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April 8, 2020

FoodForwardSA partners with IRMSA to avoid humanitarian disaster

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<p><strong>By: <i>FoodForward SA</i></strong></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">National non-profit food redistribution organisation, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been identified as the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Institute of Risk Management of South Africa’s</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (IRMSA) preferred food distribution partner in order to minimise the risk of a humanitarian disaster after it revealed in its findings last week from the </span><b>IRMSA COVID-19 Risk Think Tank</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the likely increase in food insecurity problems and civil unrest based on risk data modelling and taking into account the unique disparities of South Africa.</span></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Says </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRMSA </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">CEO Gillian le Cordeur, “The potential to threaten an already highly precarious humanitarian crisis is less about the availability of sufficient food and more about the distribution of surplus and procured food while adhering to the parameters of the Lockdown. Even if the lockdown period isn’t extended, the impact of the initial 21 days is already predicted to have a major impact on the food security and earning potential for millions of South Africans over the next six months.”</span></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the media statement that </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRMSA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> released on Friday,  the treatment of this risk is the immediate support of a network in South Africa that has an established national footprint, a track record of trusted performance, and can scale as soon as funds are made available. </span></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Once we identified this risk treatment we were relieved to find in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, an organisation that satisfies our extensive list of criteria,” concludes Le Cordeur.</span></p>

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<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is one of many non-profit organisations, including retailers and for-profit companies that are partnering with </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRMSA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to ensure that a national effort – in support of Government’s immediate focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19 – is well coordinated in order to deliver maximum and extensive assistance to vulnerable communities while minimising the duplication of efforts.</span></p>

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<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForwardSA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Managing Director, Andy du Plessis comments, “ We are privileged to be working with IRMSA and its professional partners in offering our infrastructure, supply chain and national footprint to assist  as many vulnerable communities and at-risk beneficiaries as funding and resources allow.”</span></p>

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<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> issued an invitation at the end of March to all registered charities that provide essential services to older persons, orphans and vulnerable children, people living with HIV / Aids and TB, and people in vulnerable rural communities, to apply to become official beneficiaries of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA.</span></i></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Since receiving our essential services permit and scaling up our operation, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has received over 300 Beneficiary Organisation applications and increased our distribution network by adding a further 140 registered beneficiaries to our original network of 670, which translates to a collective 350 000 individuals that </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is able to support nutritionally,” he says. </span></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Individuals and families needing food support or assistance should contact their local registered non-profit or ask them to apply to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForwardSA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for assistance. </span></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Donations to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are tax deductible. Contribution details are available at </span><a href="https://foodforwardsa.org/financial-donations/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://foodforwardsa.org/financial-donations/</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or from <a href="mailto:andy@foodforwardsa.org">\andy@foodforwardsa.org</a> </span></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Together with </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">FoodForward SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRMSA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has partnered with 13 other professional organisations to address the crisis and collaborate in making a difference.  </span></p>

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The professional bodies and associations that have joined </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRMSA </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">include the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Institute of Directors South Africa</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Compliance Institute of Southern Africa</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">the Ethics Institute</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Association of Certified Fraud Examiners SA</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Financial Planning Institute of South Africa, the Actuarial Association of South Africa,  the South African Council for Administrators, South African Graduate Employers Association,  Independent Professional Body Forum, Institute of People Management, the Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa, the Southern Africa Institute for Business Accountants</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health</span></i><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i></p>

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