Ghana throws away GH¢762.32bn in food annually – Waste higher than global average

Ghana wastes 3.2 million metric tonnes of food equivalent to GH¢762.32 billion annually, higher than the global average.

The country’s per capita food waste in 2024 was 84 kg, higher than the global average of 74 kilogramme (kg), according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The food waste comprises 66 per cent of fruits and vegetables, 40 per cent of root crops and 21 per cent of grains.

This was made known at a lecture to mark this year’s World Earth Day/Month organised by the Communications Initiative for Change (CIC) Ghana, under its Meatless Monday initiative.

It was sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Communication programme.

Lecture

An Environmental Chemist and Director, Student Affairs, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Mariam Asantewah Nkansah, who made this known during the lecture, said Ghana’s food waste occurred predominantly during harvest at the farm gate, on transit to the market and at the market.

Most of the waste occurs in restaurants and schools, contributing up to 40 per cent of the waste, equivalent to $25 billion worth of food.

In the Ashanti Region, it is estimated that 320 metric tonnes of edible food is wasted annually by just 120 restaurants, with a monetary loss of over $2 million.

About 11.7 per cent of the country’s population, made up of 3.6 million people, are projected to be food insecure by 2029 and the daily food wasted in kitchens and on plates daily from 49 restaurants has the potential of feeding 5,000 over a period of three weeks.

She said globally, an estimated 931 million tonnes of food went to waste each year, amounting to approximately $1 trillion.

Around 60 per cent of the wasted food originates from households, and they weigh roughly 23 million fully loaded 40-tonne trucks, which she said, was enough to circle the earth seven times if trucks were aligned bumper to bumper.

In poorer countries, most food loss occurs at the production and distribution stages, while in richer countries more food is wasted at the consumption stage, the 2021 UNEP report revealed. 

Environmental impact Giving the environmental impact of food waste, she said in the area of waste of natural resources, growing food that went to waste ended up using up to 21 per cent of fresh water, 19 per cent of fertiliser, 18 per cent of arable land and 21 per cent of landfill volume.In the area of degradation of land, agriculture uses 11.5 million hectares of the global land surface in the form of arable and non-arable land.

Also, she said 900 million hectares of non-arable land was used for livestock to produce meat and diary products due to high demand.

She said “by doing so we are gradually degrading our natural land in a way that prohibits anything natural from growing on it.”

In the area of water pollution, she said food waste could contaminate waterways, harm aquatic life and ecosystems.

In the area of climate change, she said when food was left to rot in landfills it subsequently released methane, a powerful greenhouse gas 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide, adding that when methane was released it lingered for 12 years, trapping heat from the sun.

To help reduce food waste, she urged farmers to harvest wisely, use proper storage and links to markets on time.

On transporters, she called for an improved timely and safe delivery to reduce spoilage.

She also advised processors to turn surplus into longer-lasting products such as sauces, juices or dried foods.

The Executive Director CIC, Emmanuel Fiagbey, who spoke on the Meatless Monday initiative, said it was a global movement which enabled people to make positive changes in their diets by choosing not to eat meat one day in a week.

He said it was a public health initiative that sought to reduce the incidence of some preventable diseases by dedicating every Monday to healthy eating.

Speaking on the celebration of Earth Day/Month, which is celebrated in April, he said it was a call to action, which was an urgent reminder that the fate and future of the planet was within our control.

He said the theme, “Our Power Our Planet”, emphasised the need to harness a collective power to protect the planet.

Writer’s email:rebecca.quaicoe-duho@graphic.com.gh