The Biodiversity, Food Security, and Poverty Nexus in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone of South Africa
Wild-sourced foods are entrenched among African women as a survival resource, with the potential to be expanded. Instead of optimising food security, current linear economic growth models in South Africa favour large environment-degrading projects, such as special economic zones and mining, that inc...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Queensland University of Technology
2024-03-01
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Series: | International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy |
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Online Access: | https://www.crimejusticejournal.com/article/view/3246 |
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author | Catherine Maria Dzerefos |
author_facet | Catherine Maria Dzerefos |
author_sort | Catherine Maria Dzerefos |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Wild-sourced foods are entrenched among African women as a survival resource, with the potential to be expanded. Instead of optimising food security, current linear economic growth models in South Africa favour large environment-degrading projects, such as special economic zones and mining, that increase the gap between the wealthy and poor sectors of society. The contentious Chinese-funded Musina–Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) planned for the Limpopo province of South Africa is used as a case study in this paper. The MMSEZ case demonstrates the failure of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to consider alternative land use suited to a biodiverse economy and existing livelihood strategies. Notably, the availability of a popular edible insect, the mopane worm, was not surveyed at a time when it might have been visible. Despite a local and global interest in insect protein, this opportunity was not considered as a means to improve food security and income streams for local unemployed African women. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-07T16:23:48Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-888d4d2c02c048fe904d0ba9845e500f |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2202-7998 2202-8005 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-07T16:23:48Z |
publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
publisher | Queensland University of Technology |
record_format | Article |
series | International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy |
spelling | doaj.art-888d4d2c02c048fe904d0ba9845e500f2024-03-03T22:48:20ZengQueensland University of TechnologyInternational Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy2202-79982202-80052024-03-01131142810.5204/ijcjsd.32463569The Biodiversity, Food Security, and Poverty Nexus in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone of South AfricaCatherine Maria Dzerefos0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6158-5039Tshwane University of TechnologyWild-sourced foods are entrenched among African women as a survival resource, with the potential to be expanded. Instead of optimising food security, current linear economic growth models in South Africa favour large environment-degrading projects, such as special economic zones and mining, that increase the gap between the wealthy and poor sectors of society. The contentious Chinese-funded Musina–Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) planned for the Limpopo province of South Africa is used as a case study in this paper. The MMSEZ case demonstrates the failure of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to consider alternative land use suited to a biodiverse economy and existing livelihood strategies. Notably, the availability of a popular edible insect, the mopane worm, was not surveyed at a time when it might have been visible. Despite a local and global interest in insect protein, this opportunity was not considered as a means to improve food security and income streams for local unemployed African women.https://www.crimejusticejournal.com/article/view/3246biodiversity economyeiafood securitymopane wormsenvironmental impact assessment |
spellingShingle | Catherine Maria Dzerefos The Biodiversity, Food Security, and Poverty Nexus in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone of South Africa International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy biodiversity economy eia food security mopane worms environmental impact assessment |
title | The Biodiversity, Food Security, and Poverty Nexus in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone of South Africa |
title_full | The Biodiversity, Food Security, and Poverty Nexus in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone of South Africa |
title_fullStr | The Biodiversity, Food Security, and Poverty Nexus in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone of South Africa |
title_full_unstemmed | The Biodiversity, Food Security, and Poverty Nexus in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone of South Africa |
title_short | The Biodiversity, Food Security, and Poverty Nexus in the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone of South Africa |
title_sort | biodiversity food security and poverty nexus in the musina makhado special economic zone of south africa |
topic | biodiversity economy eia food security mopane worms environmental impact assessment |
url | https://www.crimejusticejournal.com/article/view/3246 |
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