War in Ukraine highlights the need to be more self-sufficient in terms of food security.

As we move into the second month since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, we are starting to see the effects the war is having on global food supply chains. Ukraine and Russia are both significant global producers of agricultural grains with roughly 28% of the world’s wheat being produced between the two countries and both exporting the bulk of their wheat crops. With the trade sanctions imposed on Russia and the halting of Ukraine’s food exports, virtually every country will feel the impact of the resultant shortages in the supply of wheat.

South Africa is a relatively small producer of wheat (approximately 1.5 mt vs Russia’s 75 mt per annum) with the result that we need to import roughly 40% of the wheat that ultimately finds its way into our daily loaf of bread. Up to now almost a third of our imported wheat has been sourced from Russia and Ukraine.

With the war disrupting the supply chain, this lack of availability – as any first-year macroeconomic student will know – will push up the price on the supply/demand curve, which is what we are currently experiencing as a result of our dependence on external food supply sources. The SAFEX price of wheat futures for delivery in May 2022 has already jumped 32% when compared to the traded price a year ago. This effect will most certainly flow through to the shelf price and the already battered South African consumer will have another item to add to a growing list of items for which they will have to pay more.

Even though war tends to be a once-in-a-generation phenomenon (ironically, and so is global pandemics) – it does again highlight how being self-sufficient in terms of food production can act as a buffer to soften the sometimes unavoidable impact of international events.

African Seeds Group has over the last few years seen an upward trend in individuals tending their own small vegetable patch in their garden. For most of us in the formal economy this tends to be more of a hobby than a legitimate source of food. However, in the more informal economy – and especially in the more rural parts of our country – it becomes a necessity for most families.

Having a vegetable garden that can sustainably feed your family all year round is not as far-fetched as it may sound. As a rule of thumb, you will need 20 m2 for every person in the household, so a 100 m2 garden should be big enough to feed a family of five for a year. Rural families have discovered the additional benefits of having their own vegetable garden long ago. Not only do they save the time and extra money of having to buy produce from the market (or shop), which is often far away - as vegetables are seasonal they only eat what is in season, avoiding the temptation to buy expensive out-of-season crops, which are usually much more expensive. Another benefit is that it doesn’t really cost more to farm organically in one’s own back garden. Wastage is also much less as any unused products easily convert into organic fertiliser and growth medium for the next crop. Finally, it allows families to teach their children valuable lessons about the food supply chain and cultivate an understanding of the value of food and agricultural production in their lives.