According to Standard Bank, OneFarm Share is an example of what can be achieved when key partnerships, backed by corporate support and aided by the latest technologies, work together to drive food relief and food access.

OneFarm Share matches farmers with produce to registered charities via accredited food distribution partners. This is in order to ensure food security to vulnerable communities has reached its one-year milestone.

The food contributions are managed and dispersed by FoodForward SA and SA Harvest to the beneficiary communities. Farmers who donate fresh produce receive a s18A Donations Certificate and become engaged in the HelloChoice online digital platform.

HelloChoice's CEO Grant Jacobs says, "As an approachable and more accessible buying channel for emerging farmers, the OneFarm Share programme helps bring emerging farmers into the commercial supply chain and offers efficient and low-cost market access. Easier and faster paths to commercialisation for this critical part of our agricultural sector are key to building both food security and economic inclusion."

OneFarm Share has also enabled, in particular, women farmers on the HelloChoice platform to support local communities. With a total 272 emerging farmers contributing towards OneFarmShare, 61 are emerging female farmers.

One such example is African Marmalade, based in Gauteng and founded by Siphiwe Sithole in 2015. It grows indigenous and popular staple vegetables such as potatoes, beetroots, cabbage and carrots.

Another key HelloChoice partner is A Pillay Farm, a 13-hectare farm that has been operating since 1981 in Thornville, KwaZulu-Natal and produces crops such as spinach, lettuce, baby marrows and cabbages.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Theovin Pillay realised that the farm was having issues with excess produce that they were unable to sell through traditional means. Not wanting the food to go to waste, they started donating fresh produce to the local community in any way they could.

In November 2020, HelloChoice approached A Pillay Farms to get involved and have subsequently contributed in excess of 54 tons of fresh spinach, butternut and cabbages. Pillay says, "The little we have can make a big difference to South Africans — giving back makes all the difference."

One of the commercial donor farms to OneFarm Share is Cape Five Exports, whose fruit donations have exceeded 16 tons. Cape Five Exports is a fruit company focusing on stone fruit, apples, pears and citrus.

Cape Five's Wynand Viljoen says, "We always want to give back to the community and OneFarm Share made this easy. They collect and distribute the fruit — we only have to send them the details and locations. It's quick and easy and the truth is we have enough food in the country to feed all. Let's feed the nation!"

Other partners FoodForward SA and Harvest SA ensure that the food ends up with reputable beneficiary organisations. FoodForward SA is South Africa's largest food distribution non-profit organisation.

Its core business is the recovery of good quality, edible surplus food. It obtains the food from farmers, retailers and manufacturers for redistribution to registered and vetted beneficiary organisations in under-served communities that provide:
  • feeding services
  • social services
  • health care services, and
  • skills development services.
FoodForward SA's managing director Andy Du Plessis says, "The partnership with OneFarm Share has allowed us to significantly increase the nutritional value and provide a greater variety of our food basket to beneficiaries. The food basket's nutritional value has increased from 82% to more than 90%."

"This partnership is immensely important for both farmers and beneficiaries as farmers need purchasing support so that they recover economically from the effects of the pandemic. Fifty percent of the people living in South Africa are food insecure and providing them with fresh fruits and vegetables not only addresses short term hunger but also positively their nutrition status," concludes Du Plessis.

SA Harvest says that it has a mission to end hunger in South Africa by taking a revolutionary approach to tackling the immediate food security crisis through rescuing nutritious food and delivering it where it's needed most.

Some of OneFarm Share's beneficiaries organisations include:
  • early education centres
  • women's organisations
  • community feeding schemes such as The Domino Foundation
  • The Sizimisele Development Trust, and
  • the Masisizane Service Centre. 
Partners Standard Bank and HelloChoice have called on farmers, logistics companies and corporates to join the initiative in order to enable the project to reach its increased targets for 2022.

With support from additional partners, OneFarm Share says that it hopes to be able to increase total donations to 10 000 tons and provide 40 million meals to needy communities and children across the country.

For more information, visit www.onefarmshare.co.za. You can also follow OneFarm Share on Facebook or on Instagram.