About Nutrition Week 2026

South Africa continues to face the triple burden of malnutrition, characterised by undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and rising levels of overweight and obesity. At the same time, many households’ experience food insecurity and limited access to affordable, nutritious foods, while unhealthy foods high in sugar, salt and fats are often widely available, heavily marketed and relatively inexpensive. These conditions contribute to the growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and highlight the need for action beyond individual behaviour change.

A food environment comprises the physical, economic, social, and policy factors that shape food availability, affordability, accessibility, and promotion, ultimately influencing people's food choices and dietary patterns. A healthy food environment makes nutritious foods and safe drinking water readily available, accessible and affordable while limiting the availability and marketing of foods and beverages high in salt, sugar, and fats, making the healthy choice the easy choice.

Food choices are influenced not only by individual preferences and behaviours but also by the broader food environment in which foods are produced, marketed, sold and consumed. Healthy food environments make safe, nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate foods more available, accessible and appealing, enabling healthier choices to become the easier choices.