Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.
World Food Day, observed on 16 October, is a reminder that the way we produce, distribute, consume and manage food today will shape the food system of tomorrow.
Building a sustainable food system is not the responsibility of one sector or one organisation. It requires a dynamic network of partners working together across the food system, with a shared sense of purpose and a willingness to find practical solutions to complex challenges.
In South Africa, food security is not simply a question of whether enough food is produced. It is a systems challenge shaped by economic pressures, structural constraints, food loss and waste, access, infrastructure, logistics and environmental pressures, as well as the ability to get quality, nutritious food to the people who need it most in underserved communities.
The solutions need to be systemic too.
The power of partnership
From agriculture and food production to retail, logistics, food safety, environmental management, government and civil society, every part of the food system has a role to play.
Collaboration across these sectors is essential to identify practical solutions, remove barriers and make better use of the resources we already have.
Food loss and waste is a clear example. Reducing it requires behaviour change, supportive policy and regulation, food safety standards that enable safe donation, and efficient systems to recover and redistribute quality surplus food.
FoodForward SA’s foodbanking model demonstrates what is possible when quality, nutritious surplus food is redistributed through organisations serving underserved communities. But scaling solutions like this requires the participation of the wider food system.
South Africa has made progress in recognising the importance of food loss and waste, food security and sustainable food systems. The next step is turning this awareness into coordinated action and creating an enabling environment for more solutions to be implemented at scale.
This requires government, policymakers, business and civil society to work together with a shared sense of purpose.
Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.
The theme for World Food Day 2026, “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”, is a call to think differently about how our food system works.
Innovation is not only about technology. It is also about finding better ways to connect resources, strengthen partnerships, remove barriers, and ensure that food already produced is used to its full potential.
Building a sustainable food system requires us to work differently: across sectors, across supply chains, and towards a shared goal of nourishing people while protecting the resources we depend on.
