SUPPORTING LOCAL IS LEKKER

Heritage Month is all about recognising and celebrating South Africa’s culture, food and its people. As a consumer, this is your opportunity to take a “Proudly South African” stand by purchasing locally grown, produced and manufactured products. Two local companies who are making strides in the space of food sustainability are McCain and Sea Harvest. These local brands strive to ensure that our economy grows, while at the same time, adopting sustainable business practices to protect the environment.

Here are just 10 (of the many) reasons why buying local produce is lekker:

1. It’s good for the country. Purchasing local products has a ripple effect on our economy.
2. It’s good for employment. Just think about how many people are employed by the companies who grow, catch, manufacture, package and distribute local produce!
3. It’s good for the planet. Buying local foods reduces the carbon footprint because it hasn’t traveled kilometers and kilometers over oceans or in planes to reach you. 
4. It’s good for maintaining green spaces. More farms = less developments, meaning you get a sustainable food supply and a healthy, green environment.
5. It’s good for your peace of mind. By supporting local, credible and sustainable brands, you can be confident that what you are buying is legal, safe and fairly traded. 
6. It’s good for traceability. It’s far easier to connect to what you’re eating when it’s local and you can follow the product’s movement through the supply chain – from when it’s caught or grown to when you can eat it. 
7. It’s good for your pocket. Frozen food has a longer shelf-life, you only use what you need, and there is zero waste. 
8. It’s good for your schedule. The ability to always have a meal solution in your freezer helps save you trips to the shops. 
9. It’s good for your taste buds. Local produce is delicious, and both McCain and Sea Harvest have an ocean-full of lekker recipes for you to enjoy for fun, convenient, sustainable and nutritious meals.
10. It’s good for you. We all aspire to be part of the solution and being intentional about what products you choose is one way to make a difference. Checking the source listed on the packaging and doing research on the brands that you support are small steps that you can take with long term impacts.

Have a proudly South African heritage this September by supporting local brands. Find out more about McCain and Sea Harvest (affectionately known as “The Friends in your Freezer”), their sustainability initiatives, campaigns, and lekker recipes at www.mccain.co.zaand www.seaharvest.co.za.