Agri SA R1-miljard voedselinisiatief | Agri SA R1 billion food aid drive
English to follow:
23 Julie 2020
Dit met groot afwagting dat Agri SA ‘n beroep doen op die regering en die privaatsektor om by te dra tot die R1-miljard voedselinisiatief in ‘n gesamentlike poging om gemeenskappe wat voedselonsekerheid in Suid-Afrika ervaar te voed.
Te midde van hierdie winter, het Covid-19 sy greep versterk en sodoende menige huishoudings honger en moedeloos gelaat terwyl die behoefte aan hulp om te oorleef nog nooit groter was nie. Die pandemie tref ons op ‘n tydstip wanneer ons land reeds geweldige uitdagings ervaar en waar voedselsekerheid en ander stelsels reeds onder druk is. Natuurrampe, klimaatsverandering, werkloosheid, ‘n resessie, arbeidskonflik en grondonteiening sonder vergoeding, asook ‘n swak ekonomie, is uitdagings wat die land op ‘n groot skaal ervaar het selfs voordat Covid-19 ’n realiteit geword het.
15 Maart 2020, het President Cyril Ramaphosa die Covid-19 pandemie as ‘n nasionale rampstaat ingevolge die Rampbestuurswet verklaar en het beweer dat Suid-Afrika die nodige ‘kennis, middele en hulpbronne het om die virus te beveg’. Die streng inperkingsregulasies het egter ‘n verwoestende effek op vele huishoudings, met ‘n nadelige impak op voedsel-sekerheid vir miljoene mense in die land.
Statistieke SA het soos volg bevind: “Sedert die begin van die nasionale inperking het die verhouding respondente wat aangedui het dat hulle hongersnood ervaar van 4,3% tot 7,0% toegeneem”. Dit is gegrond op ‘n opname wat gedoen is oor die impak van Covid-19 op werksgeleenthede en inkomste in Suid-Afrika soos op 20 Mei 2020. Volgens die opname, het die Noord-Kaap, Noordwes en Mpumalanga die hoogste persentasie huishoudings wat ernstige voedseltekorte ervaar, naamlik 12,9%, 12,5% en 11,4% onderskeidelik. Die Oos-Kaap is aangewys as die provinsie wat die ergste voedselonsekerheid ervaar, met ongeveer 70% van huishoudings wat minder as R1 000 per maand aan voedsel bestee, terwyl slegs 7,6% van huishoudings in die meer welgestelde provinsies soos Gauteng ongeveer R3 500 per maand het om aan voedsel te bestee.
In Suid-Afrika as geheel is daar steeds 13 738 824 mense (24,9% van die bevolking) wat nie toegang tot voldoende voedsel het nie. Ons moet die volle omvang van voedselsekerheid en voedselvoorsiening gedurende die hierdie krisis aanspreek.
Agri SA daag alle boere, individue en maatskappye uit om by te dra tot hierdie inisiatief in ‘n gesamentlike poging om voedselsekerheid vir menige huishoudings in Suid-Afrika te verseker.
Daar is verskillende maniere om by te dra tot die voedselhulpinisiatief van R1 miljard. Ons verwelkom alle borgskappe, donasies, kontant, geskenkbewyse, voedselhulp in enige vorm en ‘n bydrae tot die vervoerkoste om voedselhulp aan behoeftiges te verleen. Verskeie landbou-ondernemings begin ook met hul eie inisiatiewe; hierdie pogings kan ook geïntegreer word in die voedselhulpinisiatief van R1 miljard.
Deur die R1-miljard voedselinisiatief gaan honger gesinne van voedsel voorsien word en daardeur word gebou aan die menswaardigheid van diegene in nood.
Deur bewustheid te kweek deur middel van innoverende kommunikasie en optrede, hoop ons om toenemende voedselnood te verlig.
Die kort-termyn impak van Covid-19 word onmiddellik en geredelik deur almal ervaar weens die inperkingsregulasies en om ander ekonomiese redes. Hierdie nasionale ramp genoodsaak samewerking, samespanning en gesamentlike optrede en ons kan alreeds verwag dat dit ‘n diep ekonomiese, maatskaplike en kulturele impak in die langtermyn sal hê.
Ons vra u om dit moontlik vir ons te maak om te help waar en wanneer ons kan deur middel van hierdie R1-miljard voedselinisiatief.
Kyk hier na Agri SA Surplus voedselhulp veldtog video – https://youtu.be/XuFccb5aahs
Navrae:
Christo van der Rheede
Agri SA Adjunk-Uitvoerende Direkteur
Andrea Campher
Agri SA Ramprisikobestuurder
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23 July 2020
It is with great excitement that Agri SA calls upon the government and the private sector to contribute to the R1 billion food drive initiative in a collective effort to feed food insecure communities throughout South Africa.
With the winter upon us, COVID-19 has struck its grip and many households are left food insecure, hopeless and the need for human survival has never been greater. The pandemic hits us at a time of immense challenges in our country when food security and other systems were already under strain. Natural disasters, climate change, unemployment, recession, conflict on labour relations and land expropriation without compensation, and a low thriving economy just to name a few preceded COVID-19 on larger scale in South Africa.
On 15 March 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa, declared the outbreak of Covid-19 a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act, he said South Africa has the “knowledge, means and resources to defeat the virus.” However, the strict enforced lockdown regulations have caused a lot of destruction in many households which have left millions of people food insecure.
According to Stats SA, “since the start of the national lockdown, the proportion of respondents who reported experiencing hunger increased from 4,3% to 7,0%.” This is based on a survey conducted on the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on employment and income in South Africa on 20 May 2020. Northern Cape, North West and Mpumalanga had the highest percentages of households that had severely inadequate access to nutritional food at 12.9%, 12.5% and 11.4% respectively. With the Eastern Cape being one of the most food insecure province in the country since nearly 70% of households spend less than R1 000, whilst only 7.6% or slightly more spend R3 500 on food per month in households of the more affluent provinces such as Gauteng.
As a whole in South Africa there were still 13 738 824 persons (24.9% of the population) with inadequate access to food. We need to tackle all the food security and nutrition dimension of this crisis.
Agri SA challenges farmers, individuals and companies to contribute to the R1 billion food drive in a collective effort to ensure food security in many households in South Africa.
There are several ways to contribute to the R1 billion food aid initiative. We welcome any sponsorship, donation, cash, vouchers, food aid in any form and a contribution to transport costs to provide the food aid to those in need. Various agricultural entities are also embarking on their own initiatives, these efforts can also be integrated with the R1 billion food aid initiative.
Through the R1 billion food initiative, hungry families will be provided with food, thereby building on the human dignity of those in need.
Thus, by bringing knowledge and awareness of this pandemic through our innovative ways and actions in order to combat rising famine.
The short-term impact of Covid-19 is immediately and effortlessly felt by all, due to the widespread lockdown regulations and other imposing economic reasons. This national emergency demands cooperation, collaboration and common action, this pandemic it is already set to have long-lasting profound economic, social, political, and cultural impacts.
We call on all to assists where and when we can through this R1 billion food drive initiative.
Watch Agri SA Surplus food aid campaign video here – https://youtu.be/XuFccb5aahs
Enquiries:
Christo van der Rheede
Agri SA, Deputy Executive Director
Andrea Campher
Disaster Risk Manager
