The South African State and Urban Food Security in Johannesburg

While urban food insecurity has increased in the Global South, it has been overlooked among academics, policymakers, and urban managers. To fill this research gap, this paper analyzes the South African state’s approach to urban food security in Johannesburg as a case study. Through an analysis of governmental policy documents and in-depth interviews with government and civil society administrators, this paper suggests that Johannesburg’s urban food security policy has been limited by the state’s uncoordinated approach, ineffective funding institutions, uneven access to financial resources, disconnectedness from on-the-ground realities, lack of urban-focused food security policy, and corrupt electioneering.