In a recent national food security survey, the Human Sciences Research Council found that 17.5% of South African households face severe food insecurity. Now, a collaboration between SA Harvest, a company that works with commercial farmers and logistics companies to combat food waste, joined forces with Dutoit Agri, FWJ Logistix, CHEP, and DSV to distribute tonnes of sweet potatoes to 182 non-profit organisations in South Africa.
Food waste is a significant issue in South Africa. According to Statistics South Africa’s 2022 data, approximately 10 million of the 31 million tonnes of food produced in South Africa annually end up in landfills.
Food waste
According to an article published online by AgriSA on April 9, fruits and vegetables make up a large portion of South Africa’s wasted food. One in five fruits is discarded due to imperfections (although the nutritional value remains the same), while oversupply and post-harvest price fluctuations contribute a further 44% to wasted food products.
Food Rescue Operations
The sweet potato windfall came after Dutoit Agri harvested an excess this year. More stem cuttings were prepared for the planting season than required, writes Ozzy Nel, SA Harvest’s Chief Operations Officer, in the article “The Power of Collaboration: Rescuing Sweet Potatoes, Nourishing Communities”.
Nel says collaboration between sectors can provide practical solutions to food waste. SA Harvest’s mission is to end hunger in South Africa, and they “rescue” nutritious food that would have gone to landfill.
Nel says this food rescue effort provided sweet potatoes to organisations working with children to prepare nutritious meals. Sweet potatoes have a nutritional profile that is exceptionally high in vitamin A and is excellent for the immune system.
