One hundred and thirty-three million kilograms of rescued food. Five hundred and thirty-four million meals. Nearly one million people are fed every single day. It's no surprise that the Earthshot Prize has come knocking!
South Africa (04 March 2026) - Every day in South Africa, perfectly good food gets thrown away just because it can no longer be sold. And when food rots in a landfill, it releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas.
FoodForward SA (FFSA) has been working with farmers, manufacturers, and retailers to rescue that unsellable surplus food that's still completely nutritious and distribute it to the people across South Africa who need it most.
South Africa
Nearly one million people, every single day.Now, Earthshot has come knocking! FFSA has been nominated as a potential candidate for the 2026 Earthshot Prize - one of the most prestigious environmental awards on the planet.
"We are honoured to be nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize," says Andy Du Plessis, Managing Director of FoodForward SA. "This recognition underscores surplus food recovery as a dual investment: a proven climate solution that prevents methane emissions, while simultaneously addressing food insecurity at scale. Our focus remains on measurable impact and strong partnerships that enable us to expand this work across South Africa."
Director of FoodForward SA
The nomination was submitted by Marlene Ogawa, Country Director for Synergos South Africa, who is an approved Earthshot Prize nominator.
"My rationale for nominating FoodForward SA is because of the cool, important and so needed work [they] all do. I also think the science and research backed work matters. [Their] data is meaningful and shows impact (nutritional health impact and climate science and emissions impact). [Their] advocacy is strategic with a local and global lens, and I think the online platform is remarkable and might just be a base for similar technology in different sectors." says Ogawa as per Earthshot.
Around 18 million South Africans don't have reliable access to adequate, nutritious food. One in five households across the country is experiencing severe food insecurity. FFSA's network of 2500 registered and vetted beneficiary organisations is a lifeline reaching communities in cities and rural areas alike.
Synergos South Africa
The organisation is a worthy contender for the global prize that could significantly improve the reach and impact of its meaningful work.
The Earthshot Prize was founded six years ago to find and fund the world's most urgent and innovative solutions to fix our planet by 2030.
Every year, five winners - one per 'Earthshot' category - each walk away with £1 million (around R20 million!) to help scale their work. The five categories tackle restoring and protecting nature, cleaning our air, reviving our oceans, building a waste-free world, and fixing the climate.
Earthshot Prize
From over 1000 nominations received each year, an Expert Advisory Panel of global environmental specialists will now assess the shortlist and recommend 15 finalists. From there, the Earthshot Prize Council (a group of world-renowned individuals) will choose the five ultimate winners.
This will culminate in the Earthshot Awards Night in Mumbai, in November later this year.
We are honoured to be nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize.
Why this lands now
Retail decisions rarely happen all at once. What looks like a sudden change of direction is usually the visible end of months of testing, costing and quiet negotiation behind the scenes.
Key takeaways
- South Africa (04 March 2026) - Every day in South Africa, perfectly good food gets thrown away just because it can no longer be sold
- FoodForward SA (FFSA) has been working with farmers, manufacturers
- "We are honoured to be nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize," says Andy Du Plessis, Managing Director of FoodForward SA
- The nomination was submitted by Marlene Ogawa, Country Director for Synergos South Africa, who is an approved Earthshot Prize nominator
- "My rationale for nominating FoodForward SA is because of the cool, important and so needed work [they] all do
By the numbers
- FFSA has been nominated as a potential candidate for the 2026 Earthshot Prize - one of the most prestigious environmental awards on the planet
- The Earthshot Prize was founded six years ago to find and fund the world's most urgent and innovative solutions to fix our planet by 2030
Common questions
What should you know about Earthshot Prize?
FFSA has been nominated as a potential candidate for the 2026 Earthshot Prize - one of the most prestigious environmental awards on the planet.
Why does it matter?
South Africa (04 March 2026) - Every day in South Africa, perfectly good food gets thrown away just because it can no longer be sold.
What happens next?
From over 1000 nominations received each year, an Expert Advisory Panel of global environmental specialists will now assess the shortlist and recommend 15 finalists.
The bottom line
None of this settles the wider question. It does make one thing harder to ignore: the pressure in the food industry has shifted, and others will have to respond to it.