Did you know that more than 50% of the food produced in the continent goes to waste yet millions of people stay hungry? According to a report by the UN, the amount of food wasted in the continent is enough to feed more than 300 million people. One major cause for such high levels of waste is lack of effective distribution due to problems in the agri-business value chain across African countries. Twiga Foods, a Kenyan agribusiness start-up, is working to solve this problem. It aims to connect demand and supply of fresh produce by connecting retailers and farmers through its mobile-based market place. It also manages supply through its logistics arm, hence reducing waste. Read more of this article at Quartz Africa.
Dear D –
We need more solutions in the continent to curb food wastage. These include having more structured supply chains and methods of food preservation which farmers can use. Africans in the diaspora can support innovative projects which aim to reduce food wastage in the continent. Such an innovation is the Sparky Dryer by Ugandan-based Lawrence Okettayot. The dehydrator is different from other solutions like electric and solar dehydrators in the market in that it is cheaper and hence affordable by many rural farmers. Lawrence plans to train train more people to scale his business and reach even more farmers. Instead of wasting food produce, farmers can dry them and sell them. Read more about the eco-friendly drier that helps to cut food waste.