HIV/AIDS and South Africa’s Agricultural Sector: Impact on Food Demand

South Africa has one of the highest cases of HIV infections in the world. With the epidemic continuing at an alarming rate, the government of South Africa has regarded the HIV/AIDS epidemic a developmental and socio-economic policy issue. The study explores the impact of HIV/AIDS on food demand in South Africa. The food demand function is specified and estimated using time-series data for the period 1970 to 2000. Simulation analysis is performed to examine the impact of ‘with AIDS’ and ‘without AIDS’ scenarios. The empirical results indicate that the HIV/AIDS epidemic could have a major impact on food demand patterns for selected food items in South Africa