Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
25 April 2025 | 12:00 CAT
2 min read

Millions of South Africans go hungry daily while tonnes of perfectly edible food are dumped into landfills. But a quiet revolution is underway. From the backrooms of grocery stores to the hands of community kitchen volunteers, the team at SA Harvest is working to turn food waste into hope.

Chiara Henry, a representative of SA Harvest, recently spoke to Radio Islam International about how this innovative movement is not only easing hunger but also cutting down greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste. “When we talk about food waste in South Africa, we’re referring to the entire supply chain, from the farm to our fridges. An estimated 10.3 million tonnes of food is wasted annually,” she explained.

She noted that this waste does not only happen at home. It begins on farms and continues through storage, transport, and retail. What is alarming is that nearly a third of all food produced in the country is never eaten. “We’re only using about two-thirds of what we grow. The rest is lost due to inefficiencies and misunderstandings, including mislabelled products and consumer confusion over best-before dates,” she said.

Food waste also has serious environmental consequences. A recent Durban study revealed that 26% of municipal waste sent to landfills is food. She highlighted that it is higher than garden refuse, which makes up 18%. When this waste decomposes without oxygen, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. “We could simply bury our scraps in our gardens instead,” Henry said. She also highlighted the ease of composting and its positive impact on the soil and atmosphere. “Composting adds value to our ecosystem; it biodegrades,” she added.

In the face of these challenges, SA Harvest steps in with a model based on building relationships with farmers, manufacturers, and retailers who are willing to redirect surplus food. This rescued food is then distributed to communities in need. “We’ve rescued enough food to fill Kings Park Stadium 36 times over in Durban alone,” Henry revealed. Nationally, that translates to 67 million meals and 52,000 tons of emissions avoided.

Despite the impact, food waste still flies under the radar in many climate conversations. “It’s uncomfortable to talk about. People don’t want to admit wastefulness. But we need to look beyond our homes and think collectively,” she said.

SA Harvest urges individuals and businesses to take action. For households, that means understanding the difference between “use by” and “best before” dates, planning meals better, and composting leftovers. For hotels and restaurants, it’s about forming direct connections with local soup kitchens or shelters. There are even apps like Saveful that offer creative ways to use leftovers.

Henry emphasised the importance of leading by example and involving children in the process. “Children imitate what we do. If they see us composting, planning meals, or giving to those in need, they’ll learn these values early. It starts in our homes.”

Henry recalled a story of a 12-year-old girl in Queensborough who had never seen a pineapple in real life until she received one from a SA Harvest delivery. “That moment reminded me why we do this work,” she said.

Henry stressed that Real change is possible. “Being a part of the solution requires action, but action is only possible if we have these conversations,” she said.

As South Africa faces both a hunger crisis and a climate emergency, SA Harvest proves that solving one challenge can help ease another. It’s a call to rethink our habits—not just to save food, but to save lives and the planet.

LISTEN to the full interview with Annisa Essack and Chiara Henry, representatives from SA Harvest, here.