Throughout the developed world, food is treated as a disposable commodity. Between a third and half of all food produced for human consumption globally is estimated to be wasted. However, attempts to quantify the actual magnitude of food wasted globally are constrained by limited data, particularly from developing countries. This article attempts to quantify total food waste generation (including both pre-consumer food losses, as well as post-consumer food waste) in South Africa. The estimates are based on available food supply data for South Africa and on estimates of average food waste generation at each step of the food supply chain for sub-Saharan Africa. The preliminary estimate of the magnitude of food waste generation in South Africa is in the order of 9.04 million tonnes per annum. On a per capita basis, overall food waste in South Africa in 2007 is estimated at 177 kg/capita/annum and consumption waste at 7 kg/capita/annum. However, these preliminary figures should be used with caution and are subject to verification through ongoing research.

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Sustainable natural resource management requires inputs from both the natural and the social sciences. Since natural and social systems are inter-related and inter-dependent, it is essential that these data can be integrated within a given analysis, which requires that they are spatially compatible. However, existing environmental and socio-economic monitoring networks tend to observe, collect and report socio-economic and biophysical data separately; with the result that much of these data are spatially incompatible, adding to the complexity of objective and consistent resource management. We present an approach for overcoming spatial incompatibilities between socio-economic and biophysical data; based on a meta-modelling approach using Geographical Information Systems and an application of a water-use simulation model. The method is developed and applied to the irrigation agriculture sector in the Inkomati Water Management Area in South Africa. Agricultural 2 census data, which is measured on a magisterial district scale, is integrated with georeferenced land cover data, which is independent of political boundaries. This allows us to increase the resolution at which data on the economic value derived from irrigation water is presented, from coarse magisterial district scale to a finer (49km 2 ) 'meso-zone' scale, enabling more efficient allocations of irrigation water within magisterial districts.

Globally, there are social, economic and environmental challenges related to sustainable development; these challenges include climate change, the need to feed a rapidly increasing population, high rates of poverty and environmental degradation. These challenges have forced us to rethink the way in which development takes place, resulting in the emergence of the concept of a ‘green economy’. A green economy results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing risks to the environment. It is based on principles which integrate social, economic and environmental considerations. South Africa has adopted the principle of green economic growth, and agriculture is one of the sectors that will drive this growth. Agriculture could address some of the sustainable development problems, but there are challenges related to resource availability, environmental impacts of agriculture and climate change. For agriculture to support a green economy it has to be productive, contribute to economic growth and not undermine the environment, social and cultural systems. The information base and policies required to support a green economy in general, and/or an agriculture-supported green economy have not yet been developed, as the green economy is an emerging concept in South Africa as well as globally. The generation of such information requires analysis and synthesis of green economy principles and agricultural imperatives into generic principles and practices for facilitating agriculture’s contribution to the green economy. In this paper, we conduct this analysis and synthesis and highlight the defining aspects of an agricultural green economy.