By: EBOILEKUN DICKSON E
According to FAO, a total of 1.3billion tonnes of food is wasted annually and this is estimated to be above $1trillion on annual basis.
The very need to curtail this ugly menace is not limited to maximising profit through out the entire food supply chain which in turn will improve the living standard of the key stakeholders in this process, of which a reasonable sum are rural farmers, but similarly, the need to curtail the increasing number of undernourished children and individuals in the world (both in developed and developing nations) and also achieve the UN 'zero hunger' agenda which is meant to raise awareness (a global campaign) and eliminate hunger. As part of the UN strategy to achieve, a meeting held in 2013 by 13 UN organisation concluded that "food loss and waste reduction is one of the most effective ways to improve global food supply".
Where Food waste is accepted to be the food that are being discarded at the end of the supply chain by retailers or consumers and Food loss as that which is lost at the production, post-harvest and processing stages in the supply chain, Food wastage is the combination of food waste and food loss in other words, every unused damaged food or food item from the entire food supply chain is food wastage.
Below are some of my practical reasons for food wastages and a way out;
1. No plan: " Farming without planning is a plan to waste food" planning of agricultural production venture is beyond having a bountiful harvest or yields. A good plan should answer the following; what should I produce? who need what am to produce? How much should I produce? How do I produce what am to produce? Where do I produce what am to produce?
It disturbing often times as an agricultural extension agent, what farmers care about most times is "how do I produce"?. A bountiful harvest may not guarantee a maximum profit or provide for the actual need.
Planning should contain room for who need what am producing? Is what am producing needed in my environment? If no, do I have what it takes to get them to come have it or I taking it to them ( considering for marketing cost factor). By so doing you are automatically producing for a readily opened hands to buy or use your produce/product and you are free from waste. Planning also enable you gather more information to enable you successfully carryout your required activities in terms of technical know how.
As a consumer, you also have to plan, know what you need and how much you can consume. Instead of over stocking the fridge with things you can't consume, shop at a time.
2. Lack of proper interaction between actors in the supply chain: " one Man's food is indeed another Man's junk". Some food and food items are wasted especially in the processing stage of the supply chain. A component of a production material that is edible or reused in another production shouldn't be condemned for the fact that its not required in one product processing. Its advisable to package valuable wastes from a one stage or sector to others for maximum utilization of food resources.
3. High food quality standard: "Health is indeed our wealth". There in nothing bad for trying to regulate and standardize our for quality. But in a situation where it's almost impossible to meet or numerous waste occurs to attain nothing but very few 'standard' food should be recheck.
Expiration date, best before date policy; there are some food that are still edible even after their best before date, proper sensitization should be carried out on such product on when it is actually considered not edible.
4. Uncontrolled Marketing/Competition strategy: I will cite an example to buttress this point. Years ago in Nigeria, there was a rumour that a certain staff of a certain bottling company who was diagnosed of HIV deliberately infected the product of the company due to depression, and a similar product of a similar company was suggested as an alternative choice for the public. I am not in any way affirming the story or otherwise, but am trying to paint a picture considering the story to be false, the alternative company may be at an advantage when it comes to sales and what happen to the victimised company? Wastage of product (food). Considering the possibility of ill competition strategy, let appropriate agencies take note.
5. Unregulated price polices of some retail outlet: it absurd, all in the name of packaging, some food products are displayed at a conspicuous high price, only to be found in the waste sites after expiration due to no patronage.
This should be checked as well.
By: EBOILEKUN DICKSON E. (Instagram @agric_d_culture)
#agricthecode
