Understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in eThekwini Metro, Durban, South Africa
South Africa faces a triple burden of malnutrition – undernutrition, hidden hunger and increasing rates of overweight and obesity driven by poor dietary choices. We examined fresh produce access and consumption patterns in Inchanga, eThekwini (South Africa) to understand how strengthening linkages...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Academy of Science of South Africa
2025-08-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
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| Online Access: | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/19011 |
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| author | Scott Drimie Mieke Faber Lisanne du Plessis |
| author_facet | Scott Drimie Mieke Faber Lisanne du Plessis |
| author_sort | Scott Drimie |
| collection | DOAJ |
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South Africa faces a triple burden of malnutrition – undernutrition, hidden hunger and increasing rates of overweight and obesity driven by poor dietary choices. We examined fresh produce access and consumption patterns in Inchanga, eThekwini (South Africa) to understand how strengthening linkages between small-scale farmers and consumers could improve local food systems. Using mixed methods, we collected quantitative data from 121 participants and conducted three focus group discussions to assess consumption patterns, procurement practices and barriers to fresh produce access. Key findings highlight significant challenges, including insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption; 29% of participants reported zero intake the previous day, largely due to financial constraints. Economic pressures are stark among low-income households, with 70% reliant on Child Support Grants, underscoring affordability barriers to nutritious foods. Participants travel over an hour to supermarkets for fresh produce, indicating potential for local markets. While nutrition knowledge was generally good, affordability rather than education emerged as the primary constraint. Insights into local food shopping behaviour underscore the potential for establishing markets that support local produce, enhancing community accessibility. Promoting African leafy vegetables emerges as a viable strategy to enhance the affordability of dietary diversity and health outcomes. The study reveals a clear opportunity to bridge the gap between local farmers seeking markets and consumers needing affordable, accessible fresh produce. Establishing local markets supported by appropriate public policy could simultaneously address farmers’ economic needs and consumers’ nutritional requirements, strengthening the resilience of local food systems.
Significance:
• Cost rather than knowledge is the primary barrier to adequate fresh produce consumption in low-income communities, although some misinformation on food prevails.
• Local market development could simultaneously address farmers’ livelihood needs and consumers’ food access challenges.
• Public policy support for farmer–consumer linkages represents a promising nutrition-sensitive intervention.
• There are intricate linkages between agriculture and nutrition, suggesting that comprehensive, multi-sectoral approaches are required to combat malnutrition effectively.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c19e3d4e80ff4de3b30ff7bc1aadddb1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-c19e3d4e80ff4de3b30ff7bc1aadddb12025-08-20T03:40:41ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892025-08-011217/810.17159/sajs.2025/19011Understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in eThekwini Metro, Durban, South AfricaScott Drimie0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3827-8051Mieke Faber1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8878-254XLisanne du Plessis2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0599-75001.Division of Human Nutrition, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; 2.Southern Africa Food Lab, Stellenbosch, South Africa1.Non-Communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa; 2.Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa1.Division of Human Nutrition, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; 2.Southern Africa Food Lab, Stellenbosch, South Africa South Africa faces a triple burden of malnutrition – undernutrition, hidden hunger and increasing rates of overweight and obesity driven by poor dietary choices. We examined fresh produce access and consumption patterns in Inchanga, eThekwini (South Africa) to understand how strengthening linkages between small-scale farmers and consumers could improve local food systems. Using mixed methods, we collected quantitative data from 121 participants and conducted three focus group discussions to assess consumption patterns, procurement practices and barriers to fresh produce access. Key findings highlight significant challenges, including insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption; 29% of participants reported zero intake the previous day, largely due to financial constraints. Economic pressures are stark among low-income households, with 70% reliant on Child Support Grants, underscoring affordability barriers to nutritious foods. Participants travel over an hour to supermarkets for fresh produce, indicating potential for local markets. While nutrition knowledge was generally good, affordability rather than education emerged as the primary constraint. Insights into local food shopping behaviour underscore the potential for establishing markets that support local produce, enhancing community accessibility. Promoting African leafy vegetables emerges as a viable strategy to enhance the affordability of dietary diversity and health outcomes. The study reveals a clear opportunity to bridge the gap between local farmers seeking markets and consumers needing affordable, accessible fresh produce. Establishing local markets supported by appropriate public policy could simultaneously address farmers’ economic needs and consumers’ nutritional requirements, strengthening the resilience of local food systems. Significance: • Cost rather than knowledge is the primary barrier to adequate fresh produce consumption in low-income communities, although some misinformation on food prevails. • Local market development could simultaneously address farmers’ livelihood needs and consumers’ food access challenges. • Public policy support for farmer–consumer linkages represents a promising nutrition-sensitive intervention. • There are intricate linkages between agriculture and nutrition, suggesting that comprehensive, multi-sectoral approaches are required to combat malnutrition effectively. https://sajs.co.za/article/view/19011triple burden of malnutritionfood accessibilitylocal food systemssmall-scale farmingnutrition-sensitive agricultureSouth Africa |
| spellingShingle | Scott Drimie Mieke Faber Lisanne du Plessis Understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in eThekwini Metro, Durban, South Africa South African Journal of Science triple burden of malnutrition food accessibility local food systems small-scale farming nutrition-sensitive agriculture South Africa |
| title | Understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in eThekwini Metro, Durban, South Africa |
| title_full | Understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in eThekwini Metro, Durban, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in eThekwini Metro, Durban, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in eThekwini Metro, Durban, South Africa |
| title_short | Understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in eThekwini Metro, Durban, South Africa |
| title_sort | understanding barriers and opportunities for fresh produce access in ethekwini metro durban south africa |
| topic | triple burden of malnutrition food accessibility local food systems small-scale farming nutrition-sensitive agriculture South Africa |
| url | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/19011 |
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