The following article written by Ozzy Nel, COO of SA Harvest, explores the complex ecosystem of food production, distribution, and consumption, and the challenge that food waste continues to pose as a significant threat. It is Part 1 of a two-part series.
As leaders in the food rescue industry, we at SA Harvest recognise that the most effective solutions often emerge from the power of collaboration. A recent successful food rescue operation involving sweet potatoes from Du Toit Agri exemplifies this principle, highlighting how partnerships can transform potential food loss and waste into nourishment for thousands.
Dutoit, established in 1893, has a long-standing history of delivering high-quality fruit and vegetables across South Africa. Despite their extensive experience and efficient farming operations, even seasoned producers can face challenges with surplus. This year, Dutoit encountered an unexpected excess of sweet potatoes, a result of preparing more stem cuttings than needed for the next planting season.
To prevent this valuable crop from going to waste, SA Harvest stepped in to offer assistance. Initially meeting to discuss fruit rescue, the collaboration quickly expanded to include sweet potatoes, ensuring they were put to good use rather than lost.
Mobilising for impact
The need to swiftly move such a large quantity of sweet potatoes provided an opportunity to demonstrate the agility and impact of strategic partnerships. SA Harvest, leveraging its robust logistics network and warehouse footprint, initiated a coordinated rescue operation. This entailed putting out a call to FWJ Logistix, a company with a storied legacy of four generations in logistics, who unhesitatingly stepped forward. With trucks returning to Cape Town empty after delivering solar products, FWJ Logistix offered to transport the sweet potatoes from the Du Toit packhouse to SA Harvest’s Cape Town warehouse.
To facilitate the transport of such large volumes of loose sweet potatoes, SA Harvest’s long-standing partner CHEP supplied a total of 206 agri bins crucial for the operation. The coordinated effort saw three interlink trucks transporting the sweet potatoes from the packhouse in Prince Albert Hamlet to Cape Town.
Once the sweet potatoes reached SA Harvest’s Cape Town warehouse, the extensive redistribution effort began. The call for logistical support was once again answered by key players in the transport industry, facilitated by the Road Freight Association of South Africa. And joining FWJ Logistics in the rescue operation, DSV assisted with the onward journey, ensuring that the sweet potatoes reached our Johannesburg and Durban branches.