The State of Food Security in Gaborone, Botswana

This report examines how Botswana’s positive record of economic growth and negative outcomes of growing inequality have affected the food security of the urban poor. While research on food security in Botswana has been undertaken since the 1970s, it has tended to focus on the country’s rural areas. In the wake of Botswana’s devastating HIV and AIDS epidemic, there has been a concerted research and policy focus on the relationship between the epidemic and food insecurity. But, again, the primary focus has been on the rural areas and the impacts on household agricultural production, despite evidence that HIV prevalence is higher in urban than rural areas. This is consistent with a broader research trend: knowledge about urban food security in Botswana is limited and little is known about the extent and nature of food insecurity in its cities and towns. This makes it difficult for development practitioners and policy makers to quantify the challenge and make plans to reduce the food gap that exists in urban areas.