The Hungry Season: Feeding Southern Africa's Cities

The Hungry Season: Feeding Southern Africa's Cities
12 April 2012

 

Feeding Southern Africa's Cities, published by Picador Africa (Pan MacMillan) in September 2012 was written and researched by Centre of Criminology researcher Leonie Joubert, with photos by Eric Miller. The book was funded by the Open Society Foundation for South Africa.

Leonie and Eric visited eight different cities and towns around southern Africa to explore issues around food security and the challenges associated with this.

Issues include: childhood stunting and malnutrition; the shift from traditional ‘African’ to ‘Western’ diets; illnesses associated with a modern diet; nutritional literacy, behaviour and choices; large-scale food production and urban food gardens; poverty, joblessness and the layout of the city; supermarkets and the full food value chain; and food wastage.

The Hungry Season looks at hunger and malnutrition in the city, hidden behind layers of affluence and comfort. It tackles the fundamental question: Why is it that southern Africa seems to produce enough calories and nutrients to keep the region full, satisfied and well nourished, and yet still has so many people living with hunger or the fear of hunger?