Ramokgopa
Gauteng Agriculture MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa has called for legislation to make food waste a punishable crime, warning that South Africa and other African nations cannot afford to discard edible produce while millions face hunger.
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South Africa’s Shocking Food Waste Numbers
According to AgriSA, South Africa discards 10 million tons of food every year—enough to fill six major sports stadiums. This waste carries a staggering R61 billion annual cost to the economy.
Beyond the financial toll, the wastage undermines food security in a country where over 11 million people live with inadequate access to food. Ramokgopa emphasised that the crisis is not only about wasted meals but also about the energy, water, labour, fertilisers, transport, and packaging invested in producing food that never gets consumed.
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Ramokgopa: ‘Food Waste Should Be a Crime’
Speaking at a policy engagement, Ramokgopa argued that governments should take stronger measures to regulate how unsold but edible food is handled:
“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.”
She added that legislation should form part of the discussions in the G20 Agriculture Working Group, where countries are shaping global responses to food security and climate change.
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Food Waste and Food Security in South Africa
Experts say that reducing food waste is one of the fastest ways to improve food security without increasing agricultural production. South Africa’s food system is marked by contradictions: while it produces enough food nationally, millions go hungry daily due to waste, inequality, and distribution failures.
• Retail and consumer levels account for the largest share of waste, where supermarkets and households discard edible food.
• Farm-level losses occur due to cosmetic standards that reject produce not deemed “perfect” for shelves.
• Restaurants and catering also contribute significantly, often dumping uneaten prepared meals.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that one-third of all food produced globally is wasted, contributing not only to hunger but also to climate change, as rotting food in landfills releases methane gas.
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Calls for Legislative Action
South Africa currently lacks a binding national law to prevent food waste, relying mostly on voluntary guidelines and corporate commitments. Ramokgopa’s proposal aligns with global trends where countries are passing laws to enforce redistribution of surplus food.
• France became the first country to ban supermarkets from throwing away unsold edible food, requiring them to donate it to charities.
• Italy and Spain have similar frameworks to encourage donations and penalise waste.
• In South Africa, food rescue organisations like FoodForward SA and SA Harvest already recover millions of kilograms of surplus food annually, but they stress that legislation would dramatically scale up these efforts.
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A G20-Level Issue
Ramokgopa stressed that food waste must be recognised as an international issue tied to global food security, energy use, and climate goals. She urged that South Africa use its influence in the G20 Agriculture Working Group to push for stricter commitments from member states.
“Not only is food wasted, but all the energy and inputs required to grow, package and transport the wasted food are also lost. This is something that should be a priority in international discussions,” she said.
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