2.5 History of SFP in Botswana
2.7.1 Overview of Botswana
70 2.7 Profile of Botswana
In this section, relevant literature related to the study site, Botswana and the SFP in Botswana will be reviewed.
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in school. Despite this, there was a reported high drop-out rate, especially in urban areas.
However, in comparison to other Sub-Saharan countries, the wellbeing of Botswana’s children’s is considered relatively good (UNICEF, 2017). Along with its economic success, Botswana is also faced with a double-burden of malnutrition due to rapid nutrition transitions (Nnyepi et al., 2015;
Tathiah et al., 2013). Results from a cross-sectional study that targeted 746 adolescent schoolchildren in cities, towns and villages in Botswana, reported food intake behaviours that are consistent with nutrition transition, namely the consumption of empty calorie foods in lieu of traditional foods (Maruapula et al., 2011). The factors that are contributing to this nutrition transition includes urbanisation, economic growth, technological changes, food processing and empty calorie diets (Azuike et al., 2011). Botswana has successfully implemented school feeding since 1988 with the aim of preventing hunger, providing children with a balanced diet, keeping children in school for the duration of the school day, and to improve school attendance [Botswana Institute of Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA, 2013)].
Figure 2.10: Percentage distribution of population aged six years and older by school attendance and area 2017 in Botswana
Source: Statistics Botswana, (2017)
Keng & Ikgopoleng, (2011) state that Botswana’s economy is mainly based on natural resources, especially in the mining industry. Botswana’s unfavourable climatic environment is one of the
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major reasons why the country’s food security is dependent on neighboring countries, especially South Africa (Acquah et al., 2014). The latter has had an impact on food retail companies that dominate the country’s food retail sector (Crush & Frayne, 2011). In addition to fresh produce, it has been observed that these outlets sell cooked foods resembling traditional Setswana cuisine.
However, these foods are sometimes high in salt and fat in the form of oil. Provision of these cooked meals have directly influenced the dietary habits of the urban population as they consume most of their meals away from home. Hence, Botswana’s nutrition transition has been characterised by a change from a healthier home-cooked traditional diet to westernized foods that are highly processed (Shaibu et al., 2011). Due to employment opportunities, especially in the capital city Gaborone, a shift to a modern lifestyle has resulted in a growing number of shopping malls, business districts, service industries and other facilities (Acquah et al., 2013).
Despite these positive economic indicators, there have been many developmental challenges such as a high unemployment rate and an increase in urban poverty levels which is especially rampant in peri-urban areas (Sekwati et al., 2012). Crush et al., (2012) also alluded to the fact that even in a low income population, easy access to often affordable fast foods has contributed to an increase in diet-related disease and an unhealthy body weight that is often associated with affluence. Even among children, these public health problems are not an exception. A study conducted among adolescent secondary school learners in Botswana, found that 16% of the 780 adolescents sampled, especially those from urban areas, were either overweight or obese while 5% were underweight (Wrotniack et al., 2009). Another factor contributing to an unhealthy lifestyle among urban dwellers has been an increase in a sedentary lifestyle due to increased motorised transport and decreased manual labour (Maruapula et al., 2011).
The country has made strides towards trying to reduce nutrition-related problems. In 2015, Botswana’s Vice President declared nutrition a priority during a national nutrition conference referred to as “Nutrition Advocacy Conference” (National Conference, 2015). Despite the government’s efforts, one of the major factors that contribute to undernutrition is the high prevalence of poverty and food insecurity, especially in rural areas. However, the country’s good governance and political stability has had a positive impact on attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which should have ultimately had a positive impact on a reduction in poverty due to job
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creation [International Monetary Fund (IMF), 2012). Despite its transformation to a middle- income country, Botswana’s national level of poverty in 2009/2010, was estimated to be at 23%
decline from 60% at the time of independence (Statistics Botswana, 2013). Acquah et al., (2014) estimated that 13% of rural households in Botswana are food insecure as a result of a lack of self- sufficiency in food production. This therefore means that the majority of household income is spent on food purchases. The widely and frequently consumed staple foods are carbohydrate based and include maize and sorghum (Bahta et al., 2017).
A survey conducted by the African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN) indicated that not everyone is benefitting the country’s economic success as many of the country’s population, especially the urban poor, experience extremely high levels of food insecurity (Acquah et al., 2014). In some low-income groups of Gaborone, such as Old Naledi, this is worsened by poor living conditions such as lack of adequate water and sanitation, unsafe housing and overcrowding which also expose the majority of households to communicable diseases (Acquah et al., 2014).
However, the eradication of poverty is given very high priority by the government. Some of the programmes geared towards improving household wellbeing, include backyard gardening, bee keeping, destitution programmes, orphan care programmes, Ipelegeng Programme, and Food Relief Services for Primary Schools and Health Facilities (Sekwati et al., 2012). The Orphan Care Programme was implemented during the onset of HIV/AIDS pandemic when the number of orphans in Botswana increased, while in 2008, the National Guidelines on the Care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children were adopted (UNICEF, 2016).