Gauteng Smallholder Gauteng Smallholder August 2017 | Page 17

From page 13
health sector.
But what is a nutritious diet,
and how much does such a
basket of food cost?
Researchers in 2012
attempted to answer these
questions by developing diets
using foodstuffs commonly
available off supermarket
shelves, ie not using fancy
supplements or stuff bought
in health shops. Nevertheless,
these hypothetical diets
contained all the nutrients,
minerals and vitamins
necessary to maintain average
individuals in certain levels of
day-to-day activity.
Next, for the purposes of
calculation, the researchers
determined an average South
African household size as
being four individuals, namely
two adults and two children.
It would be easy to argue that
the average South African
household is larger than four,
and contains additional
individuals such as grandpar-
ents, cousins etc who may or
may not contribute economi-
cally to the household. But
we're talking averages here, so
for simplicity's sake let's stick
with a household of four. And
on this basis, using a diet that
#SAFoodCrisis
today cost a family of
four R3 072 per month.
And now, therefore, a
few assumptions and a
little maths:
Assume that both adults
in our average four-
person household are
employed, one, say, as a
farm labourer and the
other as a domestic
worker; and assume that
both children receive a
child grant,
the total household
income is R6 183.35 per
Dr Tracy Ledger’s recent book
month.
will give each individual
Even if one assumes the
sufficient calories and
proposed national minimum
nutrients, and extrapolating
the 2012 figures by adding an wage becomes law the
household income would
amount for food inflation
amount to only R7 760
each year, the researchers'
monthly, assuming the
calculations show that the
children continued to receive
average four-individual
their child grants.
household would need to
But given an unemployment
spend R9 419 per month on
rate of 26,5% or more, there
food to enjoy a fully nutri-
would be many, many
tional diet.
households with at least one
They also worked out a
adult unemployed (statistically
lower-cost diet that would
contain only two-thirds of the one in every four of every
calories recommended for full houseehold in which an adult
is employed). And two
nutrition, but still contains
parents in jobs means that the
sufficient vitamins and
children would not have a
minerals etc for survival. On
family member free as a
the same basis this would
15
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caregiver for after-school
supervision etc.
So, taking our best-case
hypothesis of two adults
employed at official
sectorally-determined wages,
or even at proposed national
minimum wage levels, it is
impossible for a four person
household to afford a
nutritionally-appropriate diet
(even if it spent every cent of
its income on food), and it is
even highly unlikely that the
household will be eating even
two-thirds of the calories and
nutrients daily that are
required.
This is the reality for the
majority of South Africans
regardless of whether
unemployment is at 26,5%,
or higher, and regardless of
the imposition of the
proposed minimum wage.
South Africans should
therefore be asking two
questions:
Firstly, what is the sense of a
wage (and grant) structure
that is insufficient to enable
vulnerable South Africans (ie
the majority) to enjoy even
the most basic nutritious diet?
And, secondly, if the wage
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