695 households go to sleep at night hungry because there was not enough food
and about 395 households could go the whole day and night without eating
anything. It was also established that in terms of sustainability, not all household
gardens are economically viable, or socially and environmentally sustainable.
Nine hundred and seventy-one households agreed that gardens do not generate
income, and very few households (179) emphasised that gardens were generating
income. There was an almost equal response in terms of gardens supporting social
initiatives. In terms of environmental sustainability, 933 households were not
aware about the environmental issues. In conclusion, the majority of households
felt that the HFG Programme is very good (371), good (490), and fair (191). Only
a few households felt that the initiative is poor (70) and very poor (28). The
majority of households felt that the support received is very good (443), good
(341), and fair (166). Quite a number of households felt that the support received
was poor (105) and very poor (95). Hence, some of the recommended activities to
be included in the mechanism include stakeholder and community mobilisation,
situational analysis, food garden inputs, nutrition education, participation of the
community in homestead programme design and implementation, training, and
monitoring.
Keywords
Households · Homestead Gardens · Gauteng Province · South Africa · Food
Security and Sustainability
14.1 Introduction
According to Stats SA (2019), the Gauteng Province is a home for over 15.2 million
people, which contribute to 25.8% of the total national population. Studies have
shown that almost 20% of households in the Gauteng Province go to bed hungry due
to food insecurity and unsustainable income. The South African government has
committed itself to halving poverty between 2004 and 2014, and one of the critical
components in meeting that objective was household food security (Stats SA 2017).
Various studies (Musotsi et al. 2008; Shrestha et al. 2001; Maponya and Moja 2012)
confirmed food gardening as a means for addressing food security and
supplementing the means of income in the household. According to the Gauteng
Provincial Government’s programme of action of 2009–2014, which addressed
strategic priority four, which is stimulating rural development and ensuring food
security, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is the main
custodian in ensuring that strategic priority four is addressed. Various past and
current food security programmes offered by the Gauteng Province,
e.g. Homestead Food Garden Project, Growing Own Food, and the Siyazondla
campaign, have to be appreciated as they have made a significant improvement in
the livelihoods of many rural Gauteng residents. Although various interventions are
made in the province in addressing the issue of food security through food
304
P. Maponya et al.
and about 395 households could go the whole day and night without eating
anything. It was also established that in terms of sustainability, not all household
gardens are economically viable, or socially and environmentally sustainable.
Nine hundred and seventy-one households agreed that gardens do not generate
income, and very few households (179) emphasised that gardens were generating
income. There was an almost equal response in terms of gardens supporting social
initiatives. In terms of environmental sustainability, 933 households were not
aware about the environmental issues. In conclusion, the majority of households
felt that the HFG Programme is very good (371), good (490), and fair (191). Only
a few households felt that the initiative is poor (70) and very poor (28). The
majority of households felt that the support received is very good (443), good
(341), and fair (166). Quite a number of households felt that the support received
was poor (105) and very poor (95). Hence, some of the recommended activities to
be included in the mechanism include stakeholder and community mobilisation,
situational analysis, food garden inputs, nutrition education, participation of the
community in homestead programme design and implementation, training, and
monitoring.
Keywords
Households · Homestead Gardens · Gauteng Province · South Africa · Food
Security and Sustainability
14.1 Introduction
According to Stats SA (2019), the Gauteng Province is a home for over 15.2 million
people, which contribute to 25.8% of the total national population. Studies have
shown that almost 20% of households in the Gauteng Province go to bed hungry due
to food insecurity and unsustainable income. The South African government has
committed itself to halving poverty between 2004 and 2014, and one of the critical
components in meeting that objective was household food security (Stats SA 2017).
Various studies (Musotsi et al. 2008; Shrestha et al. 2001; Maponya and Moja 2012)
confirmed food gardening as a means for addressing food security and
supplementing the means of income in the household. According to the Gauteng
Provincial Government’s programme of action of 2009–2014, which addressed
strategic priority four, which is stimulating rural development and ensuring food
security, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is the main
custodian in ensuring that strategic priority four is addressed. Various past and
current food security programmes offered by the Gauteng Province,
e.g. Homestead Food Garden Project, Growing Own Food, and the Siyazondla
campaign, have to be appreciated as they have made a significant improvement in
the livelihoods of many rural Gauteng residents. Although various interventions are
made in the province in addressing the issue of food security through food
304
P. Maponya et al.