?The Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town was the focal point of intense debate and knowledge sharing last week as it hosted the annual International Social Justice Conference and Summit, both focusing on the critical issue of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger.
The conference, held on 17 October 2024, brought together leading academics, researchers and experts to delve into the complexities of hunger, while the summit, held on 18 October, facilitated high-level discussions amongst policymakers, government officials and civil society representatives.
The events, hosted by Stellenbosch 肆客足球's (SU) Centre for Social Justice, painted a stark picture of the global hunger crisis, with bleak figures and harrowing accounts laying bare the devastating impact of food insecurity.
Shocking statistics
- 9,1% of the global population experienced hunger in 2023.
- 20,4% of Africa's population faced hunger in 2023.
- 582 million people are projected to be chronically undernourished by 2030, with more than half residing in Africa.
- 23,7% of households in South Africa are food insecure.
- 30% of boys and 25% of girls under 5 years old in South Africa are stunted.
'Gaping hole'
Nelson Muffuh, the head of the UN in South Africa, quoted the organisation's secretary-general, António Guterres, as follows: “Hunger is an outrage in a world of plenty, and an empty stomach is a gaping hole in the heart of society."
SDGs
To achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030, world leaders – in 2015 – agreed on a set of 17 interconnected global goals. This includes Goal 2, Zero Hunger, which is aimed at ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
However, the world “is not on track" to meet the targets associated with SDG 2, Dr Babagana Ahmadu of the international Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), warned.
The right to food
The irony is that “hunger exists, but it doesn't have to," SU Chancellor Justice Edwin Cameron said in his keynote address. He is a former member of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
“The world produces enough food. South Africa is a middle-income country. We're not poor. We have enough food to feed everyone, and yet there is hunger, he said, stressing that access to food is a fundamental human right.
“Our Constitution is a beautiful document, but we have not fulfilled it. In Section 27, it says that everyone in this country has the right of access to sufficient food, but this has not been realized."
Causes
This theme was picked up by Dr Henk Boshoff of the South African Human Rights Commission.
“Hunger and the biological need for food is not a social, religious or political construct. It does not discriminate according to race, gender, or geographic location, yet it has become a socio-political and economic issue determined by race, class and social status," he said.
The gatherings in Cape Town delved deep into the multifaceted causes of hunger, exploring issues such as conflict, climate change, food waste, unsustainable agricultural practices, the financialization of the food system, processed foods lacking in nutritional value, loss of biodiversity, and environmental degradation.
The detrimental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts to combat poverty and hunger was also acknowledged.
Prof Scott Drimie of the Southern Africa Food Lab and SU's Faculty of AgriSciences provided a stark reminder of the link between conflict and hunger, citing the 2024 Global Report on Food Crises, which revealed that nearly 140 million people facing acute food insecurity live in conflict zones. Speakers unequivocally condemned the use of hunger as a weapon of war in places like Gaza and Sudan, where people are deliberately deprived of food.
Collective responsibility
While the statistics presented a grim reality, the meetings at Artscape also ignited a spark of hope and a call to action. Speakers underscored that the problem of hunger, though daunting, is not insurmountable.
“We need to do what Ethiopians say – 'When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion'. The lion we must tie up is hunger – with many spider webs because it's a multidimensional problem," CSJ Director Prof Thuli Madonsela, who also holds the Law Trust Chair in Social Justice at SU, said.
A recurring theme throughout the events was the necessity of collective responsibility. While acknowledging the government's pivotal role in addressing hunger, speakers pointed out that every member of society has a part to play in finding solutions.
For instance, “Instead of waiting for government, we can all just pay a fair wage and pay suppliers of goods and services fairly," Madonsela said.
Top priority
The participation by Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Minister in the Presidency, was described as an indication that the government takes the fight against hunger seriously.
She reiterated the need for a systematic intervention to address hunger, considering social justice and the impact of climate change. She called for collaboration with academia, the private sector, and civil society to develop innovative solutions. “It is therefore important and significant that universities like Stellenbosch are deeply involved in this initiative," she said.
SU commitment
SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers accentuated the 肆客足球's commitment to social justice, and called continued collaboration to address student hunger. “We know that it is an issue that affects many people in our own community. Far too many of our students face the burden of hunger, and it fundamentally undermines their efforts to achieve their academic potential."
He highlighted the 肆客足球's initiatives to fight hunger among students, including on-campus food programmes.
SU students are also taking initiative in this regard. Kopano Lebele, the founder of the Maties Hunger and Food Insecurity Work Stream, briefed delegates about the initiative, which has been providing free meals to students in need since July this year.
“We've hit the ground running, but now there is the challenge of making the programme sustainable. We are looking for long-term partnerships and sponsorship.?
Civil society
Non-governmental organisations were lauded for their tireless work in providing food assistance to vulnerable communities, with special recognition given to non-profits and faith-based organisations operating soup kitchens and food distribution programmes.
South Africa's National School Nutrition Programme, which provides 9 million children with daily nutritious meals, was commended for its significant impact. But when it was suspended when schools were closed as part of the 肆客足球 lockdown, Equal Education went to court to compel the Department of Basic Education to restart it.
“The judiciary telling the government what to do is seen as overreaching, but sometimes you just got to do what you got to do," Judge Sulet Potterill, who presided over the case, said.
She explained that courts can't do anything unless they are approached, so she welcomed the increasing number of cases brought by civil society organisations in pursuit of social justice.
Early days
Delegates called for the expansion of the school feeding program to include early childhood development centres, recognising the importance of early nutrition.
The importance of adequate nutrition in the first 1 000 days of a child's life was underscored, with speakers highlighting the need to prevent stunting and underdevelopment. In this regard, there was also a call for a maternity grant for pregnant women to ensure that they eat well.
Economic measures
Late President Nelson Mandela's famous quote was used by several speakers – “We do not want freedom without bread, no do we want bread without freedom". In other words, the political and economic aspects of social justice are equally important. All the fundamental rights and freedoms associated with a democratic society must be attained.
Neil Coleman, co-founder of the Institute for Economic Justice, advocated strongly for a universal basic income grant (UBIG) as a key solution to address hunger in South Africa. He argued that high unemployment, low wages, and inadequate social security create a "toxic combination that breeds hunger and malnutrition."
He highlighted the shocking statistic that one in five South African households regularly sends a family member to beg on the streets.
Coleman asserted that while other interventions like food vouchers and subsidies may have a role to play, they are often inefficient and prone to corruption. He argued that the most effective way to combat hunger is to "put income directly into people's hands," through a UBIG, coupled with measures to control food prices and ensure accessibility for all.
Farmers
The critical role of farmers, both commercial and small-scale, in ensuring food security was also emphasised. Speakers called for increased support for farmers to enable them to produce food sustainably and contribute to equitable food distribution.
Resolution
The summit culminated in the adoption of a resolution outlining concrete steps to address the hunger crisis. The resolution calls for increased investment in sustainable agriculture, strengthened social safety nets, improved access to nutritious food, and greater collaboration between governments, civil society and the private sector.
The resolution will be passed on to the UN to feed into its Second World Summit for Social Development due to be held in 2025.
Madonsela expressed hope that the conference and Summit outcome would lead to increased awareness on SDG 2: Zero Hunger, more insights on why hunger persists and is growing in some spaces and that there will be more transdisciplinary and intersectoral coordination and collaboration on anti-hunger efforts going forward.
“My deepest hope is that we will see more individual, institutional and country pledges that reflect appreciation of hunger as a human rights and social justice issue, belief that we all have a part to play in ending hunger and commitment to take urgent, coordinated and collaborative action to ensure visible progress is made by the time we convene for the 2025 Social Justice Conference and Summit."
