A Stellenbosch Business School professor has called for a law that would make it illegal to throw away unsold food that is still safe to eat. He said shops should donate this food instead.
Professor Jako Volschenk made the call on World Food Day, which was marked on 16 October. He is an associate professor of strategy and sustainability at the business school.
According to the IOL report, about 10.3 million tonnes of edible food are wasted in South Africa every year. This is 34% of the food the country produces, and the loss costs the economy about R61.5 billion, or 2.1% of GDP.
“Addressing food waste must not only reduce the sheer volume of losses, but also ensure that nutritious food surplus in one area finds its way to communities in dire need,” Volschenk said.
The report said one in five South African households do not know where their next meal will come from. This is true even though the country grows enough food to feed everyone.
The report also said nearly three million children often go to bed hungry. One in three deaths of children under five is linked to severe acute malnutrition.
More than a quarter of children under five have stunted growth because they do not get enough food over a long time. This harms how their bodies and brains develop, and can hold them back at school and later at work.
“Child malnutrition perpetuates the cycle of poverty, resulting in lost productivity, reduced incomes, and increased healthcare costs,” Volschenk said. He estimated that ending child malnutrition could raise South Africa’s GDP per person by about 9%.
Volschenk said hunger and food waste should get the same attention as electricity supply, infrastructure and crime.
The report said most food waste, 49%, happens during processing and packaging. Another 18% is wasted by consumers.
Wasted food also means lost water, energy and other resources used to grow it. The report said food waste sent to landfill makes up around 7.6% of South Africa’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Around the world, food loss and waste cause 8% to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, the report said. That is five times more than the emissions from air travel.
Volschenk warned that wars affecting grain transport and rising energy costs put pressure on local farming. He said the current El Niño weather cycle, which brings dry conditions and low rainfall, will add to the strain on food production through the 2027/28 growing seasons.
“It’s not just about our capacity to produce food, but about how and where we farm to create a sustainable food system that ensures nutritious food is accessible to all South Africans,” he said.
He said healthy food is expensive, and this keeps many people from eating well. Weak cold storage, unreliable power and poor distribution push up costs at every step of the food supply chain, he said.
Volschenk said South Africa needs a joint plan between the government departments that handle agriculture, environment, health and social welfare. He also called for rewards for sharing extra food and stricter rules on dumping it.
“To meet the target set under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal on sustainable production and consumption, South Africa must aim to halve per capita food waste by 2030,” Volschenk said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.