Ten million tonnes of food wasted a year

Every year, more than 10 million tonnes of food is lost or wasted in South Africa before it reaches the plates of consumers — discarded on farms or by manufacturers because of aesthetic standards or logistical problems.

- Sheree Bega

This pre-consumer waste contributes directly to climate change both through the energy and resources used to produce it and the methane which is released when it decomposes in landfills.

Yet food loss and waste is not specifically addressed in South Africa’s draft second nationally determined contribution (NDC) - the country’s latest proposed climate plan submitted under the Paris Agreement.

The omission is a critical gap and a missed opportunity to “leverage a powerful, proven solution” that tackles climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion and food insecurity at the same time, says FoodForward SA, a food redistribution nonprofit.

The organisation prevented about 113 152 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions last year by recovering and redistributing surplus food, using its food-banking model.

“Timeously recovering and redistributing edible, nutritious surplus food to food-insecure communities simultaneously reduces emissions,” said managing director Andy du Plessis.