Africa: a continent of challenges regarding food waste
Smartway recently launched a new partnership with Monoprix Tunisie. The North African country of Tunisia, land of history and a rich culture, with more than 12 M of residents, faces many challenges related to food security and waste management and trusted our French firm to reinvent their short dated products management. More globally, this is our very first step in Africa, a continent of 1000 faces, where what’s at stake when it comes to food is huge. It’s a land of undernourishment, as 282 million people in Africa suffer from it, representing around 21% of the continent’s population. A land where, by force of circumstances, people really recognize the value of food. But this is also a continent where countries are developing fast and starting to consume as Europeans. The rate of waste generation in Africa is approximately 0.65 kg per capita per day, but this figure varies significantly between urban territories and rural areas.
Immersion in a land of food disparities, where food waste is on the rise.
An unequal access to food in a diverse continent
Africa is a vast and diverse continent, home to over 1.4 billion people, yet access to food remains a persistent and uneven challenge. The stark disparities regarding food security between different regions highlight the continent’s complex situation. In East Africa, millions face hunger due to climate-induced crises. Conversely, in parts of North Africa, food insecurity is often linked to economic instability and the rising costs of imported goods. In Sub-Saharan Africa, poor infrastructure hinders food distribution, leaving smallholder farmers disconnected from markets.
Addressing the food issue on this challenging continent requires long-term investments in agricultural technology, infrastructure, policies and innovative technologies tailored to the diverse needs of Africa’s regions.
Food, the true challenge of Africa
Food may be considered as the real “treasure” of Africa as in 2024, still millions of people across the continent are grappling with hunger and malnutrition. Despite Africa’s vast agricultural potential, including its abundant arable land and diverse climates, this is THE continent still struggling with food insecurity. Various major parameters such as climate change, conflicts and political instability are making the situation worse, highing disrupted food production and supply chains, leaving vulnerable populations cut off from their sources of sustenance. In parallel, creating some incomparable paradox, urbanization and population growth in some higher developed areas are further straining the continent’s food systems. Cities expand faster than agricultural infrastructure can support. Small farmers, who make up the backbone of Africa’s food production, often lack access to modern tools, technology, and financing, preventing them from maximizing yields.
This is the huge challenge of Africa: invest in sustainable farming practices, enhance infrastructure and improve resilience to climate mutation, all while addressing the underlying social and political factors that contribute to food insecurity.
Food waste: interfering in developing countries of Africa
The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) has published reports estimating that while much of the food waste occurring in Africa happens at the production and post-harvest stages, waste by stores and consumers is an emerging issue, especially in urban areas of African developing countries. It is estimated to account for 5% to 15% of total food waste, depending on the region. While the percentage is currently smaller than waste at the production level, addressing food waste in stores remains a key aspect of reducing this issue in Africa.
Indeed, as their economies grow and urbanization accelerates, supermarkets and food retailers of more developed African nations are expanding. Yet, inefficient inventory management, lack of solutions to handle the short-dated products and strict standards for products in shelves often lead to large quantities of unsold food being discarded. Consumers, mainly in wealthier urban centers, are also contributing to the problem through over-purchasing, failing storage practices and lack of awareness about food preservation. This waste is particularly troubling on a continent where food insecurity and hunger remain widespread and constitute one of the major concerns of international organizations. The loss at the retail and household level thus exacerbates the already complex challenge of food insecurity. Solutions are numerous and complementary at every level: African nations need stronger policies to regulate food waste and promote education on food preservation. Consumers in developed cities need to improve their purchasing behavior. Retailers also play a major role in this fight: they should manage their short-dated products by equipping their employees with innovative solutions to ease this fastidious task. By doing this, they can extend their product’s life and offer to their consumers a better access to edible food… while maximizing their profits. A win-win solution!
A wind of change blowing in Africa
Recognizing the need for change, the scourge of food waste is more and more tackled at every level of the continent. Initiatives like public awareness campaigns aim to educate citizens about the consequences of food waste and encourage more responsible consumption practices. Furthermore, there is a growing interest in the African retail industry to initiate better practices regarding products close to their sell-by dates. Stores have a responsibility to drive this change and offer to their amazing nation a better access to food, while being more responsibly efficient. By offering discounts on products nearing their expiration date, it addresses the economical challenges of the stores while granting more households access to food. This practice can really be one answer to the undernourishment faced by people in some impoverished areas of the African continent.
African retailers, change is at your door to answer major economic and social issues. Don’t let it go without you: contact us to reinvent your model!
