EVENT

Safety nets to curb the impact of crisis on vulnerable populations

Date: September 15, 2020
Time: 13h00 - 17h00
Venue: Zoom Webinar

Register here or watch the live stream on our Facebook page.

The need for more inclusive and comprehensive social safety nets has never been more critical than it is now, to cushion the poor against the devastating impact of the pandemic on their incomes and household food security and nutrition.

Continuing from last week’s topic on social protection, this webinar on Safety nets to curb the impact of crisis on vulnerable populations, will explore how South Africa’s social protection systems and emergency relief measures have performed in the face of the global pandemic.

The South African Constitution affirms the right to social security. Yet, even before the global crisis hit, millions of South African households were struggling to make ends meet. The coronavirus pandemic has now pushed millions of South Africans to below the breadline. This bodes long-term ills for an already highly fragmented society.

The need for more inclusive and comprehensive social safety nets has never been more critical than it is now, to cushion the poor against the devastating impact of the pandemic on their incomes and household food security and nutrition.

Speakers will explore whether more permanent forms of social protection and safety nets, such as a basic income grant, should be adopted as long-term solutions to cushion vulnerable populations against the economic devastation in times of crisis.

Panellists:

  • Francie Lund, Social Protection Programme, WIEGO
  • Karabo Ozah, Director of the Centre for Child Law at the University of Pretoria and member of the Advisory Committee of the South African Law Reform Commission’s Project 100D on Care of and Contact with Children (incorporating Family Dispute Resolution).

Himla Soodyall, Executive Officer of the Academy of Science of South Africa, will serve as moderator for this webinar.

Upcoming Events

Our GOALS

We recognise that producers, processors, distributors and consumers are incorporated into the food system under varying terms and returns. We also recognise the economic, social, human and environmental health impacts associated with food security. Therefore our goal is to conduct research, build capacity and disseminate findings that will promote a sustainable food system in South Africa.

Our MISSION

Our research is concerned with the scale, nature, causes and consequences of food insecurity in South Africa and elsewhere on the African continent. Thus our mission is to investigate products, technologies, processes and policies that can reduce food insecurity and mitigate its negative outcomes. We seek to make a difference to food security by linking innovative science with critical enquiry.