FOOD SECURITY, RURAL ECONOMIC LINKAGES AND THE CREATION OF EMPLOYMENT IN RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Virtually every country in Southern Africa, with varying degrees of commitment and success, has identified food security as an important policy goal. The problem of food insecurity in the countries of the region is, however, intricately linked to the wider problem of poverty and the main source of both of these problems is rural stagnation. This paper analyzes the critical linkages between food insecurity and rural stagnation in Southern Africa. Strategies and options for incorporating rural Southern Africans into a self-sustaining process of economic growth are examined with an emphasis on promoting rural employment and incomes. These include leveraging farm/non-farm growth linkages for maximum rural employment; promoting agriculture-based income diversification; and strengthening the linkages between the rural and industrial sectors. A number of strategic and tactical preconditions that must be met to ensure success and sustainability are also addressed in the paper, including: the need for an integrate...