SPAR has strengthened its partnership with food distributor FoodFoward SA to tackle hunger and poverty across South Africa, as it marked World Food Day.
Under the “passing of the sugar challenge campaign”, SPAR will help distribute food parcels to various non-profit organizations serving vulnerable people.
According to FoodFoward SA, one-third of all food produced in SA is wasted, while millions of people go to bed hungry every day.
“Our goal is to create a real impact by driving meaningful change in communities through tangible and practical initiatives” said Angelo Swartz, SPAR Group CEO. “This partnership is not just about distributing food parcels. It’s also about celebrating unity, diversity, and togetherness, the values that characterise SPAR as a family and community-oriented business. We believe that when we work together, we can build stronger and more resilient communities.”
Through this partnership, SPAR will distribute edible and nutritious food from retail supply chains to NPOs that provide meals and care to destitute families, children, and the elderly. The campaign aims to alleviate food security, poverty, and inequality that remain deeply entrenched in South Africa, where the unemployment rate is around 33.9% and counting.
An estimated 3.7 million households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity in 2023, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) data, while 1.5 million faced severe food shortages, revealing the extent of the crisis. Female-headed households were disproportionally affected, showing the unequal burden of hunger within the population.
“We are taking this responsibility of tackling poverty seriously,” said Dr Thuli Tabudi, SPAR’s Socio-Development and Transformation Executive. SPAR is a company that believes in uplifting the communities it serves and making a difference in the lives of fellow South Africans for whom life is an everyday struggle. Through collaboration, we can help alleviate hunger and restore dignity to those afflicted by poverty.”
The partnership with FoodFoward SA reinforces SPAR’s long-standing commitment to addressing societal challenges through collaboration with stakeholders.
“As a SPAR brand, we are committed to ensuring that our sustainability journey is inclusive and beneficial to all stakeholders,” Tabudi concluded.