The focus of the UN summit in Johannesburg in September 2002 was ‘people, planet and prosperity’, yet at the same time, Johannesburg is the staging post for millions of tonnes of UN food aid. About 13 million people in southern Africa face severe food shortages and famine. What are the causes of this crisis and who is responsible? The food crisis in southern Africa has many causes, which vary in magnitude from country to country. A study by Oxfam suggests that one major cause of the critical food insecurity is the failure of agricultural reforms designed by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).