Paper short abstract:

This study investigates the drivers behind changes in foodways and their consequent effects on the health and well-being of rural communities in the northern Cederberg region of South Africa.

Paper long abstract:

Traditional foodways, steeped in centuries of cultural evolution, face threats driven by historical legacies marked by racial discrimination and rapid modernization. The globalized food system amplifies these challenges, favoring powerful stakeholders and endangering local traditions. Meanwhile, the epidemic of diet-related diseases among rural communities in South Africa has increased dramatically. Beyond the evident health risks, the erosion of traditional foodways has had profound effects on the cultural and social well-being of these communities.

This study examines the drivers and dynamics of foodway changes of communities in the northern Cederberg, South Africa, and highlights its implications for health, culture, and social cohesion. The research is grounded in a relational, decolonial approach, which challenges ingrained concepts and knowledge hierarchies in Western science, and is an extension of an ongoing community-based development project linked to the University of Cape Town. This collaborative approach allowed the research to (re-)build knowledge that is historically, culturally, and socially located, with a strong focus on community benefits and material outcomes.

The findings of the study affirm the role of colonialism in contributing to the disintegration of local foodways. Shifts in land use and access, changing food preferences, the expansion of a Western market economy, modernisation and urbanisation, as well as changes in ecosystems and climate were identified as the main drivers for foodway transitions. The study centres community members’ perceptions about these changes, recognising that traditional practices are not stagnant concepts and constantly adapt to new realities.