'N PERSPEKTIEF OP VOEDSELSELFVOORSIENENDHEID AS 'N DETERMINANT VAN VOEDSELSEKERHEID / A perspective on food self-sufficiency as a determinant of food security

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Abstract
The article gives an overview of food self-sufficiency as one of the determinants of food security. Food security is defined as the ability of a country or region to assure that the existing food systems will provide the total population with access to a timely, reliable and nutritionally adequate supply of food over the long term. This implies, amongst other things, that increased domestic food self-sufficiency and the stockpiling of domestic grain reserves are no guarantee for food security. These processes can even be counter-productive to food security if it is done in an ineffective way and the price of food is increased. In the case of South Africa it seems that the supply of food is not a serious problem. Globally seen it also seems that South African agriculture can, at least potentially, provides in the food requirements of the growing population over the medium to longer term. Policy should thus concentrate on the other elements of food security. The effectiveness of any food policy will partly be determined by the degree in which the comparative advantages of certain regions, products and farming systems are recognised in the policy-making process. A movement towards a freer market is necessary to achieve success in this regard.