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Abstract
Questions addressed in this paper are: How to determine the food status of rural households;
and does an agribusiness orientation enhance the food security status of farm families. A
study was conducted on two groups of small scale black farmers in the Venda region: one
group, agribusiness directed and generally more progressive towards technology, produces
mangos and other subtropical fruits (cash crop farmers); the other group concentrates on
locally consumed and sold vegetables (food crop farmers). Their food status was
quantitatively determined by means of household energy, protein and fat balances and food
security determinants were identified. More than 80% of the households had a negative
balance for energy, protein or fat. Business orientation and farming type in this particular
case study does not influence the energy, protein and fat coverage significantly. The marginal
nature of farming by these small holders could explain this finding. Significant predictors of
food security status were rather factors such as the household size and the availability of
outside sources of income and cash to spend on food.