A new report has been released detailing the amount of food waste happening in Kenya and the figures are staggering. Feedback Global found that, despite there being no problem in quality or taste, on average nearly 50% of produce is being rejected by European retailers before export with on average over 30% of food being rejected at farm-level.
This, even though an estimated 1.3 million in rural areas, and an estimated 3.5 – 4 million in urban areas in Kenya are deemed to be food insecure and in need of assistance.
Considering horticultural exports make up 23% of Kenya’s GDP, the country’s leading foreign exchange earner, it is an enormous economic loss. It also causes a great deal of turbulence to the 4.5 million people it directly employs and the 3.5 million it indirectly supports through trade and related activities.
The industry suffers from two types of extreme waste: imposed cosmetic specifications - supermarkets only buy fruits and vegetables that fit demanding size, shape and colour specifications – and last minute order cancellations. These cancellation adjustments are a form of unfair trading practice resulting, more often than not, in large amounts being dumped.
