A newly published scoping study, initiated and funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC), has found that very little is known about domestic food consumption habits, which is further hampering nutrition intervention efforts.

An improved understanding of the links between agriculture, nutrition and health was fundamental for the inception of any action plan, said WRC executive manager of water utilisation in agriculture Dr Gerhard Backeberg.

“The major finding of this scoping study is that we do not know what poor people are eating and where they are sourcing their food,” he noted.

While several food- and nutrition-related studies had been undertaken in South Africa, particularly at a community and provincial level, the project team found that the available information could not be considered representative of the food intake of “rural, poor” South Africans.

In addition, the vast majority of studies focused solely on infants and children.

The study, which was undertaken by a multidisciplinary team from the departments of human nutrition, plant production and soil science at the University of Pretoria (UP), the Nutritional Intervention Research Unit at the Medical Research Council, as well as the Human Sciences Research Council, found that national studies were rare and did not generally distinguish between rural and urban poor, with food data in smaller studies often not comparable.

“According to the final study report, the absence of a national food and nutrition surveillance system makes it difficult to identify periods of food shortages related to factors such as seasonality, periods prior to pay-out of social grants and shocks at household level,” explained UP Human Nutrition senior lecturer Dr Friede Wenhold.

“We need to understand people’s current practices related to food – including the food environment, as we cannot simply impose foods or food practices on people,” she cautioned.

The study also found that the drivers behind the intake of food were not considered in the majority of studies, with none of the national food surveys reviewed considering the seasonal difference in food availability and accessibility and how this impacted on food choices.

In addition, the importance of basic service factors, such as access to water, sanitation and healthcare, were not generally considered in any detail in the studies reviewed.

While the project team acknowledged that general trends had become apparent, there was insufficient available evidence to compile a basket of the contemporary food intake of poor households in the rural areas of South Africa.

The problem, therefore, Backeberg explained, was that informed advice and intervention on a balanced diet with a variety or diversity of foods could not be undertaken.

Key findings
Vulnerable communities were found to employ various mechanisms to reduce food costs, including decreasing their consumption of non-staple foods, such as meats, dairy, fruit and vegetables, which increased their risk for micronutrient malnutrition.

While many poor residents living in rural areas had access to land and water resources for productive use, indications were that food produced at household level currently made an insignificant contribution to the diet of rural households.

Although not conclusive, the study alluded to the fact that the majority of poor people were buying, and not growing, the food they were eating.

Available natural resources, such as water, soil and plants were under-used, despite the fact that at least 40% of the population – or 20-million people –were undernourished.

“More research is required to obtain information on how incentives can be improved and capabilities strengthened. It is absolutely essential that poor people gain secure access to available resources and have practical skills for beneficial food production,” commented Backeberg.

As a result of the high percentages of food buying in poor, rural areas, food intake was mainly related to cost and availability.

Food prices were found to be higher in rural than urban areas, despite wages being lower in rural areas.

As a result, the regularity with which food products were purchased largely depended on income quantity and frequency.

For example, studies of inland villages in the Eastern Cape found that children only consumed meat once a month at the time of the monthly pension payout.

In addition, there was generally less variety in rural areas, even in supermarket chains, leaving many rural consumers heavily reliant on general dealers, spaza shops and local informal markets.
Access to electricity and refrigerators was also a factor in the storage of food.

At the national level, South Africa’s primary food-related purchases were maize, wheat, bread, and salt, with key micronutrients Vitamin A, iron and zinc generally lacking in the diet of rural poor people.

“Only in certain studies was it found that food sources are sourced from the wild,” Backeberg added.

Meanwhile, the consumption of commercially prepared foods was found to be on the rise, in line with international trends.

Such consumption included purchases from school tuck shops, formal or informal street vendors and fast food establishments, as well as food eaten at community gatherings, such as funerals.

Overall, these foods were found to be less nutritious and higher in sugar and fat.