The right to food: Botswana’s unfulfilled promise
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday January 27, 2026 09:06
With food prices soaring and unemployment rampant, Olerato Montsho’s story is a stark reminder of Botswana's crippling food insecurity crisis.'I'm forced to buy whatever is cheapest,' says Montsho* her eyes welling up with tears. 'My son is always sick, and I know it is because he is not eating right.'
Montsho's plight is a familiar one in Botswana, where 49.4% of the population faces moderate to severe food insecurity. The country's reliance on imports and lack of investment in local agriculture has worsened the problem over the years.
In Botswana, one in three children under five suffers from stunting, while one in two citizens struggles to access nutritious food. The country's triple burden of malnutrition - undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies - demands urgent attention.
Botswana is grappling with a silent crisis: malnutrition. Despite being a middle-income country, nearly one in two citizens struggles to access sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. The statistics are alarming with 28.9% of children under five suffering from stunting, while 7.3% experience wasting. Meanwhile, adult obesity rates are soaring, with 32.1% of women and 9.7% of men classified as obese.
'The right to food is a basic human right that needs to be protected by the State so that people can enjoy their right to life with dignity,' says Chawapiwa Masole, a food system legal advisor. 'It's not just a policy issue, it's a matter of justice.'
Masole's words echo the sentiments of many Batswana who are demanding action from their government. Botswana's Constitution does not explicitly guarantee the right to food, leaving millions of citizens vulnerable to food insecurity.
'We need a comprehensive Food and Nutrition Security framework law to ensure that every Motswana has access to adequate and nutritious food,' Masole adds. 'It's time for Botswana to take a stand against malnutrition and ensure that every citizen has the right to food, health, and well-being.'
Baeng Nelson Ntime, a nutritionist at the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, agrees.
'Nutrition is a development agenda, not just a health issue,' she says. 'We must prioritise food security and nutrition to drive economic growth and human capital development.'
Botswana's government has made commitments to addressing malnutrition, including reducing moderate and severe household food insecurity from 49.4% to 19% by 2030. However, these efforts are hampered by fragmented legislation and a lack of constitutional backing for the right to food.
'The School Feeding Programme, for example, lacks legal backing under the Education Act, making it vulnerable to budget cuts and policy changes,' Masole notes. 'We need to ensure that policies addressing aspects of food and nutrition security are backed by law.'
Professor Maria Nnyepi, a leading nutrition expert in Botswana, highlights the country's burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies.
'Good nutrition is central to growth, cognitive development, health, longevity, happiness and well-being,' she says. 'Malnutrition is a ticking time bomb, with far-reaching consequences for our economy and society.'
The consequences of malnutrition are stark. Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) linked to poor diet and physical inactivity account for 46% of all deaths in Botswana. Diabetes prevalence is rising, affecting 10.6% of adult women and 8.8% of adult men.
'Undernutrition is primarily a problem in rural and low-income groups, while overnutrition is more prevalent in urban settings. 'We need to address the root causes of malnutrition, including poverty, inequality, and lack of access to healthy food,' Nnyepi explains.
Experts recommend promoting nutrition education in schools and communities, encouraging balanced diets using local, affordable foods, and implementing policies on food labelling, advertising, and school meals.
'We also need to support community programmes for physical activity and healthy living, and strengthen healthcare systems to monitor and manage diet-related conditions,' Ntime adds.
The road to food security is long and winding, but Botswana can get there. As Masole says: 'It's time for Botswana to take a stand against malnutrition and ensure that every citizen has the right to food, health, and well-being.'
Botswana's struggle with malnutrition is a complex issue, but it's one that can be solved with a comprehensive approach, experts say. By working together, the government, civil society, and the private sector can ensure that every Motswana has access to nutritious food and a healthy life.
The country's participation in the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) initiative is a step in the right direction. Botswana has committed to developing a national nutrition-sensitive agriculture strategy, increasing local procurement of food for school feeding programmes, and promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
'We are committed to eliminating all forms of malnutrition,' Ntime says. 'We are working with various stakeholders to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing malnutrition, and we are seeing progress.'
However, more needs to be done. The government must prioritise food security and nutrition, and ensure that policies addressing aspects of food and nutrition security are backed by law.
'We need to hold our government accountable for ensuring that every citizen has access to nutritious food. 'It's time for Botswana to take a stand against malnutrition and ensure that every citizen has the right to food, health, and well-being,' Masole says.
Botswana's struggle with malnutrition is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. With a comprehensive approach and a commitment to prioritising food security and nutrition, the country can ensure that every citizen has access to nutritious food and a healthy life.
Ultimately, addressing malnutrition in Botswana will require a sustained effort from all stakeholders. The country's future depends on it.
The right to food is a fundamental human right, and experts say it is time for Botswana to recognise this need.
With a comprehensive approach and a commitment to prioritising food security and nutrition, Botswana can ensure that every citizen has access to nutritious food and a healthy life.