OneFarm Share is an inspiring story of what can be achieved when key partnerships, backed by corporate support and aided by the latest technologies, work together to drive food relief and food access. As one of the partners in the OneFarm Share programme we are proud and humbled to be part of the story of the success of this powerful initiative, which celebrates its first birthday this month.
What is the OneFarm Share programme?
Launched in 2021 by Standard Bank and powered by the HelloChoice digital trading platform, OneFarm Share has contributed over 7,000 tons of produce, equaling 28 million meals that reached a million people through 1,658 beneficiary organisations. OneFarm Share is a programme that matches farmers with produce to registered charities via accredited food distribution partners in order to ensure food security to vulnerable communities. With the food contributions managed and dispersed by FoodForward SA and SA Harvest via both organisations’ vast and trusted networks, their transparent and efficient system benefits all involved, from farmers to the beneficiary communities. Farmers who want to get involved can donate or contribute their produce at a special offer price. Farmers who donate fresh produce receive a Section 18A donation certificate.
What has being part of the OneFarm Share programme meant for SA Harvest?
Being part of OneFarm share has been a significant game-changer for SA Harvest. Supplying nutritious food is a cornerstone of SA Harvest’s philosophy and OneFarm Share has been instrumental in our ability to significantly raise the nutritional content of our meals donated to our beneficiaries.
We believe that it is not only every South African’s constitutional right to food, but, also, we all have a right to nutrient-rich food. A balanced diet is essential for people to thrive, for children to be able to learn and flourish. Our attitude is not to merely satiate hunger but to help the millions of hungry children get the best chance they can to become productive adults through gaining access to affordable nutritious food. And OneFarm Share has made a massive impact on our ability to do this. Not only has the volume of nutritious produce they have given us in Joburg, Durban and Cape Town meant that we have been able to make a far more significant contribution to the beneficiary organisations we support, we’ve also been able to bring on new beneficiaries and to ensure that our meal baskets are nutritionally balanced all over the country.
To date, the OneFarm Share programme has contributed an incredible 2,299,581 kilograms of fresh produce to SA Harvest’s beneficiaries, which equates to 7,665,269 meals.
What makes the partnership between SA Harvest and OneFarm Share so successful?
The OneFarm Share initiative’s ethos is directly aligned to our own. SA Harvest’s three pillars are: 1. Food Rescue. 2. Technology. 3. Systemic Intervention. From a systemic perspective, OneFarm Share enables farmers to sell their surplus produce and add to their income while, at the same time, save huge volumes of good food from going to waste. This is a perfect alignment with SA Harvest’s approach i.e. creating successful small farm enterprises, preventing good food from going to landfill and, importantly, creating the infrastructure for poorer people to gain access to affordable nutritious food. In addition, the OneFarm Share model also speaks to our philosophy of empowering entrepreneurship by supporting farmers whose competitive ability is severely curtailed by a high volume/low margin structure in the food chain.
Finally, the partnership between Standard Bank and HelloChoice to bring about this incredible initiative, and the further partnering with organisations like SA Harvest and FoodForward, demonstrates the strength in collaboration. This is a basic principle for SA Harvest and one we believe has the power to ultimately end hunger in South Africa.
Congratulations to Standard Bank and HelloChoice on behalf of every one of SA Harvest’s team, management, board and beneficiary organisations on the first anniversary of the incredible OneFarm Share programme.
