The rural-urban linkage in the use of traditional foods by peri-urban households in Nompumelelo community in East London, Eastern Cape

Abstract

The article is based on the study that explored ways of reducing malnutrition amongst the inhabitants of South Africa through traditional foods. Traditional foods have been identified as one of the strategies that can be employed to lessen the problem in the community of Nompumelelo, in the Eastern Cape Province, and the research involved the availability of traditional foods in the area. It is common practice for most rural people in South Africa to include traditional foods in their diets and Nompumelelo is no exception. Hence, the study also explored the rural-urban linkage of the use of traditional foods by peri-urban households in the Xhosa community of Nompumelelo. From the empirical results it was established that the traditional foods, mainly leafy vegetables, produced in this community are
accessible to the whole community, resulting in greater food sustainability. It is a fact that many communities are of the opinion that food is not readily available, not realising that traditional foods are locally available.

Keywords: Traditional foods, rural-urban, community, households.