This opinion piece looks at the substantial role of informal traders in ensuring food security, and other economic and social goods in South Africa and how they have been impacted by Covid-19 and responses to it. The state responses have reflected a continued undervaluing and undermining of this sector to the detriment of the traders themselves, their suppliers, and their customers. There is a need for a new valuing of the sector that would recognise and build on its mode of ordering and key contributions to society. This needs to include: shifting the narrative about the actors involved and challenging the concept of “informal”; planning and regulating to ensure more space for owner-operated small-scale food retailers; and putting in place a social-safety net to support them in times of crisis.

中文翻译：

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“非正式”食品贸易商和食品安全：南非应对 Covid-19 的经验

这篇评论文章着眼于非正规贸易商在确保南非粮食安全以及其他经济和社会商品方面的重要作用，以及它们如何受到 Covid-19 的影响和应对措施。国家的反应反映了该行业的持续低估和破坏，损害了贸易商本身、他们的供应商和他们的客户。需要对该部门进行新的估值，以承认并建立其订购模式和对社会的关键贡献。这需要包括：改变有关参与者的叙述并挑战“非正式”的概念；规划和监管，以确保为自营小型食品零售商提供更多空间；并建立社会安全网，在危机时期为他们提供支持。