FoodBank South Africa

Since 1960 the world has produced enough food to feed everybody yet, with few exceptions globally, hunger -- or food insecurity -- has increased.

South Africa is capable of providing enough food for its whole population. However, 40% of our people do not know where their next meal will come from.

THE PROBLEM

In South Africa, hunger is not a matter of supply. We can grow enough food. Rather, the problem is one of access and logistics.

Every day huge volumes of good food are wasted. Why is this, when the country has thousands of worthy agencies, not-for-profit organisations and programs trying to secure food for the needy?

The issue is that they work largely independently, with inadequate resources. No existing organisation has harnessed South Africa’s private and public resources. The result? Huge, avoidable and unacceptable inefficiencies: unharvested crops, unused manufacturing products and wasted surpluses of quality food.

The South Africa Forum for Food Security was formed to address this issue. Over 18 months, it polled hundreds of organisations to explore how to more fully and efficiently utilize South Africa’s food resources to address the needs of hungry South Africans.

 

THE SOLUTION

Many countries around the world facing this problem resolved it by creating a system of “Community FoodBanks”. It’s now our turn to build FoodBanks!

How FoodBanking Works

A Community FoodBank acts on behalf of the hundreds of social service organisations (“Agencies”) that already operate in its territory. It sources food, safely stores it and distributes it to these Agencies.

The food sourcing and distribution professionalism of Community FoodBanks enables them to source and distribute massively increased volumes of food for the Agencies, at a far lower cost.

 

FoodBank Cape Town, with a launch date of 2 March 2009, is Africa’s first Community FoodBank. Several other South African cities will launch their FoodBanks soon.

Smaller communities, including rural villages, will soon form FoodBanks. These rural FoodBanks will both bring more food to South Africans in need and facilitate distribution of rural produce to urban markets, helping rural economies to grow.

To achieve even greater impact we formed FoodBank South Africa, a national body serving our Community FoodBanks. It offers efficiencies such as engaging with our largest food and other donors on a national level. It harnesses the support of national, provincial and traditional government. It also assures the quality of Community FoodBank operations to protect donors and the people who eat the food we source and distribute.

We are partnering with and learning from other national FoodBank systems thanks to the Global FoodBanking Network.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

FoodBank South Africa needs all the help you can give. Your new national system depends on donations of finance, food and equipment – and thousands of volunteers. Let us tell you why we and our many partners believe helping FoodBank South Africa represents the most cost effective contribution you could make to achieve food security and fight poverty in South Africa today.

Secondly, does your local community have its own FoodBank as yet? If not, can you help to develop one? We are ready and willing to help communities to establish their own FoodBanks.

Last but not least, let’s not forget the existing Agencies that serve the hungry in your community. They need your continuing support.

Call us today and find out how you can make a difference.

Don’t wait.

Hunger doesn’t.

Securing quality food for the hungry.

 

Postal address: P.O. Box 13630 Mowbray 7705 South Africa

Physical address: 3 Long Street Mowbray 7700 South Africa