Determining the influence of livelihoods, land access, and location on household food and nutrition security in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Access to healthy food varies across socioeconomic circumstances such as primary livelihood, and access to shops, land, farms, and cities. We compared household food and nutrition security across households with food-producing and non-food-producing livelihoods, access to farms and non-farm greenspaces, and their location relative to farms, non-farm greenspaces, shops, and urban centres. We used household survey data and landscape spatial data from five sites across the socioeconomic gradient. Food security was higher in wealthier, more educated, urban households, and dietary diversity was highest in rural and agrarian households. Non-farm greenspaces such as communal and informal land, and backyard and communal gardens, were significant food sources. On-farm diversification, smallholder support, and provisioning of non-farm greenspaces can improve food and nutrition security. Agricultural extension and spatial planning policy should target smallholder capacitation, and development of fruit and vegetable gardens in both rural and urban areas, for sustainable, equitable, healthy food environments.