Research on World Agricultural Economy

Applying the Entitlement Approach to Understand Food Security Dynamics in South Africa

Mfundo Mandla Masuku

Discipline of Development Studies, University of KwaZulu‑Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa

Zinhle Mthembu

Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa

Mbongeni Shadrack Sithole

Department of Social Work, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v7i1.1900

Received: 25 March 2025 | Revised: 21 April 2025 | Accepted: 31 July 2025 | Published Online: 27 January 2026

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Abstract

This paper applies Amartya Sen’s entitlement approach as a lens for analysing food security within the South African democratic context. Based on multiple disciplinary perspectives and an entitlement approach as a lens, the paper examines how the country’s political and economic structures influence individuals’ capability to access food and secure entitlements in a post-apartheid society. A systematic literature review was conducted across six electronic databases to locate peer-reviewed English-language literature published between 1981 and 2022.  Despite South Africa’s political and economic developments, individuals in households continue to struggle to meet their basic needs. This limitation, particularly the lack of access to quality food, is mainly attributed to persistent unequal distribution and control over services, assets and resources. The paper argues that South Africa’s neoliberal democratic orientation often reduces food insecurity to an individual peril rather than a social phenomenon, which subsequently overlooks the broader structural and social dimensions. The paper concludes that a state has a role to address the food insecurity challenge by implementing context-specific, micro-level interventions that enhance individuals’ access to food as a social right. The paper advocates for an inclusive approach in designing and implementing interventions intended to enhance food security at the household level.   

Keywords: Democracy; Food Security; Food Accessibility; Entitlement Theory; Social Development

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