The organisation has expanded its vehicle fleet to reach more underserved areas and improve the efficiency and safety of food distribution, particularly in maintaining cold chain standards.

This move comes as SA continues to lose an estimated 10 million tonnes of food each year to waste.

SA Harvest Chief Executive Officer Ozzy Nel says the expansion is aimed at both meeting increased community demand and ensuring compliance with food safety standards.

"As an organisation, number one, we deliver to our community organisations for free on a weekly basis, so there was a need to increase our fleet based on the demand from a community-based organisation point of view.

From the other side of the coin, it is really about food safety and food handling from the manufacturer. It’s about transporting that food to be used in a community-based kitchen," Nel said.

The SA Harvest says the integration of smart logistics and infrastructure will play a key role in reducing food waste while supporting food-insecure communities.

--SABC--