Bread-making cultures and foodway changes of rural communities in the northern Cederberg, South Africa

Ross, Eva

Bread-making cultures and foodway changes of rural communities in the northern Cederberg, South Africa

Thesis / Dissertation

2023

Abstract

Traditional foodways are under threat. Historical factors, such as the legacy effects of profound racial discrimination and the pressures of rapid modernisation, have had severe consequences for the foodways of marginalised populations. The globalised agricultural and food system operates in a neoliberal mode of production, processing, and consumption in favour of powerful and wealthy actors. The adoption of Western diets has modified traditional foodways and this is linked to a decline in food diversity and knowledge. Meanwhile, the epidemic of diet-related diseases among communities in South Africa has increased dramatically. Besides health risks, the erosion of traditional foodways has had severe effects on communities' cultural and social well-being. Food is inseparable from community identity and cultural health. Bread-making forms an integral component of the cultural heritage of rural communities in the northern Cederberg mountains of South Africa. This culture has evolved in response to social, environmental, economic, and epistemic changes in the area. However, knowledge remains limited about the drivers and implications of these changes, at both local and global levels. Through the lens of bread-making, this study aims to explore the food heritage of rural communities in the northern Cederberg, and to investigate how traditional foodways have changed. It does so by identifying drivers and dynamics that have affected traditional foodways and by exploring traditional food knowledge and culinary practices. It also seeks to contribute towards the healing and recovery of people's identity and culture by enhancing the visibility of traditional bread-making. Two case study communities, Vleiplaas and a cluster of Moravian Church Villages (MCV) centred near Heuningvlei, both located in the northern Cederberg, were investigated. The research is grounded in a relational, decolonial approach, and is an extension of an ongoing community-based development project linked to the University of Cape Town. Alongside semi-structured interviews, community-led baking and oven-building workshops were used as a means of data collection. This collaborative approach allowed the research to (re-)build knowledge that is historically, culturally, and socially located, with a strong focus on community benefits and material outcomes. The findings of the study affirm the indispensable role of food in rural communities' connection to the land and ancestors, inextricably linked to a sense of belonging and cultural identity. Changing food preferences, the expansion of a Western market economy, modernisation and urbanisation, as well as shifts in land use, and changes in ecosystems and climate were identified as the main drivers for foodways transitions. The study centres community members' perceptions about these changes, recognising that traditional practices are not stagnant concepts and constantly adapt to new realities. A shift in bread-making ingredients from stone-ground whole-grain flour to refined, white flour, combined with a shift towards the increased consumption of processed foods, is likely to have contributed to an increase in diet-related diseases in the area. The level of food knowledge was higher at the Moravian Church Villages which are surrounded by a largely untransformed biodiverse environment, while the land surrounding Vleiplaas is more transformed and peri-urban. The study emphasises the need for food and nutrition security interventions to consider intangible, socio-cultural factors while strengthening the transmission and awareness of traditional food knowledge in a rapidly changing world. A call is made for bottom-up, community-driven solutions, as well as community-led research on local foodways and their relation to food and nutritional security.

Keywords

Environmental and Geographical Science

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