Abstracts

29 Introduction Climate change affects the rates and seasonal production patterns of different food items as well as access to food. Currently, about 65% of the South African population is food secure, but approximately half of those people are at risk of becoming food insecure (Masipa, 2017). The remaining 35% of the population currently experiences hunger andmalnutrition, even though South Africa produces enough food to feed its population (Abdu-Raheem & Worth, 2011). As a result, food production is seen as a prominent challenge: in the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy , Strategic Outcome 1.1 is to “secure food, water and energy supplies for all citizens” (Department of Environmental Affairs [DEA], 2019). Importantly, the impact of climate change on agriculture is not just a rural issue (Archer et al., 2009). Increasing urbanization in South Africa might intuitively suggest there is more available land for farming in rural areas, but, since 2001, as carbon dioxide emissions have increased, the amount of available arable land has decreased, further straining farmers to provide more food to more people with less land and less favorable conditions (Masipa, 2017). Although global warming has degraded arable land worldwide, in South Africa the trend toward decreasing arable land is stronger and has been occurring for longer than in the rest of the world. The World Bank found that in 1961 there were 0.69 arable hectares per person in South Africa. In 2016, that fell to 0.22 arable hectares per person, a result of both a growing population and a decrease in total available arable land. As much as 91% of South Africa is considered arid or semiarid land, “and it is [in] these areas that land degradation can lead to desertification and the irreversible loss of productive land” (Goldblatt, n.d). When it comes to food security, South Africans need to make tough choices in response to climate change, like delaying the start of planting according to rainfall and planting crops in FOOD SECURITY IN SOUTH AFRICA IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE Jordan Wolman Concerns regarding food and water security in South Africa are increasing at a rapid pace while the effects of climate change have a disproportionate impact on the region. At the core of the climate change conversation in South Africa is the issue of food security. This article identifies challenges and problematic trends related to the relationship between food security and climate change and then evaluates potential solutions regarding production of food. Perspectives on Business and Economics, Vol. 38, 2020