Vulnerable communities get vitamin C boost with 1,000-ton mandarin donation

Instead of 1-million kilograms of mandarins being turned into juice, the fruit is being dispatched to communities in Durban and Johannesburg in need of a vitamin C boost.

NPO SA Harvest, a food rescue and hunger relief organisation, has teamed up with local mandarin brand ClemenGold International to distribute the fruit it has donated to the cause during the citrus season from May until August.

In a bid to reduce food waste and hunger in the country, SA Harvest drives initiatives to channel surplus food from farms, manufacturers and retailers to those in need.

ClemenGold International annually distributes more than 4-million pieces of citrus to around 160,000 beneficiaries at crèches, old age homes, hospitals, schools and non-profit institutions in areas where nutrition is a daily challenge. 

“However, we have limited ability to handle the logistics of such actions, and taking hands with SA Harvest enables us to have an even bigger impact and reach areas beyond our immediate surroundings,” said Adéle Ackermann, ClemenGold International's marketing manager.

Lucille Strecker, who oversees the company's corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives, said the donated fruit is usually used for fulfilling the company’s juice programmes. 

“But we’ve long since made the decision to serve our communities in any way possible. While we also have CSI projects in place with a focus on early childhood development and socio-economic development, donating fruit addresses vital issues such as hunger and health,” she said.

“Donating vitamin C-rich citrus is a logical way of contributing towards helping communities to thrive,” said Ackermann.

The first 68 tonnes have been dispatched from the Twypack packhouse in Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit) to communities in Durban.

“We believe every South African deserves not just access to food but access to nutritious food,” said Alan Browde, CEO and founder of SA Harvest.

“Food-insecure communities often face significant barriers to accessing nutritious food, resulting in issues such as starch excess obesity, malnourishment and other diet-related health conditions. 

“Through our network of vetted beneficiary organisations, including early childhood development centres, soup kitchens, old age facilities and community outreach programmes, this donation of citrus fruit will directly impact and nourish individuals in these communities who need it most, particularly children.”

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