To commemorate World Intellectual
Property Day, I was hosted to address issues on Food Waste and Agribusiness in
Ghana hosted by Naa Oyoo Quartey
of See My Chow. This post is just a
summary of the interactions that ensued on Wednesday 26th May, 2017.
Naa Oyoo (NO) : Hey tell us what you do
etc. talk about your company Green Coast food
Akwasi Tagoe (AT): I’m Akwasi, Agricultural
Services Manager for GreenCoastFoods (GCF) Ghana. GCF is into agribusiness
consultancy for start-ups, we’ve had farms in the past and run the first
e-commerce grocery delivery service in Accra (Fresh233). What made the service
unique besides the convenience we offered our clients was the additional
technical support we offered to farmers from whom we sourced our produce.
Currently we are scaling to farms in the urban and peri-urban areas.
NO: What exactly is food waste and why should we
care?
AT: Food loss is an umbrella term used to
describe all of the postharvest food that never gets consumed. Some of the loss
is unavoidable due
to spoilage or processing
losses that occur before the food reaches the market.
Food waste is a component of food loss. Where
edible food that is lost discarded by growers, retailers and consumers that is
avoidable. We should care because of the environmental consequences - food thrown
at landfills - producing methane gas which is more dangerous than CO2 and
causing climate change
In
2050 it’s estimated that over 9 Billion people will be on the planet with
Ghana’s population estimates 50 Million. So in effect we have to produce more
to feed a growing population, mind you the size of arable land in Ghana will
not increase and it’s likely to decrease as a result of other economic
competition for land (real estate, urbanisation, galamsey) so we should care.
Researchers are looking for ways to produce enough food to feed the growing
population but there is the need for a culture that reduces food waste.
•
Food
waste has a triple negative effect:
•
It
impacts on food security
•
Resources
used in food production and distribution are wasted
•
Environmental
impacts throughout the supply chain
We should care because of economic, environment
and social consequences.
1.
We lose money
2.
Food waste that end up in landfills produce large amounts of metal gas
which contributes to the to green house gas emissions caused by this human
activity
3.
In perspective food waste = waste of water, energy (human + sunlight),
waste of money, waste of land
NO: How are supermarkets contributing to food
waste in Ghana
AT: supermarkets reject food produce on
basis of its aesthetic concern i.e not the right shape, shape or colour.
‘Imperfect’ veggies and fruits due to shop requirements for packaging and
display. doesn’t mean the food is not good to eat
confusion of labels on produce (sell by
and best by dates) are suggestions for peak quality. Displaying very large colourful
quantities of food for its attractiveness and perceived increase in sales also
lead to food waste.
NO: In what ways are we as consumers
contributing to the increase in food waste?
AT: BUYING MORE THAN WE NEED! Its like air-conditioning empty
buildings or leaving your iron on all day (energy waste)
NO: How can we as individuals reduce
food waste in our homes & offices to reduce the amount of gas in the
climate?
AT: Increasing awareness of the problem
and how to solve it is important, like we’re doing now
1.
be innovative at home. don’t throw last weeks stew away, remix it into
jollof.
2.
plan out weekly meals and shop for groceries based on household size and
feeding needs. Don’t buy large quantities of fresh food and consume them first
3.
make a list, buy only what you need. don’t say because its cheap you’re
buying excess.
4.
freeze your leftovers
5.
pack lunch to work. don’t let that kanzo go to waste
6.
store food at the right places
7.
start backyard gardens and compost food to be applied Composting
(Lettuce, cabbage) converts food waste into an asset for food production,
whether in your own backyard —if you can’t eat it yourself, let the worms enjoy
it.
8.
for fruits bag and freeze to make a smoothies, juices and jam
9.
make kaklo with that soft overripe plantain
10. Clean out your fridge often and note
food you rarely use
NO: What measures can be put in place for farmers
in Ghana for the reduction of food waste?
AT: solutions shouldn’t be complicated, I’m
pretty sure we’ve heard this before from our junior high Agriculture class
1.
Planning crops to be planted based on demand or season
2.
Techniques and equipment for harvesting based on farmers indigenous knowledge
innovative ways (storage) improved storage bags
2.
Helping farmers to form cooperatives or farmer based organizations, this
increases their understanding of the market, ensures efficient planning and
ability to market what they produce together as a group
3.building infrastructure, road networks
fixed and processing plants
4. Available market at a good price
(commodities market)
During my time in Bechem I learnt of a
farmer who committed suicide because the price middlemen offered for his
tomatoes was way below his cost of production. He had gone for a loan to farm
and there was no way he was going to cover the cost so, sad solution but its real
out there.
1.
The UK has a programme where they set up kitchens next to farmers
markets to process unsold fruits into gourmet chutney (jam) this can be adopted
in Ghana and will provide employment for people involved besides the farmer.
Just think of the resources that would be saved if food wasn’t wasted
In summary developing better food
harvest, storage, processing, transport and retailing processes. Match demand
and supply. Farmers finding a market for their produce and not leaving them to
rot. Individuals cooking adequately for the family size, supermarkets not
reducing product orders last minute to leave producers with extra products.
NO: As an expert in the agri-business,
what opportunities are available for today’s youth in Ghana?
AT: Agriculture or food production is a
large industry that employs over 60% of the work force. Often said to be the
backbone of Ghana. Due to its nature there are various opportunities along the
value chain from service provision to production itself.
Agribusiness includes farming and
contract farming, distribution, farm machinery, processing, seed supply,
marketing and retail sales. To engage youth, agriculture has to be
remunerative.
1.
not everyone should be engaged in production. We have a lot of small
holder farmers
2.
Provision of tractor services for ploughing, weeding etc
3.
Processing
4.
marketing and sales
5.
Logistics such as provision of transport services for haulage of produce
6.
Consultancy
You don’t have to be an expert in
agriculture or food production to benefit from some of these opportunities
NO: What challenges will one face in
trying to break into the agri-business industry
AT: Capital:
Cost of set up
2.
Human
resource: challenge is human resource, relying on third parties to get things
done on time. Employees don’t understand the business bit of farming and take
you for granted.
3.
Lack
of Knowledge of production or business
4.
Land
Tenure in Ghana
5.
Time
for break even or even profitability
6.
Education
and training for new entrants - improved methods of farming
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