THIS past Friday Shoprite and Checkers opened its stores to community-run food gardens in its surrounding areas.
Several community projects supported by the Shoprite Group were given access to market and sell fresh produce from their sustainable food gardens.
This initiative was part of World Hunger Day.
“By investing in and expanding long-term sustainable initiatives such as food gardens, community feeding schemes now have access to fresh and nutritional produce plus they are able to sell their excess crops in order to generate much-needed funds,” said Adele Lambrechts, the Shoprite Group’s PR and Communications Manager.
In partnership with local farming specialists such as Urban Harvest and Food & Trees for Africa, the Group ensured that community organisations are mentored and equipped to create and maintain their gardens.
“The Shoprite Group’s holistic hunger relief programme continues to identify practical yet effective solutions to address short, medium and long-term community needs. In addition to the sustainable food gardens, surplus food from all Shoprite and Checkers stores are made available to hundreds of verified non-profit organisations whilst its fleet of Mobile Soup Kitchens enables the Group to respond to immediate needs in vulnerable communities,” the company said in a statement.