Food insecurity and violence are close companions, a connection exposed in South Africa during the COVID-19 lockdown when conflict over food parcels arose.
In SA food insecurity has been found to double the risk of intimate partner violence by men
Personal safety and national development are mutually dependent, and hunger is one of a complex cluster of social problems.
There are excellent examples of how low-income communities are feeding up to 20 000 people a day
Digital tools, including mapping technology, have enabled information sharing about food distribution and the crisis is forcing NGOs, businesses, charities, government and community-based organisations to move faster, work together and rethink food supply chains.
We need to address the shortfall between household income and food budgets, bolster school feeding programmes and community soup kitchens, and ensure stable access to markets for South Africa's four million small-scale farmers.
South Africa's hunger problem is now better understood, and can be solved through flexible and collaborative action from government, NGOs, faith-based organisations, the private sector, economists and communities.
