One thing to change to move towards sustainability

I was recently challenged to apply my mind to the one thing that I would change if I could to make a difference in the sustainability space. Given the complexity of sustainability as a field and the understanding I hold about all of the different aspects that there are in sustainability work, I found it hard to come up with a single dimension on which to focus. 

Sustainability is a multidimensional field with its tendrils extending into almost every aspect of our lives today. The three core prongs are social, economic and environmental. Everywhere in the world, but particularly so in South Africa, we have to go beyond the surface level in our understanding of its extent and look at the root causes and systemic challenges of building a sustainable future here.

My thinking about the sustainability field is no doubt informed by my studies at the Sustainability Institute in Stellenbosch where I chose to focus on spatial inequality. South Africa remains a country that has inequity hard-baked into it, where you live is defining with respect to, not only to work opportunities, but also to almost everything else including education, transport as well as access to inexpensive and healthy foods. 

The Monitoring and Evaluation work that I have done at Southern Hemisphere has given me the opportunity to work in the growing field of sustainable development. A good example of this is a recent project with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) where we were looking at policy change around food systems in a number of African countries has heightened my awareness around how important they are as a personal and relatable access point to sustainable development.

A link between environmental injustice, health and food systems

Capitalist societies tend to centralisation and there are monopolies in any sector you can think of, the retail sector in South Africa is no different. The food retail sector is highly concentrated1, with Shoprite holding roughly 33% of the formal market, followed by Pick ‘n Pay (18%), Spar (14%), Woolworths (10%), and Massmart (8%). According to a recent Geopoll study1, between 60-80% of all food sales take place through one of the formal retail chains.

Food consumption is undoubtedly linked to health and you need only look at the statistics in South Africa to know that something has gone awry. The South African population is one of the most unhealthy on the African continent; we are the highest-ranked nation when it comes to obesity2, about 10.6% of our population suffers from diabetes3, and nearly 78,500 people die a year4 through hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Although some of these very serious health issues are genetic, there is also a clear link to the excessive consumption of processed foods, sugary drinks, and refined carbohydrates along with unhealthy fats.

One of the things that the sustainability sector is calling for is decentralisation and creating networks for energy and also for food production and food distribution. This benefits small food producers that use non-extensive, regenerative farming methos that put carbon back into the soil, regenerate the land and use less or no chemical fertilisers and pesticides, further protecting the environment.

Currently in certain more affluent socio-economic segments of South Africa, there is a distributed option of shopping for high quality and often organic food through food-co-ops. These co-ops become mini-nodes; they form connections with climate-friendly food producers all around a province and then distribute food to consumers at a very localised level. One such example would be Food Hubs or Clubs which have popped up all around South Africa. 5 This enables a variety of produce, it allows for cutting out the middle man and potentially for fairer remuneration for farmers so it answers many of the objectives with respect to sustainability.

But opportunities to shop this way are not as accessible to those living in townships and informal settlements and given that access to food has a direct impact on health, this inequity perpetuates inequality.

Finding a single and universal access point to sustainability

Maybe it is my Spanish heritage or the work that we, as Southern Hemisphere have done in the food systems space but what I came to land on as the starting point for sustainability is the improvement of food systems.

Food is personal, food is relatable, and the links to health are clear. Because we interact with food multiple times a day, it is the most intimate way we engage with the economy and the environment. It is not an abstract concept like “carbon credits” or “industrial offsets”; it is the plate in front of us. This is why I believe food systems are the “low-hanging fruit” of sustainability and the impact of a shift here would be immediate, visible, and visceral.