Food Waste and Food Loss:
a BIG Horticulture Concern in Africa
Dr Stephen Mbithi
CEO:
FPEAK- Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya
Coordinating CEO:
HCA- Horticulture Council of Africa
Chiefexecutive@fpeak.org www.fpeak.org +254722716956
CTA – Brussels Briefing on Food Waste and Food Loss – 26 June 2012
Food Waste and Food Loss:
a BIG issue in fresh produce
• Food waste and food insecurity…rarely go
together
– Hence …agreed – in Africa fresh produce, its
more food loss (unintended) that food waste
(intended)
• In rural Africa with food security challenges and
lack of refrigeration, fresh produce purchase is
rationed into small units.
• fresh produce waste in developed countries
– A concern for Africa:
• Factored into supermarket pricing
mechanism…leading to poor prices for the farmer
• A less waste would be good for farmers- higher
price, less land farmed, less resources used
Fresh produce loss..3 scenarios
• Some figures: Fresh Produce in Kenya:
– Volumes- Production:
– Domestic – 3.8mil MT- about 25% lost
– Export: 430,000MT (2011) – about 5% lost
• The tomato/leafy veg scenario
– Succulent/perishable and domestically
marketed
• Limited to 50-100km marketing radius
– Poor infrastructure, lack of cold preservation
– Highest post harvest (40-50) loss before reaching
consumer.
• Solutions: Infrastructure and Market efficiency
The bean..export oriented veg
• Organized production, transportation
and grading systems
• Export rejections –about 25%
– Easily bulked and sold for alternative
markets or use, including cattle fodder.
• Export horticulture is supporting vibrant urban
dairy keeping around Nairobi-Kenya
• Limited actual loss – less than 10%
• Policy considerations
• Impact of market efficiency combined with
logistics consolidation on food loss
• Deliberate development of alternative markets
for export oriented produce
Onion- shelf stable produce
• Grown and marketed mainly locally
• Loss limited – less than 5%
– Main reason- shelf stable produce,
requiring no refrigeration at rural
households
– Marketed over longer distances than
many fresh produce
• Policy consideration:
• More emphasis on production of shelf
stable produce in remote and resource
challenged rural populations? Planned
Trade?
The mango…recovering from loss
• Rotting mangoes under trees in Kenya vanishing….
– High demand from processors
• Impact of value addition into shelf –stable products
• In the past.. Some 30% of the 600,000MT production was lost
– Estimates in 2011 are 10% post harvest loss
– Demand for mango juice domestic market high..encouraging imports
• Policy Consideration:
– The SUSTAINABLE role of value addition/technology on post harvest loss
In conclusion…
• Fresh produce….
– Make them more expensive to stem food waste?
• Consumer..? Price some farmers out?
– Define/limit production or trade distances/areas for highly
perishables
– Aggressively find alternatives for export fresh produce?
• Split volumes
– Process…value add?
• And lose fresh?
Thank You
Dr Stephen Mbithi
chiefexecutive@fpeak.org or stephen-mwikya@yahoo.com