Don’t have your Nedbank ID yet?
Nedbank ID single sign-on gives you full digital access to Nedbank’s banking and lifestyle products and services on the Money app or Online Banking.
Log in
Log in to Online Banking or another one of our secured services.
Bank your way with low fees and extra benefits.
Enjoy 55 days’ interest free credit and other benefits.
Affordable loans and interest rates from R2k to R300k.
Buy or build your home with up to 109% financing to cover bond and transfer costs.
Debt management support when you need it the most.
Cover for you and your family in the event of death.
Car, building, house contents, valuables and more.
Bond, credit card, overdraft, loan and car repayments.
Guaranteed income and growth plans for future income.
Achieve your financial goals with expert planning.
We’ll help manage your assets, debts and estate planning.
Accounts
-
Everyday banking Simpler more affordable
-
Kids accounts For children under 16
-
Youth banking For 16 to 26 year olds
-
Seniors accounts For 55 years and older
-
Private Clients Personalised banking services
-
Private Wealth The globally integrated account
-
Digital wallet Your phone is your bank account
Credit cards
Greenbacks
Digital banking
Switch to Nedbank
Fraud awareness
Forex
Accounts
-
On demand Money available at any time
-
In 24 hours Cash in your hand the next day
-
In 32 days Funds ready within a month
-
End of term Investments left until maturity
Investment services
Share trading
Personal loans
Home loans
-
Buy With you from search to purchase
-
Build Bring your dream home to life
-
Switch Move your home loan to us
-
Manage All the value-adds, 24/7
-
Further lending Flexible and affordable solutions
Overdrafts
Vehicle finance
Solar finance
Debt assistance
- Consolidate all your debts into a simple loan | Nedbank
- Short-term payment relief | Nedbank
- Take charge and restructure your finances | Nedbank
- Assisted-sales solutions for homes and vehicles | Nedbank
- Flexible payment plans for loans and credit | Nedbank
- Understanding how repo rate works | Nedbank
- We have payment solutions to get you back on track
Funeral cover
Short term insurance
Credit Life
Travel insurance
Business cover
Secure investments
Financial planning
Estate, wills & trust services
Nedbank Private Wealth
Speak to a financial adviser
Blog
Talk to us
Find us
- Login & Register
- Online Banking
- Online Share Trading
- NetBank Business
- NedFleet
- Nedbank Greenbacks
- Nedgroup Investments
- Nedbank ID
- Bank
- Accounts
- Credit cards
- Greenbacks
- Digital banking
- Switch to Nedbank
- Fraud awareness
- Forex
- Explore Bank
- Accounts
- Everyday banking
- Kids accounts
- Youth banking
- Seniors accounts
- Private Clients
- Private Wealth
- Digital wallet
- See all accounts
- Premium banking
- Get help choosing
- Goal saving
- Family Banking
- Foreign nationals
- FAQ
- How-to guides
- Discontinued accounts
- Everyday banking
- MiGoals Premium
- MiGoals Plus
- MiGoals
- Kids accounts
- MiGoals4Kids
- Youth banking
- MiGoals Premium
- MiGoals
- MiGoals Plus
- Seniors accounts
- MiGoals Premium Senior
- MiGoals Plus
- Private Clients
- Pay-as-you-use
- Young Professionals
- Private Bundle and Private One
- Private Wealth
- Private Wealth Bundle
- Digital wallet
- MobiMoney
- American Express
- Amex Gold
- Amex Platinum
- Greenbacks
- Exclusive discounts
- FAQ
- How-to guides
- Digital banking
- Switch to Nedbank
- Fraud awareness
- Forex
- Save & Invest
- Accounts
- Investment services
- Share trading
- Explore Save & Invest
- In 24 hours
- JustInvest
- PlatinumInvest
- Tax-free Savings
- MoneyTrader
- EasyAccess Fixed Deposit
- PrimeSelect
- In 32 days
- Electronic 32Day Notice
- 32Day Notice
- End of term
- Tax-free Fixed Deposit
- Electronic Fixed Deposit
- Electronic Optimum Plus
- Platinum Fixed Deposit
- Fixed Deposit
- OptimumPlus
- Investment services
- Share trading
- Borrow
- Personal loans
- Home loans
- Student loans
- Overdrafts
- Vehicle finance
- Solar finance
- Debt assistance
- Explore Borrow
- Personal loans
- Loan consolidation
- Personal loans
- Home improvement loan
- Exclusive short-term loan offers
- Explore loans
- FAQ
- How to guides
- Loan consolidation
- Personal loans
- Home improvement loan
- Exclusive short-term loan offers
- Home loans
- Buy
- Build
- Switch
- Manage
- Further lending
- Explore home loans
- Request a call back
- Track application
- FAQ
- How to guides
- Buy
- Explore buy
- First time home buyer
- Repeat buyer
- Renewable energy financing
- HomeVision
- Home-buying Toolkit
- Edge properties
- Repossessed properties
- Switch
- Explore switch
- Further lending
- Explore further lending
- Student loans
- Explore student loans
- Overdrafts
- Vehicle finance
- Solar finance
- Debt assistance
- Consolidate all your debts into a simple loan | Nedbank
- Short-term payment relief | Nedbank
- Take charge and restructure your finances | Nedbank
- Assisted-sales solutions for homes and vehicles | Nedbank
- Flexible payment plans for loans and credit | Nedbank
- Understanding how repo rate works | Nedbank
- We have payment solutions to get you back on track
- Consolidate all your debts into a simple loan | Nedbank
- Short-term payment relief | Nedbank
- Take charge and restructure your finances | Nedbank
- Assisted-sales solutions for homes and vehicles | Nedbank
- Flexible payment plans for loans and credit | Nedbank
- Understanding how repo rate works | Nedbank
- We have payment solutions to get you back on track
- Insure
- Life cover
- Funeral cover
- Short term insurance
- Credit Life
- Travel insurance
- Business cover
- Secure investments
- Explore Insure
- Life cover
- Get a call back
- Explore MyCover life
- Funeral cover
- Individual R10,000
- Individual R30,000
- Family Cover
- Build your own cover
- Get a call back
- Explore MyCover Funeral
- Individual R10,000
- Individual R30,000
- Family Cover
- Build your own cover
- Short term insurance
- Vehicle insurance
- Building insurance
- House contents insurance
- Valuables insurance
- Alternative energy insurance
- Legal expenses | Nedbank Insurance
- Get a call back
- Explore MyCover short term insurance
- Vehicle insurance
- Building insurance
- House contents insurance
- Valuables insurance
- Alternative energy insurance
- Legal expenses | Nedbank Insurance
- Credit Life
- Home loan credit life
- MFC Vehicle Finance Assurance
- Overdraft Assurance
- Balance Protection Plan
- Personal loan Assurance
- Get a call back
- Explore credit life
- Home loan credit life
- MFC Vehicle Finance Assurance
- Overdraft Assurance
- Balance Protection Plan
- Personal loan Assurance
- Travel insurance
- Business cover
- Secure investments
- Guaranteed Growth Income Plan
- Guaranteed Growth Plan
- Get a call back
- Explore MyCover Funeral
- Guaranteed Growth Income Plan
- Guaranteed Growth Plan
- Plan
- Financial planning
- Estate, wills & trust services
- Nedbank Private Wealth
- Speak to a financial adviser
- Explore Plan
- Financial planning
- Investment planning
- Insurance planning
- Give
- Retirement planning
- Investment planning
- Insurance planning
- Give
- Retirement planning
- Estate, wills & trust services
- Will drafting
- Ensure your estate is managed by an executor | Nedbank
- Trust services
- Financial accounting
- Tax services
- Leave the admin of your estate to us, and not to your loved ones | Nedbank
- Will drafting
- Ensure your estate is managed by an executor | Nedbank
- Trust services
- Financial accounting
- Tax services
- Leave the admin of your estate to us, and not to your loved ones | Nedbank
- Nedbank Private Wealth
- Speak to a financial adviser
- Learn
- Blog
- Explore Learn
- Blog
- A financial adviser can help you plan your future
- Everything you need to know about student loans
- A financial adviser can help you plan your future
- Everything you need to know about student loans
- Contact us
- Talk to us
- Find us
- Explore Contact us
- Talk to us
- Find us
Farm-to-table food choices and your budget
Farm-to-table food choices and your budget
Staff writer
Posted 04/06/2024 5 mins
To be more aware of where your food comes from, try growing some of your own.
For most of us living in cities, it can feel like food comes from the supermarket. After all, that’s where we do our hunting (for bargains) and gathering (of groceries). If, however, you’ve decided to be more conscious of your food, where it comes from, and the environmental impact of your eating choices, you’ll have discovered that it’s a lot more complex than that.
Farmers are the unsung heroes who allow us not to worry about how we’ll get our next meal. Whether it’s a chocolate bar, a box of chicken nuggets or the rolls at your braai, all your food items were originally produced on a farm of some sort. Between the farmer and your supermarket trolley, however, many processes can add to the final cost. Apart from the farmer’s production costs, the costs of processing, packaging, distribution and retail markup will all factor into the final price.
Taking note of farm-to-table food journeys
Your local supermarket will stock a variety of foods – some of them produced, processed and packaged on nearby farms, some sourced from manufacturers or distributors all over South Africa, and some imported from countries around the globe. Generally, the less processing, packaging and transportation it takes to put a product on the supermarket shelf, the more affordable it should be. There are exceptions to this rule, especially with basic processed staples. The globalised market for agricultural commodities means that some products (like cooking oil or maize meal, to name just 2 examples), may be cheaper when imported.
If you’re trying to make conscious food choices, a good rule of thumb is to buy as many food items from local producers as you can. Not only will you develop more environmentally friendly eating habits, but you’ll also be supporting local agribusiness – and you should be able to cut the cost of your grocery shopping.
Support restaurants that align with the farm-to-table philosophy and source ingredients from local farmers
While direct-from-farm produce is great, it’s not always available. Climate change is disrupting the supply of many plant-based foods, while bird flu, foot-and-mouth disease and other epidemics are causing mass livestock culling and further supply shortages in the meat industry.
The seasonal nature of fruit and vegetable produce also means that some foods aren’t locally available all year round. You can avoid having to spend more on imported, out-of-season fruit and veg by adjusting your eating habits and menus according to what’s in season and grown locally.
Urban agriculture: Growing food in small spaces
Growing some of your own food has a bunch of benefits. Apart from being more sustainable and better for your wallet, it gives you more control over what you put into your body. Even if you don’t have a garden with space for fruit trees and veggie beds, you can still grow something. If you have a balcony, patio or even a windowsill that gets some sunlight, you can use the space to plant herbs and vegetables on a small scale.
Some practical tips and tricks
Windowsills
- Choose herbs and vegetables that fit in small pots.
- Make sure they get enough sunlight. If not, consider using a grow light.
- Water them regularly, but don’t overwater.
Patios or balconies
- Use containers or pots to save space.
- Try vertical gardening to grow more in a small area.
- Pick plants that grow well in your climate and the available sunlight.
Gardens
- Plan your garden layout based on sunlight, shade and wind exposure.
- Start with easy-to-grow plants, then move on to more challenging ones.
- Think about companion planting to make the maximum use of the available space and help keep pests away.
- If you’re looking to save money through gardening, consider growing budget-friendly vegetables.
Some of the most economical choices for home cultivation
Herbs grow well in small containers. Some herbs (like thyme, rosemary, sage and mint, for example), don’t need to be replanted every year.
Lettuce, chillies, spring onions, garlic, tomatoes and strawberries are all easy to grow in small spaces. Sow a different variety of lettuce seeds every week, and you’ll soon have a steady supply of varied greens.
If you grow broccoli, you can harvest side shoots while the main plant keeps growing to maximise value.
Cucumber is a fast-growing plant that produces crops quickly.
Make conscious consumer choices
A farm-to-table approach to eating relies on fresh, locally sourced food in season, and it encourages sustainable agriculture and support for local farmers. Research local farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture programmes in your area, so that you can make informed food-buying decisions and enjoy locally grown produce direct from the farm.
When you eat out, support restaurants that align with the farm-to-table philosophy and source ingredients from local farmers. Champion sustainability by planning your meals in advance, buying only what you need and storing food appropriately. With a few changes in your buying habits, you can save money, reduce your environmental footprint, support local businesses and eat better!