The disparity between food security and food supply in South Africa can be attributed to about 10.3 million tonnes of food wastage annually.
That’s according to senior lecturer in Strategy and Sustainability at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, Dr. Jako Volschenk.
He says while the world’s population needs food, the environmental impact of food production is calling for a fresh approach.
The disconnect between food security and food supply in South Africa: Dr Jako Volschenk
Volschenk says far too much food is being wasted off the plate.
“10.3 million tonnes that we are wasting every year represents about a third of our production of food, but most of that gets wasted between the farm and fork which means that it’s perfectly fine on the farm. But once it leaves the farms until the point where it’s on our plates, a third of our food gets wasted in that space. We need to be more efficient in terms of our supply chain, making food not decay so quickly, we can introduce artificial atmospheres around vegetables and fruits which keeps it from oxidizing,” says Volschenk.
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