OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Battersby, Jane"

Browsing by Author "Battersby, Jane"

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Open Access
A Solidarity (Food) Purchase Group in Cape Town
(2021) Stewart, Liesl; Battersby, Jane; Hunter, Jo
For the past thirty years, food producers and consumers have initiated alternative food networks (AFNs) because of the perception that the globalising agrifood system is unsustainable, untrustworthy, and untransparent. These alternative strategies for food production and distribution are perceived to be rooted in sustainable, socially-embedded principles. In more recent years, solidarity purchase groups (SPGs) have formed as a distinct type of AFN collaboration that facilitates higher levels of relationships of regard and reciprocity between consumers and producers. The literature of AFNs has largely focussed on AFNs in the global North. There has been far less research focussed on the nature of AFNs in the global South. This research project was undertaken to write a history of an SPG in the global South, in Cape Town, South Africa: The Good Food Club (GFC). The development of the GFC was examined within the context of the global literature on AFNs. Key actors in the GFC, suppliers and members, were interviewed to describe their participation and to discuss the motivations driving their involvement in the GFC. The research explored their values around food production and distribution, and the ways their values have developed or changed over the time of their GFC involvement. Through increased exposure to the food system realities, members have grown in their consciousness as consumers. Members and suppliers expressed desire for connection with each other, for increased embodied knowledge. Members do not believe they will find this this knowledge and connection in the country's corporate retailers. Finally, this research comments the GFC developing similarly to AFNs of the global North, and its consequent limitations as a strategy for the common good of Cape Town.
Open Access
Exploring the Role of the Mixed Methods Approach in Facilitating an Improved Understanding of Food Access in Masiphumelele
(2022) Mbambo, Thandeka; Battersby, Jane
This thesis focuses on the food environment of Masiphumelele and seeks to understand how mixed-method approaches could be employed to facilitate an advanced understanding of food access in Masiphumelele. Masiphumelele was chosen as the case study for this research project as this work is sponsored by the IDRC-funded Nourishing Spaces project, which works in Masiphumelele. Based on the food-environment framework, this thesis embarked on the valuation of food environment literature to establish the interconnections between the four pillars of food security, food environments, and food systems in the urban context. The findings of this study endorse other work on food environments that issues of access should not only be understood through the physical and socioeconomic lens but also consider related social aspects that shape, enable or constrain food choices and behaviours in urban contexts. The findings of this thesis underscore the need for the reconceptualization of food environments beyond the simplistic physical and economic access framings which dominate earlier food environment work characterized by food deserts. Following the assessment of existing literature on food security, the discourse revealed that adopting the mixed-method approach that integrates participatory and retail mapping is an applicable conceptual framework for exposing socio-spatial dynamics influencing food utilization and food accessibility in the urban context. Building on the growing scholarly and policy interest of mixed methods approaches this thesis endeavours to establish the significance of the mixed-method approach in facilitating an improved understanding of food access in Masiphumelele.
Open Access
Food deserts and household food insecurity in the informal settlements of Windhoek, Namibia
(2014) Nickanor, Ndeyapo Martha; Crush, Jonathan; Parnell, Sue; Battersby, Jane
Rapid urbanization and rising urban poverty characterize much of Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century. Africa's urban transition provides the context within which this thesis examines the causes and consequences of poverty and food insecurity in the growing informal settlements of Windhoek, Namibia. Rapid urbanization in Windhoek has been accompanied by limited industrialization with few job opportunities in the formal employment sector. Moreover, the informal sector has not been able to absorb the ever rising volume of migrants from the rural areas, increasing urban poverty and food insecurity among the most vulnerable group in the urban environment: female -centred households in informal settlements. The informal settlements in Windhoek are an ideal site in which to examine the struggle for food security and other basic needs by poor women. Despite the accumulated literature on the food security of female-centred households, much of this work has focused on the rural sector and has paid little attention to the contribution of women to food security in the urban areas, and the strategies they adopt to eke out a living. This study combines qualitative and quantitative research methods in order to understand the factors that determine the food security status of female-centred households and to explore their strategies to access food and build resilience to food insecurity. Firstly, the thesis demonstrates that female-centred households in the informal settlements are poorer and more food insecure than all other types of household. Secondly, these households source food from a variety of sources including supermarkets, the informal food economy and rural-urban food transfers. Urban agriculture is completely unimportant as a food source. Thirdly, formal food sources such as supermarkets may offer cheaper quality food but they are located too far from the informal settlements for regular use. Fourthly, female-centred households rely heavily on the informal food sources, both as consumers and as a source of income for their own households. The informal food economy is dominated by women who find it extremely difficult to access formal sector jobs. Fifthly, food borrowing, sharing of food with neighbours and consumption of food provided by neighbours are increasingly important food sources in coping with food shortages. This thesis also addresses the broader question of whether the informal settlements of this African city qualify as "food deserts" and whether this concept (developed to describe inner-city neighbourhoods in Europe and North America) helps to shed light on the food security situation in Namibia. The thesis concludes that the concept needs to be redefined to be appropriate to African realities. The fundamental problem in the African city is not lack of spatial access to formal sector outlets such as supermarkets. Supermarkets are distant but the informal economy ensures that sufficient and diverse food is available in the informal settlements. In Windhoek's food deserts, as one respondent noted, the problem is not food but income.
Open Access
Food production, processing and retailing through the lens of spatial planning legislation and regulations in Zimbabwe: evidence from Epworth
(2019) Toriro, Percy M; Battersby, Jane; Parnell, Susan
The thesis investigates whether the Zimbabwe planning regulatory framework engages with urban food systems and whether those regulations and plans are appropriate to the lived experience in African cities particularly focusing on the poor through the lens of food. This is done by examining how food production, processing and retailing have been enhanced, constrained and regulated by urban planning laws and regulations and the administering professionals in the urban settlement of Epworth near Harare in Zimbabwe. Food is a basic need but has not been given prominence in planning discourses. The use of food as a lens through which to examine the appropriateness of planning practice, laws, and the general regulatory framework provides a useful opportunity to consider the impact of planning on livelihoods of the urban poor in the global South. This thesis also provides an opportunity to link the two distinct but complimentary disciplines of urban planning and urban food and contributes to knowledge on contemporary planning and food systems. Treating the two as separate and disconnected fields has created gaps and inconsistencies that manifest themselves in inappropriate regulations and plans thereby causing insecure and risky food systems. Using mixed research methods, the thesis concludes that the legislative framework engages food in a largely inappropriate way for several reasons. Firstly, the legislative framework was adapted from a Western context which differs significantly with that of the global South. Secondly the framework was enacted for a different time and context many years ago unlike the context prevailing now. Thirdly the inappropriateness of the governance framework has been exacerbated by the modernist values held by most planning professionals. A key finding of the thesis is that most planners do not support informal livelihoods; whilst they practice in a largely informal poverty-stricken environment, they aspire for a modern ‘world-class’ city environment. The planners also do not believe that they have a role in food systems planning. Meanwhile, they are busy making decisions that threaten the same food systems. The planning regulatory framework therefore requires amendment of the inappropriate clauses whilst positive clauses should be utilized.
Open Access
Food security and poverty reduction programmes: the experience of female headed households in a Cape Town community
(2016) Duncan, Sarah; Battersby, Jane
Living in impoverished urban areas, female headed households are most vulnerable to food insecurity. In order to reduce the risk and abate the experience of household food insecurity, civil society (NGO) and government have established numerous poverty reduction programmes and initiatives. However, in spite of ongoing efforts, the proportion of South African households experiencing food insecurity has not decreased but rather plateaued (SANHANES-1, Shisana et al, 2013). In order to address this plateau, the research has answered the question - how do food insecure female headed households experience the contributions of poverty reduction programmes in meeting their food security needs? The purpose of the study has been to add to relevant literature, with the aim of describing what food insecure households consider the contribution of poverty reduction programmes to be in meeting their food security needs. The research had four objectives - to describe (1) what food insecure households believe food in/security is, (2) how food insecure households experience food insecurity, (3) the characteristics of effective poverty reduction programmes from the perspective of food insecure households, and (4) the characteristics of ineffective poverty reduction programmes from the perspective of food insecure households. A descriptive qualitative methodology was used with data gathered through the methods of Photovoice with photo-elicitation interviews, semi-structured interviews, collage, observation field notes and a self-constructed questionnaire. The research participants, five female heads of households, were purposively sampled from a low-income Cape Town community. The research found that participant's food insecurity could not be separated from their lived experience of poverty. Making use of and influenced by Internal and External Drivers, participants were found to actively engage their living conditions with the use of social networks to be of particular importance. Participants experienced the contributions of programmes as 'half a help'. While programmes did help the participants and their households, that help served to only sustain rather than uplift them out of poverty and towards food security. If the plateau is to be addressed, then this study has argued that local programmes need to better engage their users and join with other multi-scale actors to form integrated poverty reduction programmes which offer more comprehensive, collaborative and dynamic approaches to the realization of household food security in South Africa.
Open Access
Food system governance for urban sustainability in the global South
(2014) Haysom, Gareth; Battersby, Jane; Pirie, Gordon
Food security remains a persistent global challenge. Food security is defined as a situation where all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The Food and Agriculture Organisation 2013 State of Food and Agriculture review reports that in excess of 868 million people, 12 percent of the global population, are undernourished. Global inequalities mean that this challenge is disproportionately experienced. Food insecurity manifests most severely in specific geographies. Global demographic changes have resulted in shifts in the locus of these experiences. Food insecurity in urban areas, particularly in developing countries, is a persistent yet poorly understood phenomenon. Responses to food security have primarily focused on ensuring food availability, resulting in responses that are predominantly production-orientated. This approach presupposes a principally rural challenge and overlooks critical emerging urban food insecurity challenges. The production and rural dominance in efforts to ameliorate food insecurity have a number of consequences. The first consequence reflects a scientific and technology-driven focus on increasing or optimising net calories produced. Secondly, where access to produced food is constrained, welfare interventions are used to mitigate challenges. Such interventions are predominantly reactive and lack strategic focus. The third consequence, informed by the preceding two interventions, sees policies and legislation that reinforces the production/welfare paradigm. Such food security responses disregard the current transitions evident within society. This thesis identifies a number of global transitions. Within the context of wider global change processes, focus is given to four inter-connected transitions. These transitions include the second urban transition, the food system transition and the nutrition transition. Fourth, driven by the preceding transitions, is the emergence of alternative urban food governance interventions.
Open Access
From fork to farm: understanding Kitwe's food system through the fish lens
(2017) Siyanga-Tembo, Fridah; Battersby, Jane
Food production has been a constant feature of food security policies. This narrative has continued despite findings showing that food insecurity is structural, and more driven by issues of access than availability, particularly for low-income households in cities who live in a cash economy. While usually considered a rural issue, the urban poor with low and unreliable incomes also face food insecurity which manifests differently to that of their rural counterparts. Thus, this creates the need to understand how the urban poor get their food. Garneton, a low-income area in Kitwe, Zambia, was chosen as the case study area for understanding the food system that feeds the urban poor. Fish and the fish value chain were used as the lens with which to understand the food system. The primary aim of the study was to understand the flow of fish in the food system and how it gets to low-income households in Kitwe. A qualitative methodology using semi-structured in-depth interviews was used. A bottom up and systems approach which started by finding out what the low-income consumers ate, and following the fish value chain systematically up to the producers enabled the study to capture the actual food system that feeds the poor and uncovered the different issues affecting the food system. The study had three main findings. The first finding was that the low-income households bought their food from both formal and informal markets but were more highly dependent on the informal markets. The factors that drove their purchasing decisions included income, proximity and volumes of fish sold. Secondly, the study also found that informal traders bought their fish mainly through the informal markets although the imported fish was bought from the formal market. Thirdly, the study found that there were a number of factors that affected the food system. These included policy, economic and environmental factors. The pathways of fish were also found to change in accordance with the fish ban. The thesis argues that, there is greater need to have policy that addresses the needs of the urban poor. Food should also be looked at as a cross cutting issue with different food systems perceived as complementing each other to addressing the food needs, particularly of the urban poor. Finally, more attention must be paid to the informal market which plays a significant role in meeting the food security needs of the urban poor.
Open Access
Health care providers’ perspectives of diet-related non-communicable disease in South Africa
(2020-02-21) Hunter-Adams, Jo; Battersby, Jane
Abstract Background In South Africa, diet-related non-communicable diseases (dr-NCDs) place a significant burden on individuals, households and the health system. In this article, we investigate the experiences of eight key informants within the public sector health care system (nurse, doctor and dietician), in order to reflect on their experiences treating dr-NCDs. Methods We interviewed eight key informants who were central to the primary care service for at least 40,000 people living in a low-income neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa. In previous work, we had interviewed and conducted ethnographic research focused on dr-NCDs in the same neighbourhood. We then conducted a thematic analysis of these interviews. Results The perspectives of key informants within the public sector therefore offered insights into tensions and commonalities between individual, neighbourhood and health systems perspectives. In particular, the rising prevalence of dr-NCDs alarmed providers. They identified changing diet as an important factor driving diabetes and high blood pressure in particular. Health care practitioners focused primarily on patients’ individual responsibility to eat a healthy diet and adhere to treatment. A marked lack of connection between health and social services at the local level, and a shortage of dieticians, meant that doctors provided rapid, often anecdotal dietary advice. The single dietician for the district was ill-equipped to connect dr-NCDs with the upstream determinants of health. While providers often had empathy and understanding of patients’ circumstances, their training and context had not equipped them to translate that understanding into a clinical context. Providers seemingly could not reconcile their empathy with their perception of dr-NCDs as a failure of prudence or responsibility by patients. Significant shortcomings within health systems and social services make reflexive practice very difficult. Conclusions Supporting health care providers in understanding context, through approaches such as translational competency, while strengthening both health and social services, are vital given the high burden of NCDs in South Africa.
Open Access
Impact of urbanisation on vegetable cultivation and supply for the traditional markets in Zambia: a case study of selected markets in Lusaka District
(2018) Nyawali, John; Battersby, Jane
The increase in urban population has brought with it challenges that have threatened the sustainability of urban food security as less attention has been paid to aspects of food security in planning processes. However, in recent years, some International organisations and consortiums of city governors from across the world have pointed out the need to understand how urbanisation and increasing city’s population were affecting food security for urban residents as well as the need for sustainable urban food systems as it is envisioned that the world urban population will double by 2050, hence, making urbanisation one of the 21st century’s most transformative trend. The aim of this study therefore was to identify sources of key vegetables (Rape, Onion, Tomatoes, and Cabbages) supplied to the traditional markets in Lusaka as well as endeavour to understand the extent to which urbanisation had affected the production and supply of vegetables in Lusaka. This research revealed that urbanisation had caused loss of urban agriculture land in many parts of the city that were previously zoned as agricultural areas, consequently causing changing patterns of vegetable procurement. It was discovered that Lusaka heavily depended on regional food networks for its vegetable supplies as 73% of the vegetables under study were sourced from outside Lusaka while 27% were produced within the administrative boundaries of the city, particularly those classified as peri-urban areas s. Despite the city relying on regional food systems, there was lack of clear policy by the local authority to promote urban food security including lack of adequate storage and transportation infrastructure that would sustain food security in an event of disruption due to environmental and climatic challenges. Additionally, this study showed that planning for urban food security was not prioritised by local authority as food governance was done on an ad hoc basis and inundated by political interference as well as limited trading spaces which were mostly a source of conflict between market managers and vegetable farmers. Generally, the study found that governance challenges at Soweto market were negatively affecting urban food security as they inhibited accessibility, affordability and availability of vegetables for urban consumers, especially low income consumers who depended on traditional markets for their vegetable supply.
Open Access
Putting Food onto the Urban Agenda: How the City of Cape Town can increase access to sustainable and healthy diets through urban food governance
(2021) Trapani, Isabella; Battersby, Jane
Rapid population growth, rising urbanisation, globalisation and technological progress have fundamentally changed how we produce and consume food. The majority of urban diets are now dominated by low intakes of fruit and vegetables and high intakes of highly processed, energy-dense and nutritionally poor foods. In Cape Town, South Africa, the impacts of this nutritional transition manifest themselves not only with hunger and undernutrition but also with overnutrition. Due to structural barriers in cities limiting access to healthy food, the urban poor are disproportionally affected by nutrition-related diseases. In addition to the impacts on human health, modern dietary patterns and food production significantly contribute to climate change, land-use change, deforestation and biodiversity loss, all of which threaten food and nutrition security. Considering these severe impacts on planetary health, urgent action enabling access to sustainable and healthy diets becomes imperative on both global and local scales. Local governments are at the forefront of the urban food challenge and can intervene through urban food governance; however, in South Africa, the food mandate is held by the national and provincial governments. This study reveals the strategic role the City of Cape Town can play when leveraging its constitutional powers, especially through mainstreaming food considerations into all municipal policies and processes, sustainable and healthy public procurement, regulating the private sector and supporting informal trade, encouraging sustainable local small-scale production of healthy food and the establishment of food gardens, expanding the local market structure, as well as through providing nutrition education. This research finds that despite the absence of an urban food mandate, there is great momentum for food to become a priority in the City of Cape Town. Remaining institutional challenges such as the lack of understanding of food security and the food system, political will, funding, capacity, and policy coherence must be overcome to tackle the urban food challenge. Multi-stakeholder collaboration was identified as a key element of effective urban food governance and should therefore be strengthened.
Open Access
The contribution of small-scale fisheries to the community food security of one South African coastal community
(2019) Macdonald, Margaret; Battersby, Jane; Raemaekers Serge
Small-scale fisheries contribute to the food security of a significant portion of the global population through direct consumption and indirectly as a vital source of income. Approximately, 50 million individuals involved in capture fisheries are small-scale fishers and they contribute to 80 percent of the global catch that is used for domestic consumption. Smallscale fishers provide their immediate communities with a vital source of protein. The sector enables an income source through full-time or part-time work to vulnerable coastal communities. In South Africa, approximately 28,000 small-scale fishers rely on marine resources for food security and livelihoods; however, continued marginalisation of small-scale fishers through discriminatory fisheries regulations favouring the large-scale fisheries sector and poor reallocation of access rights challenges the contribution of small-scale fisheries for community food security. While there is evidence that suggests small-scale fisheries in South Africa contribute to the food security of coastal communities, there is little know about the extent of the contribution as well as how the sector contributes to community food security and what factors influence community food security outcomes. The purpose of this research was to examine the contribution of small-scale fisheries to the community food security of one South African coastal community. Lambert’s Bay, Western Cape served as the case study and a mixed methods approach was employed to address three research objectives. Forty household surveys were completed at fisher and non-fisher households to examine the current level of household food security within the community and address the first research objective. Secondly, focus group discussions were completed with men and women to understand perceptions of food security and the food culture of the community. Lastly, the third objective was to examine the potential impacts of a reconfigured market on the local food system. This objective was addressed through a scenario planning workshop that was conducted with fishermen and women. This research utilised a community food security lens to broadly examine the role of smallscale fisheries to food security. Community food security is a holistic term that builds upon food security, food sovereignty and cultural food security but explores food security at both the household and community level as well as how outcomes are shaped by socio-economic, institutional and environmental drivers. The lens enabled the reframing of food security within the context of a fishing community and provided a scope to address the research objectives. Overall, Lambert’s Bay case study indicates high levels of food insecurity characterised by significant seasonal variation and low dietary diversity. Reported consumption of fish was relatively low; however, during the Snoek run, findings indicated consumption of fish throughout the community increased. Moreover, the Snoek season, is significant for its contribution food security indirectly as it provides livelihoods for many individuals. Historically, fishing activities and fish was a key aspect to the cultural identity of Lambert’s Bay. While fish remains a component of culture, the decline in traditional food ways associated with fish suggested a weakening of its cultural significance. Environmental, economic and institutional factors threaten the contribution of small-scale fisheries to the community food security of Lambert’s Bay. Most notably, poor governance in the small scale-fisheries sector has compromised the role of fish for food, livelihoods and culture. Secondly, environmental changes due to climate change and human activities reduce access and availability of fish for food and livelihoods. The key finding of this research was that small-scale fisheries contributes to the community food security of Lambert’s Bay through direct consumption and indirectly though the provision of livelihoods. Seasonality, unfavourable fishing conditions as well as the presence of Snoek, a migratory species, dictates the role of small-scale fisheries for food security. Poor seasonal fishing conditions negatively impacts the consumption of fish throughout the community as well as income for fishers. Conversely, the Snoek season provides critical livelihoods opportunities for community members and increased consumption of fish throughout the community. Environmental and institutional factors influence food security outcomes derived from small-scale fisheries. In addition, the prevalence of traditional food practices and the functionality of the social economy associated with fish is adversely affected by these drivers. This research contributes to scholarship within the small-scale fisheries and food security sphere as well as food systems research. It highlights the interconnectedness of various factors and the complexity of coastal food systems through the application of a community food security lens. A deeper understanding of the factors that influence food security outcomes in the context of fishing communities is advantageous as it can guide targeted research and initiatives that strengthen the well-being of fisher communities.
Open Access
The modern spaza: how can e-commerce support spaza shops in achieving the six dimensions of food security in a low-income area?
(2024) Konz, Jade Carey; Battersby, Jane
South Africa (SA) is facing a food insecurity crisis, with those in low-income areas severely affected by multiple forms of malnutrition. Low-income communities rely on neighbourhood spaza shops to meet their shopping needs, yet they are also sources of obesogenic, highly processed foods. The emergence of e-commerce as a new component of the food system, driven by increased internet and smartphone access in low-income communities, presents an opportunity to explore its potential impact on food security. This research therefore examines how e-commerce can support spaza shops in achieving the six dimensions of food security. A case study was undertaken in Mitchells Plain with a spaza shop e-commerce provider – ‘The Company'. Interviews were conducted with nine foreign owned spaza shops, two employees of The Company on multiple occasions, and field notes were taken to evaluate the role of spaza shops in both supporting and undermining food security. The findings indicate that despite retailing high levels of processed foods, spaza shops contribute in varying degrees to all the food security dimensions, but the current impact of e-commerce in this sphere is minimal. The research highlights challenges faced by The Company, such as high levels of competition in the wholesaler market, limited access to economies of scale, as well as the significance of competitive pricing and product range availability on spaza shops' purchasing decisions. Serving the foreign spaza sector presents additional challenges related to the digital divide, language barriers, and the nature of informality. The thesis finds that The Company supports the spaza shop industry however it does not directly improve the spaza's ability to meet the existing six dimensions of food security. Further investigation is required to evaluate the potential benefits of e-commerce for South African owned spaza shops.
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Urban agriculture, urban planning and urban development in the contemporary African city: a case study of the Lukhanyo Hub Project
(2018) Roggenbuck, Abbey; Battersby, Jane
PLEASE NOTE: THIS THESIS IS EMBARGOED. Historically, urban agriculture (UA) in the African context has been viewed as a food security and livelihood intervention. However, influenced primarily by discourses in the Global North, the framing of urban agriculture has shifted. Increasingly, advocacy from urban planners has shaped how UA “gets done”. Drawing on contemporary planning concepts, these practitioners have been innovating new forms of urban agriculture that connect UA to the built environment, such as vertical farming, rooftop gardens, and mixed-use urban “agrihoods”. However, scholars from the fields of Southern and African urbanism and critical urban planning, have raised concerns regarding the uncritical application of Northern theories, including those from urban planning, into the African context. Specifically, there is concern around planners’ lack of regard for the inherent characteristics of African cities as they attempt to world them into global cities. Against this background, this dissertation examines the process behind attempts to integrate these new forms of urban agriculture into the African context through a case study of the Lukhanyo Hub project in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa. Focusing specifically on visions for urban agriculture at the Lukhanyo Hub, this dissertation asks, How do each of the actors articulate the purpose/function of urban agriculture? What is the spatiality of their ideal urban agriculture and why? and What is the role the state, civil society organizations and community in that vision? To answer these questions, participants from the project development team, municipal government, and civil society organisations were engaged in in-depth interviews and participant observation. The results centred around four themes: creating a farmer network, urban agriculture and environmental education/training, economic or distribution model, and creating a contextualised but replicable Hub model. Several challenges and critiques emerged throughout the data collection process, which seemed to stall the development. The author argues that this forced the development team to take a more participatory, co-development approach. This should have positive effects on the future of the project, though further research will be required to say for certain.
Open Access
What does it take to feed a city? Understanding the urban food system
(2014-08-22) Pirie, Gordon; Battersby, Jane; Haysom, Gareth
Coordinated by Professor Gordon Pirie, Deputy Director, African Centre for Cities, UCT; lecturers associated with Food Security and Ways of Knowing projects hosted by the Africa Centre for Cities, this resource studies urban food systems. Food is one of the essentials of life and yet relatively little attention is paid to how it reaches us in our cities. Although there has always been enough food to feed everyone in Cape Town, up to eighty percent of residents in low income areas struggle to access adequately nutritious and affordable food. In urban centres worldwide, areas of food scarcity and oversupply exist in close proximity. The complexity of food production, distribution, access, control and consumption are critical development challenges for all cities – no less for Cape Town. This three-lecture course will investigate the workings of the Cape Town food system and will argue that food is an essential lens through which to view urban sustainability and issues of justice. LECTURE TITLES: 1. Philippi horticultural area: food flows and politics (Dr Jane Battersby) 2. Food and urban sustainability (Gareth Haysom) 3. The urban food policy gap (Dr Jane Battersby) This resource is useful for anyone interested in food security issues in an urban environment. Recommended reading: Joubert, L. 2012. The Hungry Season. South Africa: Pan MacMillan. Lemonick, M.D. Top 10 Myths about Sustainability in Scientific American. March 2009, 19, pps. 40–45.

Browsing by Author "Battersby, Jane"

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