The Causes of Food Waste in the National School Nutrition Programme in Primary Schools

The aim of the study is to explore the causes of food wastage in the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) of Johannesburg North Primary Schools. The study was conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews, observations and existing literature. The study revealed that there are various factors that lead to food wastage in the NSNP. The participants revealed that there is a lack of communication between the schools and the government which leads to food wastage, caused by portion size and poor delivery services. Food wasted, in school feeding programmes undermines the goals of the programme and increases the prevalence of food insecurity. The study identified a need for an increase in theory based and experiment based literature for future studies. The NSNP also aims at reducing food insecurity and malnutrition amongst learners. -Such a study aims at the prevention of food wastage in future programmes. The study identifies research gaps and challenges that need to be addressed in the design and implementation of the NSNP and the development of food waste management systems within the NSNP.