A report by Statistics SA, Measuring Food Security in South Africa: Applying the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, stated that almost 23.6% of South Africans in 2020 were affected by moderate to severe food insecurity, while nearly 14.9% experienced severe food insecurity.
It is against the backdrop of these worrying statistics that South Africa's iconic beer brand, Castle Lager, launched an innovation that will see by-products of its beer brewing process turned into bread that is high in fibre, sustainable and a source of protein.
Dubbed "Bread of the Nation", this project forms part of the brand's "Better World Programme".
The company said it uses high-quality, locally grown grains to brew Mzansi's favourite beer and the by-product will be repurposed to produce about 30 000 loaves for South African communities.
The bread will be made by The Health Food Company bakery.
Castle Lager brand director Wendy Bedforth said for more than 127 years,
South African Breweries and Castle Lager have represented the values of resilience and unity, bringing South Africans together through their favourite pastimes.
"As a proudly South African brand, we are delighted to leverage our production process for the greater good that will fuel the everyday hard-working South African. Bread of the Nation forms part of Castle Lager's rebranding campaign to bring Mzansi's favourite brew closer to our communities. This campaign speaks to our commitment to using the power of our brand to reshape and rebuild a better South Africa," she said.
The beer giant said the aim is to contribute meaningfully to the South African Breweries' and Castle Lager's zero-waste and sustainability commitments and the drive to reduce carbon emissions and minimise the impact of operations on the environment.
Castle Lager marketing manager Thomas Lawrence said the bread was launched in Soweto and Walkerville in the south of Johannesburg and the aim is to continue the initiative for the next three years.
"This week we will be in Cape Town in Lavender Hill, Tafelsig in Mitchells Plain and many other areas. We have partnered with the government and NGOS to upscale the project. There is no alcohol in the bread. This is also not about sales, we want to contribute to South Africa in a positive way," he said.
Lawrence explained grain is added to the beer brewing process and the grain that is left over is milled and turned into flour which is then turned into a bread that is high in fibre and a rich source of protein.
"We tested the bread with the help of a nutritionist and dietician and I can safely say that this bread ranks up there with the best breads available in SA. We use only home-grown ingredients. We are carrying the costs of transporting the bread to the communities in need, facilitating with the NGOS and communities," he said.
To optimise the distribution of this bread mix, Castle Lager teamed up with NGO and food-rescue and hunger relief organisation SA Harvest, which will use its footprint and partnerships to distribute the bread.
SA Harvest's mission is to end hunger
in South Africa, and it has delivered 38.6 million meals since its inception in October 2019 by rescuing 11.6 million kilogrammes of food that would otherwise go to waste. It has a network of more than 200 beneficiary organisations around the country.
"As a caring corporate citizen, Castle Lager has been actively seeking innovative ways to improve the lives of South Africans. This campaign allows us an opportunity to use Mzansi's national beer's by-product to showcase the Goodness Within Castle," said Bedforth.
Alan Browde, CEO and founder of SA Harvest, said: "More than 20 million people in South Africa are classified as food vulnerable, while 10.3 million tons of food goes to waste every year. This initiative by SAB to utilise a by-product, something that would ordinarily be viewed as waste and end up contributing to climate change, and transforming it into a nutritious means of feeding those in desperate need, is an example of the kind of innovation it will take to solve hunger in South Africa. We are delighted to partner with an organisation that shares our vision for reducing the environmental impact of food waste, and delivering nourishing food to the most vulnerable in our society.
"Bread of the Nation eloquently translates the ethos of our new brand campaign, 'It's Within', which celebrates the shared values of courage and optimism that South Africans use to rise above their daily challenges and causes of hopelessness and pessimism."
