1. CGCSA 2017 Summit Panel Discussion
Food Loss and Waste
Food Waste ... How can the South African Government review Legislation to facilitate the reduction of food waste?
Leani de Vries
Policy and Futures Unit, WWF-SA
5 October 2017
CGCSA 2017 Summit Panel Discussion
© Getty Images

2. WWF-SA WWF-SA Food Work
We take a whole system approach – position similar to what we take for climate change – we can’t take peace-meal approach. Undertakes the system as a whole.
Identify and act on potential leverage points – environmental shift – sustainable agriculture, diets, sustainable food industries, consumption, very NB is our food waste work – approach from various different angles. First organisation to undertake a full life cycle analysis of the full product range – GRAIN, MAIZE TO MILK BOTTLE

3. A picture of food waste in South Africa
Considerable lack of data on food waste in South Africa – based on current knowledge and research from CSIR (Prof Suzan). DAFF Champion – must find mechanism – cant halve the volume you don’t have - know.
Consistent with profile for developing countries - Early stages of supply chain responsible for the bulk of the food waste –
Same quantum for European countries but most at consumer stage
Of the some 30 million tonnes of food available in South Africa (produced in South Africa and imported), estimate that 34% of the edible parts are lost to waste in some form or another across the supply chain - amounting to some 10 million tonnes of food wasted.
Implications of this massive over-production on the FEW nexus….
Using energy profiles across the value chain, as shown earlier, for the 7 food groups, come to a ball park energy cost of some R 1,8 billion. VERY INDICATIVE. But clearly extensive.
As to water implications,
using the factors from the Water Footprint Network for the key foods in the South Africa food basket, estimate some 1.6 million m3 of water is extracted from ground and surface water bodies to produce the food that is subsequently wasted in South Africa.
Water footprint factors for agricultural stage only and for blue water. Green water an order of magnitude higher.
This comes to a ball-park cost of R 8 billion
An unacceptable amount of food goes to waste in South Africa (10 million tonnes or 210 kg per person per year)
Considerable lack of data in South Africa
Significant food insecurity challenges – 14 million people go hungry
Wastage of resources is costly to the South African economy and environment (energy and water)
Energy wasted could power the city of Johannesburg for 16 weeks
Water wasted could fill over Olympic swimming pools
Champion of Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 which commits to halve food waste by 2030

4. What can be done?
Our role has been to join the dots with what we know (the knowledge and where it sits) and those who need to hear it (various stakeholders, government, industry). Work also links with freshwater (plastic waste issue). Not from the sense of getting rid of plastic since it is crucial for shelf life and food safety – but to think holistically in terms of the full cycle.
1. Understanding the context – why is reducing food waste important?
2. Rigorous data (recording and monitoring food waste causes, volumes, hotspots)
3. Data driven and evidence-based legislation and legislative reforms:
Don’t over-legislate
Clear definitions and wording
Food Donation/Good Samaritan Act
Food date labels
4. Champions that steer waste reduction efforts
5. Coordinated and integrated efforts (between all relevant Government departments and stakeholders)

5. Thank You
Source: Felipe Galindo (USA)