The impact and financial viability of rural women's food security projects in South Africa

Abstract

Small-scale farming is usually intended to contribute to food security, which could assist in the reduction of poverty. Despite South Africa being food secure at the national level, food insecurity exists at household level. In South Africa, the implementation of household level food security programmes, including women's food security projects, have been some of the most important interventions. This article aims to evaluate the financial viability and sustainability of women's food security projects in South Africa. A cross sectional study of women's perceptions about the impact of the food security projects on their households was undertaken. Data was collected from 45 female food security project participants for the 2012/13 agricultural season. Gross margin analysis was used to assess the financial viability and straight line depreciation was used to assess sustainability. The results show the projects as financially viable and are perceived to be contributing significantly to household issues of food security. The lingering question is whether such programmes can be scaled up. Governance systems can be used for the scaling up process. In smallholder irrigation systems, communities are slowly getting involved in the management of natural resources and enhancing or replacing state-based governance systems. Water user associations have been developed on smallholder irrigations systems. Through the inclusion of specific conditions in the constitutions of such governance systems, scaling up and sustainability could be achieved.