A Qualitative Analysis of the Commercial Broiler System, and the Links to Consumers' Nutrition and Health, and to Environmental Sustainability: A South African Case Study

Abstract

Food systems face growing challenges to meet targets of Zero Hunger (SDG 2), and South Africa is no exception given its triple burden of malnutrition, foodborne disease outbreaks, and threats of climate change to food production. Broiler meat is South Africa's most affordable meat option, supporting household food and nutrition security. Although considered healthier and less environmentally harmful than ruminant meat, it is not without food safety risks and environmental impacts. This research aimed to present the foremost commercial broiler system narratives in South Africa, around targets of SDG 2, and to discuss key considerations for policymakers. Twenty-nine key informants and stakeholders, purposively selected to cover a wide range of opinions, participated in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts underwent a qualitative framework analysis. Results showed a highly efficient system, dominated by a small number of interlinked large-scale actors, vulnerable to competition from cheaper imports, yet pressurized to maintain high food safety and environmental impact standards, with a price-sensitive consumer base. Existing policies lack integration and enforcement capacity, and are undermined by siloed government departments, and mistrust and power struggles between public and private sectors. We propose removal of silo walls, and trust building through participatory policy development, with collaborative and transformative public-private partnerships that are designed to build capacity to deliver sustainable solutions.

Innovative and Sustainable Food Production and Food Consumption Entrepreneurship: A Conceptual Recipe for Delivering Development Success in South Africa

“…Supporting these research arguments, FAO confirms that the high levels of food insecurity are a major challenge to SA, especially within vulnerable communities [11,76,77]. The lower levels of human, community, and economic development in SA explain why food insecurity remains topical and problematic [42,44,69]. Based on this argument, it is agreed that high food production activities are consistent with high levels of food availability and accessibility.…”

“…Ideally, the levels of availability, accessibility, and affordability of food within vulnerable communities is a big food security issue in SA. Advancing the arguments raised by Queenan et al [42] in research addressing food consumption patterns and sustainability, other scholars argue that socially, physically, and economically food security is designed to combat hunger and malnutrition, which are major development problems affecting health and well-being in SA [2,[72][73][74][75]. Supporting these research arguments, FAO confirms that the high levels of food insecurity are a major challenge to SA, especially within vulnerable communities [11,76,77].…”

“…While much debate regarding greening and management of the environment through effective use of resources and prevailing ecosystems in an effort to reduce carbon emission and preserve natural resources is taking precedence in SA (SDGs 11 and 12) [37], the significant sustainability issues in SA hinge around inequality. Research studies focusing on SA articulate inequality and underdevelopment trends in SA, highlighting the significance of economic underdevelopment and poverty, food insecurity, health and malnutrition, gender bias and lack of empowerment, limited social mobility, poor quality of life among the vulnerable communities within the marginalised societies [2,3,[38][39][40][41][42]. This is quite consistent with the development trends in SA, where the highest levels of inequality have been recorded consistently with the SDGs (SDGs 5, 10, 16) [14,36].…”

“…Efforts to address some of the trends and issues associated with the vulnerable and marginalised communities in agricultural food production and food consumption entrepreneurship should play a pivotal role towards development in SA [3,42,44,69,70]. In a study focusing on nutritious food production and consumption in rural areas of SA (Hendriks et al) [69] articulates the link between food production, food security issues, and sustainability.…”

“…Conceptually, technical agricultural food production and food consumption, community, human development, and economic processes resonate with food security issues [41,44,69,71]. Food security is a major sustainable development challenge that defines and distinguishes the developing economy of SA from developed countries, according to a study conducted by Queenan et al [42]. SA remains one of the poorest countries in the world [41,44,69].…”