Food Loss and Waste: Facts and Futures

The report highlights that South Africa wastes approximately 10 million tonnes of food annually, representing a third of its total production. This waste results in significant economic losses of R61.5 billion and substantial environmental degradation, including the waste of 1.7 km3 of water and the emission of greenhouse gases from landfills. The document identifies that most waste occurs at the pre-consumer stage, particularly on farms, and calls for a coordinated effort between the public and private sectors to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target of halving food waste by 2030.

• South Africa wastes approximately 10 million tonnes of food per year, which is about 32.7% of the 31 million tonnes produced annually, averaging 210 kg per person per year.
• The financial burden of food loss and waste in South Africa is estimated at R61.5 billion, representing 2.1% of the national GDP.
• Food waste in South Africa has a severe environmental impact, wasting approximately 1.7 km3 of water, which is roughly one-fifth of the country's total water withdrawals.
• The energy wasted to produce food that is never consumed in South Africa is estimated to be enough to power the city of Johannesburg for approximately 16 weeks, with an embedded energy cost of R1 billion per annum.
• Approximately 90% of waste in South Africa is sent to landfills, where food waste contributes to the production of carbon dioxide and methane, a potent greenhouse gas with 2836 times more impact than carbon dioxide over 100 years.
• Food waste is most prevalent in fruits and vegetables, which account for 44% of the waste, though they only contribute 15% of the total wasted energy cost.
• Most food loss and waste in South Africa occurs early in the supply chain, specifically at the agricultural and post-harvest stage, which accounts for 50% of waste.
• There is a significant gap between the South African government's global commitment to halve food waste by 2030 under SDG 12.3 and the actual activities on the ground, with few national or provincial reduction initiatives identified.
• A survey of 53 companies in the packaged-food, retail, and hospitality sectors revealed that while 86% have food waste targets and policies, there is a lack of transparency and granular data, and many companies view food waste as an economic issue rather than a social or environmental responsibility.
• Misunderstanding of date labels contributes to unnecessary food waste; the report notes that 'sell by' dates are intended for retailers, not consumers, yet labels are often misinterpreted.

APA

von Bormann, T., de Vries, L., Jenkins, N., Tian, N., Modau, I., Pillay, P., Carle, B., Notten, P., & Rose, M. (2017). Food Loss and Waste: Facts and Futures. WWF South Africa. http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/WWF_Food_Loss_and_Waste_WEB.pdf

Chicago

von Bormann, Tatjana, Leani de Vries, Nicola Jenkins, Nan Tian, Innocentia Modau, Pavitray Pillay, Bridget Carle, Philippa Notten, and Marlene Rose. Food Loss and Waste: Facts and Futures. WWF South Africa, 2017. http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/WWF_Food_Loss_and_Waste_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{vonbormann2017food, author = {von Bormann, Tatjana and de Vries, Leani and Jenkins, Nicola and Tian, Nan and Modau, Innocentia and Pillay, Pavitray and Carle, Bridget and Notten, Philippa and Rose, Marlene}, title = {{Food Loss and Waste: Facts and Futures}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2017}, url = {http://awsassets.wwf.org.za/downloads/WWF_Food_Loss_and_Waste_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }