Gauteng Agriculture MEC Ramokgopa: Food waste should be a crime
According to AgriSA , South Africa discards a staggering 10 million tons of food annually. This is the equivalent to filling six sports stadiums.
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JOHANNESBURG - Legislation is needed to bar food waste as South Africa and other African nations grapple with food security.
That is the call from Gauteng Agriculture MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa.
According to AgriSA, South Africa discards a staggering 10 million tons of food annually.
This is the equivalent to filling six sports stadiums.
This waste comes at a significant cost, amounting to an estimated R61 billion annually, exacerbating food insecurity.
Ramokgopa said that not only was food wasted, but all the energy and inputs required to grow, package and transport the wasted food were also lost.
She added that interventions to address food waste needed to be among the discussions in the G20 Agriculture Working Group.
"Food waste should actually be a crime, as far as I'm concerned. And I'm talking about, not rotten food but food that is perfectly healthy to eat that gets chucked in landfills because it’s not being bought."