{"id":217712,"date":"2023-08-25T16:37:31","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T14:37:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/?p=217712"},"modified":"2023-08-29T08:29:55","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T06:29:55","slug":"chef-jan-hendrik-van-der-westhuizen-becomes-wwf-ambassador","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/chef-jan-hendrik-van-der-westhuizen-becomes-wwf-ambassador\/","title":{"rendered":"Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen becomes WWF Ambassador"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen of the JAN Restaurant Group has announced that he is a new Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The article in his weekly newsletter of 25 August follows below: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JAN HENDRIK VAN DER WESTHUIZEN BECOMES WWF AMBASSADOR<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

25 AUGUST 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

South African Michelin-star chef, broadcaster and publisher Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen has entered into a partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The agreement cements Jan Hendrik\u2019s commitment to the environment and sustainability, with a particular focus on reduced waste in the food and hospitality industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you grow up on a farm, you\u2019re very aware of where food comes from and what goes into every plate you put on the table,\u201d says Jan Hendrik. \u201cI\u2019ve always been an advocate of the zero-waste kitchen \u2013 not just in my restaurants, but at home too. Whenever I start packing my bags before a trip, I freeze whatever ingredients I know will spoil if left in the cupboard or fridge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FOOD WASTE: THE CURRENT STATE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to global WWF findings, up to two-thirds of all food is wasted in the production, packaging and distribution cycle. The impact of this statistic sparks even greater concern in developing countries like South Africa, where an estimated 2.1 million people go hungry every day according to official figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This begs the question: what can households and small businesses do to counter food waste when our current food system is to blame? In Jan Hendrik\u2019s view, the more mindful individuals and small businesses become about the process \u2013 and increase the demand for zero-waste food sources \u2013 the more likely the industry is to effect change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt my restaurants, we take great care to use every ingredient to its fullest potential. When it comes to leftovers, it\u2019s not only about saving food, but using leftovers in new and inventive ways, which also allows for greater variety and depth of flavour,\u201d Jan Hendrik says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

INSIGHTS FROM THE KALAHARI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt every JAN destination, we take our supply chain very seriously, and establish robust relationships with every one of our suppliers to ensure that we know where exactly our ingredients come from and how they get  to us,\u201d Jan Hendrik explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Provenance takes on new meaning at a destination as remote as Restaurant Klein JAN at Tswalu Kalahari in a remote part of the Northern Cape in South Africa. When Jan Hendrik first became Culinary Director of Tswalu, he and Executive Chef Marnus Scholly searched the Kalahari for suppliers who shared their culinary philosophy of ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over and above that, as vast and underpopulated as the region is, their goal was to only source ingredients from within a 300 km radius of Klein JAN. Through seeking out and meeting an array of local suppliers, from biodiverse growers specialising in permaculture to small-scale cheesemakers and family butchers, the restaurant has succeeded in establishing a loyal network of suppliers within its regional sphere. Jan Hendrik hopes to inspire more South African restaurants to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe experience of creating a world-class restaurant in such an out-of-the-way and fragile region opened my eyes to the true meaning of sustainability,\u201d says Jan Hendrik. \u201cSouth Africa is home to some of the world\u2019s most innovative and ethical producers in the world. As chefs and restaurateurs, we hold the power to change the future of our industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2021, he has also played an active role in Taste of Game, an annual event hosted by Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation and the African Wildlife Economy Institute, which seeks to establish a greater awareness of game meat as a more sustainable source of protein than farm-reared meat, in turn bolstering the African wildlife economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WWF-SASSI AND OUR OCEANS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2004, the WWF Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) has worked to drive change in the local seafood industry by working with suppliers, retailers and chefs, as well as informing and inspiring consumers to make sustainable seafood choices. To support consumers in understanding their sustainable seafood options, SASSI provides easy-to-use tools that categorise seafood species according to a \u2018traffic light\u2019 system of red (don\u2019t buy), orange (think twice) and green (best choice). WWF-SASSI endeavours to reduce pressure on over-exploited fish stocks to improve sustainability of the resources, in line with the following objectives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n