee the countryu2019s food security. If we donu2019t deal with rural safety, we face the prospect of a declining capacity to grow our food locally, resulting in devastating consequences for consumers and the economy.nnBy all accounts, the safety landscape is ugly no matter where you go. South Africans in provinces across the country, from farms to townships to suburbs, donu2019t feel safe, and the statistics presented by our police service, only vindicate our well-founded fears. The most recent crime statistics show a year-on-year increase in murder, attempted murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. At the same time, the South African Police Service appears to have shrinking resources to remedy the situation. Recent reports indicate that the country has 1,300 fewer detectives and 3,000 fewer police officers than it had four years ago. Yet while the picture is grim all around, it has a particularly dangerous impact in rural communities.nnSouth Africau2019s rural communities are home to one of its best-performing sectors u2013 Agriculture. This sector is especially important as few other industries have the incentives to operate in these communities. Our rural areas frequently draw the short straw on service delivery and infrastructure investment, leading to most new investments being concentrated in urban centres. Despite this, agriculture is the lifeblood of rural economies. But more than that, it is foundational to the nationu2019s most basic need: food.nnIn addition to the danger to the lives and well-being of rural community members, the ever-present threat of violent crime in South Africa poses a substantial threat to the countryu2019s food security. nnA recent study from Stellenbosch University found that one in five South African farmers plans to leave the sector in the next ten years. The push factors cited included financial constraints, uncertainty about land reform and rural safety concerns. This figure is especially concerning when considering the consequences of farmers exiting on this scale. Producing less food in South Africa would mean greater dependence on food imports. If the supply disruptions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have taught us anything, it is how easily we can lose access to vital supplies owing to factors beyond our control. Countries like Egypt, which relies on government-subsidised wheat imports, are an example of what the future may hold for South Africa if we lose our ability to grow local.nnBut this destiny is not inevitable for South Africa. In addition to policy decisions around land reform, there are concrete steps we can take on rural safety to avoid plunging the country into food insecurity.”,”position”:0,”id”:”FKG5KC3aG3zw5Ova”}]