In Uganda up to 40% of the fruit and vegetable goes to waste especially along the supply chain or are lost to disease, pests, and rot, According to Food Rights Alliance.
These are all benchmarked from sale of fake inputs on the market which results into food wastage before production and wastage during production.
The remarks were made as Uganda marked international day of observance and awareness creation on food loss and wastage on Tuesday in Kampala.
Agnes Kirabo, the Executive Director Food Rights Alliance, said food is lost or wasted throughout various stages of the food supply chain ranging from agricultural production, crops, and harvest.
Kirabo explained that crops, animals, fish or milk may be lost during post-harvest handling, storage, in transportation, processing and consumption.
“During distribution, food may be lost or wasted during transport, at wholesale markets, supermarkets, retailers, and eventually consumers may waste food by throwing or discarding food away,” she said.
She said there has been a major disruption in the supply chain due to the lockdown measures in the country, temporary closure of some markets.
She added that all these measures have resulted in loss of markets for producers and distributors making the situation even more challenging.
“With over 132 million people on the verge of being undernourished, 1/3 of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year,” said Kirabo.
She noted more than 12% of maize grain produced in Uganda gets lost and wasted on the field due to prolonged field drying, late harvest, and another 18% is lost during transportation, processing, drying and poor storage
Kirabo however said food loss and wastage doesn’t not only mean that food alone is wasted during the process but all the resources that were involved in the production of the food; water, land, labour, energy, capital and the respective inputs go to waste.
“We need to be more aware of the importance of the issue of food loss and waste now more than ever in order to promote and implement our national, regional, continental and global efforts,” she said.
Kirabo urged the population to highly recognize the fundamental role food production plays in promoting food security and nutrition which will contribute to the fight for Zero Hunger, and having Sustainable diets for all.
