Gendered attitudes to fruit and vegetable consumption during the COVID-19 epidemic: Implications for policy and programming

abstract

Existing literature suggests that increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is not only important for general health but is also critical for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. However, consumption of fruit and vegetables in South Africa remains low and gendered, with women consuming more vegetables because of social and cultural reasons.

Using the gender and development approach as a theoretical lens, this paper explores the consumption of fruit and vegetables during the COVID-19 epidemic, drawing on qualitative research (focus groups and key informant interviews) conducted among communities and stakeholders in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga. The paper draws out key themes emerging from the discussions on consumption of fruit and vegetables in the selected communities through content analysis.

Consistent with the literature, the study findings suggest that fruit and vegetable consumption is low and that gender and cultural beliefs affect consumption. Although communities know about and consume indigenous vegetables, perceptions of these as foods of the poor and their unavailability in major retail stores limit their consumption. Retailers as dominant players in the food system dictate the fruits and vegetables that are sold and consumed, and rather than reflecting the diversity of the population, these tend to reflect the interests and tastes of the owners of the means of production. Social media obfuscated the gender differences in the consumption of specific vegetables and fruits. This paper underscores the gendered attitudes, while unravelling the embeddedness of cultural mores, values, and taboos on the consumption of fruit and vegetables in a time of COVID-19. Policies and programmes for improving consumption of fruit and vegetables need to be culturally appropriate and need to decolonise the food system, to improve access to and consumption of indigenous varieties.

keywords:

• gender and development
• intersectionality
• food system
• indigenous vegetables
• decolonise

Acknowledgements

The findings reported were drawn from a study funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada, Grant No. 108649-001. The authors are grateful to the IDRC for the generous funding and mentorship. We also acknowledge the support of the South African Non-Communicable Disease Alliance in linking us with critical stakeholders in the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Khumo Mngomezulu

KHUMO NOKUTHULA MNGOMEZULU has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand (2005–2007), and an Honours degree in Media Studies. Her honours research focused on how elite print media were used as key sources in coverage of HIV-related news in the Sunday Times newspaper. A key finding was portrayal of African females as the face of HIV and AIDS, but not as sources of news. She also volunteered at the Johannesburg-based Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, writing on the representation of immigrant women in coverage of the 2008 Xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Her Master’s dissertation focused on the representation of women in television news, with a specific focus on health, sports and political news. In 2020 she gained her PhD degree at Wits University. Khumo served as an Exco member at DreamGirls Academy, a Johannesburg-based non-profit organisation. She served in the women’s prison ministry of her church that visited and mentored pregnant incarcerated women. Her church has influenced her passion for transformation and empowerment of Africans across gender, ethnicity, nationality, and class.

Catherine Ndinda

CATHERINE NDINDA is an urban sociologist and holds an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning (Development) and a PhD in Social Science (Gender & Housing). She has been a principal investigator in numerous research projects, including the national baseline assessment of informal settlements targeted for upgrading (2016). The findings were published by the National Department of Human Settlements (2020). Her research focus is on monitoring and evaluation, policy analysis, human settlements, and gender studies. She is a research director in Human and Social Capabilities at the Human Sciences Research Council, and Honorary Professor of Development Studies at the University of South Africa. Email: [email protected]

Zintathu Mazamane

ZINTATHU MAZAMANE has a strong background in research, management consulting, policy, and strategy development. She is currently completing a Master of Urban Studies in Urban Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, her thesis being on women’s advancement into leadership. Zintathu has worked as a research lead and development consultant in diverse economic sectors, providing valuable insights to government, the private sector, and non-government organisations. Her professional experience spans the Southern African region, including Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, and Lesotho. She runs her management consultancy called Nzeru Development Solutions, where she also works as a development specialist, and occasionally works as a freelance researcher for the Human Sciences Research Council. Email: [email protected]

Sikhulumile Sinyolo

SIKHULUMILE SINYOLO is a Senior Research Specialist in the Inclusive Economic Development Division at the Human Sciences Research Council. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which he completed in 2016. He also holds an MSc in Agricultural Economics and a Postgraduate Diploma in Food Security from the same university. Sikhulumile’s research focuses on food and nutrition security, the economics of smallholder farming systems, gender dynamics, rural development and the socio-economic dimensions of innovation. Email: [email protected]

Pauline Adebayo

PAULINE ADEBAYO is an Associate Professor in the School of Built Environment and Development Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is a land economist who holds a PhD in Town and Regional Planning and an MA in Housing Administration. Her research interests are in the areas of urban land markets, housing policy, housing finance and vulnerable groups in cities. Her recent publications are on gender and housing policy, incremental housing, housing and health, urban inclusivity and the asset effect of home ownership by the poor in South Africa. She was a member of the expert groups which wrote the chapters on gender equality and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups in the first edition of the South Africa COVID-19 Country Report commissioned by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, Government Technical Advisory Centre and National Research Foundation in 2021. She is a member of the expert groups currently conducting research towards the gender equality, vulnerable groups and human settlements chapters for the second edition of the report. Email: [email protected]