Mapping the data behind civil society food relief

The Covid-19 pandemic and the economic hardship resulting from the lockdown in South Africa have given rise to a vastly increased need for food aid, and a resultant sustained effort by civil society, private donors and the public sector to address these needs.

One of the key issues affecting these efforts has been the difficulty experienced in knowing who is providing food, how much, the calorific content, where, and how often. This lack of knowledge has hampered ongoing efforts, as well as any planning for addressing future need.

The EDP convened a team involved in collecting NGO food relief data, to reflect on lessons learned on capturing this data, and to make recommendations to improve the process. This report reflects these lessons.