Assessing the food security status of households participating in community gardens in the Maphephetheni Uplands determined by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale

ii While South Africa is nationally food secure, the majority of rural households are food insecure. Community and home gardens are widely promoted to alleviate food insecurity. Households in the Maphephetheni Uplands, KwaZulu-Natal have come together to cultivate community gardens, producing food crops for consumption and selling surpluses. This study evaluated the contribution of community gardens towards alleviating food insecurity in the Maphephetheni Uplands. A survey was conducted among 53 participants of community gardens and their households. A questionnaire and focus group discussions were used to evaluate the following household food security measures: anxiety and uncertainty about food supply; consumption of a variety of preferred foods; consumption of sufficient quantities of food; and the prevalence of food insecurity. Eighty percent of the participating households had insufficient food intake, 72 % consumed food of inadequate quality and 89 % were anxious and uncertain about food supplies. Among the household