/ 13 September 2013

Leading the fight against poverty

Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson with women farmers at a harvest in Limpopo.
Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson with women farmers at a harvest in Limpopo. (DAFF)

These women are as diverse as the products that they produce — mothers and grandmothers in rural areas who grow maize, beans and pumpkins for their pantries to women who run successful enterprises that process agricultural goods and timber for national and export markets.

The chains that had stopped scores of women from providing adequately for themselves and their families, and made it impossible for women to stake their claim to the development of the South African economy were broken in 1994.

This year’s commemoration of 100 years of the passing of the Native Land Act of 1913 brought into focus not only the people of South Africa’s indelible connection to land, but also fuelled the government’s commitment to ensuring that all its citizens enjoy the bounty of South Africa’s natural resources.

In line with the National Development Plan, with the aim is to eliminate poverty and inequality by 2030, the government acknowledges the role that its citizenry, especially women, have to play in making this possible.

The agricultural sector remains the largest contributor to job creation in South Africa. On a smaller scale, gardens continue to provide reliable sources of food for many families.

The department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries implores South Africans to heed the call for “one food garden one household, one household one garden”.

The department implemented the food security and nutrition policy, which aims to ensure activity at all levels of society that promote nutrition and food production.

The department also implemented its integrated food security production intervention (IFSPI) to afford smallholder farmers, communities and households the ability to increase production of basic food security at household and local level.

The IFSPI focuses on stabilising the production and productivity of maize and beans by providing machinery, advice and resources to emerging farmers. One million hectares of under-used land has been identified for the production of maize, beans, sugar, sunflowers and potatoes.

Through the intervention, the World Food Programme has purchased 200 000 tons of maize from smallholder farmers for export.

Through these seeds and a solid partnership with the government and the people of South Africa we can eradicate poverty, create jobs and restore dignity, the department says.