One-third of the food we produce is never eaten: Reshaping our food system must be accelerated

Ironically, the same food system that is feeding us to keep us healthy is also destroying our fragile planet. Food systems account for an estimated 60% of global methane emissions and food loss and waste-related emissions account for 20% of this amount.

While the acknowledgement of food systems transformation from farm to fork in order to make them more sustainable is becoming more recognised globally as an absolute necessity to achieve food and nutrition security, build resilience to climate impacts and introduce climate mitigation adaptation strategies, food systems have multiple layers of complexity and are themselves vulnerable to various, often unpredictable challenges. 

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations says that sustainable agrifood systems lie at the heart of the 2030 Agenda as they combine economic growth with social improvements and environmental protection to address many of the global challenges we face. However, they also acknowledge that, to date 'only 17% of the SDG 2030 targets are on track, more than half are showing minimal or moderate progress, and progress on over one-third has stalled or regressed.'

According to the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa, one-third of all the food produced is never eaten, equating to over 10 million tons. Instead, due to various supply chain dynamics, this mostly edible food ends up in landfills, emitting copious amounts of harmful methane being emitted into the atmosphere. The environmental impact is severe, as all the hard work (and resources used) by key supply chain actors such as farmers, fishers, and food producers are wasted. This loss also makes food more expensive for consumers. Consequently, millions of people starve because they can’t afford to buy even the most basic healthy foods. 

South Africa, along with several other countries, has made commitments towards reducing its GHG emissions through the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) which aims to work towards a low GHG emissions pathway that is aligned to its national circumstances and development challenges. 

In spite of adjusting these targets upwards in 2021, we have not seen any concrete steps taken by the national government to facilitate engagement with our food system actors to develop integrated policies and a framework around how we will halve food waste by 2030. 

Part of the challenge is that efforts to address food loss and waste span across various government departments – Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD); the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE); the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC); and the Department of Health (DoH). There is a visible lack of internal cohesion around the issues and roadmap, resulting in fragmented and sometimes contradictory policy outcomes. 

Furthermore, the national government also tend to develop policy frameworks in isolation, without consulting comprehensively and meaningfully with the private sector and civil society stakeholders, which leads to mistrust and a lack of adoption towards transformation. For food systems transformation to succeed, it is essential that national government facilitates the creation of a collective legal and economic framework to facilitate this transformation. 

In their shared call to action, the United Nations emphasised that 'Unsustainable food systems undermine food and nutrition security, increase risks of pest and pathogen outbreaks, and threaten the livelihoods of farmers and other frontline food systems actors.'

Reshaping food systems has overwhelming benefits to people and the planet, while the cost of not acting now will place a far greater burden on countries and their respective economies well into the future. 'The hidden social, economic, and environmental costs associated with today's food systems amount to more than $10tn annually,' (United Nations). 

Efforts to reduce food loss and waste are compelling when one considers the food and nutrition security benefits, along with the reduction of the economic and environmental impacts associated with it. 

Scaling the early identification upstream, recovery and redistribution of good quality, edible food from across the food system, diverting it away from landfills, and redirecting it towards those facing food insecurity in vulnerable communities is simple, cost-effective, and the fastest way to reduce methane emissions. 

FoodForward SA, in partnership with the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA), is working towards enlisting food system actors to sign voluntary agreements to reduce food loss and waste across their supply chains and to donate their edible surplus food. 

We are also engaging with various government departments to work towards integrated strategies to reduce food loss and waste, and working with the South African Bureau of Standards to develop a South African National Standard (SANS) framework for Food Donations. 

The UN shared call to action in respect of food systems transformation is a clarion call 'This confluence of crises is an unparalleled global emergency, and we must act with appropriate urgency, effort, and scale.'