An article by Ravi Pillay, Co‑founder of the Food Safety Leadership Initiative (FSLI) and FoodForward SA Board Member. Edited for the FoodForward SA blog.
When more than 300 delegates—from township food entrepreneurs to captains of industry, global foundations, regulators, scientists and the FAO—gathered in Johannesburg for the sixth Annual Food Safety Summit (3‑4 June 2025), one message was clear: food safety is no longer a box to tick; it is a public‑health imperative.
Launching a Pact for Safer Plates
At the summit, the Food Safety Leadership Initiative (FSLI)—co‑founded by Ravi Pillay, alongside Dr Lucia Anelich—was officially launched in partnership with Wits Business School. Think of FSLI as South Africa’s food‑safety pact: a collaborative framework that equips businesses, public agencies and NGOs with the systems, leadership tools and evidence base they need to keep every bite safe, from factory floor to informal street vendor.
Why This Matters to FoodForward SA
FoodForward‑SA recovers nutritious surplus food from the supply chain and redistributes it to hundreds of community organisations nationwide. Every kilogram we share must be safe, high‑quality and handled to the highest standard—because our beneficiaries are often the most vulnerable to food‑borne illness.
The FSLI pact strengthens that safety net in three ways:
- Shared Standards Across Sectors – By aligning formal manufacturers, retailers and informal traders to a common protocol, FSLI narrows safety gaps that can appear once food leaves a controlled cold chain.
- Capacity‑Building – Training modules, mentorship programmes and leadership labs hosted by Wits Business School will upskill small producers and township vendors who form an increasingly important part of FoodForward‑SA’s fresh‑produce pipeline.
- Data‑Driven Early Warning – A national incident‑reporting platform will allow partners—including FoodForward‑SA warehouses and Beneficiary Organisations—to flag hazards quickly, trace root causes and prevent repeat outbreaks.
Collaboration Is Non‑Negotiable
The summit was filled with an “appetite for collaboration” among government, academia, industry and civil society. This collective will be critical, as in the past two years alone, more than 20 children have died after eating unsafe food, this is one tragedy is too many.
FoodForward‑SA has already signed on to the FSLI pact. We will:
- Integrate FSLI protocols into our Warehouse Management System and Beneficiary Organisation training.
- Share incident data anonymously to help build the national evidence base.
- Champion the cause in the food industry, encouraging suppliers and donors to join the pact and invest in preventive safety measures.
A Call to Action
Whether you are a farmer, manufacturer, retailer or community kitchen, food safety is our shared responsibility. By committing to the FSLI pact, you help ensure that every meal rescued from waste and placed on a family’s table nourishes rather than harms.
“The time for siloed responses is over. The time for bold, collaborative leadership is now.”
FoodForward SA echoes this call to action. Join us and let’s make sure that the food we save today is unquestionably safe tomorrow.
