Rethinking Food Waste in the Race to Net Zero
At the 2025 Africa Food Show, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, leaders from across the food system gathered to discuss how innovation can accelerate progress toward net zero emissions. One of the central discussions, titled “Climate-Centric Innovations – Accelerating the Shift to Net Zero,” brought a critical issue to the fore: the climate impact of food waste.
Representing SA Harvest was Chief Operating Officer Ozzy Nel, who joined a panel of sustainability leaders from HEINEKEN Beverages, StillGood, Food Lovers Market, and Deloitte. The panel explored how food loss, redistribution, traceability, and circular economy models are becoming essential tools in climate strategy and how the Global South must shape its own solutions.
SA Harvest’s Core Message: Food Rescue Is Climate Infrastructure
SA Harvest challenged the room to shift its lens: What if food rescue is more than a social cause: What if it’s measurable climate mitigation?
Every year in South Africa, more than 10 million tonnes of food goes to waste, much of it still edible. When this surplus food decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term.
By rescuing surplus food and redirecting it to vulnerable communities, SA Harvest prevents these emissions while simultaneously addressing hunger.
“We don’t rescue waste. We rescue food that would have gone to waste,” Nel explained. “The difference is not just linguistic. It’s environmental.”
This approach positions food rescue as a core intervention for reducing emissions, particularly in countries like South Africa, where waste management infrastructure is under pressure and food insecurity is widespread.
Circularity in Action, Not Theory
The panel also unpacked the circular economy, a term often used, but less frequently practiced. For SA Harvest, circularity means more than recycling or packaging innovation. It means intervening at the point of surplus, restoring value to food before it is discarded and redirecting that value to where it’s needed most.
Our cold-chain logistics infrastructure and vetted distribution partners ensure that rescued food remains safe, nutritious, and impactful. It’s a practical model of circularity, one that reduces environmental harm while enhancing social resilience.
“It’s not about giving away leftovers,” Nel added. “It’s about acknowledging that food is still food and that our systems should be measured by what they save, not just what they sell.”
Emissions as Currency: A New ESG Conversation
As ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reporting frameworks evolve, the panel raised a critical question: Are these systems helping us drive real-world impact, or just collecting data for compliance?
SA Harvest’s view is that impact should be visible and quantifiable, not only to funders, but to the public and policymakers. Through internal tracking systems, the organisation is now able to measure how many tonnes of food it rescues, how many kilograms of methane it prevents, and how many lives it touches.
This data turns our work into something tangible. Think of it as a climate contribution that partners and stakeholders can integrate into their sustainability goals.
The Urgency of Now: Why Food Systems Must Lead Climate Action
The climate crisis is no longer theoretical. In the past year alone, South Africa has seen the effects of heatwaves, flooding, and agricultural volatility, all of which directly impact food production, pricing, and access.
In this context, redistribution becomes a form of adaptation. By moving surplus food into underserved areas, SA Harvest is not only preventing waste. We’re creating buffers against food shocks and reinforcing the resilience of community-led organisations.
What Comes Next?
As the panel highlighted, the journey to net zero will not be won by technology alone. It will require:
SA Harvest remains committed to leading in this space, not only as a food rescue organisation, but as a strategic partner in South Africa’s climate and food security landscape.