The Climate Land and Agrofood Systems (CLAS) researchers in the HSRC’s Equitable Education and Economies (EEE) unit recently handed over the revised final report on agrarian livelihood status to Tshintsha Amakhaya, the civil society collective that commissioned the research. The handover signals the end of the research project and the beginning of preparations for the study’s public launch, set for 6 August in Cape Town.
One dominant theme this study uncovered is the enduring disadvantage and marginalisation that women-headed agrarian households confront. Hunger afflicts these households disproportionately more than those headed by men. Through women’s experiences, the breadth and depth of food and nutrition insecurity among those who depend on farming livelihoods become real. Figure 1 shows how far below the national poverty lines women-headed households struggle to survive. The average woman-headed household can only afford to spend R673 per month on food, well below South Africa’s food poverty line per person, pegged at R760 per month in 2023.
Figure 1: Monthly food expenditure per person
Figure 1 sheds light on food poverty but overlooks a balanced diet or the nutritional value of food bought. This is the face of hidden hunger, which is also disproportionately concentrated in households headed by women. Figure 2 displays a snapshot of evidence that women in the agrarian section buy foods that do not meet the nutritional requirements for healthier lifestyles.
A woman-headed household, on average, spends the smallest share of their food money on fruits and vegetables (slightly below 15%), which are so critical for a nourishing diet. In addition to hidden hunger, these families spend most on the food they can afford, such as processed foods (27%), cereal and starch (35%), and takeaways (19%). Lack of money for food (Figure 1) pushes women to opt for cheaper and less nutritious food options (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Expenditure by food group in women-led households
The report handover coincides with ongoing conversations about insights from this unique new study for activism and policy around land, quality of life, and hunger questions. Engagement with the findings reveals that this study closes major knowledge gaps in South African agrarian livelihood debates and sets a research agenda for years ahead.
