Shoprite marks 300th community food garden with Bredasdorp project
Programme has supported community food gardens across South Africa for more than a decade.
SOUTH AFRICA – Shoprite Group has marked the establishment of its 300th community food garden by recognising the Zero Organic Waste to Landfill Project in Bredasdorp, a partnership focused on food production, composting, and community training.
Located at the Cape Agulhas Municipality Materials Recovery Facility, the project is operated through a partnership between the municipality and the Zero Waste Association of South Africa (ZWASA).
The initiative began in 2021 as a programme to divert biodegradable waste from landfill by converting it into compost, and expanded in 2024 to include vegetable production.
Food waste collected from about 800 households is sorted and composted on-site before being used to enrich the soil where vegetables are grown and sold in the local community.
The garden is situated close to a large informal settlement, allowing fresh produce to reach nearby residents over short distances.
A team of eight workers manages the garden under the supervision of ZWASA Farm Manager Anine Swart, with around 700 square metres currently under cultivation on a five-hectare site.
The project also hosts monthly workshops that provide community members with practical farming skills, while future plans include establishing a nursery for seedling production and redesigning planting beds to reduce soil erosion and improve resilience to extreme weather.
Swart said healthy soil is essential for producing nutritious food, adding that compost made from household food waste helps return nutrients to the land while supporting healthier diets within surrounding communities.
Long-term food security programme
Shoprite said it has supported community food gardens across South Africa for more than 10 years through investments aimed at improving food security and expanding access to fresh produce.
The retailer provides participating gardens with agricultural training, technical mentorship, irrigation systems, farming tools, and water-harvesting infrastructure to improve production while reducing pressure on municipal water supplies.
Shoprite Group Chief Sustainability Officer Sanjeev Raghubir said the company tailors its support to each community’s needs, adding that the Bredasdorp project demonstrates how local partnerships can convert organic waste into a productive resource.
Cape Agulhas Municipality Manager Wessel Rabbets said the initiative shows how collaboration can transform underutilised land into productive agricultural space while improving waste management and local food production.
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