Nigeria, others waste one billion tons of food valued $310bn yearly

Over one billion tons of food valued at about $310 billion are wasted annually in Nigeria and other African nations due to poor storage facilities occasioned by epileptic electricity supply, and lack of good transport system impeding distribution of produce.

LG Electronics Incorporated raised this concern recently in Lagos, a worry validated by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

Unfortunately, this development is in the face of prevalence of hunger and undernourishment in the continent affecting about one in four people.

It is believed that Nigeria shares largely from this challenge as the country has been experiencing perennial electricity supply difficulty. FAO categorised the foods lost to fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers, stating that the food currently lost in Africa could feed 300 million people yearly.

In developing countries food waste and losses, according to FAO, occur mainly at early stages of the food value chain and can be traced back to financial, managerial and technical constraints in harvesting techniques as well as storage and cooling facilities.
Strengthening the supply chain through the direct support of farmers and investments in infrastructure, transportation, as well as in an expansion of the food and packaging industry, the organisation said could help to reduce the amount of food loss and waste.

Food losses during harvest and in storage translate into lost income for small farmers and into higher prices for poor consumers, the organisation further said.