Covid-19 local food security response: Mobilising partnerships to build community resilience during an acute shock

This case study by GreenCape examines first-response partnerships in Cape Town during the early stages of the Covid-19 lockdown, focusing on how collaborations between civil society and the private sector built local economic resilience and secured food security for vulnerable communities.

• The partnership between the Philippi Economic Development Initiative (PEDI) and UCook's Food Fund supported micro-farmers who lost their primary markets, such as restaurants, during the lockdown. This initiative bought 7.3 tonnes of produce and paid R190,000 directly to farmers, supporting the economic livelihoods of 29 farms between March and May 2020.
• Food security was addressed through the distribution of fresh vegetable packs and essential food parcels. Between March and June 2020, 3,667 parcels were distributed to families in and around Philippi. Between March and May 2020, over 2,800 parcels reached Philippi, Khayelitsha, Nynaga, Manenberg, Grassy Park, Lavender Hill, and Vrygrond.
• The response utilized a community-led distribution model that leveraged relational capital from formal and informal leadership networks, including street committees and local ward councillors, to identify vulnerable families and ensure team acceptance in the area.
• The UCook Food Fund acted as a central funding mechanism, raising over 1 million Rand to feed 1 million mouths. It supported PEDI, Ladles of Love, and UCook's own nutritious food parcel programme, while also assisting FoodForward SA in diverting surplus food from the supply chain to avoid landfill waste.
• The Western Cape Economic Development Partnership (EDP) facilitated strategic collaboration through two main programs: the Western Cape Government-NGO food relief coordination forum, which included over 140 participants to share information and co-develop solutions, and the Community Kitchens programme.
• The Community Kitchens programme, a collaboration between Cape Town Together (CTT), the EDP, and the DG Murray Trust (DGMT), provided direct weekly assistance via digital vouchers to 100 existing kitchens identified through CTT's Community Action Networks (CANS) across Cape Town.

APA

GreenCape (2020). Covid-19 local food security response: Mobilising partnerships to build community resilience during an acute shock. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GreenCape_Resilience_Case_Study_Covid_1_7_20-v2-3.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Covid-19 local food security response: Mobilising partnerships to build community resilience during an acute shock. 2020. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GreenCape_Resilience_Case_Study_Covid_1_7_20-v2-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Covid-19 local food security response: Mobilising partnerships to build community resilience during an acute shock |date=2020 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GreenCape_Resilience_Case_Study_Covid_1_7_20-v2-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2020covid19, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Covid-19 local food security response: Mobilising partnerships to build community resilience during an acute shock}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2020}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GreenCape_Resilience_Case_Study_Covid_1_7_20-v2-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }