FoodForward SA has received international funding support to expand community food gardens that create income opportunities and strengthen food security in underserved communities.
FoodForward SA has been awarded a $10 000 Global Community Impact Grant from The Starbucks Foundation to help expand its Food Gardens Connect Programme across South Africa.
The grant was awarded through The Starbucks Foundation’s Global Community Impact Grants programme following a nomination by Rand GP, which operates the Starbucks brand in South Africa.
The programme supports nonprofit organisations creating measurable impact within local communities across global markets.
FoodForward SA’s Food Gardens Connect Programme focuses on teaching unemployed individuals how to grow their own food while creating sustainable income opportunities through agricultural support and guaranteed produce buy-back agreements.
Participants receive equipment, seedlings, mentorship and practical support to help establish productive community food gardens.
According to FoodForward SA, the latest grant funding will allow the programme to expand to five additional beneficiary organisations, potentially benefiting around 800 people.
FoodForward SA Managing Director Andy du Plessis said the programme continues to demonstrate the power of community-driven solutions.
“Seeing lives transformed and communities empowered reminds us that meaningful change is only possible through collective action,” he said.
Food insecurity remains a major challenge in South Africa, with millions of vulnerable people relying on food support initiatives and community organisations daily.
Beyond addressing hunger, the initiative also contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing food waste and preventing edible surplus food from ending up in landfills.
FoodForward SA says it currently provides food support to nearly 900,000 vulnerable people daily through a network of approximately 2,200 registered beneficiary organisations operating in underserved urban and rural communities.
The Starbucks Foundation said the Global Community Impact Grants programme forms part of its broader efforts to strengthen community resilience and prosperity internationally.
Brady Brewer, CEO International at Starbucks and board member of The Starbucks Foundation, said the programme aims to support causes identified by local partners working directly within communities.
Since launching in 2022, the Global Community Impact Grants programme has distributed more than $14 million to over 200 nonprofit organisations across more than 60 international markets.
