CAF America Insider Blog

Volunteer carries a bag of fruit as part of SA Harvest's rescued food delivery program

Published on November 17, 2023

Food insecurity is growing around the world every day. In 2022, nearly 258 million people across 58 countries faced crisis or higher levels of food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme. Conflicts, economic shocks, climate extremes, and increasing inequality are all contributing to this change. Food insecurity forces families into distressing choices, and millions of children are dangerously malnourished which negatively impacts their development.

A 2022 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, brings attention to a troubling pattern—global hunger has been on the rise for three consecutive years. This rise is attributed to four main factors: COVID-19, conflict, economic changes (including soaring prices of food), and climate change. The report underscores the significant role international philanthropy can play in addressing this crisis, especially in regions like the Horn of Africa, where the convergence of these factors has escalated hunger into a widespread crisis. It also explores how the COVID-19 pandemic intensified global hunger, impacting between 702 to 828 million people in 2021. Disrupted food supply chains, market closures, and increased prices resulted in 2.3 billion food insecure individuals. Finally, the war in Ukraine further disrupted global agricultural markets causing price spikes, while climate change doubled acute hunger in the ten worst hotspots. These factors also disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and exacerbate poverty and inequality.

Photo of South African woman carrying produce provided by SA Harvest

The UN’s most recent 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition Report further reports on the above issues and focuses on the global trend of mass urbanization. 56% of the global population already lives in cities, and by 2050, almost seven in ten people are projected to live in urban areas. This migration is reducing the availability of vegetables and fruits and increasing the spread of cheap, convenient, and energy dense pre-prepared and fast foods high in fats, sugars and/or salt. The second main theme highlighted is the overconsumption of these highly processed foods increasing in peri-urban and rural areas of many countries, leading to poor nutrition around the globe.

In the ongoing battle against challenges, prioritizing global donations and aid becomes pivotal to addressing world hunger. Fortunately, there are organizations making a difference at local, national, and global levels. SA Harvest, supported by CAF America donors, stands out as a key player in the mission to ensure no person goes to bed on an empty stomach.

Impact In Action: SA Harvest

SA Harvest is a South African-based NGO supporting food rescue and sustainability in food systems while implementing systemic solutions to end hunger across South Africa. Over 12.3 million tons of good food goes to waste every year within the South Africa. That’s 36.3 billion meals, which is enough to feed every one of the twenty million people who are classified as food-vulnerable three nourishing meals a day for almost eighteen months. SA Harvest's approach revolves around four pillars, with the first being prioritizing food rescue by collaborating with partners across the food chain to ensure nutrition-packed meals reach those in need. The second is addressing systemic issues, as they partner with business leaders and law firms to empower community-based businesses and run education programs. SA Harvest also leverages innovative technology, using a proprietary platform for tracking donations. Most importantly, they focus on sustainable solutions, working to reduce food waste footprints and enhance sustainability for corporates and logistics companies.

Our partnership with SA Harvest has been a long and progressively successful journey. In 2021, CAF America supported SA Harvest in delivering over seven million meals during South Africa's Level Five lockdown during the Covid-19 Pandemic, addressing immediate needs in the Western Cape, Gauteng, and Kwazulu-Natal regions. These specific grants facilitated the original delivery of 80,000 meals and highlighted the importance of robust systems for transparent reporting and efficient scaling during crises. In 2022, CAF America grants helped with flood relief in KZN, supporting SA Hunger in delivering fifteen million more nutritious meals to those affected. 2022 grants also aided rescuing and redistributing surplus food to those in need. Finally, a portion of the funds enhanced nutritional value by purchasing food, contributing to addressing hunger in South Africa.

Most recently, 2023 CAF America grants supported operational expenses, rent, and salaries for the Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape charity project. The funds facilitated the delivery of 350,000 meals, educated unemployed youth for employment and food independence, and contributed to SA Harvest's initiative in Lusikisiki. This aid enabled SA Harvest to achieve its goal of fourteen million meals in Gauteng and Lusikisiki, providing sustainable income for unemployed youth and launching a unique project integrating food delivery and systemic solutions to end hunger in South Africa. These grants made towards core costs also helped free up additional funding to fight these systemic issues through advocacy work

CAF America is proud to work with grantee partners like SA Harvest who are making a measurable difference in the communities they serve. And, they're just one of many currently eligible organizations in our Global Charity Database that is doing inspiring work. You can find organizations in our database here.