Data indicates that approximately 45% of South Africa’s total available food supply that enters the food value chain is lost or wasted. However, fewer than 40% of farmers measure how much food is wasted, a study has found. The research was conducted by The Behaviour Change Agency, for the World Wildlife Fund South Africa (WWF-SA), the Nedbank Green Trust and Food Forward.
It explored the awareness, attitudes and behaviors of farmers about food waste, including the value they place on reducing food waste and what their food waste management practices are.
Although food waste unfolds across all stages of the food supply chain, a Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) study in May 2021 found that 34.3% of the total edible food waste — 10.3 million tons a year — unfolds at the primary production stage. Of this figure, South Africa loses 2.7 million tons during agricultural production and 2.4 million tons during post-harvest handling and storage.
Unseasonal weather, destructive pests and diseases can damage entire crops at a time, leading to enormous wastage. Other significant factors were poor planning in the pre-harvest and production phase, incorrect use of pesticides and a lack of training.
Still, the research found that 100% of respondents said they were eager to address food waste on their farms.
Source: mg.co.za
