Strengthening household food security in King Cetshwayo District Municipality: initiatives and roles of local municipalities.

Abstract

The paper analyses the effectiveness of initiatives in alleviating food insecurity at the household level in King Cetshwayo District. Despite the public services delivered by municipalities, studies have revealed that food insecurity in households remains a serious and persistent issue. Five focus groups discussions, comprising of agricultural cooperatives, and interviews with five local municipal officials were conducted. This paper used a sustainable livelihood approach to explain the municipality's initiatives that strengthen household food security in a rural setting. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that agricultural cooperatives mainly blamed the inadequacy of support services, such as financial input and supply of agricultural equipment, on governmental institutions. The paper recommends that the government develops interventions that promote and strengthen rural agricultural development in the district, and for rural municipalities to develop diverse economic strategies that extend beyond agriculture for rural people.