Land Reform and Food Security from a Youth Perspective: Lessons from South Africa Maria Molokomme, Jabulani Mathebula, Selma Karuaihe, Christopher Manyamba *Humans Sciences Research Council

Introduction and background South Africa’s growing population and a decreasing agricultural productivity in combination with a rural exodus Land reform can make a major contribution towards addressing youth unemployment The lack of land needed to engage in agriculture is still considered an adult issue, and reduces youth’s ability to attain food security

Problem statement & objectives significant progress has been made towards land reform policies and regulations to facilitate improved access to land for the majority of the previously disadvantaged black population, the impact of such policies still remain to be seen There is a gap of land policies on paper and what the policy itself envisages to achieve, the youth still face particular challenges of unemployment, agriculture has the potential to create more employment. Objectives To link food security status of the youth with the land reform policy implemented projects Investigates the relationship between access to land for the youth and food security.

Land Policies Regimes in South Africa South African land policy is characterised by three cycles of policy regimes post 1994 namely: The first one Settlement/Land acquisition grant SLAG which mainly focused on a pro-poor approach The second cycle saw Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD), which focused on a neoclassical approach (1999); and The third cycle was Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) (2006) where the state entered the market as a market-player (willing buyer-willing seller). Agriculture Youth Development (YARD) Initiative for SA (1998 and 2008) and the Land Affairs YES 2008, Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP)

Youth Policies in South Africa National Youth Policy (NYP) was initiated in the year 2000, through the transformation process post 1994 Legislative framework-The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) and National Youth Development Act The Draft National Youth Policy reiterates the challenges faced by young people; poor infrastructure both economic and social leading to marginalisation The policy suggests interventions that could benefit young people living in rural areas and have access to productive communal land Includes the government contributing 50% to the purchase value of available land in the market for an identified 20% of commercial land

Food Security South Africa is regarded as food secure at a national level National policy on food and nutrition security defines food security as: "Access to and control over the physical, social and economic means to ensure sufficient, safe and nutritious food at all times, for all South Africans, in order to meet the dietary requirements for a healthy life” Food security status of the youth may be compromised if land reform policies fails to include them

Policy Integration Youth Land Reform Food Security

Results Majority (93%) of the households did not experience hunger in general However, a significant proportion of the household had to cut the size of the meal during the past twelve months Farm size is a predictor of food security; Land tenure, ownership of land and other factors related to land, have a greater potential in improving household food security Of those who owned land 99.31% had less than 20 hectares of farm size Only 26.65% owned the land. A very small proportion (10%) of the sample owned private land

Conclusion and Recommendations Integrate the land reform policies and food security from the perspective of youth amidst on-going debate on youth and unemployment Device youth beneficiary targeting strategies to ensure productive and inclusive policies to well deserving youth citizens Youth are generally marginalised – representation of youths in beneficiary is negligible given their population It is important for long term sustainable land policies and food security that succession is put in place earlier There is a need for improved land reform strategies for beneficiary targeting to accommodate the well-deserving youths

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