The upcoming Street Food Festival is launching an initiative to bring awareness to an important issue – they are partnering up with FoodForward SA to address food wastage and security.
FoodForward SA is a non-profit organisation that utilises edible surplus food wastage from manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to redistribute to verified non-profit organisations that run food programs to feed thousands of people.
About food wastage in South Africa:
– The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reported in 2017 that a third of all food is not consumed in South African and ends up at the refuse dump. The wastage amounts to approximately 10-million tonnes each year and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research valued the loss at R61,5-billion.
– The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research indicated in 2013 that inedible food wastage amounted to an estimated cost of R71,4-billion.
– WWF found that 70% of the waste consists of fruit, vegetables and cereals. the energy that is wasted along with the food is estimated to be able to power the city of Johannesburg for 16 weeks.
– Food waste is dumped in landfills and contributes to the methane gas and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming.
Although government has promised to alleviate food wastage by half in 2030, it will take the effort of all South Africans to change this.
Alleviation efforts
The Street Food Festival will be launching an online and physical pop up store at the V &A Waterfront where local foods such as gatsbys, bunny chow and vetkoeks will be sold.
The pop up store will sell street food meals crafted in lush felt material and all proceeds will go towards FoodForward SA – you can find them from 31 July – 6 August and at the Lampside Court on the first floor. The online store will be open on 6 August 2018.
The project aims to educate and address the issue of food wastage and security in South Africa where our the economic disparity leaves thousands hungry.
Picture: Unsplash