We love it when a good idea takes flight! Castle Lager has launched a clever initiative that sees the by-product of its beer brewing process being baked up into bread that is high in fibre, sustainable and a source of protein.
Dubbed Bread of the Nation, the programme will result in approximately 30 000 loaves being baked by local bakery The Health Food Company and distributed through SA Harvest to hungry South African communities. Castle Lager Brand Director, Wendy Bedforth, explains: “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.
”The excess grain by-product was previously sold to cattle farmers and this initiative cleverly repurposes it to directly impact the communities who need it most. To optimise the distribution of this bread mix, Castle Lager has teamed up with a non-governmental food-rescue organisation and hunger relief, 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 kilograms of food that would otherwise go to waste. It has a networkof over 200 beneficiary organisations around the country.
Alan Browde, CEO and founder of SA Harvest comments: “Over 20 million people in South Africa are classified as food vulnerable, while 10,3 million tonnes 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 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.
”According to a report released by Statistics South Africa, Measuring Food Security in South Africa: Applying the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, almost 23,6% of South Africans in 2020 were affected by moderate to severe food insecurity, while almost 14,9% experienced severe food insecurity.
The official launch of this initiative kicked off in Walkerville, south of Joburg, at the beginning of March and Castle Lager plans to run Bread of the Nation for three years to assess its feasibility.
