ISBN 9781920597085
Pages 38
Dimensions 254 x 178mm
Published 2016
Publisher Southern African Migration Programme, South Africa
Format Paperback

The State of Food Insecurity in Gaborone, Botswana

by Benjamin Acquah, Stephen Kapunda, Alexander Legwegoh, Thando Gwebu, Tirelo Modie-Moroka, Aloysius Mosha

The results of AFSUN’s study of the food security situation of the poor in Gaborone show that not everyone is benefitting from Botswana’s strong and growing economy and that many of the urban poor experience extremely high levels of food insecurity. The study, which formed part of AFSUN’s baseline survey of 11 Southern African cities, collected data on a broad range of issues that affect household food insecurity and found that four out of five households in the surveyed areas in Gaborone reported severe or moderate food insecurity. Only 18% were either food secure or mildly food insecure. Income level is a particularly important determinant of food insecurity as most households access food from the marketplace rather than grow their own. The impacts of chronic food insecurity on Gaborone’s population are likely to be considerable unless this problem is urgently addressed. The problem is in some sense invisible because there appears to be no shortage of food in the shops and on the streets of this booming city. The challenge is not one of food supply but food accessibility and food quality. Given that Botswana is one of the most rapidly urbanizing and most urbanized countries in Africa, its example has wider importance for the general study of urban food security on the continent.

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About the Authors

Benjamin Acquah

Benjamin Acquah is a Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Botswana.

Stephen Kapunda

Stephen M. Kapunda has taught Industrial Economics, among other economics courses, at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels for more than thirty years. He has also been an external examiner in various African universities. Prof Kapunda holds a BA(Ed) degree, majoring in Economics, from the University of Dar-es-Salaam, an MA (Economics), University of Toronto, Canada and a PhD (Economics) from the University of Dar-es-Salaam. He is currently at the University of Botswana. 

Alexander Legwegoh

Alexander Legwegoh is a Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Guelph.

Thando Gwebu

Thando Gwebu is Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences. University of Botswana.

Tirelo Modie-Moroka

Tirelo Modie-Moroka is a Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work, University of Botswana.

Aloysius Mosha

Aloysius Mosha is Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning, University of Botswana.

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