Growing the community with food security

A YEAR-END function was hosted by the newly opened Durban branch of SA Harvest recently. Durban North resident, Lindsay Hopkins, who has just taken on the role of KwaZulu-Natal operations manager for the organisation, said they are focused on food security.

Her work in the field of food security began during the Covid-19 pandemic when she took on the position of KwaZulu-Natal coordinator for the C-19 People’s Coalition, an organisation which was formed in response to the food crisis resulting from the lockdown. From there, Hopkins founded The Farmer Exchange whereby she sourced fresh produce that did not meet retail standards, to use for food hampers and to sell at prices that benefited the community and the farmers.

Her new position at SA Harvest allows her to continue this work on a permanent basis.

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“SA Harvest is primarily a food rescue organisation. Ten tons of food goes into the landfill every year- that’s almost a third of all food that is produced. There are 19 million people who are cold and hungry everyday, so if you do the calculations, nobody should go to bed hungry. It’s a basic right that people get food in their stomach,” she said.

“We started making food hampers during the Covid-19 lockdown. I am now making about 200 to 300 food hampers every week and each hamper feeds 100 people,” she added.

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Guest speakers at the event were Arnav Pillay and Graham Thompson, a member of Trinity Methodist Church’s Grow the Love initiative who worked as a plant pathologist.

“We do circular economic models based on rural economic development around food security. This includes small scale business models that tie into one another,” said Pillay.

Thompson shared tips on how to grow healthy plants. 

“Plants need air, water and food to survive.  In terms of water, drain water, irrigation water or even grey water can be used. Water from washing clothes or bath water is fine, but not the dish water, that contains fats that will contaminate the soil,” he said. 

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

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