South Africa has faced persistent food price hikes and volatilitysince 2020, driven by climate change, global market disruptions, high inputcosts, and concentrated corporate control over food value chains. Staple foodssuch as maize, wheat, and cooking oil have become increasingly unaffordable,worsening food insecurity, which now affects nearly one in five households.

This policy brief, produced by the Institute for Economic Justicewith support from the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, examines the potential role ofpublic food buffer stocks as a strategy to stabilise prices, protect vulnerablehouseholds, and strengthen climate resilience. Beginning with white maize, astaple crop in South Africa yet highly climate-sensitive, buffer stocks couldhelp balance supply and demand, reduce price shocks, and support smallholderfarmers. Over-time, the buffer stocks system will expand to other grains suchas wheat and indigenous, climate resilient crops like sorghum and millet.

The brief also draws on international experiences, outlines risksand governance requirements, and proposes a phased approach that expands toother staples such as wheat and indigenous grains. Ultimately, it positionsbuffer stocks as a vital component of a broader food sovereignty strategy,complementing competition regulation, agroecological investment, and regionalcooperation to advance food security in South Africa.

The report was written by Andrew Bennie,Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ), Refiloe Joala Rosa-Luxemburg-StiftungSouthern Africa Regional Office, Kagiso Zwane Competition Commission in SouthAfrica, and Sophia Murphy Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

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