Over the past four decades, researchers across disciplines have characterised a strong community food system as being locally based, ecologically sustainable, affordable for consumers and economically viable for producers (Schmidt et.al. 2011). More recently, experts in many fields from business and marketing to health and nutrition stress the importance of supporting and sustaining community food systems as a strategy for improving public health. Agriculture as an industry, occupies very strategic position in improving public health and development of the South African (SA) economy. The Nine-Point Plan identified the revitalisation of the agriculture and agro-processing value-chain (RAAVC) as one the key drivers to fast-tracking economic growth and in our view, improve the public health system. According to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, interventions in the agro-business are helping remove constraints to growth in this sector and these interventions include among others; fast-tracking land reform, market access, producer and production support. Operation Phakisa will be launched under the theme “Transforming the Agricultural Sector towards an Inclusive Rural Economy.

In 2016/2017, the Department of Agriculture made available R2 billion to support smallholder farmers. The farmers were supported with infrastructure for production, marketing and agro-processing, land preparation, establishment of orchards production inputs, training and mentorship, as well as being assisted with SA-GAP certification. Collaborative Marketing and Distribution Strategies can support a larger-scale distribution of local products to markets ranging from small scale farmers to institutions. Collaboration reduces barriers that wholesale markets face with direct purchasing of local products, providing products that are predictable, priced fairly, delivered regularly and of high quality (Grower’s Collaborative, 2010). While preserving farm identity and traceability, collaboration can also decrease farms’ marketing costs and maximise production capacity (Campbell & Pearman, 1994). Such aggregated models allow small-scale farmers to “scale up” by combining their products with that of other growers to gain access to larger and/or more consistent volume of products than they are able to supply alone (Day-Farnsworth et.al. 2009; Growers Collaborative, 2010). Collaborative approaches often link producers and consumers through a distributor, such as a non-profit, for profit, professional, cooperative, or collaborative organisation or group (Day-Farnsworth et.al.2009).