As the world continues to struggle with the high cost of food, wastage and the effects of unhealthy diets, South Africa’s fresh produce exports are expected to grow by 6.8% over the next five years.
International Fresh Produce Association CEO Cathy Burns, pointing to inflation, war, climate crises, energy shortages and trade barriers: "The challenges have never been stronger. All of these factors can be relentless. Yet, our future has never been set up for us to make more of an impact. Our time is now. The South African fruit and vegetable market is predicted to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 6.9% by 2028.”
Burns said there was a lot of innovation, investment and momentum around sustainability and technology. "In South Africa, about 10 million tons of food goes to waste yearly, with fruit, vegetables and cereals representing 70%. This primarily occurs early in the supply chain. On the retail side, it is estimated that $400 billion in food is wasted each year, representing as much as 7% of grocery sales.”
Source: freightnews.co.za
