Workshop based on notion of food systems encompassing:

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Summary of December Workshop output
Workshop based on notion of food systems
encompassing Availability of food Access to
food Utilization of food Guided discussion on
parameters needed to be included in a conceptual
understanding of southern African food systems
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• 18 types of Key Agents were identified
• Key issues concerning interactions between agents
  were identified
• Many roles of key agents are done by or
  controlled by Govt.
• Process (cyclical?) control by Govt ?
  devolution/dereg. ? reg- control
• NGO civil society (e.g. farmer assoc.) small
  and not heard
• Cross border investment (some countries support)
• Imposition of scientific policy knowledge vs.
  use of local knowledge
• Flows of information

3

• Current emerging key stressors for southern
  African food systems were identified by 7
  sub-categories
• Institutional
• Infrastructural
• Political
• Environmental
• Socio-cultural
• Economic
• Demographic

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Summary of stressors identified (GEC issues in
bold itals) HIV/AIDS Poor monetary policy Water
stress Unemployment Population increase and food
demand Weakening transport infrastructure Conflict
Inadequate institutional capacity Debt
burden Lack of political integration Urbanisation/
migration Inadequate food retailing Lack of
information Climate variability ENSO Land
degradation, inc. aliens invasions Change in mean
T and ppt Change in fire frequency and intensity
5
GECAFS Theme 1 Research Questions

• Key features of food systems
• How can standardised datasets of Food System
  determinants be developed so as to be robust
  across the region?
• Sub-questions on methodology and dataset
  contents
• How do food availability and accessibility
  relate to food production and exchange at SADC,
  national and sub-national scales?
• What are the trends in food availability, access
  and utilisation at SADC, national and
  sub-national scales?

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2) Current vulnerability of Food Systems to
agreed major stressors How does the interaction
between stressors and determinants define the
vulnerability of food systems in Southern
Africa? What makes each component of food
systems vulnerable to different stressors? 3)
How GEC might alter vulnerability How does GEC
affect the stressors, the determinants, and the
interaction between them in Southern African food
systems?