ECONOMICS Faculty of Human and Management Sciences

"Food security is access by all people of all times to enough food for an active, healthy life " (World Bank, 1986:1). It is thought that between 300 million and 1 billion people in the world are food insecure. This could be as much as twenty percent of the world population. A World Bank study estimated that 340 million people in developing countries did not have enough calorie intakes to prevent stunted growth, and a further 730 million did not have enough income to ensure an active working life. Many households barely subsist around a poverty line- at times above it, and at other times below. Such transitory food insecurity is common, dependent on the weather and other environmental or socio-economic factors. In South Africa, a rising population growth has meant a rise in food insecurity for many rural households, and this may be further exacerbated by the impact of HIV/AIDS which increases occupancy and dependency ratios in households when orphaned children are taken in to be cared for. This research introduces the key concepts and indicators of food security set in th